August 24, 2005

200 Bricker Hall Printer-Friendly Version

August 24, 2005

10:00-2:00pm

MINUTES

Present: Freeman, Fullerton, Halasek, McMahon, Noe (Chair), Parker, Pletz, Ransburgh, Schwartz, Smith (Vice Chair), Valco, Vaessin, Winer

Guests: Professor Jerry Bigham, Director, School of Natural Resources; Jill Pfister, Assistant Dean, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences; Professor Robert Bornstein, Associate Vice President Health Sciences and Academic Affairs, College of Medicine and Public Health; Edward B. McCaul, Jr., Program Director, College of Engineering; Professor Robert Gustafson, Associate Dean, College of Engineering; Professor Edward H. Adelson, Associate Executive Dean, Colleges of the Arts and Sciences; Jennifer Lando, Director, Arts and Sciences Curriculum Office; Brad Myers, University Registrar; and Scott Pearson, Council of Graduate Students.

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS OF MAY 25 AND JULY 22, 2005

Halasek moved approval of the Minutes of the meetings of May 25 and July 22, 2005. Freeman seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously.

COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIR – PROFESSOR RAYMOND NOE

There were no comments from the Chair.

COMMENTS FROM THE VICE CHAIR – PROFESSOR W. RANDY SMITH

A meeting of the Council may be called the week of September 12. Smith will contact Council members regarding their availability.

Smith met with the incoming chair of the Steering Committee, Professor Anthony Mughan, and the incoming chair of the Faculty Council, Professor T.K. Daniel. The proposal to establish Regular Clinical Faculty in the Fisher College of Business will be on the agenda for action at the University Senate Meeting on September 29, 2005. The proposal to merge the School of Public Policy and Management with the John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy, and the proposal to give center status to University Honors and Scholars need to be reviewed by Faculty Council early in the academic year.

The University Registrar’s Office is working on the electronic submission of course forms to be implemented this academic year, and Council is planning to move this year to electronic submission of proposals through a dedicated website. Ted Hattemer, Director, University Media Relations, will be holding training sessions with the colleges.

In response to Faculty Rule 3335-3-36 (A), and following the procedure that he had implemented this calendar year, Smith said that he had received the following requests to use the term “center” for units that had were not official academic centers, but wanted to use the term;

from the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, for the Esther L. Dardinger Neuro-Oncology Center;
from the College of Medicine and Public Health, for the Center for Fetal Care;
from the Office of Minority Affairs, for the Todd Anthony Bell National Resource Center on the African-American Male.

Council members had no objections. These requests will be sent to the Board of Trustees for action at is meeting on September 23, 2005. Should any of these units want formal academic center status, a center proposal will need to be submitted to Council for action.

PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH AN UNDERGRADUATE MAJOR IN KOREAN - DEPARTMENT OF EAST ASIAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES - PROFESSORS RAYMOND NOE, CHAIR, AND W. RANDY SMITH, VICE CHAIR

As a follow up to the discussion of the proposal on July 22, 2005, Professor Chan Park-Miller, Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures, was asked to submit a marketing strategy for recruiting students to the program. Smith and Professor Edward Adelson, Associate Executive Dean, Colleges of the Arts and Sciences, met with her to help develop the plan. Council members expressed satisfaction with the plan.

Freeman moved approval, Winer seconded the motion, and it carried with 11 votes in favor and one abstention.

PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH A DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING – PROFESSORS RAYMOND NOE, CHAIR, AND W. RANDY SMITH, VICE CHAIR

As a follow up to the discussion of the proposal on July 22, 2005 Professor Andreas von Recum, Director of the Biomedical Engineering Center, submitted additional information requested by the Council: a revised table of faculty members who would be joining the new department; a revision to the Promotion and Tenure Evaluation Criterion regarding citizenship and collegiality; and a revision to the Budget Cost/Resources list

that addressed the concerns of the Council regarding the hiring of faculty, the two renovation projects, and plans for construction of a new facility on the main campus.

Is there still enough firm budgetary support from the College? Council can only rely on the Dean’s assurances that funding will be made available, although his letter was not firm. Council review is the place to address budget issues, but Council’s role has not been to inquire any further once the Dean has given his/her approval.

This proposal was also discussed at the Faculty Council meeting. Smith said that Council could invite people in to discuss how their programs are going after a year.

Schwartz moved approval, Valco seconded the motion, and it carried with 11 votes in favor and one abstention. The proposal will now go to the University Senate for action.

PROPOSAL TO CHANGE THE NAME OF THE SCHOOL OF NATURAL RESOURCES TO THE SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES, COLLEGE OF FOOD, AGRICULTURAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES – PROFESSORS RAYMOND NOE, AND W. RANDY SMITH, SUBCOMMITTEE D

Smith provided a history of the proposal saying that he had met on March 1, 2005, with representatives from the Colleges of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences; Arts and Sciences; Biological Sciences; Engineering; Law; Mathematical and Physical Sciences; and Social and Behavioral Sciences – all colleges that could possibly have an interest in the use of the term “environment.” All have subsequently concurred with the name change.

DISCUSSION WITH GUESTS PROFESSOR JERRY BIGHAM, DIRECTOR, SCHOOL OF NATURAL RESOURCES, AND JILL PFISTER, ASSISTANT DEAN, COLLEGE OF FOOD, AGRICULTURAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Bigham provided the rationale for the name change saying that there was strong interest in resource management in the college and that this new name is appropriate. Students were involved in the process. The name change would also help attract additional students.

Ransburgh moved approval, Freeman seconded the motion, and it carried with 11 votes in favor and one abstention. The proposal will now go to the University Senate for action.

PROPOSAL TO CHANGE THE NAME OF THE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH TO THE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE – PROFESSORS RAYMOND A. NOE, AND W. RANDY SMITH, SUBCOMMITTEE D

Smith noted that the College of Medicine includes three schools: Public Health, Allied Medical Professions, and Biomedical Sciences. In 2000, through Council action, the reporting line for the School of Public Health shifted formally from the Dean of the College Medicine and Public Health, to the Office of Academic Affairs. This proposal is a follow-up action to show that change in the College name. The proposal has the appropriate support from both the College and the School.

Is this the only academic unit reporting directly to the Provost? Yes.

DISCUSSION WITH PROFESSOR ROBERT BORNSTEIN, ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT, HEALTH SCIENCES AND ACADEMIC AFFAIRS, COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH

Bornstein provided the rationale for the change saying that basically it had been the accrediting body for public health that had initiated it. The College of Medicine and Public Health, as envisioned by its former dean, is made up of four pillars: the clinical programs, public health, the allied medical professions, and biomedical science. This plan did not work as well for public health, whose accrediting agency was sensitive to it being connected with the College of Medicine. They feel that public health warrants being a unit, preferably college, of its own, and that more external funds are available to it with such a designation.

Would there still be a coordinating Executive Dean for the health sciences? Yes. It is an administrative function and Public Health, through its Dean will continue to be included in the group.

Freeman moved approval, Pletz seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously.

PROPOSAL TO REVISE THE GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM (GEC) IN THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING – PROFESSOR MARK FULLERTON, CHAIR, SUBCOMMITTEE C

Fullerton noted that after several months of discussion with the College of Engineering, on June 30, 2005, the College submitted a revised document based on those interactions. Smith noted that Professor Robert Gustafson, Associate Dean, College of Engineering, had made every effort to work toward a compromise but now wanted Council action.

Adelson said that he had talked with each college in the Arts and Sciences about the proposed changes but the belief continues to be that the proposal changes challenge the basic template for, and spirit of, the GEC and therefore they cannot be supportive.

Fullerton then reviewed Subcommittee C’s response to each of the 8 sub-proposals embedded in the larger proposal. The proposed changes are complex, but Subcommittee C compromised in some cases and allowed the College of Engineering some flexibility within the categories of the GEC.

There was then general discussion:

The College of Engineering is large with over 4000 students and these changes would have implications on various parts of the university that offer GEC courses. How would these changes affect enrollment, and what implication would that have on the distribution of funds to the departments from student enrollment?

How would it affect the credit hours in the GECs? In some cases it would not affect them.

The approval of the proposed ethics course was not a straight approval. It was a compromise. The current (or new) ethics courses within the Colleges of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Humanities would become a part of the GEC for Engineering - a smaller set of courses for the Engineering students. The academic units involved have indicated their willingness to provide such offerings for Engineering. Engineering wanted to create a whole new ethics category. The Subcommittee did not support that request.

The shifting of hours in and out of Arts and Sciences, from college to college and department to department is complex. The College proposal included the second five hour course in the history sequence be eliminated and that another course from the subcategory be used. Arts and Sciences believes that a sequence course gives the student more in-depth study.

This proposal increases the GEC from 78 to 83 hours how does that help reduce hours? It does not really increase hours for the students. It depends on whether the students double count some of the hours to fulfill requirements. Eighty three hours would have included three hours of Engineering 181 which the College proposed counting as a GEC. Subcommittee C recommended against it. One of the hours is under the category of Social Sciences which was listed as a nine hour. Since it is impossible to get 9 hours that was changed to 10 hours. There really is not a net increase of hours in the GEC with the changes.

Should we wait on the outcome of the Committee on the University-wide Review of Undergraduate Education? This proposal predates that committee and it is unlikely that there would be action from that Committee’s recommendations soon. It was felt Council should act on the proposal now.

Will action on this proposal set a precedent, something that Council will have to deal with in the future? It is up to Council to determine if changes meet the academic requirements of the students of a particular college. The reasons would have to be articulated. It is Council’s job to weigh these requirements.

They cannot change the template for the natural sciences requirement. It is not a natural sciences “and technology” requirement. Subcommittee C did not recommend this change.

The GECs are University approved, not Arts and Sciences approved, and they are the core part of every program. The College asked for flexibility in the history sequence course by double counting one of the Arts and Humanities courses. Subcommittee C recommended approval of this request.

There may have to be a change in the rule on who oversees the GECs. There are those who feel the GECs should come out of the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and those who feel that they should not. Arts and Sciences first came forward with the GEC and CAA approved it. Then courses were approved for each category in the GEC. Then the professional colleges came forward with their GECs and there were variations. They did not want the foreign language category. CAA was petitioned and it was approved. Then they selected courses from the categories for their colleges, and CAA approved that. Arts and Sciences was consulted each step of the way, and Council had final say.

The GECs needed more review over the years. Each of the colleges should have been consulted to see how their versions were working out, but that has never been done.

DISCUSSION WITH PROFESSOR ROBERT GUSTAFSON, ASSOCIATE DEAN, AND EDWARD McCAUL, PROGRAM DIRECTOR, COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Smith asked Gustafson to briefly outline each of the 8 proposals and for Fullerton to give the Subcommittee’s response to each.

Review of the Third Writing course. Writing is a continuing concern and one the College will continue to work on in several ways. Subcommittee C recommended approval.

Foreign Language substitution for Arts and Humanities. They do not have a foreign language requirement, but they believe strongly in things related to foreign language, so they suggest going into the Arts and Humanities category and having something count there. McCaul stated that this would have only affected about 1% of their students. The Subcommittee does not support this proposal.

Increase the Social Science category by one credit hour. This is an administrative clarification. The Subcommittee approved this change.

Establish a 20-hour Arts and Humanities category by double counting one Arts and Humanities course as the second history course. They would be selecting another course from the subcategories. Subcommittee C recommended approval. That would make it a variable 15-20 hours for the student. The Arts and Sciences students take 25 hours. How would this substitution reduce the hours?

Create an ethics course requirement within the GEC. This request was approved in concept, but implemented by drawing on courses from the current social science and arts and humanities categories of the GEC. Faculty in those units have agreed to accommodate Engineering in this manner. Subcommittee C recommends approval.

Allow a capstone course to be used as part of a lower level social science or arts and humanities requirement. The Subcommittee recommended approval. A large number of students is not expected to take this option.

Expand the category of Natural Sciences to be Natural Sciences and Technology. Subcommittee C does not recommend approval. The 3 credit hours affected (Engineering 181) will remain in the major program.

Expand the Diversity requirement to include international issues. Subcommittee C recommended approval to allow greater flexibility.

Adelson was then asked to give his response to the changes. He said that there was concern that the Arts and Humanities requirements would be reduced from 25 hours. There was concern that the history sequence be eliminated. Many feel that in a quarter system there is a limit as to what can be taught in five hours. A 10-hour sequence provides more in-depth study. Many think that making these changes eliminates the spirit of the GEC that was intended by the University when it was established. The Arts and Sciences had difficulty finding the “technology” in Engineering 181. The intent of the diversity requirement was to study diversity in the United States. It is a core part of the template.

Gustafson said that most semester institutions have 3-credit history requirements where we have five credit hours. Time on task may not be any different.

It was noted that honors students are exempt from the history sequence. Why is that? They take higher-level history courses or an honors level history course in addition to another history course. The College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (FAES) had requested an exemption from his requirement in 1987. There could be linkages that would fulfill this requirement – a history course with a music course. We are not locked into the requirement as it is, forever. But there would be implementation issues if we decide to do it this way.

What is the average GPA in the College? Gustafson said he did not know. McCaul said they have a higher number of honors students than any other college.

Different configurations produce different credit-hour results. With the foreign language option students would have 78 hours: with a foreign language minor students would have 73 hours. The language minor does not gain all that much because students cannot double count a course. If you did the foreign language minor and the ethics course in Arts and Humanities, there would be no other arts and humanities. You still have history. If you did the ethics courses in Arts and Humanities it would be five extra hours in the Engineering program.

Council Discussion:

It was decided to act on each proposal individually, starting with those for which there appeared to be strongest consensus based on the discussion at this meeting.

Smith stressed that once action was taken on all proposals, the reaction of the College would need to be solicited and most importantly, implementation issues needed to be addressed immediately. Units affected by the changes will have to be consulted.

Council voted on these items based on Subcommittee C’s recommendations:

Proposal: Review of 3rd Writing Course – Recommend approval

Proposal: Increase Social Science category by one credit – Recommend approval

Proposal: Expand Category of Natural Sciences to Natural Sciences and Technology – Do not recommend approval.

Schwartz moved approval of Subcommittee C’s recommendations. Vaessin seconded the motion, and it carried with 11 in favor and one abstention.

Proposal: Foreign Language Substitution for Arts and Humanities – Do not recommend Approval.

Schwartz moved approval of Subcommittee C’s recommendation. Freeman seconded the motion, and it carried with 10 in favor, one against, and one abstention.

Proposal: Allow substitution of Capstone Course (597) for GEC Lower Level Social Science/Humanities requirement. Subcommittee C recommended approval.

Freeman moved approval of Subcommittee C’s recommendation. McMahon seconded the motion, and it carried with 10 in favor, one against, and one abstention.

Proposal: Expand Category of Diversity Experience to include International Issues. Subcommittee C recommended approval.

Freeman moved approval of Subcommittee C’s recommendation and Winer seconded the motion The vote was four in favor, seven against, and one abstention.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:00 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

W. Randy Smith

Joyce Rankin

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