There is considerable imbalance in the number
of natural science-oriented SINQs as compared
to those that are social
sciences/humanities/fine arts-oriented (the
latter three combined because those SINQs are
often sufficiently interdisciplinary that
defining SINQs as one of the three is difficult
to do). The total SINQ number projected for
2008-2009 presumes implementation of a
recommendation that all students take three
SINQs (to be renamed "Advanced Inquiry") and
that all upper division transfer students take
the gateway Advanced Inquiry course for the
cluster they pursue. The data suggest that
there would have to be a dramatic increase in
the number of Advanced Inquiries offered in the
natural sciences in order that all students can
elect such a course at the gateway level; a
comparable increase has not occurred over the
past decade (nor at the cluster level
either—as other data indicate). During
2005-2006 there were 26 SINQs from the natural
sciences. In 2008-2009 a third of an estimated
210 Advanced Inquiries would have to be in the
natural sciences; this is nearly a tripling of
present numbers.