Undergraduate Curriculum Forum (UCF)

Minutes 1/29/04 (amended)

Present 

E. Emenyonu, C. Wieder, J. Feng, G. Kowalczyk, S. DiFrancesco, R. Glinka, J. Tait, R. Eldridge, B. Achhpal, N. Henderson, N. Wilder, E. Schmitt, M. Thompson, N. Chrissidis, W. Shyam, L. Bier, J. Fields, R. Mugno, K. Buterbaugh, C. Novosad, M. Vancour, S. Jackson, W. O'Brien, C. Ogbaa, C. Barrett, J. Mielczarski, N. DeCrosta, M. Heidmann, K. Mauro, H. Podnar, J. Manzella, K. Gatzke, B. Butera, S. Bochain

I. Call To Order

The meeting was called to order by Jim Tait at 9.40 a.m.

II. Announcements

Clara Ogbaa is leaving SCSU for Texas State University at San Marcos. Members can reach her at extension 2-5769 or by e-mail at: ogbaac1, to pass on their well wishes before she leaves.

The chairman moved a resolution to wish Clara well in her new place of employment. The resolution was unanimously adopted.

III. Approval of Meeting Minutes

The UCF minutes of December 4, 2004 were approved.

IV. Standing Committee Reports

No reports.

V. Discussion

Academic Dishonesty

M. Thompson narrated her experiences with plagiarism and academic dishonesty and urged that we institute some form of honor code that will require students to read relevant materials and sign the code to avoid students feigning ignorance when they are caught. B. Eldridge raised the issue of getting the student body involved and also enforcing stricter sanctions such as publicizing offending students and dismissing them from the University altogether. C. Ogbaa pointed out that technology makes plagiarism easy and that on the other hand there are technological tools available for detecting plagiarism. She emphasizes the role of information literacy on the part of faculty and students as a way of tackling this issue. A member said that every one of us has to do what is necessary to enforce the rules against plagiarism.

Another member suggested that faculty look into setting questions that have no prior papers written on the subject to minimize that kind of plagiarism. He also talked about faculty forum to discuss this issue further. Some other members spoke of the need to not only grade the paper but also the research process as a way of minimizing the problem of plagiarism. A member supported the formulation of an honor code. S. Jackson asked whether this will involve reworking the existing rules on academic dishonesty, and wondered about the details of how the system will actually work. J. Fields spoke on the need to consider punitive measures as a deterrent. J. Tait asked whether we are concerned enough about this issue to warrant further action on this issue. Some students feel cheated by the dishonesty of some others and to that extent an honor code might be good so that students know that we have a culture that will not tolerate this type of behavior.

A member commented on the need to teach our students how to properly cite the work of others. The need for faculty to do this was supported by another member. N. Chrissidis pointed out the need to involve the students in the committee or board that adjudicates academic dishonesty cases.

BOT Resolution on student preparedness and requirements

A committee chaired by Dean Fredeen was charged by Academic VP Ellen Beatty

with developing a plan that satisfies the BOT resolution on student preparedness. J. Tait has been told by Dr. Beatty and Dr. Fredeen that it was the committee's intention to merge elements of the UCF student preparedness resolution that was passed in Spring of 2000 with the requirements of the BOT resolution.

Cross-listing of courses

There is no clear formal procedure on how classes are cross-listed. J. Tait asked whether we should have formal procedures on how we treat cross-listed courses. A member commented that the issue of which department actually owns a cross-listed is important. Different ideas were presented as to how best to go about determining the ownership of a cross-listed course and also procedures for de-listing a cross-listed course.

J. Fields asked to know about the purpose of cross-listing courses in the first place. A member sought to know what happens in a situation where a course was developed in another department and cross-listed. If, in a particular semester, the originating department decides not to offer the course while the other department decides to offer it and provide faculty from within that department to offer the course, that can become troubling.

J. Tait asked whether there is need for a formalized procedure to deal with cross-listings. Members (S. Jackson and J. Manzella) responded that there is already a process in place to deal with course cross-listings. As for why the issue was included in the agenda, B. Eldridge said it was because someone tried to run an X98 (Special Topics) course as a cross-listed course which ought not to have been so.

J. Tait summarized by saying that it appears there is an informal process that we have been using to deal with course cross-listings, as clarified by S. Jackson. It is the sense of the body that we continue using this process.

VI. Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 10.50 a.m.

Minutes recorded by:

Emmanuel N. Emenyonu.