UCAP Meeting of 09/08/2011 2011-2012 agenda status: approved Agenda: University Committee on Undergraduate Studies
DRAFT AGENDA Thursday, September 8, 2011 10:15 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. Board Room, 4th Floor, Administration Building
minutes status: approved approved at meeting of UCAP Minutes for meeting held on 09/08/2011 University Committee on Undergraduate Studies Amended MINUTES Thursday, September 8, 2011 10:15 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. Board Room, 4th Floor, Administration Building Attendees: Zarena Aslami, Mark Axelrod, Henry Beckmeyer, Jan Brady, Crystal Branta, Laura Dillon, Fred Fico, Kathleen Hoag, Karen Klomparens, Mary Noel, Helene Pazak , John Reifenberg, Patricia Rogers, Ryan Sweeder, Abraham Wheeler Absent: Doug Estry, Ron Perry, Ashton Shortridge The following motion by Mary Noel passed unanimously:
Welcome and Introductions Chairperson Dillon and Associate Provost Klomparens welcomed the new and returning committee members. Self-introductions were made. Comments from Chairperson Chairperson Dillon reminded the committee of the change in the committee’s name and reviewed UCUS’s bylaws and the committees’ role within new academic governance structure. Dr. Dillon reviewed the elected committee positions and introduced the incumbents, noting that the position of UCUS liaison to the University Committee on Liberal Learning had not been filled in April and that election would take place later in the agenda. Dr. Dillon suggested the committee use Robert’s Rules of Order as a guide the committee’s meetings. She suggested http://www.parlipro.org/index.html as an excellent reference. Chairperson Dillon reviewed the responsibilities of committee members. Members were asked to find a substitute from their college if they would be unable to attend a meeting. Although substitutes would not have vote, they would be able to express the views of their constituents regarding issues of concern to their college. A key role of UCUS members would be to share committee business that would be of interest with the appropriate stakeholders in their college. Chairperson Dillon stated that it might become necessary to hold additional meetings in order to allow due consideration of all slated agenda items. She asked the committee members to reserve every Thursday not scheduled for regular committee meetings for possible additional meetings or subcommittee meetings. She asked the committee for the authority and autonomy to call additional meetings. Hearing no objections, the practice will be adopted as procedure for ‘11-‘12. Dr. Dillon recommended the committee consider accomplishing some business electronically such as crafting final language for a motion or a document before it could be sent forward or posted on the web. She asked the committee to approve conducting such business electronically. Motion by Mary Noel passed unanimously.
The motion by Henry Beckmeyer to continue to use the Public Comment Procedures as adopted by UCAP on November 19, 2009 passed unanimously. The document will be updated with the new committee name and date of action. UCUS Business Review and Preview Chairperson Dillon reported that upcoming UCC items for the committee would include a request for a merger and name change of Crop and Soil Sciences and Plant Biology. The Taskforce for Student Assessment of Online Courses would be making its recommendations to the Steering Committee in the near future and would likely be referred to UCUS for comment. Dr. Dillon reported that the UCAP request for grade sequestration in SIRS Online had been forwarded by ECAC to the Academic and Faculty Councils. Based on their positive responses the Provost had agreed that sequestration could move forward for Fall 2011 and the committee would have an update on that project later in the meeting. She noted that the Provost had sent a memo to the Steering Committee regarding Course Repeat Policy stating he endorsed the change but would indefinitely defer implementation until the technological ability to manage the change was in place. Comments from the Associate Provost for Graduate Studies Associate Provost Klomparens discussed with the committee its role in reviewing new programs. She suggested that questions within the committee’s purview would be related to faculty capacity, infrastructure support, sufficiency of student interest, and career path or outcomes. She stated that questions of budget and available funds were the purview of the Provost questions related to duplication of programs was the purview of State review. Dean Klomparens reported that a project was underway to give every university building a regular street address. This was necessary to participate in the regional 911 system. With this change, first responders would easily find an on-campus location. Faculty and colleges have been asked to start incorporating the new street address in all public or published materials, such as stationery, business cards, signature files on emails, websites, etc. The Minutes of the April 28, 2011 meeting were approved. Election of Liaison to the University Committee on Liberal Learning Chairperson Dillon provided information regarding the charge of the UCL, which meets monthly, generally on the third week of the month from 3 pm to 4:30 pm. As no nominations were made and no committee members volunteered to serve, the election was tabled until the September 22, 2011 meeting. Sirs Online Update Sandra Walther, Office of the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education Jeane Marty, User Interface Specialist, AIS The committee unanimously granted voice to Mss. Walther and Marty. Ms. Walther updated the committee on the progress being made in the implementation of grade sequestration as a method of increasing student participation in SIRS Online and customization of SIRS Online forms resulting from UCAP’s recommendation to ECAC in April 2011 and the Provost’s subsequent agreement to move forward with them. After a brief question and answer period, voice was withdrawn from Mss. Walther and Marty. Request to Establish a Linked Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics and Master of Arts Degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Deborah Hardison, Director MA TESOL Program, Department of Linguistics, Germanic, Slavic, Asian and African Languages The committee unanimously granted voice to Dr. Hardison. Dr. Hardison stated that the request for the linked BA/MA was part of a strategy to retain excellent undergraduate majors and to make the Linguistics program attractive as an undergraduate major. Dr. Hardison noted that the MA program had requested an increase in credits from 33 to 36, effective Fall 2012. Linked program students and graduate students would be able to use thesis credits for 3 of the required credits. Dr. Hardison stated that at least 50% of the MA program students are international students. Voice was withdrawn from Dr. Hardison. The committee’s discussion centered on its concern that the 3.25 GPA required for entry into the linked BA/MA program did not denote academic excellence, although discussion at the meeting was under the premise that there was not a minimum GPA required for entry to the MA program. The committee discussed whether it should recommend that the Linguistics program raise the requirement to enter the linked program to a 3.5 GPA. Some committee members raised the possibility of suggesting a policy that would align the GPA requirements for these programs across departments. Others responded that other factors would make it difficult to define what an appropriate entry level grade point would be. Dean Klomparens reminded the committee that the UCUS purview was undergraduate programs. If the committee wanted to make a statement about graduate admission GPA standards, it would go to the graduate committee (UCGS). The consensus was to indicate in its recommendation that it had a concern about the 3.25 GPA level for admission to the linked programs. Motion by Crystal Branta passed unanimously.
Request for a New Linked Bachelor of Arts Degree in Marketing and Master of Science Degree in Marketing Research John Wagner, Associate Dean , Eli Broad College of Business Roger Calantone, Chairperson, Department of Marketing, Eli Broad College of Business Associate Dean Wagner asked the committee to defer the agenda item to a future meeting due to an illness that prevented Dr. Calantone’s attendance. The committee deferred the request to its September 22 meeting. There were no Roundtable items. Meeting adjourned. Respectfully submitted by Sandra Walther |
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