University Curriculum Committee Minutes 10-20-10

University Curriculum Committee Minutes

10-20-10

In attendance:  Kay Anderson, Deb Vess, Ryan Brown, Alex Blazer, Roxanne Farrar, Ken Farr, Caralyn Zehnder, Cara Meade, Steve Elliott-Gower

Minutes approved from 10/6 minutes (no meeting 10/13)

Questions are arising from university community regarding proposals.  We are following what the deans recommended at a council of deans meeting. We have to follow that. Proper routing is to Academic Affairs first and then to UCC.  Ken has been sending proposals he receives to Lori Westbrook and then on to us (the committee) for approval. There seems to be misunderstanding about where courses go first but the correct procedure is to Academic Affairs and then to University Curriculum Committee.

Area B courses are being proposed but this may be inaccurate and needs to be cleared up.  Faculty need to be proposing courses to fit under the Area B umbrella (giving consideration to new elements required in Area B courses) using proposed course titles that went to BOR. Title for new courses needs to be [current prefix: course extension title] and then fit under existing (new) redesign for Area B. So, faculty need to be aware that they are technically proposing a section under area B1 or B2 but that existing courses will not neatly fit ‘as is’ in the new area B. It has been changed enough that current courses cannot just be moved over. Courses proposed need to be rebuilt (redesigned) and titled according to the convention that is in the core redesign proposal that has been accepted.

Discussion of Area B:   Can departments ‘require’ students to take specific Area B1 and Area B2 courses? Can Area B course sections be set to allow majors only? Rules seem to indicate that they can but the committee feels that this should not necessarily be the case.  After discussion, it is the common opinion that we should stick to the intent and objective of the core redesign and specify and promote student CHOICE.  Concern is that such a system (that requires specific Area B courses or restricts enrollment in Area B courses to their majors only) is problematic for many reasons stated by this committee.  This causes many implementation and advising issues.  Additionally, this may have to go to BOR for exemption to the existing policy.

Ken is going to email Dr. Jordan to seek clarity on these issues before this committee makes a decision regarding approving area B courses.

Area B class sections are ‘special topics’ sections that fall under the GC1Y Critical Topics and GC2Y Global Topics courses. These proposed sections will go to department chairs for initial approval and then to UCC for additional approval.  These approvals are ongoing in that we will continue to review new topics as they are submitted. A special topic section only needs to be approved one time though.

UCC approved the following courses today:

MATH 1001

MATH 1111.

MATH 2400

CSCI 1000

CSCI 1301

CSCI 1302

CBIS 2220

Other courses proposed (not listed above) will be considered for approval throughout next week.  We will discuss first and vote preliminarily via email and confirm final decisions for new proposals at the next meeting, 10/27.

Meeting adjouned.