Undergraduate Curriculum Forum (UCF)

Minutes 5/13/04

Present

E. Emenyonu, J. Manzella, C. Wieder, J. Feng, G. Kowalczyk, G. DeJarnette, S. DiFrancesco, R. Glinka, H. Podnar, J. Tait, N. Marano, N. Henderson, M. Shea, N. Wilder, E. Schmitt, M. Thompson, C. Kim, W. Shyam, L. Bier, J. Fields, R. Mugno, K. Burke, M. Moss, D. Chevan, S. Bochain, K. Gatzke, K. Cummings, K. Buterbaugh, C. Novosad, M. Vancour, C. Dellinger-Pate, W. O'Brien, C. Barrett, J. Mielczarski, K. Laing, L. Kohrn, M. Heidmann

I. Call to Order

The meeting was called to order by Jim Tait at 9:35 a.m.

II. Approval of Meeting Minutes of 4/29/04

The UCF minutes of 4/29/04 were approved.

III. Standing Committee Reports

Program Review and Assessment (PRAC)

The PRAC minutes of 5/6/04 were received.

University-Wide Impact (UWIC)

The UWIC minutes 4/22/04 and 5/6/04 were received.

Motion: The proposed change in numbering of the following English courses be implemented: ENG 110 replaces ENG 98, ENG 111 replaces ENG 100 and ENG 112 replaces ENG 101.

Motion was approved unanimously.

Writing Across the Curriculum (WACC)

The WACC minutes of April 2004 were received.

Motion: That GEO 315, Geography of Connecticut, as submitted by Leon Yacher be approved as an L course.

The motion was approved unanimously.

IV. Student presentation of ASL as a Foreign Language AUR

A presentation was made by undergraduate students Allyson Johnson and Kasi Miller. The main goal of the presentation was to persuade UCF to consider making American Sign Language an option for the Foreign Language all-university requirement. Their presentation dealt with the culture of ASL, the nature of ASL as a language, careers available to students who have ASL capability, facts about ASL, and how ASL fits in with SCSU's Mission Statement.

Jim Tait and Michele Thompson commended Allyson and Kasi for taking the initiative to make this presentation.

V. Old Business

A. Voting requirements for changing General Education

(UCF Constitution Article 1: Functions, Section C)

Three possible options were discussed:

#1 Current Draft Constitution: Majority of Full-time Faculty

#2 Simple Majority of Those Voting With Minimum Number of Affirmative Votes (Senate Rules Committee recommendation)

#3 Simple Majority of Those Voting (motion by Glenda DeJarnette)

Art Paulson, the out going Senate President, made a presentation in support of option #2.

Some members requested and received clarification regarding a number of issues arising from Paulson's presentation.

Option #3 was put to vote. Vote in favor: 4. Option #3 was not approved.

Option #2 was put to vote. Votes in favor: 26, votes opposed: 4, abstentions: 1. Since the required minimum of 28 affirmative votes was not attained, option #2 was not approved.

Therefore, the language in the current draft constitution stays (option #1).

B. Proposed Gen Ed Goals: input and questions

Handouts provided information concerning the draft statement of goals for a reformed general education curriculum at SCSU, as developed by the UCF-chartered General Education Task Force.

V1. New Business

A. Seating of new chair (passing of the gavel)

The outgoing UCF Chair, Jim Tait, passed the gavel to Joe Fields, the new UCF Chair. Forth with, Joe Fields assumes office as the UCF Chair.

B. Organizing standing committees and selection of standing committee chairs

Due to time constraints, it was agreed that standing committees would be formed and standing committee chairs would be selected at the first UCF meeting of the 2004-2005 academic year, to be held on September 2, 2004.

V1I. Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 10:43 a.m.

Minutes recorded by:

Emmanuel N. Emenyonu