University Committee on Undergraduate Education

 MINUTES

Thursday, November 16, 2017

10:15 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.

Board Room, 4^th Floor Administration Building

Attending:  Ewurama Appiagyei-Dankah, Joanna Bosse, Marcos Caballero, Sekhar Chivukula, Andrew Corner, Waseem El-Rayes, Kathy Forrest, Anna Krupka, Rob LaDuca, Sheng-Mei Ma, Richard Miksicek, Matt Pontifex, Robert Richardson, Emily Tabuteau, Antoinette Tessmer, Janette Vani, Elizabeth Webster, Lena Bailey for Katherine Ruger, Mingzhe Wang for Jan Eberle, Dylan Westrin for Caroline Colpoys

Absent: Rich Bellon, Giles Brereton, Caroline Colpoys, Jan Eberle, Anna Krupka

The agenda was approved.

The minutes were approved for October 5, 2017.

Comments from the Chairperson

Chairperson Miksicek informed UCUE members that there have been two improvements recently implemented on the Academic Governance website.  A tracking system has been added that shows all issues from the 2017-18 academic year that have had action and the result.  A second item is an area for faculty or students to enter an issue or concern that someone would like to bring to the attention of the Academic Governance committee.

Comments from the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education

Associate Provost Chivukula informed UCUE members that an announcement may be made by Monday, November 19^th for a new Registrar.  The hope is that the new Registrar could begin on January 1, 2018. 

The online Academic Integrity course through D2L is being revised.  Further information and statistics about the course will be presented to UCUE next semester.  The federal standard graduation rate is six years.  MSU released its data for the 2011 cohort and the overall graduation rate increased from 78% to 79%. 

Request to Phase Out and Discontinue the History Disciplinary Teaching Minor Available for Elementary Teacher Certification (Action Item)

Walter Hawthorne, Chair, Department of History, College of Social Science

The committee granted voice to Chairperson Hawthorne.

The Michigan Department of Education discontinued disciplinary minors in a number of fields of which history was one for elementary education and contacted us a little over a year ago and requested we discontinue this disciplinary minor. The minor has been in moratorium and the next step is discontinuance.

Voice was removed from Chairperson Hawthorne.

The following motion passed unanimously.

The University Committee on Undergraduate Education duly considered and endorsed the request to Phase Out and Discontinue the History Disciplinary Teaching Minor Available for Elementary Teacher Certification.

Request to Phase Out and Discontinue the Russian Disciplinary Teaching Minor Available for Elementary and Secondary Teacher Certification (Action Item)

Shawn Loewen, Professor, Linguistics and Languages, College of Arts and Letters

The committee granted voice to Professor Loewen.

Professor Loewen stated that there is no demand for this minor.  There have been no new enrollments in the minor in the last 10-15 years and Russian is no longer taught in the state of Michigan at the elementary or high school level.  The minor has been in moratorium and the next step is discontinuance.

Voice was removed from Professor Loewen.

The following motion passed unanimously.

The University Committee on Undergraduate Education duly considered and endorsed the request to Phase Out and Discontinue the Russian Disciplinary Teaching Minor Available for Elementary and Secondary Teacher Certification.

Request for a Moratorium on Admission to the Bachelor of Science Degree in Athletic Training (Action Item)

Chris Kuenze, Assistant Professor, Kinesiology, College of Education

The committee granted voice to Assistant Professor Kuenze.

Assistant Professor Kuenze explained that this request is a proactive response to a change in accreditation due to the fact that the National Accrediting board is requesting that the undergraduate degree in Athletic Training transition into a graduate level program over the next three years.  The first step in this transition is the request to put the BS in Athletic Training into a Moratorium, effective Spring, 2020.  Students admitted into the Kinesiology major have the option to apply to the Athletic Training program at the end of their sophomore year.  The freshmen currently on campus will be the last group of students admitted to the program.  Assistant Professor Kuenze stated that about 25 students are enrolled each year.  The department feels this change will be a strong recruitment tool since about 80 percent of athletic trainers already have an MA degree.

Voice was removed from Assistant Professor Kuenze.

The following motion passed unanimously.

The University Committee on Undergraduate Education duly considered and endorsed the request for a Moratorium on Admission to the Bachelor of Science Degree in Athletic Training.

Mid-semester Feedback (Discussion Item)

Ms. Ewurama Appiagyei-Dankah, ASMSU Vice President for Academic Affairs

Chairperson Miksicek referenced the document, “Executive Summary; Mid-Semester Feedback Pilot” that was emailed to members for review in advance of the meeting. A mid-semester feedback program was piloted in the Spring of 2016 in Lyman Briggs College and was deemed as successful for both faculty and students.

Ms. Appiagyei-Dankah provided percentages indicating how mid semester feedback improved the course throughout the semester and stressed that mid-semester feedback is meant to be formative and not summative.  The purpose is strictly to be used for faculty to improve a course and it is not meant to be used in decisions regarding promotion or tenure.  Ms. Appiagyei-Dankah stated that after the presentation re mid-semester feedback to the Committee on Faculty Affairs, the Committee suggested it could be implemented from the Director of Faculty Development in each College. 

Ms. Appiagyei-Dankah referenced the usage of SIRS forms and the fact that there is data suggesting that using mid-semester feedback improves the outcomes of the SIRS forms because students can give their input half way through a semester and students feel that their opinions are valued.  Ms. Appiagyei-Dankah stated that ASMSU would like to expand the use of mid-semester feedback into RCAH and James Madison College and asked for UCUE’S endorsement and input.

A discussion was held regarding future use and implementation of mid-semester feedback and included the following comments:

• the pros and cons of having a control group involved in the pilot;

• how and when to implement mid-semester feedback into some of the other larger core colleges and a timeline for doing so;

• using Qualtrix provides anonymity and D2L does not;

• the challenges of using mid-semester feedback when teaching one on one such as a Music course;

• pros and cons of using radio buttons or a leikert scale in the larger enrollment courses;

• the effects of piloting in residential colleges given the cultural differences in colleges;

• customization of questions for large and small courses for mid-semester feedback;

• set up faculty liaisons to encourage other faculty to implement mid-semester feedback;

• informal mid-semester feedback structures that already exist in some colleges;

• working with an instructor who teaches two sections of a class and reviewing the outcomes of SIRS in the section that was asked to complete mid semester feedback versus the outcome of the section that did not complete mid semester feedback.

Continued discussion noted that research has already proven that mid-semester feedback has a positive effect on student learning and this effort should not try to recreate it.  Therefore, UCUE suggested mid-semester feedback could be strongly encouraged across all colleges and instructions could be given to implement it using Qualtrix.  UCUE members suggested scaling down the questions for mid-semester feedback from five to two.  Ms. Appiagyei-Dankah agreed the following questions would be the most useful:

• As a student, what could you do in the second half of the semester to help you learn more effectively?

• As an instructor, what could I do in the second half of the semester to help you learn more effectively?

UCUE agreed to endorse expanding the concept of mid-semester evaluation and encourage its adoption.  Chairperson Miksicek agreed to write a letter of endorsement on behalf of UCUE addressed to ASMSU and cc UCFA, UCGS, and the Chair of Academic Governance.  A motion was approved stating, “UCUE has reviewed and supports the program that ASMSU is promoting to expand the use of mid-semester feedback and endorses development of a sample template that would work in large and small class settings with the goal of encouraging adoption of formative mid-semester evaluation as a University wide practice.”

Roundtable

Chairperson Miksicek reported a concern that the effective dates on program change forms do not always conform to their implementation dates and, as a result, create conflicts with graduation requirements that are posted in Degree Navigator.  This can create problems for students who start a course with one set of requirements and end the semester with a different set of requirements.  Associate Provost Chivukula  mentioned that these dates are entered manually and it could have been an oversight.  He suggested Chairperson Miksicek send him an email and Associate Provost Chivukula would follow up with Joy Speas. 

Robert LaDuca expressed concern that students can register for more than one course at a time even if the two courses meet at the same time.  Members questioned how that would change if attendance was required.  Associate Provost Chivukula stated we could consider a change in policy regarding attendance and asked that this issue be put on an upcoming UCUE agenda for discussion.

Respectfully submitted by Lynne Frechen.

Meeting adjourned at 11:20