�������� MINUTES OF THE ARTS & SCIENCES CURRICULUM COMMITTEE

 

18 October, 2007

 

Present: ���� R. Darling (chair), A. Fitz-Gibbon, M. McGuire, J. McNamara, J. O�Callaghan (ex-officio), B. Smith.

 

Absent:������ E. McDowell-Loudan,

____________________________________________________________________________________

 

to:� ����������� Dr. Mark Prus, Dean, School of Arts and Sciences.

 

cc: ������������ L. Ellis, Chair, Art and Art History Department.

����������������� P. van der Veur, Chair, Communication Studies Department.

����������������� T. Pasquarello, Chair, Political Science Department.

____________________________________________________________________________________

PROPOSALS APPROVED

 

New Courses:

 

ATS 217� � Color� (�passed� 6-0)

____________________________________________________________________________________

PROPOSALS TABLED [please contact Bob Darling (x2923 or [email protected])]

 

New Courses:

 

COM 497 � Teaching Assistant (�tabled� 6-0)

 

1) the course title should be changed to �Communication Studies Teaching Assistant.�

 

2) the course description seems more like a statement on learning outcomes of the course (esp. the 2nd sentence).� The committee recommends changing the catalog description to:� �Participation as supervised teaching assistant in a communication studies course.�

 

3) the committee feels that the catalog description should read �Permission of Department Chair� rather than �Permission of Instructor.�� Furthermore, the committee feels the course should have some prerequisite, such as �Grade of B or better in the host course.� see for example BIO 434, or� �XX credits of COM courses completed.�

 

4) the committee recommends changing the course from �3 credits� to �1 to 4 credits� and at the same time indicating �may be repeatable for no more than 4 credits.�� Delete �may be applied toward graduation� in catalog description.

 

5) the committee recommends changing the course grading system to �S,U grades are assigned.� rather than letter grades, or please provide the committee more detailed information regarding how letter grades will be determined.

 

6) Under Part 4, justification of course level, delete �the� near the end of the sentence.

 

7) the committee would like to see more concrete expectations of students (i.e. part 3 of the syllabus looks more like a student resume).� Consequently, it appears that students are defining their own expectations and this responsibility falls with the faculty not the students.� Furthermore, the committee suggests the Communication Studies Department develop a simple, one-page formal contract outlining exactly what are the student expectations for the course (including how the student will prepare in advance for assisting a faculty member), and how the student will be evaluated.� The contract should be signed by the student, the sponsoring faculty member, and the department chair.

 

Alterations to courses:

 

COM � 324� Communication Campaigns (�tabled� 6-0)

 

����� a) change 324 to 424 on the proposed syllabus.

 

����� b) please include a statement on how students are to be evaluated along

����������������� with a letter grade equivalent statement.

 

����� c) there two typos in the syllabus, under the Disability Statement, first line, please

����������������� fix �disabilit y.�� Third line under Plagiarism:� change �come so� to �comes�

 

����� These changes can be made on the syllabus as described above, or the proposal can be ����������� resubmitted using the new curriculum form with an attached topical outline.

 

Alterations to Program:

 

Alteration to Major in POL and Major in POL [LAJU]� (�tabled� 6-0)

 

�������� Inclusion of POL 112 into both majors.�

 

1) will POL 112 be included in Section A of both majors?� If so, the credit total for section A �������������� �� needs to change from 9 to 12.�

 

2) will this increase the hours in both majors (i.e. will the sum now be 39 hours) or will hours ���������������������������� be reduced to remain at 36??� If the latter, specifically which hours be reduced?

 

3) the last four pages of the proposal should be

����������� a) a current listing of the POL major,

����������� b) a proposed listing of the POL major,

����������� c) a current listing of the POL[LAJU] major,

����������� d) a proposed listing of the POL[LAJU] major.

��������

Alteration to Major in POL, POL[LAJU], and POL [PADM]. (�tabled� 6-0)

 

�������� Inclusion of capstone experience into all POL majors.�

 

1) the committee would like to see separate sections in each major describing the capstone requirement and what comprises a capstone experience.� This is important information for students and faculty advisors.� This can be in the form of a specific statement at the end of the listing of each major (i.e. what will count as a capstone experience and how many credit hours it comprises) or it can be listed as a separate section (i.e. a list of courses and/or experiences) similar to that shown below:�

 

As an example, the POL major could look something like:

 

C) Capstone Experience (select one of the following):

 

����������� POL 480 �������� Washington Semester

����������� POL 482��������� New York State Legislative Internship

����������� POL 483 �������� Public Administration and Policy Internship

����������� POL 484 �������� Prelaw Internship

����������� POL 485 �������� Field Study in Political Science

����������� POL 492 �������� Seminar in Political Science

����������� An approved study abroad experience taken in the junior or senior year.

 

As another example, the POL [PADM] major, could include the statement:

 

�Completion of a course in section B satisfies the department�s capstone experience.�

 

Alteration to Major in POL[LAJU].� (�tabled� 6-0)

 

1) will POL 112 be included?� If yes, this will affect credit hours (in the total and part A).

 

2) please remove the �proposed changes to the law and justice concentration� summary on page 4 of the proposal.� The second to last page of the proposal should show �the current� program, and the last page of the proposal should be �the proposed� program.� All of the narrative should come before this (i.e. the narrative starting on page 5 should come at the top of page 3 instead).

 

3) on page 9, the �Final Law and Justice Concentration� should be re-titled �Proposed Law and Justice Concentration.�� Other issues with the proposed concentration are:

 

����������� a) The inclusion of POL 112 will increase the credit hours in part A to 12.

����������� b) Part B should look like this (if we are interpreting it correctly):

 

����������������������� (B) Core in Law and Justice: 15 credit hours

 

����������������������������������� POL 304

����������������������������������� POL 404

 

����������������������������������� Select three from the following:

 

����������������������������������� POL 202

����������������������������������� POL 302

����������������������������������� POL 303

����������������������������������� POL 405

����������������������������������� POL 470

����������������������������������� POL 471

 

c) in Part C, please change POL ??? with 370 (The Internet and the Law) and remove POL ??? Law and Public Policy.

 

d) will part C be reduced from 12 to 9 hours to keep the total at 36 hours?

 

e) there is no capstone experience described.� How will this affect credit hour totals?

 

 

A&SCC Chair�s recommendation:

 

����������� I would make up one proposal for all of the POL majors and title it �Alterations to majors in POL, POL[LAJU], POL[PADM] rather than three separate proposals.� In summary, they would look something like:

 

����������� POL

����������������������� Inclusion of 112 & capstone exp.

����������� POL[LAJU]

����������������������� Inclusion of 112, capstone exp, & alterations to concentration.

����������� POL[PADM]

����������������������� Inclusion of 112 & capstone exp.

 

____________________________________________________________________________________