Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee
Meeting of April 12, 2011
 3:30-5:00pm, BCC 204

Minutes

Submitted by S. Lacy

Present: 

Bob Epstein, Manyul Im, Jerelyn Johnson, Scott Lacy, John Miecznikowski, Elizabeth Petrino, Giovanni Ruffini, Les Schaffer, Roxana Walker-Canton, Joan Weiss, Tommy Xie, Qin Zhang (Chair)

Called to Order: 3:36pm

1. Announcements

Next meeting may be cancelled. In early May the Chair will notify committee members if the ASCC will meet in May.

2. Approval of Minutes

Miecznikowski moved to approve, Petrino seconded.

Minor corrections of minutes noted by John were recorded by Im.

Approval of Minutes: 8 in favor, 1 abstention, none opposed. (not all were present for this first vote)

3. New Course Approvals (AR221; AY52; BI382 & BI383)

AR 221

Motion to approve: Epstein; second, Ruffini.

Zhang (ASCC Chair) presented a brief history of the AR221 application. The ASCC considered but did not approve a previous AR221 course proposal in 2009. One concern with the 2009 proposal was the lack of students prepared to take an advanced Arabic course. Epstein recalled that the 2009 proposal was a six credit, intensive language class that covered two semesters of Arabic in a single semester.

Several committee expressed concern that AR221 students would receive only three credits for a course that meets for 3.5 hours a week (Jones, Miecznikowski, Weiss). Johnson noted that all elective (non-core) language courses are three credit hour courses. Zhang reported that AR220 is also a three-credit class that meets for 3.5 hours a week.

Walker-Canton questioned whether or not there is a sufficient and sustainable demand for AR221. Epstein suggested that advanced Arabic may not require large enrollments because it serves a strategic curricular need.

Ruffini expressed concern that AR221 would be taught by adjunct; he said that hiring a permanent faculty member for Arabic language instruction would be a critical step in developing a robust program in Islamic Studies and the Middle East.

Petrino spoke in favor of the motion as long as staffing it is possible. Im spoke in favor of the motion as long as there are students able to enroll in the course. Epstein spoke in favor of the motion and noted that the proposed course could serve our study abroad students after their international experience.

Petrino questioned whether or not the unique 3.5 hours of class each week would complicate scheduling for students. Walker-Canton said that New Media utilizes custom course codes/meeting times and that New Media students have not reported scheduling problems due to customized class scheduling.

Ruffini called the motion.

Epstein suggested that the committee revisit the proposal upon clarification of discrepancies between credit hours and class hours. The committee agreed that before proceeding with a vote, the applicant should reconsider and clarify the number or classroom hours and number of credits awarded f or AR221.

Chair will ask the applicants to reconsider the number of classroom hours and the number of credits for AR221.

Motion was tabled.

AY52/IL52

Motion to approve: Im; second, Miecznikowski.

Zhang noted that although the UCC recently approved a proposal for cross- listing AY52 and IL52, the committee had not yet approved AY52 as a new course.

Epstein spoke in favor of the motion. He added that approving AY52 is an important step for the new anthropology minor, and that economic anthropology is a crucial piece of the emerging anthropology program. Xie spoke in favor of the motion via email (read by Zhang); he is very pleased to see that the course includes a module on China, and that it provides students with a variety of non-western perspectives.

Schaffer asked for clarification on the relationship between anthropology and international studies. Lacy explained that International Relations, as an interdisciplinary field, includes the work of anthropologists. Professor Crawford, for example, teaches IL52 because he holds a two-thirds appointment in the Department of Sociology & Anthropology and a one-third appointment in International Studies.

Petrino spoke in favor of the motion and said that the guiding questions for the course readings were "terrific."

Vote: Unanimous approval (12-0).

BI 382 & BI 383

Motion to approve both BI 382 and BI 383: Miecznikowski; second, Im.

Weiss explained that BI382 and BI383 (as proposed) are part of a trio of special topics seminars. Together with BI381 the proposed courses offer three special topics "tracks" for Biology students.

Ruffini spoke in favor of the motion.

Im asked if the former BI382 and BI383 courses have been removed from the course catalogue. Miecznikowski and Walker-Canton noted that the course proposal document (Item #9) stated that approval of the proposed courses will remove previous BI382 and BI383 courses from the catalogue.

The committee encouraged the applicant to continue discussions with the registrar as the proposed BI382 and BI383 are integrated into the course catalogue.

Vote: Unanimous approval (12-0).

4. UC update

Weiss presented an update on University College business that may come before this committee in Fall 2011. Pending future modifications of UC, the ASCC may be asked to consider and approve the adoption of the BS in Professional Studies by the College of Arts & Sciences.

5. New Business

No new business.

6. Adjournment

Motion to adjourn: Im

Adjourned: 4:16 p.m.