Faculty Senate

ASCRC Minutes 9/2/08

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Members Present: J. Bergman, I. Crummy, J. Dempersmier, S. Gauthier, S. Lodmell, J. Luckowski, D. MacDonald, M. Nielsen, H. Thompson, E. Uchimoto, K. Unger, R. VanitaG. Weix, K. Zoellner

Members Absent/Excused: E. May

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

Guest:  Associate Dean Tompkins

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

The minutes from 9/2/08 were approved.

Communications:

 

• The new student members were welcomed to the committee.

Business Items:

• Business Administration will be contacted to find a Chair for the Business & Journalism Subcommittee.
• Professor Bergman volunteered to serve on the Graduation Appeals Committee but is not available to serve as chair-elect.
• Professors Crummy and Nielsen volunteered to serve on Academic Court.

• The Writing Committee Charge is:
  Review for acceptability all W course proposals
• Review and approve WPA test vehicle
• Monitor WPA results
• Develop criteria for writing courses
• Consider appeals to WPA scores
• Act in an advisory capacity to the Writing Center

Writing Committee Members include:

Nancy Hinman, Geosciences (Chair)

Kate Zoellner, Mansfield Library

Heather Bruce, English

Jean Carter, Pharmacy Practice

Mark Medvetz, Writing Studies

Matthew Semanoff, MCLL

Kathy Kuipers, Sociology

Chair Weix inquired as to whether the subcommittee should more appropriately report to the General Education Subcommittee. The charge of the subcommittee was established by ASCRC after the Provost's Writing Committee was abandoned.  At some point the senate bylaws should be amended to give the standing subcommittee more permanence.  The subcommittee is meeting monthly the second Monday of the month at 3:10 p.m. 

• Chair Weix suggests that each subcommittee have at least four members and that they serve three year rotating terms. Terms have not been enforced to date. The committee will need to vote to implement this policy and establish ending dates for the current subcommittee members. Chair Weix suggests that subcommittee chairs recruit members by calling or visiting faculty one-on-one.
  
  Policies and Procedures:
• There is a discrepancy in ASCRC's policy regarding X95 experimental/special topics courses. The contradicting language is below:
  
  Adding New Course Policy
  An X95 course taught twice must be reviewed and approved by ASCRC or Graduate Council and the Faculty Senate prior to inclusion in the catalog.

Special Topics Courses
After the department offers a course three times, the Registrar will send a notice and require the curriculum change forms or require a letter indicating why an exception should be made to offer it a fourth time. The letter would be received during the third offering and the Registrar will not accept the course if it comes in again.

The language needs to be consistent.  After discussion it was decided to table the issue to allow Professor Thompson to work on revised language.

• The committee considered whether the Service Learning Review Subcommittee should remain under ASCRC or be transferred to the General Education Subcommittee. Service learning is not a component of General Education therefore the review of the designation should remain the responsibility of ASCRC.

Repeat Fee

• Associate Dean Tompkins made a case for maintaining UM's current repeat policy (See handout).
• Additional members were added to the Repeat Fee Workgroup. The following members volunteered to serve:
  
  Doug MacDonald

GG Weix
Mary Neilson

Dave Micus, Registrar

Jon Tompkins, Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences

Jon Dempersmier (student)
Scott Gauthier (student)

The meeting was adjourned at 3:08 p.m.