CURRICULUM COMMITTEE
College of Letters and Sciences
Meeting of December 4, 2008
PRESENT: Kris Curran, Paul House, Pilar Melero,
Molly
Patterson, Trudy Witonsky, Geetha Samaranayake, Steve Sahyun,
Jolly
Emrey, Elizabeth
Olson, Jim Winship, Larry Neuman, Ellie Schemenauer, David
Welsch, Debra Heiber and
Elizabeth Hachten,
Chair.
GUEST: Ron Berger - Sociology, Anthropology & Criminal Justice
The minutes of the November 13, 2008
meeting were approved on a House/Curran motion.
Announcements:
The chair announced that she and the committee secretary
attended a Curriculum Workshop and learned of some apparent policy and
procedural changes. These will be brought up at a future meeting
after the chair checks with some of the other colleges to determine if
we are understanding these changes correctly.
Neuman/ Schemenauer moved to
approve the
course
revision, description change, and title change for ANTHROPL 320
FROM "Heritage and Cultural Resource Management" TO
"Understanding Heritage: From Landmarks to Theme Parks" and the course revision, description change, and title change for
ANTHROPL
365 FROM "Precolumbian Civilizations" TO "Mayas, Aztecs and
Incas: Precolumbian Civilizations." The
motion
passed unanimously.
Neuman/Patterson moved to
approve New
Submajor "Sociology
- Family and Health Studies Emphasis." A
discussion ensued with questions being raised regarding the content of
the emphasis and whether or not the emphasis would benefit a student
any more than if the student majored in sociology and minored in the
existing Family and Health Studies Minor. The discussion
developed into a broader discussion of majors and minors, double majors
and super majors. It was suggested that this topic be brought up
at a future meeting. The proposal was withdrawn from further
consideration by Dr. Neuman.
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Patterson/Emrey moved
to
approve the new course HISTRY 255
"Critical Issues."The motion passed unanimously.
Melero/Winship moved to
receive and record the following informational items:
Other
curricular action to create a language specific prefix for Arabic,
Chinese, Japanese and Russian.
Number change FROM FORNLANG 111 TO ARABIC 141
"Beginning Arabic I".
Number change and prerequisite change for the following
Arabic
courses:
FROM FORNLANG 112 TO ARABIC 142 "Beginning
Arabic II"
FROM FORNLANG 211 TO ARABIC 251
"Intermediate Arabic I"
FROM FORNLANG 212 TO ARABIC 252
"Intermediate Arabic II"
Number change FROM FORNLANG 121 TO RUSSIAN 141
"Beginning Russian I"
Number change and prerequisite change FROM FORNLANG 122 TO RUSSIAN 142
Beginning Russian II"
The motion
passed unanimously.
Discussion on the revised 498R
[research] proposal was brought to the table. The revised
proposal expands the use of this course from being limited to students
in the Undergraduate Research Program to include research "as recommended by
faculty requiring a strong research plan or project in which the
student has an
independent/leadership role." The committee objected to the
terminology "or project in which
the student has an
independent/leadership role." Many committee members especially
in Psychology and the sciences felt that students do make significant
contributions to research while working under the direction of a
faculty member. Therefore, they should receive credit for their efforts
by using the 498R. It would be up to the departments to determine
what is significant research in order to approve use of the 498R.
The departments would also set the number of 498R and 498 credits
which could be used in the major and the degree. Dr. Hachten
reminded the committee that the UCC subcommittee which studied the
issue of having a 498R as well as 498 also recommended that 12 credits
should be the standard maximum credits toward degree throughout the
university. This recommendation was not reflected in the
proposal. It was also suggested that a standardized wording for
the definition of undergraduate research be adopted.