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Undergraduate Curriculum Forum

Minutes
Adanti Student Center 301A
Thursday, November 1, 2007

Present:  Deborah Weiss, Chair, M. Narumanchi, G. Cochenet, R. Vaters-Carr, S. Grace, G. Kowalczyk, S. Felsenfeld, R. Glinka, S. DiFrancesco, I. Antonios, A. Abugri, N. Marano, C. Coron, T. Fleming, D. Marino, E. Schmitt, B. Nakamura, T. Radice, N. Disbrow, C. Simoneau, R. Mugno, C. Dellinger-Pate, J. Oppedisano, R. Kustin, L. Rebeschi, D. Flynn, D. Pettigrew, C. Weed, R. Hunter, J. Terpstra, M. Cameron, J. Mielczarski, M. Shea, A. Marsoobian, J. Fields, D. Tomasko, J. Cheng, K. Laing, M. Geelan, K. Mauro, M. Heidmann

I.    The meeting was called to order at 9:40 am.

II.    Announcements

November 15, 2007, ACE will have a Brown Bag Lunch Event. A panel of women on campus will discuss career paths.

III.    UCF Minutes from  October 18, 2007 were approved unanimously

IV.    Standing committee reports and receipt of minutes; votes on standing committee motions

  1. NMC - no minutes; committee did not meet due to lack of quorum
  2. NPIC - minutes received
    Four courses were presented and logged - one abstention
  3. UWIC - minutes received
    Continuing work on charter draft of FYE permanent committee
  4. PRAC - minutes accepted 
    No motions
  5. WACC - minutes received
    One abstention
    Motion: to accept the following "W' courses:
  • GEO 343 Former Soviet Union, Instructor: E. West
  • MGT 105 Managerial Communication, Instructor: C. Stewart
  • MKT 427 Marketing Management, Instructor: R Kustin
  • PCH 340 Public Health Research, Instructor: S. Bulmer
  • PCH 340 Public Health Research, Instructor: B. Barton
  • PSY 393 Experimental Methods, Instructor: K. Marsland
  • PSY 393 Experimental Methods, Instructor: G. Bessenoff
  • PSY 393 Experimental Methods, Instructor: D. Carroll
  • PSY 393 Experimental Methods, Instructor: J. Suckle Nelson
  • PSY 462 Data Gathering Techniques: Instrumentation, Instructor: D. Carroll

        Motion: approved with one abstention

V.    Ad Hoc Committee Reports - Ad Hoc Committee on the Standards Document is working on final stages of document drafts and is hoping to finish by next meeting. Rachael Vaters-Carr gave a brief summary of the committee's progress.

VI.    New Business - Discussion of outcome based assessment and program review in order to inform UCF members, answer questions and hear opinions.


Dr. Weiss opened the discussion by requesting that Dr. Mugno, chair of PRAC, explain the difference between Outcome Based Assessment and Program Review.  Outcomes are specific measurable tasks/skills for students so that professors can assess what their students are and are not learning. This information can then be used to make changes and improve student learning.  Program review refers to the systematic evaluation of degree programs.  It encompasses not only program level goals for students, but other things like enough faculty and resources. The Chair also handed out copies of the Standards for Accreditation document to discuss and a copy of the most recent NEASC report.

Suggestions were made about the process of program reviews and assessment. Some issues raised by faculty included:

  • need for release time to accomplish program review
  • need for resources and support to make changes recommended in reports
  • desire for economy of efforts in consolidation of program reviews, outcomes assessment, annual departmental reports and reports required by outside accrediting agencies
  • frustration at lack of feedback on results of reports, i.e. annual departmental report
  • desire to have needs dictate assessments, rather than vice versa, i.e. assessment as a means to accomplish an end
  • frustration with process in which recommendations are made year after year, but do not result in tangible results

A motion was passed, with 2 abstentions, to invite Dr. Kennedy and Provost Williams to discuss assessment and program review. 

Due to the fact that many members still had issues to discuss relevant to the topic, it was decided to invite the guests to the meeting of November 29 and to continue the discussion among the UCF members on November 15.  The suggestions and issues raised during today's and the November 15 meeting will be presented to Drs. Williams and Kennedy prior to their meeting with us.                        

VII.    The meeting was adjourned at 10:51am