MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

University Committee on Undergraduate Education

MINUTES

September 10, 2015

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

Board Room, 4^th Floor Administration Building

Attending:  Eva Almenar, Rich Bellon, Giles Brereton, Andrew Corner, Doug Estry, Kathy Forrest, Gary Hoppenstand, Jolynne Judge, John Merrill, Richard Miksicek, Matt Pontifex, Fred Rodammer, Lorenzo Santavicca, Jessica Sender, Emily Tabuteau

Absent:  Peter Magyar, Helene Pazak, Marcie Ray, Colleen Tremonte

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.

The Agenda was approved as amended to read 2015-16 in item 5d.

Welcome and Introductions
Associate Provost Estry welcomed the new and returning committee members and thanked them for their service to UCUE in the coming academic year.  Gary Hoppenstand was unanimously elected as UCUE Chairperson.  

Associate Provost Estry reminded members that UCUE has delegated authority on grading policy for undergraduate students and the use of grades and grade point averages for undergraduate admissions.  UCUE shall review all changes in undergraduate academic programs proposed by academic units and recommend their approval or rejection to the University Committee on Curriculum (UCC).  UCUE has a consultative role with the Provost on the establishment, moratorium, discontinuance, or merger of undergraduate academic programs; on policies pertaining to curriculum revision, methods and evaluation of instruction, and advising and counseling for undergraduate students and programs.  On issues of the establishment, moratorium, discontinuance, and merger of undergraduate academic programs, the University Council and the Faculty Senate will be informed of the UCUE’s consultation with the Provost.  The work of UCUE is reported to the University Council. 

The Minutes from April 30, 2015 were approved. 

Comments from the Chairperson

Chairperson Hoppenstand discussed UCUE’s Operating Procedures and referred UCUE members to the following handouts:

-        Handout A:  MSU’s Bylaws for Academic Governance; 4.4 University Committee on 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 the 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 Hoppenstand referred UCUE members to Handout C:  UCUE Procedure Regarding Public Comment.

The following motion for public comment procedure was approved as amended to reflect meetings being held in 2015-16.

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 2015-16.

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.

Comments from the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education

Associate Provost Estry referred UCUE members to Handout D:  Variables that Guide UCAP’s Consideration of Academic Program Moratorium and Discontinuance.  He reminded members that this document is to serve as a guideline when determining whether or not you approve or disapprove a moratorium or discontinuance.

Associate Provost Estry stated the Grief Absence Policy, which UCUE worked to develop last academic year, became effective Fall semester 2015.  He stated recommendations for the Policy came from UCUE’s work last year. 

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

Michael Kroth, Associate Dean, College of Music

The committee unanimously granted voice to Associate Dean Kroth.

Associate Dean Kroth stated that this request is related to the change in University policy with the option to admit students to a major at 28 credits, effective Fall, 2015.  Students not ready to declare a major at 28 credits can remain in “no preference” status until they reach 56 credits.  No staffing issues are anticipated.

Voice was withdrawn from Associate Dean Kroth.

The following motion passed unanimously.

The University Committee on Undergraduate Education duly considered and endorsed the request to Change the admission as a Junior in the College of Music to Admission to the College in the College of Music.

Request to add an Admission to the College statement in the College of Education (Action Item)

Susan Dalebout, Assistant Dean, College of Education

The committee unanimously granted voice to Assistant Dean Dalebout.

Assistant Dean Dalebout is requesting a statement be added to the Academic Programs catalog requesting students refer to the Department’s Admissions section for the specific program they are interested in.  For example, for information about admission to the Athletic Training and Kinesiology majors, refer to the Admission section for those programs in the Department of Kinesiology.  For information about admission to the Education and Special Education majors, refer to the Admission to the Teacher Certification program section under Teacher Certification in the Department of Teacher Education section of the catalog.

Voice was withdrawn from Assistant Dean Dalebout.

The following motion passed unanimously.

The University Committee on Undergraduate Education duly considered and endorsed the request to add an admission to the College statement in the College of Education. 

Request to Change the Admission Requirement, Alternative Track, and the List of Courses which Currently Require a Grade-Point Average of 2.0-Kinesiology & Athletic Training Majors (Action Item)

Susan Dalebout, Assistant Dean, College of Education

Mei-Hua Lee, Assistant Professor, Kinesiology

The committee unanimously granted voice to Assistant Dean Dalebout and Dr. Mei-Hua Lee.

Assistant Dean Dalebout spoke about both requests from the College of Education on the agenda to change the admission requirement, alternative track, and the list of courses which currently require a grade-point average of 2.0 for the Kinesiology and Athletic Training majors since the reasons supporting the requests are similar. However, the Committee determined that UCUE would vote on each request separately.

Assistant Dean Dalebout stated one part of the two requests is related to the change in University policy with the option to admit students to a major at 28 credits, effective Fall, 2015.  Students not ready to declare a major at 28 credits can remain in “no preference” status until they reach 56 credits.  No staffing issues are anticipated.

Assistant Dean Dalebout listed the following reasons for this Request with the proposed changes to be effective FS16:

• Currently, admission to either major requires completion of five courses with a grade of at least 2.0:  CEM 141, KIN 216 (anatomy and physiology), Math 103, Physics 231, and Physiology 250. 
• We would like to remove Physics 231 from that set and replace it with a new course, KIN 251 (Principles of Human Movement).
• We are seeking approval for this new course which will provide students with opportunities to learn about the basic principles of physics as they apply to the science of human movement.
• Kinesiology faculty feel this course will provide better preparation for the challenging upper level Kinesiology courses that students will take as part of their degree program.
• In addition, replacing Physics 231 with Kinesiology 251 would eliminate the need for students to take a sixth course prior to admission, a natural consequence resulting from the addition of Math 114 as a prerequisite for Physics 231.
• Students with majors in Kinesiology and/or Athletic Training may complete an alternative track to Integrative Studies in Biological and Physical Sciences. 
• Currently, students satisfy university requirements in integrative science with CEM 141 and CEM 161, Physics 231 and Physics 251 and Physiology 250.
• With the proposed change, Kinesiology 251 would replace Physics 231 and Physics 251. 
• That means students would satisfy the integrative studies in physical science with CEM 141 and the requirement in biological science with Physiology 250. 
• One credit of the university lab requirement would be satisfied with CEM 161
• We are seeking approval to use the lab component of KIN 251 to satisfy the other lab credit requirement.
• In developing the course, Dr. Lee has used the content of Physics 251 as a guide.  The principles covered in Physics 251 will be covered in KIN 251 but applied to the science of human movement.
• If this course becomes part of the admission requirement, a large number of students (e.g., 200-300) will need to take it.  Therefore, we are requesting that the course be restricted to students with major preferences in the College of Education (similar to the way ECE 345, EGR 100, and EGR 102 are restricted to students with major preferences in the College of Engineering).
• The final change for which we’re seeking approval is specific to the Kinesiology major and involves moving KIN 360 (Physical Growth and Motor Behavior) from a selective category into the core of courses required for the KIN degree.  This course is already required for Athletic Training majors. 
• Faculty believe that requiring KIN 360 as part of the foundational core provides students with stronger foundational knowledge earlier in the curriculum.

The University Committee on Undergraduate Education duly considered and endorsed the request to change the Admission Requirement, modify the Alternative Track Requirement, and approves the list of courses which currently require a grade point average of 2.0 - Kinesiology and Athletic Training Majors. 

Request to Change the Admission Requirement, Alternative Track, and the List of Courses which Currently Require a Grade of 2.0-Athletic Training Majors (Action Item)

Susan Dalebout, Assistant Dean, College of Education

Mei-Hua Lee, Assistant Professor, Kinesiology

The committee unanimously granted voice to Assistant Dean Dalebout and Mei-Hua Lee for purposes of questions. 

There were no further questions.

Voice was withdrawn from Assistant Dean Dalebout and Mei-Hua Lee.

The following motion passed unanimously.

The University Committee on Undergraduate Education duly considered and endorsed the request to change the Admission Requirement, modify the Alternative Track Requirement, and approves the list of courses which currently require a grade of 2.0 - Athletic Training Majors.  UCUE requests that a discrepancy be checked in the number of credits required for the major since there was a difference on the DRAFT catalog copy vs. what was submitted on the Program Change Form.

Roundtable

Emily Tabuteau inquired about a policy change that would allow students to repeat a course no matter what grade they had received.  Associate Provost Estry responded that this was reviewed when Kim Wilcox was Provost and although Provost Wilcox was not opposed to the possibility, course availability and seating for students was a major issue.

Emily Tabuteau expressed concern that all but 12 courses in the Athletic Training major are in Kinesiology and felt that additional courses outside of Kinesiology should be considered.  Matt Pontifex responded that the Athletic Training program follows certain requirements to comply with its accreditation.

Meeting adjourned at 11:15 am.

Respectfully submitted by Lynne Frechen.