Faculty Assembly Minutes, November 29, 2000

College of Arts & Sciences

FACULTY ASSEMBLY MINUTES

November 29, 2000

Professor Harris, Chair, called the Assembly to order at 3:05.

The minutes of the Assemblies of April 24, May 5, and September 28, 2000, were approved as posted on the Web.

The Chair recognized Assistant Dean Taylor who requested approval of the August 2000 graduates and the December 2000 candidates for graduation, pending their successful completion of all requirements. Approval was moved and seconded. The motion carried unanimously.

The Chair recognized Professor Mackey. On behalf of the Curriculum Committee, Professor Mackey moved acceptance of the revision of GEN 101: Campus Culture and moved that the new course, Modes of Inquiry, be a one-hour college programmatic requirement.

The Chair recognized Dean Brennan who spoke to the genesis and the goals of the revised course.

Discussion included Professors McCarthy, Covell, Dakan, T. Maloney, Stenger, Herlin, Cumbler, Hudson, Davitt, Hall and Clarke.

Professor McCarthy moved to amend the proposal for the course by striking sections B, C, and D in paragraph 1. The motion to amend by striking was seconded.

Discussion included Professors Journet, Leuthart, McElderry, and Hall.

Hearing no call for further discussion, the Chair put the question on the motion to amend. The motion was defeated.

The Chair recognized Professor Hall who moved to amend item (a), paragraph 2 to read "short reading assignments centered on one common theme for a given academic year."

The motion was seconded.

Discussion included Professors Wise, Weissbach, T. Maloney, Clarke, and Segal.

Professor Covell moved as a friendly amendment to strike "in a given academic year" from Professor Hall's motion, in order to make clear that a theme could be used for more than one year, should the steering committee so wish. The motion was accepted by unanimous consent.

Hearing no call for further discussion, the Chair put the question on Professor Hall's motion as amended and it carried.

Hearing no call for further discussion on the main motion, the Chair put the question on approval of the proposed revision to General Studies 101: Modes of Inquiry and on continuation of the one-hour course as a College programmatic requirement. The motion carried.

The Chair again recognized Professor Mackey who moved, seconded by the Curriculum Committee, that the minimum required hours for a baccalaureate degree in the College be decreased from 123 to 121. Professor Mackey explained that this reduction reflected the deletion of 2 hours of physical education from the College's degree requirements.

Hearing no discussion of the motion, the Chair put the question. The motion carried.

The Chair announced that agenda item #6, proposal for a M.A. degree in Pan-African Studies, was withdrawn pending clarification of some items in the proposal.

The Chair then recognized Professor Laemmle, Chair of the Committee on Committees, who introduced discussion of several topics having to do with service on College Committees.

Professor T. Maloney moved that the Assembly move to committee of the whole for the discussion. The motion to move to committee of the whole passed.

The committee rose and the chair reported that thirteen faculty had spoken to the issue of committee service and offered various suggestions as guidance for the Committee on Committees.

Professor Laemmle asked for a straw vote on the question of continuing to hold elections for all committees. The Assembly indicated that it wished for committee elections to continue as now constituted.

Professor T. Maloney moved a resolution that the issues be remanded to the Committee on Committees and that, in consultation with the Dean, they return specific motions to the Assembly, if they so desired. The resolution passed.

A motion to adjourn was made and seconded. The motion passed, and the Assembly adjourned at 4:30 pm.