In Settlement With Disabilities Group, Berkeley Will Improve
Students’ Alternative Access to Printed Course Materials
By JAKE NEW
THE UNIVERSITY of Califor- nia at Berkeley has reached a settlement with Disability Rights Advocates in what the
group calls a “landmark agreement” to improve access to textbooks, course readers, and library
materials for students with print-related disabilities.
Disability Rights Advocates represented three Berkeley students
who said they had difficulty getting
access to the materials they needed
for class. The group, which is a non-profit disability-rights legal center,
approached the university last year
on behalf of the students, proposing
settlement negotiations that could
resolve the issues and avoid a lawsuit.
The negotiations, which took
more than a year, led to several new
accommodations, said Paul Hippol-itus, director of the university’s Disabled Students Program. He called
them overdue.
Over the past four years, the program struggled to keep up with a
115-percent increase in the number
of textbooks it had to recreate in
digital text, Braille, or audio form,
he said. Last semester the university
created 750 such versions.
“We had an old model that was
not serving us well in this increase
of quantity and quality,” he said.
Under the new system, the staff
that is responsible for producing
the alternative media will grow
from three to five. Until this year,
it had been a staff of one, Mr. Hip-
politus said. The staff members will
also be moved to a larger space with
new equipment.
As MOOC Debate Simmers,
American U. Calls a Halt
By STEVE KOLOWICH
IN THE LATEST salvo in a debate over MOOCs that has drawn ational attention, the San Jose
State University chapter of the
California Faculty Association has
thrown its weight behind recent
criticisms of the university’s partnerships with outside providers of
massive open online courses—
specifically, edX and Udacity.
Meantime, on the opposite side
of the country, American Univer-
sity has announced a “moratorium
on MOOCs.”
The California faculty union,
which represents more than 2,000
professors on the San Jose State
campus, has written a memoran-
dum sharply criticizing the univer-
sity’s president, Mohammad H. Qa-
youmi, for what the union sees as a
preference for “private rather than
public solutions” when it comes to
online tools and content.
San Jose State has encouraged
various academic departments to
use content from edX—a nonprofit
that build MOOCs with materials
from professors around the country—in their own courses.
But the university’s philosophy
department said in April that it
would refuse to use content from an
edX course led by a Harvard Uni-
versity professor. In an open letter,
the professors declared a deep dis-
trust of the California State Uni-
versity administration’s intentions
in its partnerships with MOOC
providers. “Let’s not kid ourselves,”
they wrote. “Administrators at the
CSU are beginning a process of re-
placing faculty with cheap online
education.”
The faculty union echoed that
distrust in the new memo, which
was provided to The Chronicle in
advance of its publication on the
association’s Web site.
In the memo, the union repre-
sentatives write that Mr. Qayou-
mi, in his efforts to publicize the
university’s collaborations with the
MOOC providers, has been reluc-
tant to defend professors against
“a stereotype of classroom teach-
ing based on some hackneyed Hol-
lywood script of a teacher writing
on a blackboard while his students
sleep in boredom.”
Pat L. Harris, media-relations di-
rector at San Jose State, reiterated
that professors have not been forced
to use any materials from edX or
Udacity. “In both cases, we have our
faculty members behind the online
efforts that the world is seeing,” said
Ms. Harris. “We haven’t cut them
out of it; in fact they’re at the core
of what we’re doing.”
PROVOST
The College for Creative Studies seeks a creative, visionary and entrepreneurial leader
for the position of Provost. Reporting to the President, the Provost will have an extraordinary
opportunity to advance a distinctive college incorporating a range of forward-looking
programs in visual arts, media and design. As the chief academic officer of the College, the
Provost is responsible for all matters related to academic operations including oversight of
faculty and curriculum and is a catalyst for innovation. In collaboration with the President,
leadership team, and faculty, the Provost will implement and evolve the College’s strategic
plan to build upon the College’s excellence through program development, faculty professional
development, encouragement of greater interdisciplinary learning, integration of new
technologies, and promotion of partnerships with varied outside organizations. The Provost
will help to enhance the College’s reputation by serving as a spokesperson for it locally,
nationally and internationally and advocating for the value of art and design to society.
The College for Creative Studies’ mission is to nurture the creativity that is vital to the enrichment of modern culture. The College educates visual artists and designers, knowledgeable
in varied fields, who will be leaders in creative professions that shape society and advance
economic growth. The College fosters students’ resolve to pursue excellence, act ethically,
embrace their responsibilities as citizens of diverse local and global communities, and learn
throughout their lives. The College engages in community service by offering opportunities
for artistic development and opening career pathways to talented individuals of all ages.
-
A ‘MORATORIUM ON MOOCS’
Meanwhile, at American University, the provost sent a memo
last week to the entire faculty and
staff reiterating a “moratorium
on MOOCs” while the university,
in Washington, D.C., continues
to draft a policy on how the massive online courses would operate
there.
The university is taking its time
in deciding whether it wants to pursue institutional partnerships with
edX or Coursera, another MOOC
provider; or whether it wants to allow professors to teach MOOCs on
their own, through Udacity or some
other platform.
Contrary to institutions that have
eagerly embraced MOOCs, American is purposely avoiding experimentation before it decides exactly
how it wants to relate to the new
breed of online courses. “I need a
policy before we jump into something,” said Scott A. Bass, the provost, in an interview.
In his memo, Mr. Bass assures
the faculty that American will not
pursue MOOCs before addressing
issues like faculty oversight and release time.
The successful candidate will possess a terminal degree in a relevant field and academic
qualifications appropriate for appointment as a full Professor at the College for Creative
Studies. He/She will also have a record of distinguished creative practice and/or scholarship
and accomplished teaching. In addition to candidates currently holding academic positions,
outstanding academically qualified candidates from industry or other non-conventional
profiles will be considered. For a full job description and additional information about
CCS please visit: www.collegeforcreativestudies.edu/provost
The College for Creative Studies has retained the services of Korn/Ferry to assist with this
search. Review of applications, nominations and expressions of interest will begin immediately
and continue on a confidential basis until an appointment is made. Preference will be given
to candidates who submit their materials by August 1, 2013. Prospective candidates should
submit a cover letter, resume or curriculum vitae, and the names and contact information of
five references. References will not be called without permission. The electronic submission
of materials is preferred.
Nominations, applications and inquiries should be sent to:
Paul H.L. Chou, Senior Client Partner
Rosa Morris, Senior Associate
ccs-provost@kornferry.com
CCS is an Equal Opportunity employer and educator. Minorities, women, veterans, and persons with
disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. The College values candidates who have experience
working in settings with students from diverse backgrounds.
