UCAP Meeting of 03/28/2013 2012-2013 agenda status: approved Agenda:MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY University Committee on Undergraduate Education AGENDA Thursday, March 28, 2013 10:15 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. Boardroom, 4th Floor, Administration Building
Larry Martin, Professor, Department of Economics
Carmen
McCallum, Research Associate, Office of the Associate Provost for Undergraduate
Education
minutes status: approved at meeting of 4/25/2013 UCAP Minutes for meeting held on 03/28/2013 University Committee on Undergraduate Education Minutes Thursday, March 28, 2013 10:15 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. Boardroom, 4th Floor, Administration Building
Attendees: Eric Aronoff, Mark Axelrod, Emily Bank, Jan Brady, Laura Dillon, Doug Estry, Fred Fico, Phylis Floyd, Mitchell Goheen, Seung Hyun Kim, Ron Perry, Matt Pontifex, Lynmarie Posey, Ashton Shortridge, Philip Strong, Cynthia Taggart, Abraham Wheeler
Absent: Henry Beckmeyer, Nicole Dandridge, Justin Droba, Chris McClain, Coretta Patterson, Anne Rabello, Ryan Sweeder, Mark Tran
The agenda was approved. The minutes of the March 14, 2013 meeting were approved as amended by correcting the misspelled name of Rane Johnson-Stempson. Comments from the Chairperson There were no comments from the Chairperson.
Comments from the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education There were no comments from the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education. Request for a Moratorium on Admission to the Bachelor of Science Degree
in Economics
Dr. Martin explained that the College of Social Science directed all of its departments to review their degree requirements to ensure they were correctly calibrated with the College’s degree requirements. The core of the BA/BS in Economics is the same with the sole difference being the Arts & Letters or Math/Science courses that round out the degree. In its review, the Economics Department decided to place the BS degree in a moratorium. Dr. Summerhill stated that one of the motivating factors for changes in requirements at undergraduate level was that the distribution requirements were “riddled” with exceptions. There has been slippage in what the students are taking versus what was required by the BS degree. He agreed with the department’s decision to review the whole Bachelor of Science degree program before admitting more majors. Dr. Martin stated that, in the end, the entire program, BA and BS, would be reassessed but for the immediate future, the request was that the BS program would be placed in a moratorium as there are substantially fewer students in the BS program and it is the BS program that appears to be in need of the most overhaul in order to meet the needs of the students. Associate Provost Estry commented that the moratorium request was for one year. That suggests that the department plans to move relatively quickly to either propose a new BS option in Economics or request further moratorium on the program. Voice was removed from Associate Dean Summerhill and Professor Martin. The motion by Ron Perry was unanimously approved. The University Committee on Undergraduate Education, in its consultative capacity to the Provost, has no concerns about the request for a moratorium on admission to the Bachelor of Science degree in Economics.
Integrative Studies Assessment Program Associate Provost Estry introduced the presenters, Drs. Libarkin and McCallum. He commented that the committee had recently addressed the issue of allowing courses in Lyman Briggs to serve as pilots for a new model of integrative studies, adding that there is no model at this time. The purpose of the pilots is to determine what a more integrated approach to integrative studies might do to impact student learning. In addition to the pilot courses, an assessment initiative had been undertaken. Associate Provost Estry explained that since the implementation of the integrative studies curriculum twenty years ago, there had not been a comprehensive effort to assess the effectiveness of the curriculum. These assessments set the stage for evaluation of past and future integrative studies planning.
Roundtable Dr. Taggart reported that the Lansing Public Schools decided to eliminate all of the arts and physical education from its elementary education budget next year. She stated that the College of Music wants to make clear that it will support music educators but will not support programs that supplant certified instruction. See the College of Music website for its statement (http://www.music.msu.edu/news-archive/music-teachers-and-our-community).
Meeting adjourned. Respectfully submitted Sandra Walther
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