MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

University Committee on Undergraduate Education

  MINUTES

September 18, 2014

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

Board Room, 4^th Floor Administration Building

Attending:  Daniel Bergan, Teresa Bitner, Patrick Crane, Christina DeJong (for Jesenia Pizarro Terrill), Kiki Edozie, Doug Estry, Todd Hedrick (for Debra Nails), Rob LaDuca, Peter Magyar, Richard Miksicek, Helene Pazak, Matt Pontifex, Fred Rodammer, Cassandra Shavrnoch, Cynthia Taggart, Abraham Wheeler

Absent:  Biles Brereton, Omar Elsherif, Austin Jackson, Eli Kena, Claire McCarthy, Debra Nails, Jesenia Pizarro Terrill, Ryan Sweeder

The agenda was approved.

The minutes were approved from September 4, 2014.

Comments from the Chairperson

Chairperson Taggart announced that the steering committee of the faculty senate asked her to appoint a UCUE member to the preferred name committee.  This committee explores how students use their legal name vs. a preferred name and how it is disseminated.  Richard Miksicek volunteered.    

Chairperson Taggart also indicated that the Steering Committee will be sending UCUE a list of discussion items generated through a survey of Faculty Senate regarding the undergraduate academic environment and various policies.  UCUE is to consider this list and decide if there are items that the Committee would like to address.

Comments from the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education

There were no comments from Associate Provost Estry.

Request to Change the Admission Requirement and the List of Courses Which Currently Require a Grade-Point Average of 2.5 in the Athletic Training Program in Department of Kinesiology (Action Item)

Matt Pontifex, Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology

The following motion was passed unanimously.

The University Committee on Undergraduate Education, following receipt of clarifying information from the department of Kinesiology, duly considered and endorsed the curricular changes as outlined in the response from the Athletic Training program.

Request for a New Agricultural Technology Certificate in Applied Horse Science (Action Item)

Richard Brandenburg, Associate Dean, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Randy Showerman, Director, Institute of Agricultural Technology

The committee unanimously granted voice to Dean Brandenburg and Dr. Showerman.

Dean Brandenburg stated that conversations began in 2009 with MSUglobal, MSUE, My Horse University, and the Department of Animal Science for the creation of an online Technology Certificate in Applied Horse Science. Dr. Showerman stated that the MSU Certificate program will be 100% online.  Dr. Showerman stated that the online certificate program will allow nontraditional students an opportunity to validate their educational experiences with a certificate and to gain formal, academic knowledge about horses.  He stated that the curriculum will include information on the management, feeding, nutrition, breeding, and understanding the behavior of horses.

Dr. Showerman was asked to clarify where in the curriculum there was a hands on component.    He noted it was built into selected courses as well as part of the clerkships/internships.  He stated that in addition to the design and management of the stables being very hands on, an observation unit is also part of the curriculum. 

Clarity was sought regarding whether the courses were entirely online or blended and how the students would know this.   In response, it was noted that online in this case means the student does not have to come to MSU to take a class and the online nature of the courses is noted in the course description and via the section number. Clarity was sought regarding sign off once a student completes the certificate program and Dr. Showerman stated that Dr. Christine Skelly will be the sign off.

The following motion passed unanimously.

The University Committee on Undergraduate Education duly considered and endorsed the Request for a New Agricultural Technology Certificate in Applied Horse Science

Request for a New Minor in Korean Studies (Action Item)
Jason Merrill, Coordinator, Less Commonly Taught Languages Program

Catherine Ryu, Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics & Germanic, Slavic, Asian & African Languages

Ok-Sook Park, Assistant Professor, Department of Linguistics & Germanic, Slavic, Asian & African Languages

Fred Rauscher, Associate Professor, Philosophy

The committee unanimously granted voice to Dr. Merrill, Dr. Ryu, Dr. Park, and Dr. Rauscher.

Dr. Ryu spoke about the need to establish a minor in Korean Studies and stated there are currently more than 130 students taking classes and many would like to officially declare Korean as a minor. Dr. Ryu pointed out that many of MSU’s peer institutions currently have Korean Studies programs in place.

A number of UCUE members expressed concern that the program appeared to be heavily weighted toward language acquisition and that based on the list of courses required it was not clear where students would deepen their understanding of the Korean culture.   Dr. Ryu indicated that she will handle the cultural part of the minor, and Dr. Park will handle the language part of the minor.   Dr. Ryu also noted that a new alpha code had been established (KOR) so the focus of the courses was clear.

Concern was also expressed that catalog language noted that student would become conversant with digital technologies and it was not apparent in the curriculum how this would happen.

It was suggested that in order to be consistent with other language minors, the word “Studies” could be dropped and the minor could be called “Minor in Korean.”

The following motion passed.

The University Committee on Undergraduate Education duly considered and endorsed the Request for a New Minor In Korean Studies with the following considerations: 

-        Adjust course titles that would reflect both the language and cultural components.

-        Indicate how students will become conversant with digital technologies.

-        Consider naming the program “Minor in Korean” rather than “Minor in Korean Studies” for purposes of consistency.

Request to Change the Admission as a Junior in Nursing to Admission to the College in the College of Nursing (Action Item)

Teresa Wehrwein, Associate Dean, College of Nursing

The committee unanimously granted voice to Dean Wehrwein.

Dean Wehrwein spoke about the three types of nursing students who are admitted to the Nursing program.  1) a traditional BSN, 2) accelerated second degree BSN, and 3) a BSN for registered nurses.  She stated that this change would only affect the first type of nursing student.

Dr. Wehrwein stated a need for a revised curriculum is due to the fact that nursing students need to be prepared to work in a diverse society and within the changing medical profession.  She indicted that in order to meet the demanding health care needs of the country, nurses will require more community-based training.  Dr. Wehrwein stated that there will need to be an increase in credits involving work in the community and a decrease in credits in hospital settings.  She stated that, with earlier admission to the program, the Admission process will stay essentially the same and that community service and letters of support will be required.

 The new curriculum will separate some of the existing coursework into smaller credit classes in order to make a more manageable course load for the student. 

Dr. Wehrwein noted that for some students to complete all necessary degree requirements, it would be better for the student to be admitted to the College of Nursing with the completion of at least 28 credits opposed to being admitting to the College of Nursing as a Junior.

It was noted that it had been demonstrated to be an advantage to bring in a cohort earlier to the Nursing program in order to enhance degree completion.  In addition, this allows students who do not get into Nursing to choose another major earlier in their undergraduate career.

Associate Provost Estry requested that, for purposes of clarity and tracking, the paragraph in the Academic Programs description referring to completing an alternative track must be maintained in the  description, eliminating the word “may” to read… in the Nursing major leading to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in the College of Nursing complete an alternative track…

The following motion passed unanimously.

The University Committee on Undergraduate Education duly considered and approved the grade requirements and endorsed the Request to Change the Admission as a Junior in Nursing to Admission to the College in the College of Nursing retaining the alternate track statement in the catalogue language and deleting the word “may “in this section to read, “…in the Nursing major leading to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in the College of Nursing complete and alternative track…”

Request to Phase Out and Discontinue the Minor in American Studies (Action Item)

Jeff Grabill, Chairperson, Department of Writing, Rhetoric and American Cultures

The committee unanimously granted voice to Dr. Grabill.

Chairperson Grabill stated that interest in the minor in American Studies has declined greatly in recent years, and department faculty support the phase out and discontinuance. Dr.  Grabill stated that most American Studies faculty are in the English Department and that many American Studies classes have been revised as English courses.  Chairperson Taggart stated that, if approved, this request will not disadvantage any students.

Voice was withdrawn from Dr. Grabill.

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 American Studies

Integrity of Scholarship and Grades (Action Item)

Associate Provost Estry spoke about the recommended changes and updates to the Integrity of Scholarship and Grades policy.   See explanation attached to the meeting agenda.

Concern was expressed that the policy requiring submission of an ADR report when a penalty grade is given is not followed   Clarification on how the ADR is handled if the student is applying to graduate school was requested.  Associate Provost Estry noted that currently the ADR resides in the Electronic Student Academic Folder.  If the RO is asked by an institution the student may be applying to whether a report exists they would be told yes.  No indication of an ADR exists on the student’s transcript.  If the student is asked if they have committed an act of academic dishonesty it is their responsibility to respond appropriately.  The requested change would allow either the Dean of UG Studies to remove a report when a student graduates if there is only one report on file and the student completed the education course and no additional sanctions were requested or imposed.

Dr. Rodammer stated that there should be a way to inform students of what will happen if they commit an act of academic misconduct.  Dr. Pontifex stated that it is the responsibility of the instructors to inform the students and that this information should be in the syllabus.  Dr. DaLuca stated that students now have the option to use Turnitin before submitting an assignment.  He stated that this program will highlight any text containing potential plagiarism and give the student an opportunity to change the questionable text.

The following motion passed unanimously and was forwarded to the Steering Committee.

The University Committee on Undergraduate Education duly considered and endorsed the changes to the University policy on the Integrity of Scholarship and Grades.  The changes and associated rationale are attached.  UCUE recommends that the changes be forwarded to the University Committee on Graduate Studies for consideration and comment.

Roundtable

There were no items reported  during the Roundtable.

Meeting adjourned at 11:45 am.

Respectfully submitted by Lynne Frechen.