UCAP Meeting of 09/06/2012 2012-2013 agenda status: approved Agenda: University Committee on Undergraduate Studies AGENDA Thursday, September 6 2012 10:15 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. LOCATION CHANGE: Room 443, 4th Floor, Administration Building In the Provost Office Suite
· Voting (conducting business) via email or online
survey
minutes status: approved approved at meeting of 09/20/2012 UCAP Minutes for meeting held on 09/06/2012 University Committee on Undergraduate Studies MINUTES Thursday, September 6, 2012 10:15 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. 443 Administration Building
Attendees: Eric Aronoff, Mark Axelrod, Jan Brady, Laura Dillon, Doug Estry, Fred Fico, Coretta Patterson, Ron Perry, Matt Pontifex, Lynmarie Posey, Abraham Wheeler Absent: Zarena Aslami, Henry Beckmeyer, Nichole Dandridge, Seung Hyun Kim, Richard Miksicek, Cynthia Taggart
Motion by Mark Axelrod 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. The Agenda was approved. Welcome and Introductions Chairperson Dillon and Associate Provost Estry welcomed the new and returning committee members. UCUE members introduced themselves.
Comments from Chairperson Chairperson Dillon reviewed the UCUS
bylaws and its role within new academic governance structure. Dr. Dillon
reviewed the elected committee positions and introduced the incumbents. Chairperson Dillon reviewed member responsibilities. She asked that members, if unable to attend a meeting, find a substitute from their college and notify Sandra Walther. Even though substitutes could not vote, they would be able to represent the views of their college constituents in the meeting and share committee business of interest with the 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 to accommodate possible additional meetings or subcommittee meetings. She requested the authority and autonomy to call additional meetings if necessary.
Motion by Ryan Sweeder passed unanimously. The committee agrees to allow the chairperson the authority and autonomy to call additional meetings. Dr. Dillon recommended the committee consider accomplishing some business electronically. Examples would be crafting final language for motions and voting by email on issues previously discussed. She asked the committee to allow conducting such business electronically.
Motion by Ryan Sweeder 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. Dr. Dillon described the streamlined procedure to grant and remove voice for visitors to UCUS meetings used in past years. She requested that the committee adopt the procedure allowing the chair to grant and remove voice without a formal committee vote, i.e., hearing no objections, for the current year.
Motion by Ryan Sweeder passed unanimously. The committee agrees to allow the chairperson to grant and remove voice for visitors to UCUS meetings without a formal committee vote. Chairperson Dillon reviewed the types of business that UCUS for considers; routine items like linked BA/MA programs, department or program name changes, graduation requirement changes, new degree programs and non-routine items such as providing input on the Provost’s review and commenting on the proposed MSU energy plan. There are two upcoming issues from ASMSU: a student bereavement policy and billing of internship credits.
Comments from the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Studies Associate Provost Estry added two additional topics that would come before the committee this year. The Provost is considering a change in the timing of admission to a major that will allow students to declare a major after achieving 30 credits if they are ready. If approved, this change would take effect Fall 2012. Another issue that will come to the committee for consideration will be a change to the university writing requirement. He added that the University Curriculum Committee forwarded items for committee review of policy implications of academic or curricular changes.
The Minutes of the April 26, 2012 meeting were approved.
Request for a New Minor in Defense Studies and Leadership Tom Summerhill,
Associate Dean, College of Social Science Walter Hawthorne, Chair, Department of History Emily Tabuteau, Associate Chair for Undergraduate Affairs, Department of History The committee unanimously granted voice to Drs. Hawthorne, Tabuteau and Associate Dean Summerhill. Associate Dean Summerhill stated the College of Social Science was asked to provide the academic home for a Military Studies minor, as Social Science seemed to be a good fit. Both the History and Criminal Justice departments indicated interested in working with the ROTC programs. The History department decided to be the lead department and collaborated with Criminal Justice on developing a minor that includes History, Criminal Justice, and Political Science courses. Military Science (MS) and Aerospace Studies (AS) students provide the majority of students enrolled in the program. These students are encouraged to take these courses to deepen their skills as military officers. The new minor will create a formal and transcriptable program of study that, although available at many other Michigan institutions of higher education, has not been available to MSU ROTC students until now. However, the new minor is not limited to ROTC students but is open to those who want to work with defense contractors or in positions that have military contact. Associate Dean Summerhill stated that the biggest challenge was to take the 15 credits of MS/AS coursework and add meaningful content without overburdening the program with too many courses. The respective units negotiated the distribution of requirements across the departments. The courses required for the minor provides a good platform upon which to build additional offers as will likely evolve over time. He noted the Military Education Advisory Committee (MEAC) was supportive of moving forward with the minor. Questions from the committee members reflected concern about program capacity especially in the upper level courses. Dr. Summerhill estimated that 200 students would enroll in the program. He stated that capacity had been considered and the departments found no reason for concern as many of the courses were already quite large or delivered online. Dr. Estry described the typical ROTC student majors as widely distributed but AS and MS were promoting their courses among nursing, engineering, and language programs. Dr. Tabuteau added that the principle purpose of the new minor was to make the AS and MS programs well rounded and transcriptable. Students who have already graduated must return for a second degree in order to complete the new minor. The committee inquired why the AS and MS program needed an academic home. Dr. Estry explained that the Provost has a strict policy that any major/minor academic program must reside in a college or department that has a faculty. MS/AS does not report to an academic unit. Although they are overseen by MEAC, a group of faculty who approve appointments or changes in the AS/MS curriculum, the Provost was not willing to make exception to the rule. Associate Dean Summerhill added that the College of Social Science had the option of locating the minor in Integrative Studies that has an interdisciplinary major and global major that would have left the AS/MS group somewhat alienated from faculty. Faculty will provide the engagement that will make this minor a strong enterprise. Voice was withdrawn from Associate Dean Summerhill and Drs. Hawthorne and Tabuteau. Motion by Fred Fico was unanimously approved. The University Committee on Undergraduate Studies, in its consultative capacity to the Provost, has no concerns about the request for a new minor in Defense Studies and Leadership.
Desire2Learn and Turnitin
Desire2Learn: Dr. Grabski provided a brief PowerPoint presentation describing the process for selecting a new learning management system (LMS) to replace the Angel system currently used, the attributes of the LMS selected (Desire2Learn), and the process and timing of the transition to the new LMS. A website has been created to provide information and updates on the progress of implementing the new LMS: http://tech.msu.edu/d2l. Angel will be supported through Spring 2015. Groups currently using Angel will be able to transition to Desire2Learn as well. Turnitin: Mr. Guenther provided a brief PowerPoint presentation describing the use of Turnitin as a teaching tool for helping faculty and students to assess student writing. The program includes several tools for instructors to use to provide feedback to students. The University has committed to a three-year pilot program with Turnitin and will begin evaluating Turnitin use after the first year. Lyman Briggs College has used Turnitin for a number of years. Turnitin tools will run inside the Angel and Desire2Learn browsers. Instructor training will begin as soon as it can be structured and implemented. The Ombudsperson website will provide information regarding use of Turnitin soon.
ASMSU Discussion Item Dr. Estry stated that the student bereavement proposal would be distributed and discussed at the next committee meeting.
After Roundtable, the meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully submitted by
Sandra Walther |
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