Undergraduate Curriculum Forum (UCF)

Minutes 10/02/03 (amended)

Present

E. Emenyonu, C. Wieder, G. Kowalczyk, G. DeJarnette, S. DiFrancesco, R. Glinka,H. Podnar, J. Tait, C. Coron, B. Eldridge, B. Achhpal, N. Henderson, M. Shea, E. Schmitt, L. Berman, C. Kim, M. Thompson, N. Chrissidis, W. Shyam, R. Mugno, K. Burke, W. O'Brien, S. Bochain, K. Gatzke, J. Critzer, M. Vancour, S. Jackson, J. Sullivan, C. Dellinger-Pate, C. Ogbaa, C. Barrett, T. Lenda, M. Heidmann

I. Call To Order

The meeting was called to order by Jim Tait at 9:42 a.m.

II. Announcements

Mark Heidmann announced that all the copies of the L-Course writing contest booklets he brought for distribution during the previous UCF meeting were taken and more copies are being printed.

III. Approval of Meeting Minutes

The UCF minutes of 9/18/03 were approved.

IV. Standing Committee Reports

Steering Committee

Jim Tait announced that the Steering Committee will be meeting every other Monday from 3:25 to 4:25 on the weeks that the general UCF meetings are held. Any UCF member with issues that require the attention of the Steering Committee can communicate that to Jim Tait.

Notifications Management (NMC)

The NMC minutes of 9/25/03 were accepted.

New Programs and Innovations (NPIC)

The minutes of NPIC of 9/11/03 and 9/25/03 were accepted.

Program Review and Assessment (PRAC)

Line 5 of the minutes was amended to read: "The university is no longer capable of funding external evaluators....." The minutes of PRAC for 9/25/03 were accepted subject to the above corrections.

In presenting the report, the PRAC chairperson mentioned that she has been informed by the AVP, Dr. Beatty, that the university is no longer able to fund external evaluations. Following the report, Karen Burke raised issues about her department's need for external assessment against the background of the feedback from the AVP Dr. Beatty that there are no funds in the university to support external assessment. Bob Eldridge opined that, if there is a need for external assessment, the University should be able to find funds for it. Jim Tait promised to take members' concerns to the appropriate authorities with regard to this issue.

University-Wide Impact (UWIC)

The minutes of UWIC meeting of 9/25/03 were accepted.

V. Discussion

Jim Tait talked about the need to have an Ad hoc Committee to bring our online forms up to date. Joe Fields will lead this effort.

General Education Task Force Report

The report was presented by Mike Shea. The GETF is made up of 13 members voted by the UCF last year. It is also supposed to include students, but it has been difficult to get students to participate in the meetings due to time conflicts. The task is being undertaken due to the need to adequately equip our students. NEASC also expects us to update our Gen Ed. Requirements. One method adopted by the task force so far has been a literature search. A final report based on the work of the General Education Review Committee was circulated during the UCF meeting.

Karen Burke asked whether, based on the findings so far, there are studies that suggest that if students take the Gen Ed. requirements earlier on in their programs, that it tends to make them better thinkers and better equipped with skills they need later on.

Mike Shea responded that there are no definitive studies that prove the foregoing but that having coherent Gen Ed. requirements have been documented to "work".

Ken Gatzke wondered what the problem is with our current Gen Ed. requirements.

Clara Ogbaa asked to know how the committee addressed or is addressing the issue of technology in education and computer and information literacy.

A member sought to understand how the Committee defines coherence.

Ray Mugno asked about how the outcome of any proposed change will be measured to gauge whether it is working or not.

Mike Shea responded that the any new proposals will build in accountability and an ongoing oversight to identify what is working and what is not.

Jim Tait commented that the idea of this process is to identify some general principles that should be accessible and workable. The process of crafting this proposal will involve getting input from as many persons as possible.

Ken Gatzke sought to know what the next step in the work of the task is?

Mike Shea responded that the next step is the formulation of a set of goals based on the meetings the committee has been having.

New Board of Trustees Mandate

Jim Tait reported that the Board of Trustees has recently approved a proposal mandating that the basic Math and English courses be taken by students earlier on in their programs. Jim Tait is yet to learn about the details of the Board mandate, but believes that the UCF needs to be well aware of the initiative and participate appropriately.

Mark Heidmann suggested that the way forward might be to have a joint committee of the Senate and the UCF to take on this issue.

VI. Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 10.44 a.m.

Minutes recorded by:

Emmanuel N. Emenyonu