Undergraduate Studies Committee                          10/11/11

Attending Voting Members: Mark Snyder (CAEE), F. Ruiz, (MMAE), K. Spink (BIOL), J. Ovhori (SGA), R. Trygstad (ITM), G. Fasshauer (AM), S. Whitney (MSED), M. Safar (INTM), M. Beckman (CS), Y. Torun (PHYS), J. Twombly (SSB), D. Kamper (BME), F. Teymour (CHBE), E.J. Lee (PSYC), U. Segerstrale(SSCI), J. Sanie (ECE), K. Stolley (HUM), S. Sennott (ARCH)

Also attending: Fred Weeneng (AMAT), Abby McGrath (FinAid), J. Dorr (Galvin), J. Kallend (Armour), M. Lopez (UGAA), G. Smith (UGAA), T. Anderson (SSB).

The meeting is chaired by Matt Bauer.

Chair notes there is a quorum at 12:50 p.m. Meeting is convened.

Adjourn: 1:40 p.m. Minutes record by Matt Bauer

1) The minutes of the 9/27/2011 meeting are approved unanimously, with one change (item 1 should refer to approving minutes of 9/13/2011 meeting).

2) Discussion and approval of CS110 as a Computer Science general Education class (Bauer). Discussion primarily centers on which majors would take the course (majors who do not specify a preference, mostly sciences, psyc, ssci, hum). Issue was also raised by Ruiz whether this sort of course, a computing ideas course instead of a programming skills course, was appropriate for UGs at a technical university. Explanation that students will still program in this course, and actually on more advanced topics, but in a language that is used for teaching (Scratch/BYOB). Students should fine later adoption of other programming languages easier. Course is approved unanimously as a general education computer science option.

Old Business

3) Final discussions on various summer session options and ideas how to increase enrollment. It was suggested that a set of HUM or SOC SCI/PSYC offerings targeted at new intl ug might be a good idea. But would need to be decided soon so admissions could notify them about options for early arrival. Also discussed that shorter terms (less than 6 weeks) could be set up for special case classes (like ENGR200 1 credit hour in summer 2011)

4) Framework for review of the general education requirements.  No update at this time.

Here are other non-voting NEW business agenda items

5a) Course Registration Issues (Zachocki) - Brief overview of issue, tabled until 10/25 meeting

5b) Revised Entrepreneurship Minor (Anderson, information item) - Two changes:  One is to make two elective courses in the current minor required and remove other options from current minor (this is due to lack of enrollment) and to add the BUS469 Summit course. Discussion focused on comparison to old minor and what drove the changes. Business school will communicate with UGAA to officially list the new minor.

5c) Potential New Course to satisfy the General Education Requirement in Applied Mathematics, MATH110 - Thinking Mathematically (Fasshauer/Weening) - discussion and feedback. Suggestions for possible lab component and to discuss with depts whose majors might take it for further clarification. Discussion was again raised whether this sort of course, a mathematical ideas course instead of a calculus course, was appropriate for UGs at a technical university.

5d) Discussion on forming an UGSC subcommittee to establish IPRO criteria. This charter was discussed. "Review and possibly update of learning objectives for IPRO and to establish criteria for approving IPRO proposals." Suggested small group, 5 or 6, with representation from faculty already invested in IPRO (multiple colleges, not all necessary), representation from IPRO office, and representation from the IPRO Review Subcommittee recently formed. Suggested to review the history of IPRO goals, what was originally intended, does it still make sense. Also use examples for model IPROs. ASKING FOR NOMINATIONS

5e) University wide NCA assessment committee - S. Whitney from MSED will be scheduled to give an overview of assessment to UGSC, possibly at 10/25 meeting.

5f) Enrollment Ceilings (Pulliam, request delay until 10/25) - Discuss with the provost and registrar about the decision to increase the enrollment ceilings in some classes this fall without consulting or even informing the pertinent departments. What is being done to avoid this in the future?

6) Adjournment