Undergraduate Studies Committee Minutes 11/10/09
Attending Voting Members: M. Bauer (CS), K. Ellington (Psych), A. Glodowski (BCPS), G. Fasshauer (Math), M. Gosz (MMAE), L. Hosman (SocSci), D. Kamper (BME), C. Koehler (MSED), R. Krawczyk (Arch), G. Pulliam (Hum), K. Spink (BCPS), R. Ruiz (MMAE), S. Sennott (Arch), M Snyder (CAE), A. Tower (ROTC), R. Trygstad (CPD), J. Twombly (SSB).
Attending IIT Guests: L. Batson (Comm Across the Curr), J. Dorr (Library), J. Doyle (Admissions), D. Geiger (Student Affairs), G. Welter (Ed. Serv.).
The meeting is chaired by John OíLeary (with the approval of the UGSC, in the absence of John Kallend). The minutes are recorded by John Snapper.
The Chair notes that there is a quorum for business. Convene 1:15 PM. Adjourn 1:45 PM.
The minutes of the Oct 13 meeting are accepted with corrections by unanimous consent.
Dr Twombly informs the UGSC that the School of Business is reconsidering the revisions that were presented at the 10/12/09 meeting. Dr. Twombly will bring a more extensive set of revisions before the UGSC at an upcoming meeting.
Dr. Ruiz asks the UGSC to endorse the following revisions to the BS in Aerospace Engineering:
No longer require EG-105
Reduces the required minimum credit hours by two credits to 127 credits
The revisions are moved and seconded. The UGSC endorses the revisions by unanimous consent.
It is the unanimous consensus of the UGSC that these are not significant changes to the program.
Dr. Ruiz asks the UGSC to endorse revisions to the BS in Mechanical Engineering.
Revamp the graphics component
Revamp the lab requirements, substituting stand-alone labs for labs attached to lecture courses.
Reduce the required minimum credit hours by three credits from 130 to 127 credits.
The revisions are moved and seconded. A detailed description of the revisions is posted on the UGSC web site. The UGSC postpones a vote until its next meeting.
Dr. Spink asks the UGSC to endorse the following revisions to the BS in Biochemistry:
Require Chem-344 (replacing a choice between Chem-344 and Phys 223).
Substitute Math-425 for BME 433 as the required statistics course.
Require a course in literature review, either Biol-451 or Chem-451.
Reduce the requirement in technical electives to 4 courses (11/12 credit hours).
Reduce the required minimum credit hours by one credit to 127/128 credits.
The revisions are moved and seconded. The UGSC endorses the revisions by unanimous consent.
It is the unanimous consensus of the UGSC that these are not significant changes to the program.
Dr. Spink asks the UGSC to endorse the following revision to the BS in Molecular Biochemistry and Biophysics:
Substitute Math-425 for Math-474, as a required statistics course.
The revision is moved and seconded. The UGSC endorses the revision with unanimous consent.
It is the unanimous consensus of the UGSC that this not a significant change to the program.
Dr. Spink asks the UGSC to endorse the following revision to the BS in Biology:
Require Math-425
Reduce the free electives by one course.
The revisions are moved and seconded. The UGSC endorses the revisions with Unanimous Consent.
It is the unanimous consensus of the UGSC that these are not significant changes to the program.
Dr. Spink informs the UGSC of the following changes in BCPS course offerings
Renumber Biol-320 to Biol-451
Split Biol-115 into a section for majors and a section for non-majors
Make Biol-305 and Biol-430 into an integrated two semester sequence.
The UGSC views these revisions as information items, not requiring formal endorsement.
Dr. Trygstad asks the UGSC to endorse the following changes to the Bachelor of Information Technology and Management:
Require ITM-434 (Human/Computer Interaction), presently taught only at the graduate level.
Reduce the free electives by three credits, in order to make room for ITM-434
Require Math-151 or 148/149 or 120/121 for students matriculating as 1st-year students.
Require a minimum of at least eight hours of mathematics (counting Bus-211, statistics).
Require Bus-211 for students matriculating with fewer than 60 credit hours.
Require Bus-211 for transfer students matriculating with fewer than 5 credits of mathematics.
The revisions are moved and seconded. By UGSC policy, the vote is postponed to the next meeting.
At the meeting 10/10/09 it was moved and seconded that:
Undergraduate registration in internet courses requires instructor permission.
IT is moved and seconded that the motion be amended to read:
Undergraduate registration in internet courses requires department permission.
The motion to amend passes <10-3>. The motion as amended passes by unanimous consent.
It is the intent of the UGSC that the permission is given by the department through which the internet course is offered.
Dr. Bauer reports that the General Education Subcommittee is looking at ways to refocus general education away from subject-specific based requirements (such as ìComputer Scienceî and ìMathematicsî) to a theme-based requirement, where different subject areas could satisfy each theme. The following are working ideas for possible themes:
Culture and Society
Quantitative Reasoning
Professional Development
Acquisition of Knowledge
Technology and Innovation.
The Subcommittee will have a more complete report for the UGSC in the Spring.
Mr. Doyle informs the UGSC that students with an outstanding balance to the university in excess of $500 have a financial hold preventing registration for the spring semester. Students subject to the hold receive several notifications, both by email and traditional mail. Students with the financial hold are urged to speak to the bursar or the office of financial aid to work out a resolution that will lift the hold. Students who, in the opinion of the faculty advisor, experience customer service issue or delays should be encouraged to contact Mr. Doyle.
J. Snapper, Secretary to the UGSC