Present: Adelson, Baker, Childs, Harder, Harvey, Hobgood, Lemberger, Oltmann. Ryden, Trudeau, Vasey, Breitenberger, Lowry, Mockabee, Mumy, Mercerhill, Schoen, Romesburg, Wanzer, Cooley, Francis
- Updates from the Chair:
- Welcome and introduction of members
- 2. Time to Degree Discussion – Process and Deadline (Jackie Royster)
- Dean Royster asked what she can do to be an advocate for the process
- Noted that 60% of Spring Graduates graduated in 4 years
- Proposed that 3 issues need to be remembered
i. Address external perceptions that it takes too long to graduate
ii. Budget implications:
1. overall budget (State and Subsidy)
2. how internal budget model is affected
3. plans to admit more students to offset budget decreased
iii. moving to 181 may provide the opportunity to achieve pedagogical goals, including better students taking higher level GEC courses
- Noted that the University Senate Fiscal Subcommittee is doing an internal study of the effects of moving to 181
i. We are only institution in State that does not charge for overload courses
ii. Researching what a normal load for students might be
- Concern that increase in student population will cut electives puts pressure on number of students in GEC and major courses - more students puts more pressure on faculty and resources that are already stressed
i. Question of how students will be spread out across the colleges
- Staying at 191 and adding a surcharge for overload hours would send a bad political message
- Concern over limiting AP credit expressed
- Problem with academic defense of current 191 versus defense of 181 noted
- Suggested that focus be on academic argument of “less is more”
i. Use of minors a good reason to give up some electives and create focus like small liberal arts colleges
- committee must articulate what we believe a high quality education is (in 4 years)
- Minors are electives, just more focused
- Noted that 4 year plans exist for every major
- We need to have a good rationale and be good PR people
- Still concern over closeouts and waitlists for required classes
- Student perspective – strong desire to finish in 4 years, but can be challenging to complete 191 hours in that time
- Question of whether study abroad or summer attendance will go down with a decrease to 181 – perception is that student desire will continue to drive these enrollment numbers
- There is still a desire to make “honors experience” available to non-honors students
- Update on McHale Process
- Provost Snyder will be going to the next Senate meeting to discuss hours to degree and is asking Professional Colleges to revisit their reports to match our BA template – reducing 5 hours from GEC and 5 hours from elsewhere
- CCI needs to take a package of information regarding our thoughts to the Senate
- Disability Studies ASC 700, 800 & 900
- Core of Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization
- Vetted by subcommittee
i. Concern regarding oversight, however, a very active oversight group has been formed to ensure quality and maintenance
- Vote: 10 yes, 0 no, 0 abstentions – Approved
- Cluster Pilot Program Proposal
- See attached handout
- Strong need to have good assessment to prove that it is worth the investment – the more variables included in the pilot, the more difficult to assess
- Committee reviewing proposals has to be able to determine interdisciplinarity and proposers need to make valid justification
- Switch requirements 3 & 4 in Pilot proposal so focus is on GEC categories, not academic units
- Proposals due Nov. 13 assuming CAA approves funding
- Assessment:
i. Clusters will be reviewed after 3 years
ii. CLA, NSSE and surveys will be used
- Requested that members promote cluster proposals when RFP is released
- Vote: 11 yes, 0 no, 0 abstentions - Approved