Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee
Meeting of November 13, 2012
Draft Minutes
Present: Crabtree (Dean, CAS), Fernandez, Garvey, Miners, Rosivach (chair), Ruffini (recording), Xie
Absent: Lacy, Johnson, Williams
Guests: Steve Bayne (Philosophy for MALS)
Called to order at 3:30 PM.
In absence of old business and minutes for approval, the meeting proceeded to new business.
1)
MOTION
At the chairÕs request, Fernandez
makes and Garvey seconds a motion to re-order the agenda to proceed
directly to the MALS proposalÕs curricular aspects. The motion
passes unanimously.
Chair invites Prof. Bayne to
present the curriculum of the proposed MA in Liberal Studies
program. Bayne then discusses the sequence of study in the
program; its required courses; its possible courses of study; and the
general philosophy behind the program in its interdisciplinary aspect.
A question period follows.
Xie asks how the capstone experience can work in an interdisciplinary
way, and whether only one professor is at stake. Bayne confirms
that one professor will teach the class, and that that professor will
work with outside specialists, and that the class members as a whole
will also contribute to that process. Miners asked about the
survey response rate; how instruction will count towards faculty
schedules; and whether undergraduates will take any of these
classes. Bayne states that teaching will be a mix of load and
overload, adding that desire to avoid taking away from undergraduate
instruction is behind the desire to add new faculty lines in years four
and six of the programÕs development. Crabtree notes that all
graduate programs work on a similar mix of load and overload.
Both Bayne and Crabtree note that some classes will be open to
undergraduates. Bayne departs.
MOTION
Xie makes and Fernandez seconds
the motion to recommend the approval of this proposal. Miners
expresses doubts about the market survey, having never seen one
historically which admits to negative results; and also expresses
concern about the impact for full-time faculty and their undergraduate
teaching responsibilities. The chair suggests a response, which
follows as a:
MOTION
By Miners seconded by Ruffini
that the motion on the floor be amended so that the A&SCCÕs
recommendation of the acceptance of the proposal be contingent on the
MALS steering committee providing in future drafts of its proposal
greater specificity as to the programÕs use of faculty resources,
including consideration of how the program will be staffed, the number
of times the courses are taught and its impact on teaching loads.
Fernandez believes this has been addressed in the proposal.
Miners responds by stating that our approval of the proposal will
provide momentum to a proliferation of new programs. Crabtree
speaks against the motion to amend, also pointing to previous
discussion of this issue in the process of creating the proposal;
pointing to historical success in getting promised new faculty lines
for new programs; and pointing to existing mechanisms for departments
to contribute fractional lines. Garvey believes that the proposal
does not give enough specificity as to the use of faculty resources,
particularly in the first few years.
The motion passes 3 votes to 1 with 1 abstention.
THE AMENDED MOTION
To recommend approval of this proposal with further specificity on the use of faculty resources.
Crabtree speaks in favor of the
motion; notes that the greater resource specificity will help the
proposal in further steps of the approval process; and compliments the
proposal for its organization. Miners has reservations about its
success in the marketplace, but likes the flavor of the proposal and
its broad learning objectives. Ruffini speaks in favor of the
motion, noting the hard work and energy of the MALS committee and the
ideas for course proposals coming down the pipeline. Crabtree
points to nascent state approval issues potentially requiring the
A&SCC to see future course proposals sooner than we might have
anticipated. The chair asks that the committee receive this
courses as soon as possible.
The motion passes unanimously.
MOTION
Fernandez makes and Garvey
seconds a motion to approve MLS 401. Fernandez thinks that it is
a great way to start a multi-disciplinary masters. The chair
thinks that this course and the others we are to consider today are
rather like shell or special topics courses, and notes that each time
such courses are done, they need to be reapproved by the chair of the
A&SCC, suggesting that an amended motion could make that point or
that at least the MALS steering committee may have to monitor future
iterations of the courses. Discussion on this issue but no motion
follows.
The motion passes unanimously.
MOTION
Garvey makes and Miners seconds a
motion to approve MLS 598. Fernandez, Garvey and Miners speak in
favor of the motion. Xie notes that independent studies are
crucial to potential concentrations.
The motion passes unanimously.
MOTION
Fernandez makes and Miners
seconds a motion to approve MLS 599. Fernandez asks whether there
are precedents for this sort of capstone class. Garvey and
Rosivach point to existing examples. In response to a question
from Garvey, Ruffini explains the rationale behind having an
instructor-guided capstone course. Xie is concerned that there is
inadequate production. Ruffini points to the MLS steering
committeeÕs approval process for the course as adequate for this
quality control.
The motion passes unanimously.
2)
MOTION
Fernandez makes and Miners
seconds a motion to approve the proposed revision to the mathematics
requirement in the Biology major. Miners speaks in favor of the
motion, noting that Biology is in the position to best decide what math
is best for its students.
The motion passes unanimously.
3)
MOTION
Xie makes and Garvey seconds a
motion to approve the proposed revision to the Environmental Studies
minor to make Environmental Ethics a required course.
The motion passes unanimously.
Adjournment
A motion to adjourn passes unanimously at 4:24.