ASCRC Minutes 10/11/05

 

Members Present: J. Campana, C. Healow, S. Derry J. Eglin, V. Hedquist,  C. Henderson, C. Johnston, J. Luckowski, D. McCormick, V.Pavlish, M. Roscoe, H. Thompson, A. Szalda-Petree, R. Welsh

Members Absent/Excused: D Potts

Ex-Officio Present: L. Carlyon, A.Walker-Andrews

 

Chair Luckowski called the meeting to order at 2:10p.m.

 

The minutes from 10/4/05 were approved.

 

 

Communication:

Chair Luckowski met with ECOS last week to provide a summary of the presentations and discussions related to Internships and online courses.  ECOS would like ASCRC to consider setting policy to limit the number of X98 Internships credits allowed toward graduation and stipulate that they be taken for credit/no credit only.  She also reminded ECOS that the proposed Graduation Appeals Committee structure bylaw amendment will go to the Senate as a first reading this week. 

 

Old Business

 

  • The Committee talked about a possible six credit limit for X98 Internships. It was recommended to check with a few departments to determine the impact of such a limit.  Some internships are full-time over the summer and could exceed 6 credits.  Departments have the option of using the X90 Supervised Internships which do not have a limit.  It is presumed that these internships have more departmental oversight and will allow programs to consider the structure related to academic rigor and promote additional credits if desired. Many of the professional schools do not use internship services.

  • Regarding the limiting of X98 credits to credit/no credit, the committee agrees that the internship experience is subjective, similar to research credits that can be taken only for credit/no credit.  A letter grade should stand for something and be based on academic assignments. The work experience that an internship provides is more impressive to potential employers than the academic credit.  Motivated students will understand this and may very well take internship credits that don’t count toward graduation.  Students would not be harmed by the credit/no credit status or the credit limit. 

    Chair Luckowski will check with a few departments and draft a motion.

 

  • ECOS also requested that ASCRC discuss ways to identify online courses in Banner that will be clear to students.  The Faculty Senate Chair Josef Crepeau teaches online math courses.  Each time he offers the course there are several students who drop because they didn’t realize the course was online.

    The committee reviewed how on-line courses are listed in Banner.  Such courses are identified as “internet course,” the time of the course is shown as TBA, and often there is an additional charge.  Suggestions were that the comment be in a different color to get the students’ attention; a pop-up window could be used; or the courses could be listed in a different section.  There are complications in the Banner system related to coded fields. There are also difficulties with students not realizing courses are at the College of Technology compared to the main campus.  The Registrar has been working on the issue and has proposed a separate section for the college of technology courses, but this would involve more labeling, which is a sensitive issue.  The Registrar is waiting to hear back from COT regarding the proposal.   Associate Registrar Carlyon will ask CIS about the possibility of using a different color in the comment field, the most practical solution at this time.   

 

  • Professor Szalda-Petree provided the committee with a summary of his research on performance evaluation strategies for on-line courses.  He suggests that members take a look at the University of Texas Telecampus for how a more complete online program is structured and managed.  The committee will take this up at a later meeting.

 

 

New Business:

  • Review of the writing courses was postponed to allow subcommittees to first review the course proposal.  Also committee members should have the opportunity to review the proposals prior to the meeting.  Camie will send the links to the members prior to consideration by ASCRC.

  • Associate Provost Walker-Andrews brought up the issue of students choosing different catalogs for different parts of their degree (general education, major, minor, or second major).  This policy is the result of changes made to the catalog (general education policies and the addition of new programs and minors) and the reality that students change majors, add minors, or make other changes to their degree throughout their academic career.  However the policy makes it difficult for advisors and the opportunity exists for abuse by students.  There should be a more rational policy.  It was suggested that students should either choose the catalog they start under or the current catalog, or they should have to adapt to the current catalog unless doing so would be an undue burden. 

    Professor Campana and Associate Provost Walker-Andrews will draft language for the committee to consider next week.


Committee reports:

 

  • The General Education Liaison John Eglin reported on the progress of the General Education Committee.  Yesterday the committee met with Linda Gillison, Chair of Modern and Classic Languages and Literatures to discuss different strategies for incorporating a foreign language requirement.   The committee still needs to address the perspectives.

  • Forms for the Writing review are coming in slowly.  The writing committee will be meeting the fourth Wednesday of the month.

 

 

The meeting was adjourned at 3:40 PM.