Faculty Senate

ASCRC Minutes 11/27/07

 

Members Present: L. Economides,  I. Crummy, J. Graham, S. Gauthier, E. Henderson, S. Lodmell, J. Luckowski, P. Muench, K. Nalty,  M. Nielsen, L. Tangedahl, H. Thompson, G. Weix

Members Absent/Excused: J. Burfeind, J. Cox, M. Hoell P. Silverman

Ex-Officio Present: D. Micus, A. Walker-Andrews

Guest: Associate Dean Tompkins

Chair Thompson called the meeting to order at 2:15 p.m.

The minutes from 11/13/07 were approved.  

Communications:

 

Business Items: - Curriculum Review

 

Science Subcommittee Follow-up

The negotiated changes between Geosciences and Geography were briefly explained and the proposals were approved. 

Education and Fine Arts Subcommittee Follow-up
Drama 107A has three sections and is also offered for non-majors.  The repeatability simplifies the advising for the department.  The proposal was approved.

Humanities Subcommittee Follow-up
Although Film Studies agreed to the 9 credits repeatable rather than 12 for UG 381 Studies in Film,  Graduate Council will only approve 6 credits repeatable because the course is offered for graduate students and only 6 credits of 300 level courses count towards a graduate degree.  Although History does not consider the title change of UG 376 American Constitutional History to 1864 to Problems in American Constitutional History significant, ASCRC would still like to see a syllabus. 

Writing Courses

The writing courses were reviewed and approved by the writing committee.  ASCRC concurred with the summary.

 

Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Possibilities - Provost Engstrom
National discussions are taking place with regards to the idea of a liberal education.  The undergraduate degree could be designed around a larger conceptual context of a major issue or question. After students are exposed to the question they would identify what tools and knowledge was needed to better understand the question and could choose their major according to how they would like to contribute to finding a solution. This context would also help guide their choice of breadth requirements (see diagram).

CONTEXT Big Questions / Focus Area eg/ Global Warming       World Conflict

Capstone Course

Experiential Experiences Research Internships Study Abroad Service Learning

What tools / Knowledge are needed to understand question.

Skills: Communication Quantitative Information Literacy

Breadth - Make Relevant Designed by student according to their chosen context.

 
In this way an undergraduate degree would be more than career preparation.  It would address how the student's education fits in with the larger concerns of the world and be built on exploration and integration rather than checking off requirements. 

It was suggested that the context areas or questions could be the general education perspectives so that general education is built around ideas not disciplines.  Students perform better when they are impassioned about real life issues.

The Provost suggested the formation of a subcommittee to flush out the ideas.  Then an open invitation would be given to campus to design courses and criteria would need to be developed in order to evaluate interdisciplinary courses.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:00.