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Undergraduate Curriculum Forum (UCF)

Minutes 12/15/05

Present 

W. Phelan, R. Vaters-Carr, G. Kowalczyk, D. Weiss, R. Glinka, H. Podnar, B. Achhpal, M. Heidmann, M. Shea, D. Marino, E. West,  N. Chrissidis, N. Disbrow, J. Fields, J. Goralski,  S. Bochain, K. Gatzke, K. Cummings, C. Novosad, R. Hunter, M. Kiarie, T. Lin, K. Laing, A. Tisbert, A. Christoferson, J. Tait

I.          Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 8:40 a.m.

II.        Announcements

Mark Heidmann announced that the writing workshop would go on in January.  He urged that people sign on as there were still open spaces.
Joe Fields counted the members present and announced that there was quorum, with 17 department representatives, not including the alternate representatives.

III.       Chair's Report

There was no chair's report.

IV.       Approval of Minutes of 12/01/05

The minutes from 12/01/05 were approved, pending corrections, including adding Nancy Bobrek to the list of members present and listing her as the one announcing the third "Teaching with Technology" workshop.  Nikos Chrissidis clarified the statement on Page 4 of the UCF 12/15/05 meeting minutes concerning the History Department's position on "Standards for Undergraduate Curriculum Proposals": History Department rejected the document and recommended that the UCF collate the existing documents with instructions for course/program proposals, name them "Standards for Undergraduate Curriculum Proposals," and send them to the Senate.

V.        Approval of standing committee minutes of 12/8/05 (12/15/05 for WACC)

Notifications Management (NMC)

NMC minutes of 12/08/05 were accepted with one abstention.

Jim Tait and Mark Heidmann raised questions about MAT 245 and REC 320 respectively, and brief discussions followed.

  • The following block motion, on the 16 approvals, passed unanimously:

Revised course PHY 103 be approved;

Revised course PHY 300 be approved;

Revised course PHY 301 be approved;

Revised course PHY 309 be approved;

Revised course PHY 406 be approved;

Revised course PHY 415 be approved;

Revised course PHY 440 be approved;

Revised course REC 320, with an attached rationale, be approved;

New course WMS 320, with the added requirement, be approved;

Revised course PHY 393 be approved;

Revised program BS in Mathematics (Secondary Education) and BS in Applied Mathematics be approved;

Revised courses MAT 150, 151, and 252, with signatures from affected departments, be approved;

Revised course MAT 245 be approved;

Revised course HIS 312 be approved;

New Course GEO 344 be approved;

Revised course CHE 445 be approved.

New Programs and Innovations (NPIC)

NPIC minutes from 12/08/05 were accepted.

  • NPIC logged the following New Special Topics courses:
  • HIS 398, Section 01: Modern Eastern Europe
  • HIS 398, Section 02: Tales of a Mediterranean City
  • HIS 398, Section 03: East Asian Martial Arts
  • MKT 398: Marketing in Literature and Film
  • THR 298: Beginning Tap and Jazz
  • THR 498: Masks and Make-up for Stage 

The NPIC also noted the submission of specific titles for MIS 398 and MIS 498: I.T. Security Management Change for MIS 398, and Project Management for MIS 498.

Program Review and Assessment (PRAC)

PRAC minutes from 12/08/05 were accepted.

University-Wide Impact Committee (UWIC)

UWIC minutes of 12/08/05 were accepted.

The following motion was discussed:

  • UCF approves the inclusion of the 1983 "All-University Requirements" document in the new "Standards for Undergraduate Curriculum Proposals," and that this document indicate that new AUR proposal include an academic rationale that is informed by the 1983 "All-University Requirements" document.

Mike Shea pointed out that there were documents created after 1983, including the one created by UCIC.  Nikos Chrissidis mentioned difficulty in locating the four documents, and Mike Shea said he would gladly share the UCIC document with the UWIC.   Joe Fields suggested to put in a friendly amendment.  Mike Shea reminded that the UCF body preceding the current one had voted on replacing the 1983 minutes.  Mark Heidmann asked that we table the UWIC motion until we gather these pieces of evidence.  Claire Novosad seconded the substitute motion.  Joe Fields pointed out the importance that we be reminded of institutional memory.  Several members asked to see the UCIC minutes, which Mike Shea said he would share.

  • The substitute motion, to table the UWIC motion regarding the inclusion of the 1983 "All-University Requirements" document in the new "Standards for Undergraduate Curriculum Proposals," was approved unanimously. 

Writing Across the Curriculum (WACC)

WACC minutes of 12/15/05 were accepted.

The following motion was approved, with one abstention:

  • MAR 450, "Strategic Marketing," be given the W designation.

Ad-Hoc Committee on the Standards Document

The Ad-Hoc Committee minutes of 12/08/05 were accepted.

General Education Task Force

Jim Tait reported an update to the UCF, including the announcement of the new chairs, Jim Tait and Peggy Gallup, the Task Force's planning four fora for open discussion with the faculty in the spring, and the Task Force's hope to send several members to the AACU conference in Phoenix in March 2006.

VII.     Motions from Steering Committee

Motion regarding the role of School Curriculum Committees in the curricular review was discussed:

  • In the review of curricular proposals, School Curriculum Committee (SCCs) shall abide by published UCF standards and guidelines.  These standards are considered to be a core set of minimal requirements for curricular proposals, and no subtractions from them are acceptable.  If, by faculty referendum, a school approves additions to the above, the UCF will be responsible for publishing these additional standards and guidelines.  The SCCs will be responsible for insuring that curricular proposals meet these additional requirements.

Mark Heidmann, raising the constitutional question, made a substitute motion to table the motion.  There is "constitutional import" in this motion, Mark Heidmann pointed out, and he would prefer that we wait until there is a full membership.  Deliberations followed.  Jim Tait agreed but felt it important to make progress.  Mike Shea wondered if we could pass the motion and bring it back later for amendment, arguing that the issue about SCCs is such an important issue to get side-tracked, as it often happens in the UCF.  Mark Heidmann agreed with Mike Shea on the importance of the matter, but thought it would cause confusion to pass a motion and then to amend it.  He had prepared an amendment, but would like to see this motion tabled until the second meeting in the spring term. 

The substitute motion, to table the UCF motion regarding the role of School Curriculum Committees in the curricular review until the second meeting of the spring term, passed with two nays and one abstention.

o       Motion regarding dual-listed courses passed unanimously:

  • Dual-listed courses are required to have identical titles.

o       Motion to appoint replacement members to the Gen. Ed. Task Force:

The Steering Committee made the following nominations for four of the five replacements to be made.

  • Rex Gilliland, PHI
  • Robert Vaden-Goad, MAT
  • Winnie Yu, CSC
  • Polly Beals, HIS

Much discussion ensued.  Mike Shea urged to get people on board, and Beena Achhpal volunteered to represent School of Education.  Ken Gatzke raised a question about the nomination process and wondered if it was democratic.  Joe Fields explained the process, which included self-nomination and consideration of broad representations.  In response to Adam Christoferson's question if there is a student voting position, Mike Shea said there are three student voting positions.  Nikos Chrissidis noted the lengthy discussions that had gone before all Steering Committee members agreed on the four nominations.  Herv Podnar wondered that people might not have time even if self-nomination was available.  Clair Novosad and Karen Cummings pointed out that it was important to go ahead and get the nominations done although the democratic process might seem lacking.  Kim Laing called into question, which was seconded. 

  • The motion to nominate Rex Gilliland, Robert Vaden-Goad, Winnie Yu, and Polly Beals as replacement members to the General Education Task Force was approved with 17 yeas, 3 nays, and 1 abstention. 

VII.     New Business

There was no new business. 

The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 a.m.

Minutes recorded by Yi-Chun Tricia Lin