Undergraduate Curriculum Committee

Committee Minutes

6th Meeting, October 20, 2004 Approved November 3, 2004

 

Present: J. Lochhead (chair), D. K. Gillespie (secretary), R. Cerrato (acting chair), D. Prowse, T.

Weinacht, C. Marrone, A. Phillips, L. Volpe, E. Lindquist (observer), C. Green-Forde, V.Dumont, A. Feldman, N. Tomes, A. Greene (new)

Absent: M. Shanthanelson

 

I. Committee Business

 

1. Review of the minutes from October 13, 2004 The minutes were approved

 

2. Judy reported correspondence with Mark Aronoff regarding Gen Ed courses. Aronoff says he may have to go to Albany to work on Gen Ed.

 

3. Addition of Annie Green to the Committee. Annie represents the Graduate Student Organization and replaces M. Shanthanelson.

 

4. Lochhead discussed the status of the search to fill the vacant Humanities faculty representative on the Committee. Several faculty members are interested; however, due to scheduling issues, a faculty member will likely not be available until Spring 2005.

 

II. Routine Administrative Matters:

 

1. Presented at the meeting. As part of Routine business, Gillespie added undergraduate college seminars for GLS 102, HDV 102 and LDS 102 as equivalent to ACH 102, SSO 102 and ITS 102, which were added last year. The Committee requests to see the original course proposal(s) that supports the recent additions. This also raised the issue of oversight and content for these courses. Lochhead will correspond with Aronoff.

 

III. Old Business:

 

1. Africana Studies

 

The department agreed to these recommended changes to the prerequisites for AFH 417. The Committee therefore approves the new course with these prerequisites:  U3 or U4 status:

 

At least two courses from: AFH 206, AFH 249, or any 300 level DEC G, or permission of the instructor/department.

 

2. Art History

 

ARH 3xx (330): new course proposal

This course proposal was originally discussed on 15 May, 2003 and re-discussed on 20 October 2004. Gillespie communicated the recent decision to the Art department that the course cannot be approved unless it is to be offered at least every two years. Therefore, the Art department again appealed the Committees decision that the course could only be offered as a topic to an existing topics course. The Department Chair, James Rubin, has amended the proposal to state that the course will be offered every second year.

 

Therefore, the committee approved ARH 330 as a stand-alone course beginning Spring 2005.

 

IV. New Business:

 

1. European Languages

 

Credit changes to several minors: GER, MVL, FRN, and RUS. (Weinacht)

 

Changes approved.  Detailed changes attached to the end of these minutes upon approval.

 

Russian minor: increase from 18 to 21 credits

French minor: decrease from 24 to 21 credits

German minor: decrease from 24 to21 credits

Medieval minor (MVL): decrease from 24 to 21 credits

 

2. Marine Sciences

 

MAR 336 and MAR 394 (Cerrato) (from Oct 13 packet)

Requested change to the mutually exclusiveness of these courses

 

Changes approved:  Students may take these two courses and receive credit for both, effective Spring 2005.

 

3. Marine Sciences

 

Inactivation of several MAR courses (Cerrato) (from Oct 13 packet)

 

Several courses the committee approved that the following courses should be inactivated. These are courses that were either (a) approved but never taught or (b) once taught by faculty who are no longer at SBU:

 

MAR 307 Communication in Environmental Science

MAR 313 Marine Biochemistry

MAR 335 Primary Production in the Sea

MAR 391-H Environmental Policy

MAR 393 Treatment Technologies

MAR 410 Modeling Techniques for Marine Geochemistry

 

4. Economics

 

Changes to prerequisites of ECO 334, ECO 487, ECO 488 (Tomes)

 

The changes to ECO 334 were approved. The prerequisite for ECO 334 is now:

 

C or higher in ECO320 or AMS310; C or higher in ECO 303 and 305

 

The changes to ECO 487 and 488 were not approved. A grade of B or higher is beyond the C average required to complete the major. Therefore, the changes were not approved. The Committee understands the high demand for this course, and suggests an application process be implemented.

 

5. AAS 210 this item was added to the agenda post haste.

 

Prowse requests that AAS 210 be added to the curriculum. Apparently, this course was approved during the 2003-04 year, however, was never added. Prowse will research the issue.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Undergraduate Curriculum Committee

Committee Minutes

5th Meeting, October 13, 2004 Approved October 20, 2004

 

Present: J. Lochhead (chair), D. K. Gillespie (secretary), R. Cerrato (acting chair), D. Prowse, T.

Weinacht, C. Marrone, A. Phillips, L. Volpe, E. Lindquist (observer), C. Green-Forde, V.

Dumont, Manuel London (guest)

Absent: M. Shanthanelson, A. Feldman, N. Tomes

 

I. Committee Business

 

1.             Approval of the minutes from Sept 29, 2004 The minutes were approved

 

2.             Manuel London attended by invitation to discuss the document, SUNY Board of Trustees

                Resolution. London discussed this resolution its potential affect the CAS Curriculum.

                London also presented results from assessments done at SBU in Spring 2004.

 

                SUNY System Administration requires assessment of the SBU student competency in several

                areas. The resolution is a result of this requirement and concerns from several campuses as to

                how the resulting report could be used. Originally, SUNY System Administration wanted a

                normative test (comparison to a national average). Campuses are now given a choice

                between normative tests and time series tests (testing of student competency at two points

                for comparison).

 

                The difference between this most recent resolution and the prior one is that the prior one only

                allowed for normative testing. The SUNY Faculty Senate appealed the prior resolution and the

                result was the most recent resolution which allows for normative or time series testing for

                assessment.

 

                The current impact on curriculum is small at this point. However, future assessments may result in

                different criteria for General Education Requirements; or assessment results may require

                revision of content for given courses to redirect towards a goal of achieving certain

                competencies.

 

                London also relayed the fact that Don Stevens is no longer involved with assessment at SUNY

                System Administration. Patricia Francis has joined SUNY with specific responsibilities for

                assessment among others.

 

II. Routine Administrative Matters:

 

1.             None presented.

 

III. Old Business

 

1.             Africana Studies

 

                AFH 417 (to be combined with EGL 570) (new course proposal) (Marrone)

 

                The Committee agreed that the course is acceptable, and approved the new course contingent upon

                revision of the course pre-requisites and revision of the course description. Course pre-requisites

                were suggested:  U3 or U4 status:

 

                At least two courses from: AFH 206, AFH 249, or any 300 level DEC G, or permission of the

                instructor/department.

 

2.             Art History

 

                ARH 3xx (330): new course proposal

 

                This course proposal was originally discussed on 15 May, 2003. The Art department appealed the

                Committee decision from May 2003 to offer this course as a topic to a topics course.  In

                discussion of this appeal, the Committee asserted its earlier decision based on the proposed

                offering frequency of the course (every third year). The Committee feels that a course that is

                published in the Undergraduate Bulletin should be taught at least once during the effective

                publication dates of a given bulletin. Since the course was proposed to only be offered every

                third year, and the Undergraduate Bulletin only spans two years, then the course was not

                approved as a stand-alone course. The Committee does, however, recommend that the

                proposed course content be presented as a course topic to an existing topics course.

 

IV. New Business

 

1.             None was discussed due to lack of time.

 

______________________________________________________________________________________

Undergraduate Curriculum Committee

 

1st Meeting, September 8, 2004 approved September 15, 2004

 

Present: J. Lochhead, D. K. Gillespie (secretary), N. Tomes, R. Cerrato, D. Prowse, C. Green-

Forde, T. Weinacht, C. Marrone, A. Phillips, E. Lindquist (observer), Joan Kuchner (guest)

 

I.  Committee Business

 

1. New members were introduced and welcomed. D. K. Gillespie and D. Prowse are new, and N.

Tomes is returning from sabbatical and has served on the committee previously.

 

2. Kuchner led a discussion to elect a new Chair of the Committee, and the committee unanimously approved the appointment of Judith Lochhead as Chair for the 2004-2005 academic year. Lochhead accepted the appointment, with the stipulation that she may delegate certain responsibilities to other Committee members, including attendance at the Arts and Sciences

Senate Executive Committee.

 

3. Nominations of two ex-officio members were approved. Arlene Feldman will represent the Office of Enrollment Retention and Management, and Leslie Volpe will represent the Office of the Registrar. In addition, Monicca Shantlanelson will be invited to attend meetings as a Graduate Student representative. Claire Green-Forde will continue to represent Undergraduate Students, however, two undergraduates are mandated by the A&S Constitution. Gillespie will invite nominations for a second undergraduate representative.

 

4. The minutes of May 5, 2004 were approved.

 

5. A regular meeting time of 2:15 on Wednesdays was discussed and agreed upon by all members.

 

The meeting place shall be in the CAS Deans Office conference room.

 

II.  Routine Administrative Matters:

None were presented due to time constraint

 

III.  Old Business

No old business topics were scheduled

 

IV.  New Business

No new business topics were discussed, and all items on the agenda for todays meeting will be moved to the agenda for the next meeting.

 

______________________________________________________________________________

Undergraduate Curriculum Committee

 

2nd Meeting, September 15, 2004 Approved September 22, 2004

 

Present: J. Lochhead (chair), D. K. Gillespie (secretary), N. Tomes, R. Cerrato, D. Prowse, T. Weinacht, C. Marrone, A. Phillips, L. Volpe, E. Lindquist (observer), Absent: C. Green-Forde, Arlene Feldman, M. Shanthanelson

 

I. Committee Business

 

1. Approval of the minutes from Sept 8, 2004 The minutes were approved

 

2. General discussion on regulation of Combined Sections

Gillespie discussed the new approved terminology of co-cataloged and combined section. Several departments are requesting new temporary and/or permanent section combinations, and Gillespie proposed that the committee develop a policy on approving newly combined sections. Before a policy is drafted, the Committee requests that Gillespie present a list of new

requests for approval at each meeting as routine business.

 

3. Discussion of replacement for Malcolm Read

Several individuals were discussed as replacements, and Lochhead will make arrangements.

 

4. Welcome to Leslie Volpe a new ex-officio member of the Committee

 

II. Routine Administrative Matters:

1. Routine matters from Sept 8 and 15 were approved, with one minor recommendation:

Biology

Excerpt from Routine Matters:

Removal of high school chemistry or CHE 123 prerequisite from BIO 208-H Cell, Brain and Mind. PS cannot check whether or not a student took high school chemistry and the department is attempting to use prerequisite screening for its courses.  Weinacht suggested with much support from the committee that BIO 208 should retain an advisory pre-requisite of high-school chemistry

 

III. Old Business

No old business was discussed.

 

IV. New Business

1. Writing and Rhetoric

WRT 392 New course proposal (Presenter: Nancy)

Approval pending with one recommendation and one question:

Recommendation: The Committee recommends that the EGL department should review this course to be used as part of the EGLBA, and/or as part of the EGL Education track. Question: What will be the Grading Basis of this course? (S/U, Graded only, or allow P/NC?)

 

2. Womens Studies

New WST track Gender, Sexuality and Public Health (Presenter: Judy)

Approval pending, with a request that the department provide the new track text for the 2005-07

Undergraduate Bulletin

 

3. Womens Studies

SOC/WST 304 dissolution of this crosslisting. (Presenter: Cathy)

Approved.

 

4. Womens Studies

Modification of the WST curriculum reduction of acceptable courses for WST major and minor

(Presenter: Tom)

Approval pending with one question: how often are these courses offered?

5. Marine Sciences

 

MAR 351 reduction of course units from 4.0 to 3.0 (Presenter: Bob)

Approved.

 

6. Environmental Studies

general change to degree requirements reduction of credits within ENS major that must be passed with C or higher (Presenter: Bob)

Approved.

 

7. Mathematics

Re-addition of DEC C to MAT 132 (Presenter: Arlene)

This item was not discussed and will defer the next meeting of Sept 22.

 

8. Mathematics

Although not on the agenda for Sept 8, Gillespie relayed a verbal proposal from Scott Sutherland

(Mathematics) to offer part of the final exams for 100-level MAT courses during the last week

of classes to accommodate the requirement from the Office of Enrollment and Retention

Management (Manuel London) to re-assess student progress using the Math Placement Exam.

The Committee rejected the proposal, as the purview of the Committee does not include such

matters.

 

______________________________________________________________________________

Arts and Sciences Senate

Undergraduate Curriculum Committee

Academic Year 2004-2005

Committee Minutes

3rd Meeting, September 22, 2004 Approved September 29, 2004

Present: J. Lochhead (chair), D. K. Gillespie (secretary), N. Tomes, R. Cerrato, D. Prowse, T. Weinacht, C. Marrone, A. Phillips, L. Volpe, E. Lindquist (observer), C. Green-Forde, A. Feldman, Vanessa Dumont

Absent: M. Shanthanelson

 

I. Committee Business

1. Approval of the minutes from Sept 15, 2004 The minutes were approved

 

2. General discussion on regulation of Combined Sections

Gillespie discussed more on the technicalities of combined sections, and the ramifications for curriculum and student enrollment. The Committee agreed that Gillespie should consult the CC for requests for permanent course combinations. Otherwise, Gillespie should base decisions on whether the temporary combined courses share DEC, have similar pre-requisites, and share common syllabi.  Gillespie proposed a draft document that departments might complete when requesting new course combinations.

 

3. Lochhead reported that she attended the CAS Senate Executive Committee of September 13, 2004.

(a) the CAS EC discussed the introduction of the College of Business to the Arts and Sciences Senate

(b) the CAS EC delegated continued duties to the Curriculum Committee to manage the ongoing discussion of SUNY General Education Requirement.

(c) Phillips reported a resolution that was presented at a recent conference. The SUNY Board of Trustees Resolution Strengthened Campus-Based Assessment June 2004 to be effective Fall 2005.

 

4. Welcome to Vanessa Dumont a new ex-officio member representing undergraduate students.

 

II. Routine Administrative Matters:

1. Various routine matters were presented, including specific requests for new combined sections.

 

III. Old Business

1. Writing and Rhetoric

WRT 392 New course proposal (Presenter: Nancy)

            Approval pending with one recommendation and one question:

            Recommendation: The Committee recommends that the EGL department should review this course to be used as             part of the EGLBA, and/or as part of the EGL Education track.

            Response: The WRT department acknowledged this request, and will do so.

            Question: What will be the Grading Basis of this course? (S/U, Graded only, or allow P/NC?)

            Response: The Department (Harry Denny) has responded that the grading basis will be Graded with P/NC option.

 

Approved. The course will be added to the Spring 2005 course catalog with a slightly modified course description, as presented in the Routine Business document from the meeting of Sept. 22.

 

2. Womens Studies

Modification of the WST curriculum reduction of acceptable courses for WST major and minor (Presenter: Tom)

Approval pending with one question: How often are these courses offered? S. Sternglanz responded, indicating that this change will not inconvenience any students since there are other courses available.

Approved.

 

IV. New Business

1. Music

MUS 105 New Course Proposal (Presenter: Judy)

Approved

This effectively reflects the inactivation (deletion) of MUS 106.

 

2. Mathematics

Re-addition of DEC C to MAT 132 (Presenter: Arlene)

Approved

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Arts and Sciences Senate

Undergraduate Curriculum Committee

Academic Year 2004-2005

Committee Minutes

 

4th Meeting, September 29, 2004 Approved October 13, 2004

Present: J Lochhead (chair), D. K. Gillespie (secretary), N. Tomes, R. Cerrato, D. Prowse, T. Weinacht, C. Marrone, A. Phillips, L. Volpe, E. Lindquist (observer), C. Green-Forde, A. Feldman, V. Dumont

Absent: M. Shanthanelson

 

I. Committee Business

1. Approval of the minutes from Sept 22, 2004 The minutes were approved

2. Phillips presented a document from a meeting of the SUNY CAS Deans Meeting at Raquette Lake, Sept 15-17.

The document, SUNY Board of Trustees Resolution, includes resolutions regarding student assessment that may or may not affect the CAS Curriculum. For clarification and discussion, the Committee would like to extend invitation to Manuel London to attend a CC meeting in the near future.

3. College of Business bid for inclusion on A&S Senate

Correspondence between James Staros and Joseph McDonnell, dean of the newly formed College of Business (COB), led to McDonnell writing to Fred Walter, president of the A&S Senate. McDonnell requests representation by the A&S Curriculum Committee, and Walter has asked us to consider this issue.

The Curriculum Committee considered the idea of reviewing curriculum from the COB. On the assumption that this would make sense given that most of the coursework of business students would be housed in CAS, this makes sense. However, that was true when the business major was housed in CEAS.

In principle, however, the Committee is not opposed to taking on this new duty.

However, Gillespie has had conversations with Joan Kenny suggesting that the CEAS Curriculum Committee may be retaining review of the COB Curriculum.

 

II. Routine Administrative Matters:

1. Approved.

 

III. Old Business

1. Womens Studies

Correspondence with Sally Sternglanz regarding WST program changes.

Several questions from Sternglanz were clarified. Changes to the WST program received final approval on September 22.

 

IV. New Business

1. Africana Studies

Reactivation of AFH 421 (or other 400 level AFH topics course) for purposes of combining permanently with EGL 570 (Cathy)

The Committee discussed the request to combine an upper level AFH course with EGL 570, and was very encouraged that this will be an interesting course for undergraduates as well as graduates.  However, the Committee hesitates to combine this high level EGL graduate course with an undergraduate course (AFH 421, previously discontinued) with the expectation that the course

could be extremely difficult for undergraduate students. In order for this combination to work, specific pre-requisites for undergraduates should be identified. The combination, although interesting, was not approved for this reason. Therefore, the committee requests that the Africana Studies department submit a formal proposal for a new AFH course that is specifically geared towards combination with EGL 570. The course may be entitled "Advanced topics in AFH" or given a more specific title if the Africana Studies department thinks the course will continue to be more specific in the future. Regardless, it is very important that this proposal specifies pre-requisites for the undergraduates to encourage enrollment by qualified students, and to aid in the success of those students who do enroll.  Gillespie will contact the AFH and EGL departments to invite and expedite this proposal.

2. Comparative Literature

Changes to the CLS major and minor (Nancy)

The Committee has two requests:

a. that the Comp Lit department contact each department affected by their changes

b. As the CC understands, there has been a recent change in the structure and naming of this department. The CC requests that the department clarify these changes. Specifically, has there been a name change for the major, minor or any other aspect of the undergraduate program? If so, we need to update the undergraduate bulletin accordingly. Also, I may have to file a request with Albany to amend the current program.