Number 3
October 7, 2009
 
 

M I N U T E S

CURRICULUM COMMITTEE
College of Letters and Sciences
Meeting of October 1, 2009

    PRESENT:  Ellen Davis, Paul House, Carol Rosen, Seth Meisel (Rep.Jennifer Thibodeaux), Joe Hogan (Rep.Trudi Witonsky), Geetha Samaranayake, David Cartwright, Bob Benjamin, Jolly Emrey, Elizabeth Olson, Paul Adogamhe, Ellie Schemenauer, Debra Heiber, and Elizabeth Hachten, Chair.
    1. The minutes of the September 3, 2009 meeting were approved on a Cartwright/Schemenauer motion.
    2. Announcements:  None
    3. Emrey/Schemenauer moved to approve the new course POLISCI 101 "Introduction to Political Science."  The motion passed unanimously.
    4. Emrey/Hogan moved to approve the new course POLISCI 302 "Writing in Political Science."  The motion passed unanimously.
    5. Emrey/Schemenauer moved to approve changes to the following Political majors and submajors:
      1. Political Science BA/BS.
      2. Political Science BA/BS Honors Emphasis
      3. Political Science BSE.  The motion passed unanimously.
    6. House/Emrey moved to approve the change in grade basis for CHEM 150.  The motion passed unanimously.
    7. Cartwright/Hogan moved to receive and record the following:
      1. Change in the World Religions Minor.   The motion passed unanimously.
    8. The chair asked if the committee would approve moving item 6 (discussion on establishing a definition of  "a liberal arts" educationon ) onthe agenda to the end of the agenda.  The committee approved. 
    9. The discussion on revising the foreign language requirements was brought to the table.  Elizabeth Hachten distributed  a  memo outlining 4 possible curricular initiatives to strengthen foreign language and global competence.
      1. Initative 1A&B: Strengthen the foreign language requirement for future BA degree candidates.  (Please see the above memo link for details).  If 1A were to be adopted it is estimated that 5 additional sections of 1st semester foreign language and 7 additional sections of  2nd semester  foreign language would be required -- resulting in an additional 1 3/4  FTE in new faculty.
      2. Initiative 2:  Creation of a new global competence requirement for all L&S students.  The requirements for the BS degree would be less stringent than those for the BA.. (Please see the above memo link for details).
      3. Initiative 3:  Create a Global Citizenship Certificate that would encourage students to pursue foreign language and study abroad.  This would recoginze those students who do more than the minimum required. (Please see the above memo link for details).
      4. Initiative 4: Change the BA breadth requirements as a way to encourage more students to study foreign languages beyond the fiirst year by allowing them to use 200-level language classes.  (Please see the above memo link for details).
 After some discussion on these intitiatives, it was decided that the committee members would take them back to their respective departments for review and discussion and the committee would revisit this item again in November.
  1. The discussion on majors-minors vs. comprehensive minors was brought to the table.  Beth Olson presented a  summary of the subcommittee's views  on majors-minors vs comprehensive majors.  The discussion again came to the questions  "What is a liberal education?"  and "What is the difference between a Liberal Arts Major and a liberal education.?" and How breadth in the courses of a comprehensive major make up for loss of study in another field provided by a minor?  Beth will draft a formal resolution on this issue to be brought to the committee when this item is again placed on the agenda.
Respectfully Submitted


Elaine Wagner, Secretary