I apologize to the rest of the Academy.  If you do not teach at a
California State University and are not interested in our state
articulation of courses, please delete this message.

This critical message is for all instructors at California State
Universities.  On Saturday, March 12th, we are going to conduct our
second meeting to discuss the lower-division curriculum for all business
students in the CSU system.  This curriculum will affect the business
students at community colleges as well.  If you are not familiar with
the background of the Lower Division Transfer Program (LDTP), see the
Background section below.

Please contact your general business representative and express your
views.  John Tarjan, the business facilitator, expects to take a vote at
the meeting this Saturday.  There are currently 4 draft curriculums
being considered.  I am attaching a summary to this message. It is
called Approaches to LDTP.  The curriculums range from inclusion of the
maximum number of courses to inclusion of the least number of courses. 
If 75% of the CSU business programs vote in favor of a particular lower
division core, then it will be implemented for transfer students system
wide.  Students who complete the specified core at a community college
will receive credit for all the courses at all the CSUs.

If business chooses one of the options with fewer mandated courses, then
each campus will have to select additional units so that their package
totals 60 semester units.  These additional courses are called
campus-specific patterns.  I am attaching a sample form for a campus
specific pattern completed for another discipline.  It is called Sample
of Campus Specific Requirements.

If business law/legal environment is not included in the transfer
pattern itself, it will probably be included in the campus-specific
patterns for most campuses.  In this case, each campus will be able to
specify the content it considers most important.  This content will be
indicated on the form submitted by your representative. 

If you have any questions, you can contact your campus representative or
you can email me at [log in to unmask]

Thank you for your interest.

Lynn Forsythe


Background

LDTP is a statewide initiative to develop a clear path for students who
are enrolled at a community college and want to transfer to one of the
CSUs.  The intent is to develop a system wide lower-division transfer
pattern for each major.  As Executive Order No. 918 indicates, the
pattern will then be accepted at every CSU campus offering that major. 
The Executive Order is available at
http://www.calstate.edu/EO/EO-918.pdf.  The pattern is to specify at
least 45 lower division semester units but no more than 60 lower
division units.  The courses in the pattern must advance a student
towards graduation in that major.  This is generally interpreted to mean
that the courses will substitute for courses required at the CSU and
that a transfer student will not have to take a similar course.  The
units cannot simply be designated excess units.

On January 28, 2005, the CSU Chancellor’s Office and CSU Academic Senate
convened the first Lower-Division Transfer Patterns (LDTP) Project
meetings in business.  Most business schools sent two representatives –
one for the Information Systems (IS) major and one for all other
business majors.  Barry Pasternack is the facilitator for IS and John
Tarjan is the facilitator for all other business majors.  Your
representatives were probably appointed by your dean or elected by your
faculty.

For additional information on the project, please visit the LDTP web
site at http://www.calstate.edu/AcadAff/ldtp.shtml.