Changing from a traditional community college to a college that retains the community college mission and offers selected baccalaureate programs requires the work and cooperation of many constituencies: GBC faculty, staff, administration, and students; the UCCSN Board of Regents (BOR) and the Chancellor; the Nevada Legislature; the Northwest Association of School and Colleges; the Nevada Department of Education; education consultants, and the leaders and residents of the five counties of northeastern and central Nevada. A listing of significant events in this institutional change follows:

Historical Highlights
Baccalaureate Programs at Great Basin College

1995
• Initial college meetings to discuss the possibility of baccalaureate degrees.

1996
• GBC’s Academic Master Plan includes baccalaureate degree planning objective.

1997
• Nevada Legislature and the UCCSN Board of Regents provide funds for GBC to conduct baccalaureate degree feasibility study.
• Feasibility studies begun by GBC with the assistance of The Education Alliance, a Boston higher education consulting firm.

1998
• Feasibility study continues with various college community committees, Faculty Senate, and community leaders working with The Education Alliance.
• June: UCCSN Board of Regents gives approval for GBC to begin planning for selected baccalaureate degree programs.
• December: GBC Faculty Senate supports conceptual framework for elementary education degree.

1999
• February: Faculty Senate approves elementary education degree plans.
• Substantive Change request submitted to Commission on Colleges and Universities for the elementary education baccalaureate degree.
• May: Nevada State Department of Education conducted site review of proposed elementary education program.
• June: UCCSN Board of Regents approved baccalaureate degree. The Nevada Legislature appropriated 1.56 million for baccalaureate programs at GBC.
• September: Elementary Education program begins.

2000
• May: BOR approved proposal for Bachelor of Applied Science.
• Fall: Substantive change prospectus submitted to the Commission for Bachelor of Applied Science.

2001
• March: The UCCSN Board of Regents approved the proposal for the Bachelor of Integrative and Professional Studies.
• April: The Prospectus for a Substantive Change for a Bachelor of Applied Science submitted to the Commission on Colleges and Universities.
• May: GBC Faculty Senate approves conceptual plan for Bachelor of Integrative and Professional Studies.
• May: 18 students graduate from GBC’s Elementary Education program.
• July: Received approval for the inclusion of the Bachelor of Applied Science degree program with options in Instrumentation and Management in Technology under the existing accreditation.
• August: Nevada Department of Education gave full approval for the Elementary Education program.
• October: A substantive change prospectus was submitted to the Commission for the Bachelor of Integrative and Professional Studies.
• December: Ten graduates in elementary education.

2002
• March: Focused Self-study on Upper-division Coursework for the Bachelor of Applied Science was submitted.
• April 11-12: Commission Site Visit for BAS and Elementary Education.
• May: 15 students graduate from GBC’s elementary education program.
• June: The Commission on Colleges and Universities notifies GBC that the accreditation for the upper-division components of the Bachelor of Applied Science and Elementary Education program are formally reaffirmed.
• November: Progress report submitted to the Commission for Bachelor of Integrative and Professional Studies.

Organization
Introduction to the Baccalaureate ProgramsEach of the three baccalaureate programs draws widely upon college faculty from a number of disciplines. Administratively, a ?lead faculty” member for each of the three programs reports directly to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and to a faculty committee that is responsible for the academic standards, the content and scheduling of curricular offerings, the admission of students to the program, and the academic advising of students. The lead faculty members meet frequently (both formally and informally) to coordinate program implementation. Moreover, several faculty serve on more than one program committee, thus facilitating baccalaureate program communication and coordination.

Integrative Seminar Model. To understand the baccalaureate programs at GBC, it is important to know the roles played by the integrative seminar courses.

Integrative seminars are offered in the social sciences (INT 349), science (INT 369), mathematics (INT 359), and the humanities (INT 339). These interdisciplinary seminars are frequently team-taught and cover a range of topics: civil rights, history and culture of Mexico, climate change and human activity, and exploring archetypes in film. A majority of the seminars are conducted by interactive video (IAV). (See Exhibit 2.23 for a listing of the integrative seminars that have been offered.)

The upper-division integrative seminars are essential to the three baccalaureate programs at Great Basin College. Students in the Bachelor of Applied Science program are required to take all four of the seminars (12 credits). Elementary education students take six credits—mathematics or science and humanities or social science, while Bachelor of Integrated Studies students must complete three seminars: social science, science, and humanities or mathematics.

The seminars were begun Fall 1999, the start of the elementary education program. Since that time, approximately half of the faculty have taught seminars, solo or with another faculty member.

The major intent of the seminars is to ?integrate” a variety of content with an intense attention to students’ development of analytical and communication skills. The interdisciplinary nature of seminar content is nicely reinforced by the participation of students from three quite different programs. With faculty’s wide participation in the seminars, baccalaureate programs take a central role at the College along with the traditional community college mission. Finally, the integrative seminars model makes economic sense. Enrolling students from three different majors (along with occasional non-degree seeking students) generates class sizes that would not otherwise be possible in a less well-organized program.

The integrative seminars have been an unexpectedly positive experience at GBC. The students generally share the instructors’ enthusiasm, resulting in greater participation and productivity. Even though the seminars involve a lot of work, students often claim they are among their favorite classes. The prime benefit is that degrees culminate with a strong general education component. They are forced to incorporate thinking and writing from the perspectives of different disciplines, and add an extra polish to their education.