A&S; Curriculum Committee Minutes, 3/30/98
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
CURRICULUM COMMITTEE MINUTES
March 30, 1998
Members present: S. Davis, J. Hart, S. Maloney, M. Rohmann, P. Sahoo, E. Segal (Chair), M. Stenger, R. Taylor
Guests: A. Harris (TA), C. Willard (COMM)
The minutes of the meeting of February 16, 1998, were approved as distributed. Professor Willard responded to questions about the proposal for COMM 370: Desktop Publishing and Professor Harris responded to questions about the proposal for TA 315/515: Speaking English as a Second Language. The following course actions were approved, effective 98F. COMM 370: Desktop Publishing (new course) TA 315: Speaking English as a Second Language (new course) TA 515: Topics in Speaking English as a Second Language (new course; may be repeated up to 6 hours) BIOL 389: Undergraduate Seminar (new course) POLS 336: Foreign Policies of Postcommunist States (deleted) POLS 391: Survey Research (deleted) GERM 325: Practicum in German Theatre (credit hour change from variable to 3 credit hours) GERM 561: Independent Study (credit hour change from variable to 3 credit hours) The committee discussed course placement for entering A&S; students who have a pre-college curriculum deficiency in social sciences. Currently, the deficiency is removed by successful completion of TS 098: Introduction to Social Sciences. It was the committee's recommendation that as long as the course continues to be available, it should be the required manner of removing the social sciences deficiency. The committee approved the following catalog language regarding second bachelor's degrees: Before being awarded a second bachelor's degree, a student must earn a minimum of thirty (30) semester hours in addition to the minimum hours needed for the first degree, regardless of whether the two degrees are awarded simultaneously or successively. This language conforms to current practice, but the policy had been omitted from the printed catalog. It was clarified that this policy in no way affects a single degree with a double major. The committee confirmed that its intent when recommending approval of the new university policy on warning, probation, and suspension was to retain any limited load provisions now applicable to these categories. The committee discussed the criteria for courses for cross-cultural general education credit. The only criterion under reconsideration was #1, which currently reads: "Courses must focus on either: a) societies and cultures in modern nations, ethnic groups, or regions other than the United States or Canada, or b) a minority culture, or cultures, with the United States or Canada." The following revision was approved by the committee and will be forwarded to the Faculty Assembly: "Courses fulfilling the requirement should focus on societies and cultures outside of what is often thought of as the mainstream cultures of the western world. 1) Courses must focus on either: a) societies, cultures, ethnic groups or regions within nation states outside of the United States, Canada, or western Europe, or b) a minority culture or cultures within the United States, Canada, or western Europe. [For example, a course dealing with Charlemagne's Empire, the Napoleonic wars or U.S. involvement in slave trading would not qualify for this requirement, but a course dealing with Basques, Gypsies, Native Americans, or African Americans would.]" [3/30/98]