UCC Meeting Minutes 10/6/10

UCC Meeting Minutes

10/6/10

In attendance:  Alex Blazer, Ryan Brown, Caralyn Zehnder, Barbara Funke, Steve Elliott-Gower, Stephanie McClure, Deb Vess, Kay Anderson

*Caralyn acting as chair in Ken’s absence; meeting called to order

Minutes of 9/29/10 approved

Point of information (Deb): concern about core proposal Area B course names – Critical Thinking is philosophy course title in Common Course numbering and Global Perspectives is political science course title in same.

Templates/evaluation rubrics for new core courses approved.  Ken will ask Dr. Jordan to announce their availability; Ryan suggested that the more different ways the availability of these forms is announced, the better.  Dr. Jordan, announce list, deans and chairs.

Discussion of deadlines for “new” courses in core; some courses already before College C&I committees (Math 2400, English “reacting to past” course).    October 11^th is a BOR deadline.  Not clear which areas/courses were in need of approval before that deadline.

Point of information (Deb):  contact at BOR suggests new Area B courses will have to go through “most appropriate” BOR advisory committee.

Discussion of meaning of “emphasize” or “address” in courses in various core areas. 

Point of information (Ryan): summer committee tried to make it as flexible as possible so that more courses could get in. 

Discussion of inclusion of following phrase to explain these terms:  Core courses which seek the speaking or writing emphasis will contain “multiple formal (graded) writing or speaking assignments where students develop discipline appropriate writing or speaking skills.  These courses may also offer informal writing or speaking opportunities.”

Question (Ryan):  Once a course gets into the core, will it ever leave?
            (Deb): Yes, based on review of assessment data from a different committee

Continued discussion of deadline for new B1 courses, given the February opening of POUNCE.

Point of information (Kay):  She and Jason Huffman have discussed the total number of B1 sections needed for fall (25 sections).    May need A (one) B2 course for transfer students but that decision is still pending.  Dean Procter has indicated the potential availability of current temporary IDST faculty who can lead some sections of approved B1 courses.

BOR meeting in December – relevant deadline for B1 courses?  No; ensuing discussion of B1/B2 courses as “special topics” courses.  Once GC1Y and GC2Y frameworks are approved as submitted in this round, sections of these courses do not need to be approved at Board level.  Continued discussion of whether B1/B2 courses need to go before C&I, as they are not new “courses” but only proposed special topics sections of existing courses. 

Question (Stephanie):  can B courses be cross-listed as both GC1Y/GC2Y and with departmental designation? 

Discussion:  Not clear what the procedure would be; could students then “repeat” the same course by taking it first as B course and then for major (Area F credit). 

Point of information (Deb):  do proposed cross-listed B courses have a common number in common course numbering system?

Not clear what this procedure would be; separate CRN?

Point of information (Kay): would not be able to catch “repeat” in their annual run of this report if courses are under different names; would be an advisor-level issue.

General consensus that Area B courses should not be major-specific. 

Question of whether B courses should be “instructor” specific; some contradictory information in this area. 

Question (Barbara): would we be approving submissions with some expectations on the number of “sections” on this topic that would be made available?

            (Ryan): beyond  purview of this committee.

Question (Alex/Ryan): lack of clarity on routing procedure for Area B potential courses

            (Deb):  no, like special topics courses in each discipline; don’t go through C&I for every special topics course. 

Discussion:  do C&I committees look at questions we don’t considered that would make it problematic for courses in this area to skip C&I?  “B” courses don’t belong to any one college but come from all; resource/staffing issue will be significant here.   This will mean changes to current forms approved earlier for this area. 

No resolution to cross-listing or routing issue for Area B courses.  Deb suggested January deadline for B courses.

New course submissions should go to chair of this committee.