UNIVERSITY WIDE IMPACT COMMITTEE

Minutes of Thursday, Sept. 6, 2001
University Student Center, Room 206

Present:  Frank Harris (chair), Sandy DiFrancesco, Marty Hartog, Megan Macomber, Kathy Swenson.

Recorder:  Frank Harris

Call to Order:  9:35

CPR/Catalog forms

Frank Harris informed committee that Jim Tait has said the issue of how to implement or administratively handle the CPR/Catalog issue is now in Phil Smith's court.

AUR Courses and Departments
Per Tait's request, the committee explored the issue of whether departments should be able to dictate their students' AUR requirement courses. UWIC discussed this last spring particularly with regard to how some departments are recommending or requiring certain AUR courses.  The argument can be made that doing so takes away from the purpose of AUR courses -- giving students a broad range of experiences that they can choose from. The other argument can be made that a department wants to be certain that its students gain certain knowledge and experience relevant to their major.  Following are some of the points and questions raised:

Rationale for AUR's:  People evolve.  They should have the right to take a course they are interested in as an AUR.  It gives students a chance for broad exposure to different fields.  They could then take the courses  required in their major later.

Marty Hartog said each department should have ability to select what AURs would be beneficial to their students.

Kathy Swenson raised the question about how this pertains to undeclared majors.

Connie Mindell, who could not attend but forwarded a question, asked:  If departments dictate University requirements, will that result in the "basics" (English, math,, history, etc) being watered down--or not required for all students? 

Sandy DiFrancesco said that within a department, if it's your course, there might be special requirements for one's major, but she's not sure for AUR's.   It might be a matter of advisement.

Megan Macomber raised issue as to whether departments should be able to stipulate AUR's in other fields.

Macomber suggested that perhaps certain programs be able to stipulate their AURs.  Perhaps those that have state mandates.

Point was raised as to what a department can require versus what it can recommend with regard to AURs.

The question was raised as to whether a department can just add to an AUR requirement.  Also, whether can one add to one's own CPR form a course that has not been approved.

Hartog suggested that a CPR form list every AUR offered in every field, then have star or asterisk placed beside the ones that a department has a prerequisite.

Macomber said UCF needs to throw its full weight behind a quest for a master list that would provide a historic record of the academic contract of requirements for students who attended school during particular points in time. (This might also be accomplished through a review of old catalogs that would indicate a department's degree requirements for that year.)

The question was raised as to whether the university has too many AURs.

Consensus seems to be that departments should have the right to select which particular AURs their students take, but the question is whether the departments should require or recommend.

Adjournment
10:40 a.m.