Academics

Achieving eXcellence in Liberal Education

About AXLE | Distribution Categories | Placement
Writing Requirements | First-Year Writing Seminars

 

AXLE Implementation Committee

Senior Associate Dean Karen Campbell, Chair
Associate Dean Francille Bergquist, ex officio
Associate Dean Yollette Jones, ex officio
Roger Moore, Director of Undergraduate Writing, ex officio
Molly Thompson, A&S Registrar, ex officio
Kathy Anderson, Department of Economics
Mark Ellingham, Department of Mathematics
Roy Gottfried, Department of English
Todd Graham, Department of Biological Sciences
Bronwen Wickkiser, Department of Classical Studies
Staff person: Jonathan Bremer, Program Coordinator 2-7747

Implementation of the new College of Arts & Science Curriculum--AXLE

AXLE is the new undergraduate curriculum of the College of Arts & Science. The A&S faculty approved it in February, 2004, and the entering class of August, 2005, will be the first group of students to be governed by it. AXLE represents a significant revision of the current curriculum, the CPLE, which has been in effect since 1982. In comparison with the CPLE, the curricular requirements have been simplified, liberal arts distribution categories that have not been successful have been eliminated, and every Arts & Science course will count toward some curriculum requirement. These changes should encourage faculty members to offer more interdisciplinary courses. With AXLE, only 13 of the approximately 40 courses required for graduation are devoted to satisfying the curriculum. Consequently, students have greater choice and flexibility in planning and completing their courses of study. Simultaneously, the revised curriculum challenges students in new ways since all of them must complete 13 courses from across the liberal arts spectrum at Vanderbilt regardless of their AP or placement test scores. (AP credit continues to count toward other degree requirements.) The writing program includes a larger range of writing classes from which students may choose, along with more advanced courses in writing and communications. The Freshman Seminar Program has been retained and strengthened—all Freshman Seminars will become First Year Writing Seminars. The new AXLE curriculum gives students the freedom to ambitiously pursue their academic dreams and intellectual aspirations while providing them a solid liberal arts foundation.

Updates from the AXLE Implementation Committee

--  Memo to Department Chairs and Program Directors (Jan. 13, 2005) regarding new course proposals under AXLE

--  Memo to Department Chairs and Program Directors (Nov. 3, 2004) explaining how to convert Freshman Seminars to First Year Writing Seminars.  Associate Dean Kate Daniels requests that the process of converting all A&S Freshman Seminars into First Year Writing Seminars begin.

--  Form for converting non-Writing Freshman Seminars to First Year Writing Seminars.

--  Chart for comparing the writing requirements of 115W Freshman Seminars and First Year Writing Seminars.

--  The AXLE Implementation Committee determines that 300-level A&S courses cannot be used to satisfy the Liberal Arts distribution requirement (November 2, 2004).

--  Memo to Department Chairs and Program Directors (Sept. 17, 2004) explaining how to fill out the Distribution Survey Sheet.  Associate Dean Kate Daniels requests that the process of classifying all A&S courses into the AXLE categories begin.

--  Memo to Department Chairs and Program Directors (Sept. 13, 2004) regarding the classification of A&S courses into the new AXLE distribution categories.  Associate Dean Kate Daniels requests that the process of classifying all A&S courses into the AXLE categories begin.

--  The complete Distribution Survey Sheet.

--  The completed Distribution Survey Sheet.