MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

University Committee on Undergraduate Education

MINUTES

Thursday, January 11, 2018

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

Board Room, 4^th Floor Administration Building

Attending:  Ewurama Appiagyei-Dankah, Rich Bellon, Joanna Bosse, Marcos Caballero, James Hallstein & Katie Grey for Caroline Colpoys, Andrew Corner, Jan Eberle, Andrew Finley, Kathy Forrest, Louise Jezierski, Anna Krupka, Sheng-Mei Ma, Richard Miksicek, Matt Pontifex, Lena Bailey for Katherine Ruger, Emily Tabuteau, Antoinette Tessmer, Janette Vani, Elizabeth Webster, Steve Shablin, Jiahao She

Absent: Giles Brereton, Sekhar Chivukula, Andrew Finley

The agenda was approved.

The minutes were approved for November 16, 2017.

Comments from the Chairperson

Chairperson Miksicek invited new UCUE members or substitutes to introduce themselves.  The December 7 UCUE meeting was cancelled due to the fact that there was only one action item on the agenda.  Rather than postpone the action item until January, an email vote was held and 21 affirmative votes were received to approve the Request for a New Minor in History, effective 12/21/17.  No opposing votes were received.

Chairperson Miksicek stated that after the November 16 UCUE meeting, he sent a memo to ASMSU summarizing UCUE’s discussion regarding mid semester feedback and stated that UCUE recommended its adoption.  The recommendation will move on to the Steering Committee and then Faculty Senate for broader adoption. 

Comments from the Associate Provost for Academic Services and Enrollment Management

Associate Provost Gaboury introduced Steve Shablin, MSU’s new Registrar.  Mr. Shablin stated that he has been involved in higher education over thirty-five years.  He worked at Oakland University for nineteen years and Wayne State University for ten years.  Most recently, Mr. Shablin worked at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts for three years.  He stated he has had extensive experience in the implementation of new student information systems. 

Associate Provost Gaboury shared the MiTransfer Newsletter and provided a brief update on Michigan Transfer Initiatives.  He stated for anyone interested in receiving the electronic newsletter, there is a link on the last page where you can sign up to receive it.  He also asked UCUE members to share the newsletter and link with colleagues in their departments.

Request for a Moratorium on Admission to the Disciplinary Teaching Minor in Italian Available for Secondary Teacher Certification (Action Item)

College of Arts and Letters

No representative from the College of Arts and Letters was present. 

Chairperson Miksicek stated that the Michigan Department of Education no longer approves secondary education in this particular category so there is no reason to have a teaching certificate program to train people in this discipline.  Per University policy, a program must first be put into moratorium, and then a discontinuation can be requested. 

The following motion passed unanimously.

The University Committee on Undergraduate Education duly considered and endorsed the request for a Moratorium on Admission to the Disciplinary Teaching Minor in Italian Available for Secondary Teacher Certification

Request for a Moratorium on Admission to the Disciplinary Teaching Minor in Latin Available for Secondary Teacher Certification (Action Item)

No representative from the College of Arts and Letters was present. 

Chairperson Miksicek stated that the Michigan Department of Education no longer approves secondary education in this particular category so there is no reason to have a teaching certificate program to train people in this discipline.  Per University policy, a program must first be put into moratorium, and then a discontinuation can be requested. 

The following motion passed unanimously.

The University Committee on Undergraduate Education duly considered and endorsed the request for a Moratorium on Admission to the Disciplinary Teaching Minor in Latin Available for Secondary Teacher Certification

Update on IDN requirement (Discussion Item)

Jim Lucas, Assistant Dean, Global Education & Curriculum

Nicola Imbracsio, Specialist, Center for Integrative Studies, Arts & Humanities

Justin Bruner, Specialist, Center for Integrative Studies, Social Science

Jim Lucas, Nicola Imbracsio, and Justin Bruner provided an update on the IDN requirement and suggested revisions for MSU’s Diversity Requirement.

Background of the IDN designation indicated that many courses in the Arts and Humanities and in the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences area emphasize national diversity with an “N” at the end of the course title, and international and multicultural diversity is designated with an “I” at the end of the course title.  Courses that emphasize both national, international, and multicultural diversity are designated with a ‘D” at the end of the course title.  Students must include at least one “N” course and one “I” course in their Integrative Studies programs.  A “D” course may meet either an “N” or an “I” requirement, but not both.

Assistant Dean Lucas indicated to members that much has changed in our global society since these designations were approved in the early 1990s and that MSU’s commitment to diversity in the curriculum needs to be clarified.

Assistant Dean Lucas discussed the following timeline of events:

• Spring 2016:  Provost Youatt charged a group of faculty to consider how the concept of diversity should be included in the MSU curriculum;

• Spring, 2017: The Integrative Arts & Humanities Faculty Advisory Committee (FAC) agreed that the IDN language was in need of updating.  The Integrative Studies in Social Sciences FAC was presented with a proposal of updated language; 

• July, 2017:  A team of IAH faculty researched diversity requirements at other Big 10 Academic Alliance institutions.  The team formulated language to articulate recommendations for each IDN designation using MSU’s Undergraduate Learning Goals as a guide for both the IAH and ISS curriculum;

• September, 2017:  Directors of IAH and ISS approve recommendations of the language and move the requirement to UCUE for further consideration;

Assistant Dean Lucas then provided information on the revised diversity requirement designations for Integrative Studies courses, including proposed language for the revised designations. 

Assistant Dean Lucas continued the discussion highlighting the effects of the new requirement language stating that once approved, IAH and ISS will integrate this new language into course policies and begin to engage instructors in educator development that supports them in making their courses representative of the learning outcomes as they relate to the course designation.  Assistant Dean Lucas referenced a table showing the connection of the criteria for IDN with MSU’s Undergraduate Learning Goals’ outcomes.

Discussion included the fact that members would like the language to be embedded in the Academic Programs Guide and in University documentation.  Members agreed that the goal is to have a culture at MSU where a diversity requirement is well known and that students and faculty see it as valuable.  It has to be more than a definition; diversity has to be built into the learning outcomes.

Members shared their experiences with their College’s diversity courses and how they may or may not connect to the ULGs.

Assistant Dean Lucas presented items 1 -5 below requesting tiered guidance for implementation of the IDN requirement.

 Ask #1:  Integration of Definitions into Academic Programs

UCUE discussed and endorsed changing existing language about I, D, and N, to include the updated definitions along with justification for why the requirement exists (minimal change), embedding the IDN framework as connected to ULGs (medium change), and integrating language around ULGs into the Academic Programs guide where appropriate (holistic change).

Ask #2:  Review existing courses relative to I-D-N Integration and Language

UCUE discussed and endorsed reviewing IDN labels on existing classes to ensure appropriate alignment (minimal change), expansion of IDN into science and other courses (medium change), using the IDN process for a more holistic review of IS learning outcomes and alignment across courses within each requirement (holistic change).

Ask #3:  Demarcation of the IDN into the schedule and syllabi

UCUE discussed and endorsed a request that all IS classes begin to include comments about their section’s theme and relationship to IDN starting Fall 2018 (minimal change), and a request that syllabi incorporate template language related to learning outcomes and IDN designations (holistic change).  Full implementation of IAH and ISS section descriptions would be targeted for the next Work Copy (AY2019-2020)

Ask #4:  Guidance about enforcement of the policy

Enforcement of the policy was discussed including questions such as: (1) how to handle students with transfer or AP credit that allows them to waive one or both IDN courses?  (2) should a student’s graduation be delayed for not fulfilling the two course IDN requirement?  UCUE members recommended a hold on this item until other options are developed for completion of the university diversity requirement.

Ask #5:  Guidance about a timeline for review and enhancement

Dr. Lucas also invited input on the timeline for implementation and enhancement of the university diversity requirement.  UCUE agreed that the proposed revisions should be incorporated into the existing IAH and ISS courses as soon as practical and that while this occurs, to continue the discussion and planning for a potential enhancement or replacement of the diversity requirement (“IDN 2.0”)

He asked if the committee has additional thoughts, to email either himself, Nicola, or Justin. 

Roundtable

Ms. Appiagyei-Dankah shared that this weekend ASMSU is hosting a conference of the Association of Big Ten students.  She stated that a dinner is being held Friday at the Huntington Club with President Simon, Provost Youatt, and Denise Maybank and others for a discussion regarding student leadership on campus.  A legislative session between student and campus leaders will also be held.

Respectfully submitted by Lynne Frechen.