MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY University Committee on Undergraduate Education Agenda September 3, 2020 10:15am to 12:00pm, via ZOOM
https://msu.zoom.us/j/96531712347 Passcode: 849464
The secretary for the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education
shall attend Committee meetings and prepare minutes for review and approval by
committee membership. Meetings will be
audio taped for purposes of verification of information when composing minutes.
Andrew
Corner, UCUE Chairperson
(http://parlipro.org) and the companion site (http://rulesonline.com/) (handout B)
· Voting (conducting business) via email or online survey The committee agrees to allow the chairperson the flexibility to craft final language for motions and documents and to take votes by email on issues already discussed with the provision that, if any one member objects, the issue will return to the agenda at the next meeting. A quorum is required for the vote to be valid.
· Additional Meetings (Action Item) The committee agrees to allow the chairperson the authority and autonomy to call additional meetings.
· Procedure for granting and removing voice for visitors The committee agrees to allow the chairperson to grant and remove voice for visitors to UCUE meetings without a formal committee vote.
· Public comment procedure (handout C) The University Committee on Undergraduate Education will continue to use the Procedure Regarding Public Comment as approved by UCAP on November 19, 2009, to guide public comment in UCUE meetings 2020 - 21.
· UCUE Member Substitutes - Voting Rights Member substitutes--i.e., members of faculty or students who are a part of the same constituency as the elected member--shall be allowed the same voting rights as the committee members at that meeting. Constituencies will determine how committee substitutes are chosen.
College of Communication Arts & Sciences representative not necessary to attend
Jon Keune, Assistant Professor, College of Arts & Letters
Georgina Montgomery, Associate Dean, Lyman Briggs
Jeff Grabill, Associate Provost, Hub
Mark Largent, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education Steve Shablin, Registrar
Mark Largent, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education Steve Shablin, Registrar
MINUTES - APPROVED MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY University Committee on Undergraduate Education MINUTES Thursday, September 3, 2020 10:15am to 12 pm, via Zoom
Present: Brianna Aiello, Rich Bellon, Glenn Chambers, Andy Corner, Deb Dotterer, Corey Drake, Jan Eberle, Richard Enbody, Kathleen Gallo, David Gilstrap, Sejuti Das Gupta, Mark Largent, Gina Leinninger, Sheng-Mei Ma, Dan Manville, Helen Mayer, Justin Micomonaco, Steve Shablin, Emily Tabuteau, Antoinette Tessmer, Elizabeth Webster, Patty West, Scot Yoder Absent: Motion to Establish Taking of the Minutes passed unanimously; The
secretary for the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education shall attend
Committee meetings and prepare minutes for review and approval by committee
membership. Meetings will be audio taped
for purposes of verification of information when composing minutes. The agenda was approved. The minutes were approved for April 23, 2020.
Comments from the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education Associate Provost Largent welcomed members to UCUE and gave a brief overview of the curricular work that UCUE will engage in over the academic year. He indicated UCUE can expect a busy year with many changes in business practices and functions being reviewed as well as challenges with online learning resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. He reminded members that APUE senior staff Deb Dotterer and Glenn Chambers will attend UCUE meetings to guide discussions about the Student Information System (SIS), curriculum matters, and student success. The new SIS will be called Campus Solutions 9.2. Comments from the Chairperson Chairperson Corner welcomed members to UCUE, and self introductions were done. Chairperson Corner stated that UCUE’s main role is to review matters that impact undergraduate education. Matters may include policies pertaining to curriculum revision, methods of instruction, evaluation of instruction, and advising and counseling for undergraduate students. UCUE is also responsible for reviewing changes in undergraduate education proposed by academic units to recommend their approval or rejection. UCUE is often asked for recommendations from other academic governance units. Chairperson Corner stated UCUE is currently helping develop changes to the academic calendar in the areas of : 1) to determine the immediate impact of the pandemic on necessary changes to the academic calendar; and 2) examine the academic calendar going forward with permanent changes that were recommended pre pandemic. Chairperson Corner informed members that David Gilstrap is UCUE’s representative to the Athletic Council and Jan Eberle is UCUE’S representative to the Military Education Advisory Committee (MEAC). Gina Leinninger is UCUE’S Vice Chairperson. Chairperson Corner indicated that this is his last year as UCUE’s Chairperson. Chairperson Corner discussed UCUE’s Operating Procedures and referred UCUE members to the following handouts:
- Handout A: MSU’s Bylaws for Academic Governance; Chairperson Corner discussed the delegated, advisory, and shared authority that UCUE has for particular matters related to undergraduate education. - Handout B: Parliamentary Procedure Online: ParliPro.org; Robert’s Rules Online; and Resource Information on Parliamentary Procedure and Robert’s Rules of Order from MSU’s Office of the Secretary for Academic Governance
The following motion for voting via email passed unanimously. The committee agrees to allow the chairperson the flexibility to craft final language for motions and documents and to take votes by email on issues already discussed with the provision that if any one member objects, the issue will return to the agenda at the next meeting. A quorum is required for the vote to be valid. The following motion for additional meetings passed unanimously. The committee agrees to allow the chairperson the authority and autonomy to call additional meetings. The following motion for procedure for granting and removing voice for visitors passed unanimously. The committee agrees to allow the chairperson to grant and remove voice for visitors to UCUE meetings without a formal committee vote. Chairperson Corner referred UCUE members to Handout C: UCUE Procedure Regarding Public Comment. The following motion for public comment procedure passed unanimously. The University Committee on Undergraduate Education will continue to use the Procedure Regarding Public Comment as approved by UCAP on November 19, 2009, to guide public comment in UCUE meetings during the academic year 2020 – 21. The following motion for UCUE Member Substitutes – Voting Rights passed unanimously. Member substitutes-i.e., members of faculty or students who are a part of the same constituency as the elected member-shall be allowed the same voting rights as the committee members at that meeting. Constituencies will determine how committee substitutes are chosen.
Request for a Moratorium on Admission to the Journalism Disciplinary Teaching Minor for Secondary Teacher Certification (Action Item) College of Communication Arts & Sciences representative not necessary to attend This minor has been discontinued since it is no longer compatible with the State of Michigan teaching requirements. This program is no longer relevant, and the first step is putting it into moratorium. The following motion passed unanimously. The University Committee on Undergraduate Education duly considered and endorsed the request for a moratorium on admission to the Journalism Disciplinary Teaching Minor of Secondary Teacher Certification.
Request to Phase Out and Discontinue the Minor in Religion in the Americas (Action Item) Jon Keune, Assistant Professor, College of Arts & Letters The committee granted voice to Assistant Professor Keune. Assistant Professor Keune stated that there is a low demand for this minor and most students have chosen to study conventional religious studies majors and minors. Voice was removed from Assistant Professor Keune. The following motion passed unanimously. The University Committee on Undergraduate Education duly considered and endorsed the request to phase out and discontinue the Minor in Religion in the Americas.
Request for a New Data Science Coordinate Major in Lyman Briggs College (Action Item) Georgina Montgomery, Associate Dean, Lyman Briggs The committee granted voice to Associate Dean Montgomery. Associate Dean Montgomery provided background on the Request stating it is part of the Colleges of Natural Science and Engineering. Major classes are taught by the College of Natural Science faculty and College requirements are offered by Lyman Briggs. A brief discussion was held with concern regarding course load in the College of Engineering. Voice was removed from Associate Dean Montgomery. The following motion passed unanimously. The University Committee on Undergraduate Education duly considered and endorsed the request for a new Data Science Coordinate Major in Lyman Briggs with a friendly amendment to read, “Requirements for the Bachelor of Science Degree in Data Science, 3.d. ‘One course from the following groups (4 or 6 credits)’”.
SIRS for Fall 2020 during remote instruction (Discussion Item) Jeff Grabill, Associate Provost, Hub Associate Provost Grabill provided a recommendation to reuse the supplemental SIRS instrument for fall, 2020 that was already used in spring, 2020. This will allow for comparison between the two semesters. Associate Provost Grabill stated that last spring, a UCUE subcommittee had been working with colleagues at the Hub to determine a new SIRS instrument. It was noted that MSU has had the same SIRS instrument since 1979 and that technology to support MSU’s current system is at its end of life. A new instrument would provide an opportunity for new technology and the option to allow colleges to add specific questions. Associate Provost Grabill referenced a recommendation report from last year.
In summary, it was determined that UCUE would convene a subcommittee to review two issues: 1) Whether or not to reuse the same supplemental SIRS questions that were used in spring, 2020; 2) Determine a replacement for the SIRS instrument. Gina Leinninger stated a motion to: accept the SIRS supplemental questions that were used in spring, 2020 to use in fall, 2020 and focus on the format of future student instructor evaluations. It was seconded. A discussion was held regarding how SIRS data is used for faculty’s review, promotion, and tenure (RPT). Associate Provost Largent suggested that a subcommittee review the recommendations from the Hub working group and decide if they should be adopted. A subcommittee was formed to include David Gilstrap, Antoinette Tessmer, Scot Yoder, Corey Drake and Sejuti Das Gupta. Dr. Leinninger’s motion was tabled to allow the subcommittee time to review recommendations and report back to UCUE within three to four weeks.
Possible adoption of NR-C (No Record-COVID19) for Fall, 2020 (Discussion Item) Mark Largent, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education Steve Shablin, Registrar Associate Provost Largent described the satisfactory/not satisfactory (S/NS) grade option that was used in spring, 2020 due to the sudden switch to remote learning. Students could, on a class by class basis, after they saw their numeric grade, request to have a S/NS grade. Data indicates that most of the students who chose the S/NS grading option were those who experienced opportunity gaps. A discussion was held if MSU should use the S/NS option for summer, 2020 and fall, 2020. It was determined that MSU would not use this option since classes for summer and fall all started online, unlike spring, 2020 which was a shift to remote learning in the middle of a semester. Associate Provost Largent reported that the University of Michigan is currently using an alternative grading scheme to reduce their students’ anxiety. The question was posed if UCUE thinks MSU should explore something similar to a NR-C (No-Record-COVID19) grading scheme for fall, 2020. It was acknowledged that an alternative grading scheme could have implications with financial aid. A subcommittee to explore this possibility was formed to include Andy Corner, Kathleen Gallo, Brianna Aiello, and Steve Shablin.
Determining graduation honors for 2021 (Discussion Item) Mark Largent, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education Steve Shablin, Registrar Steve Shablin shared a document regarding graduation honors and reported on grade point averages (gpas) required to be recognized for high honor and honor. It was noted that the S/NS grade option may have slightly affected these gpas. Steve Shablin reported that UCUE is required by governance to approve gpas for high honor and honor. A discussion was held regarding leaving the gpas as they currently are on the “Graduation Honors” document that Steve shared indicating 3.94 for high honor and 3.78 for honor. A motion was made and passed in determining graduation honors to: accept the levels used currently to maintain the 3.94 gpa, and based on data, change the honor requirement from 3.78 to 3.79.
Roundtable Gina Leinninger reported that the College of Natural Science is struggling with the issue of senior undergraduate students needing to do research in labs. Associate Provost Largent stated that the Council of Undergraduate Deans (CUED) is coordinating this effort and students needing research labs to graduate in fall, 2020 or spring, 2021 are given waivers. Elizabeth Webster reported that part of the library is open from 10am – 2pm, Monday through Friday. Interlibrary loans have slowly reopened.
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