University Curriculum Committee Minutes 11/10/2010

University Curriculum Committee

11/10/10

In attendance: Ryan Brown, Roxanne Farrar, Stephanie McClure, Caralyn Zehnder, Barbara Funke, Kay Anderson

Discussion brought from CAPC regarding items on the agenda from UCC at the last CAPC meeting (11/5).  Discussion began in CAPC but was not finished and no decisions were made. Ryan filled this committee in on discussion thus far in CAPC. Kay explained some concerns/issues with departments requiring courses in B1 and then using these courses to exempt them from later courses.  Can work if the B1 sections are required for cohorts of majors only (all pre-xxx majors) but the discussion continues revolving around the fact that the core was set up to promote choice and not prohibit any student from taking any class in the core.

Voting on courses today:

The following courses / overlays were submitted for a formal vote

1) GC1Y XXXX Critical Thinking: Global Issues (B1)

Committee will recommend a possible title change for this course as well, something more descriptive perhaps. And perhaps a title that isn’t so close to a B2 title. Approved for B1 pending title change.

2) Course I (above) approved for Global Overlay.

3) GC1Y XXXX Critical Thinking: Climate and Chemistry (B1)

Approved for B1. CAPC will make decisions regarding logistics in requirements from departments

The following courses were submitted for initial review, not a formal vote

4) Humanities, Fine Arts, and Ethics (C1) – Submitted for review, not vote. Committee will recommend that the course outcomes more explicitly align with the core outcome #1 for area C.  Committee will also recommend that outcomes are more explicit in aligning with global overlay.  Good proposal overall thus far.

II) GC2Y XXXX Global Perspectives: Global Issues (B2) – Submitted for review, not vote. Course outcomes align with area outcomes and requirements. This committee is recommending a change in title for this course to avoid confusion and redundancy. The committee will also need to check for redundancy with IDST courses in Area C.  Perhaps the existing IDST course (Global Issues & Society) can be removed from the catalog to avoid confusion.

6) GC2Y XXXX Global Perspectives: Comparative World Religions (B2)

Course outcomes align with area outcomes and requirements.  LBTC outcomes 4 and 5 are well aligned and on target. Others may not be strong examples of learning beyond the classroom and should be removed. Four and five however are appropriate and enough to approve this proposal for the LBTC component.

7) GC2Y XXXX Global Perspectives: Environmental Issues (B2)

Course submitted for review, not vote.  Course outcomes align with area outcomes and requirements. Committee recommends a more specific title change to closer match the content that will be included in the course. ‘Environmental Issues’ is so very broad.  Committee is additionally recommending suggestions to the LBTC components as proposed.   In the LBTC narrative, the primary text  and research paper points seem like they  assignments, not a description of LBTC.  The independent research component is a good example of LBTC.  The committee is concerned about the students submitting their research to the GCSU research conference because this is a sophomore level course and the research symposium is hopefully for students completing projects that go beyond class projects.  However, a class poster session could be held (independent of the student research symposium).

8) GC1Y XXXX Critical Thinking: Science and Society (B1)

Course submitted for review, not vote. However, committee’s recommendation and feedback is that course is exemplary as proposed.

9) GC1Y XXXX Critical Thinking: Multiculturalism in the United States

Course submitted for review, not vote. Suggestion from committee - move class component # 1 and #3 from LBTC to writing and speaking emphasis narrative.  LBTC components 2 & 4 are adequate examples of learning beyond the classroom.

Committee discussed that it is apparently going to be the work of this committee to check courses for redundancy in content. Comment needs to go out to the campus community explaining/clarifying that any student has the opportunity to take any course in the core so there should be awareness that each course proposed should be distinctive and unique.  The same course should not be proposed to two areas or to both areas in Area B.

Meeting adjourned.