Minutes, Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee

3:30 PM September 20, 2005 in Canisius 100

 

The meeting was brought to order at 3:35 PM by Chair Lynne Porter.

Present were Steve Bayne, Secretary pro tem Sara Brill, Ron Davidson, Ed Dew, Jesœs Escobar, Johanna Garvey, Associate Dean Ray Poincelot sitting in for Dean Timothy Snyder, Lynne Porter, Vincent Rosivach, Ronald Salafia, and James Simon.

 

  1. Appointment of secretary:  Sara Brill volunteered to act as secretary for the meeting.

 

  1. Election of new Chair:  Jesœs Escobar and Jim Simon were nominated to act as chair for the fall and spring semesters respectively.  The question was called and the matter voted on: the result was 9 approved, 1 abstention.  The motion passed and Escobar took over Chair duties from Porter.  Exit Porter.

 

  1. Approval of minutes from meeting of April 12, 2005:  Moved:  Rosivach, 2nd: Salafia, Discussion:  Jim Simon asked about the status of the faculty Equity report, Poincelot stated he had not seen anything yet, Rosivach noted that this issue should be addressed when we discuss item 5b on the agenda, Escobar suggested that we should hold off discussion and called for question:  5 approved, none opposed and 4 abstained.  The motion to approve the minutes was passed.

 

 

  1. New Business:
  1. Consideration of Course Proposals:

AH 131: High Renaissance and Mannerism (Prof. Escobar)

Moved:  Rosivach, 2nd: Salafia, Discussion:  Ed Dew asked whether the course could be collapsed into a pre-existing course and Escobar explained that that had been the state of affairs and the course proved unwieldy; the new course was designed precisely in order to address this problem.  Poincelot asked whether the course would require an adjunct and Escobar responded in the negative.  Escobar called the question, and the course was unanimously approved.

 

BI 364:  Freshwater Biology (Prof. Klug)

Moved:  Rosivach, 2nd:  Salafia, Discussion:  Simon queried whether a statement of academic honesty should be encouraged for all syllabi by the committee such that the chair could issue a statement inviting such an addition to syllabi.  Rosivach objected on the grounds that that application for new course proposals asks only for syllabus information, not a completed syllabus and that our job is to consider whether the course is properly thought out and whether the department has approved the course with sufficient reflection.  Simon countered by pointing out that one category proposers should consider in the design of the course is academic integrity, and that it would be appropriate to use the application process the help professors to take into consideration things the committee believes to be important to effective teaching.  Rosivach maintained that the problem is the framework by means of which the issue is addressed.  Escobar asked whether the course would replace another course, Poincelot clarified that it is simply an addition and Rosivach offered that the purpose of question 9a on the application is to remind applicants that when a course new course is added eventually an old course will have to go.  Poincelot indicated that the new course would alternate with a pre-existing course, and Rosivach stated that this should be clearly indicated.  Escobar asked whether this issue should be clarified and Poincelot stated that it should.  Ron Davidson asked whether the final exam must be worth 30% of the final grade and Rosivach noted that 30% is the default setting, while Escobar pointed out that ranges from 25-35% have been approved without objection, but that the answers to questions 9a and b needed to be clarified.  Salafia added that the timeline of the offering of the course needed clarification as well.  Escobar called to question that we approve the course pending clarification.  Course was unanimously approved.

 

CO 239:  Consumer Culture (Prof. Gudelunas)

Moved:  Rosivach, 2nd Garvey, Discussion:  Rosivach was concerned that the pre-requisites for the class were either CO230 or enrollment in the IRC, stating that it did not seem as though enrollment in the IRC would necessarily imply instruction equivalent to CO230, and noted a related question is at issue in the proposed CO246 course as well.  Is IRC sufficient background for the course?  Dew wondered whether one must be in the IRC to register for IRC listed courses and Escobar responded in the negative.  Exit Dew.  Rosivach continued that the minutes from the department meeting reflect some concern that the readings will be challenging and that he is concerned about the possibility of the course having to be watered down for those students who have not had the CO230 pre-requisite..  Escobar noted that the more challenging texts were also somewhat brief, but Rosivach stressed that department members themselves were concerned and asked if we could approve the course without the enrollment in IRC as a pre-requisite..  Poincelot added that this was a significant concern insofar as it touched upon issues of fairness and privilege.  Rosivach suggested we approve the course but without the IRC enrollment pre-requisite and Simon suggested that we invite the proposer to defend the IRC pre-requisite if he felt inclined to do so.  Escobar agreed to send a note to Prof. Klug to that effect, called to question and the course was approved unanimously.

 

CO246: Family Communication (Prof. Crabtree)

Discussion:  Rosivach noted that there is also a pre-requisite problem with this course insofar as enrollment in WomenÕs Studies program is treated as equivalent to having taken CO230, and Simon noted that WomenÕs Studies hasnÕt approved the course yet.  Davidson noted that this was addressed in the minutes from the department meeting.  Rosivach moved to approve the course provided the WomenÕs Studies pre-requisite is stricken.  Simon 2nd.  Salafia asked about the instructor approval caveat and Rosivach suggested that this was an unspoken element of every course, namely, that the instructor can waive pre-requisites for students he or she believes to be qualified to take the course and Poincelot noted that this is an important tool for transfer students.  Escobar called to question and the course was approved unanimously.

 

EN/W 350: Photojournalism (Prof. Simon)

Moved:  Salafia, 2nd:  Davidson, Discussion:  Rosivach wondered whether the camera requirement for the course was exclusionary on the grounds of the expense of the camera.  Simon noted that the course was originally designed with Jim Mayzik, SJ, and that the Media Center had five digital cameras at the studentsÕ disposal, and in fact the course was designed for use with a digital camera in order to cut down on the expense and environmental issues surrounding the use of a darkroom.  Dew returns.  Simon added that he needed to amend the proposal to state that the course number is 350, and it is not a special topics course.  Escobar added that ŅCollege of Arts and SciencesÓ should be added to the first page of the proposal, then called to question and the course was unanimously approved.

 

EN 396: Caribbean Women Writers (Prof. Garvey)

Moved: Davidson, 2nd: Simon, Discussion:  Dew was concerned about a possible overlap between this course and one taught by Dr. Sourieau.  Garvey responded that a discussion of this issue is reflected in the minutes for the departmental meeting and that she and Dr. Sourieau had decided upon an order in which their courses were to be offered and had discussed their syllabi in order to avoid overlap.  Salafia voiced a general concern about the potential narrowing of the subject matter of courses such that they resemble graduate level courses rather than undergraduate courses and wondered whether it was the committees business to assess this and whether the English department had discussed the breadth of the courses subject matter.  Garvey responded that the subject matter is actually far more broadly represented that may initially seem to be the case, and Escobar added that this was really an issue for the department to take up.  Rosivach added that the committee has broadly structured the process such that issues like this one are the business of the department and 6that our job s to determine whether or not the department has reflected sufficiently upon the course.  Dew stated that it is worth while to underline the committeeÕs responsibility to sort out courses with an eye to duplication between departments.  Rosivach agreed.  Escobar circulated notice that the course had been approved by WomenÕs Studies for cross listing in the program.  Rosivach wondered if the course had been submitted to the Black Studies program for cross listing and Garvey stated she was working on it.  Rosivach also asked for clarification to answer to 9a and b and Escobar and Garvey agreed to clarify after the meeting.  Escobar called for question: 7 approved, 1 abstention, 0 opposed.  The course was approved.

 

HI 213:  In the Wake of Destruction:  Europe Since World War II (Prof. Rosenfeld)

Moved:  Rosivach, 2nd: Davidson, Discussion:  Escobar asked for clarification to answer to 9b about HI 211/212.  Rosivach explained that HI 211/212 was a cycle taught by Paul Davis and is still offered by him through the University College, but that presumably the course would be phased out when Prof. Davis ceased teaching it.  Poincelot asked for clarification about HI 200 and Garvey answered that the course was Birth of the Modern World.  The question was called and the course was unanimously approved.

 

HI 302:  History and Memory  (Prof. Rosenfeld)

Moved:  Rosivach, 2nd Salafia, question was called and course was unanimously approved

 

MU 363:  Music Technology for Music Educators (Prof. Nash)

Moved:  Rosivach, 2nd: Davidson, Discussion:  Escobar noted his departmentÕs excitement about this classes completion of the fourth class needed for the minor in Music Education.  Dew wanted to know who the students that would be taking the class are and Escobar clarified that most students with be the many FU undergrads who do Education minors.  The question was called and the course was unanimously approved.

 

SA 139:  Watercolor (Prof. Chamlin)

Moved: Rosivach, 2nd: Davidson, Question as called and the course was unanimously approved.

 

SO 185:  International Migration (Prof. Jones)

Moved: Rosivach, 2nd: Salafia, Discussion:  Davidson wondered what our policy is on upper division one week courses.  Rosivach noted that it is a 100 level course and that there is some precedent for courses of this level being taught as one week courses (criminology, politics and popular culture).  Davidson asked if there were other guidelines that should be followed for such a course.  Rosivach stated that the minutes needed to reflect an explicit discussion of the courses duration, as they do and Simon added that such courses were approved for instruction by the proposer only.  Rosivach voiced some general concerns about one week courses and Simon countered by noting that the minutes reflect a department discussion in which suggestions were made with the rigor of one week courses in mind.  Dew asked whether we were automatically approving this class as a semester long course as well and Simon indicated that it would indeed go into the course catalogue.  The question was called and the course was unanimously affected.

 

HI 293:  West Africa and the Making of the Atlantic World (Prof. Dawson)

As this was a new application just received today, the committee took a moment to review it carefully.  Moved:  Salafia, 2nd : Garvey, Discussion:  Simon noted that in the past the committee had been concerned when class participation counted for 20% or higher of a courses final grade, and he suggested that the committee urge the proposer to separate out participation scores, quiz scores and written response scores on the syllabus.  Escobar queried whether we needed proposer to flesh out their reading assignments and Rosivach responded that it would be onerous to require the proposer to do so as often such decisions cannot be well made in advance of teaching the course.  Garvey noted that he committee had I the past discussed requiring a minimum number of pages for reading assignments and Rosivach responded that this was rally an issue for departments.  Escobar stated that there is precedence for asking about the number of pages required for reading.  Simon suggested that we could go beyond the record on this issue but Rosivach disagreed, stating that asking for a weekly schedule of readings ids asking for too much.  Escobar pointed out that question 6b does ask the proposer to indicate required and supplemental reading.  Simon agrees with Rosivach in principle, but states that we need better guidelines here.  Rosivach reiterated that the issue is whether we need week by week schedules of readings and thinks that we do not.  He continues that he is satisfied by the syllabus but that it may be worthwhile to note that we are making something of an exception of the proposal by not asking for further clarification of reading assignments.  The question is called and the course is unanimously approved.

 

b)  Double counting of courses:  Escobar distributed data and noted that we had not yet elected a sub-committee to review the data.  Poincelot emphasized the importance of the issue and a motion was made to form a sub-committee at the next meeting after we had had time to look over the data.  Moved: Simon, 2nd: Salafia, Discussion:  Poincelot asked us to focus in particular on the possibilities of double counting abuse in individually designed majors.  The question was called and the motion was passed unanimously.  It was agree that we would place setting up a sub-committee on the agenda for the October meeting.

 

4. Old Business

a)  Five Year review for Irish Studies and Individually designed majors.  Poincelot notes that the Individually designed major program has only been active for two years, and when Escobar asked if the review could be postponed Poincelot answered in the affirmative.  Escobar suggests we give the program a full five years of operation before reviewing it.  Dew notes that the Irish Studies program has been running for five years at least and should be subject to review.  Simon notes that a postponement had been requested of him but that he believes the review should occur regardless.  Escobar wondered whether we could require the report for the October meeting and Simon suggested November.  Escobar wondered if the review should wait to the spring and Simon noted that the report was being worked on and suggested we review it in November or December.  Simon further suggested that Escobar communicate with the director, determine how far along the report was and use his judgment as to whether to require review in November or December

 

b)Teaching Credit for independent study and Individually Designed Majors:  Garvey stated that the sub-committee made their report to Dean Snyder last Spring.  Poincelot stated that nothing has happened since then.  Simon asked Escobar to send an email to Dean Snyder asking about the issue and Escobar agreed to do so.

 

c)  Moving to 4/4 load:  Simon moved to table discussion of this item and Davidson 2nd.  Rosivach stated he believed that this was not an issue that had a champion in anyone and Simon noted that it was not on any task force charge.  Bayne queried about the committees role in such an issue and Escobar responded that we had been acting as advisors.  Rosivach noted that the faculty did vote in favor of a 4/4 load, and that rally implementation would appropriately begin with this committee.  Dew stated that the committee had agreed to pole each department to wee what their responses would be to a 4/4load.  Escobar suggested we take time to review minutes form previous meetings to get up to speed on the issue, and reminded us of the Core meeting on the 27th of September at 3:30 and ascertained that email was an acceptable form of communication with the committee.  Simon concluded by noting that we should be impressed by the quality of the courses submitted for approval. 

 

The meeting was adjourned at 5:00.