Undergraduate Studies Committee Minutes 2/10/09

Attending Voting Members: I. Acosta (ROTC), M. Bauer (CS). J. Chong (BCPS), R. Gordon (Psych), M. Gosz (MMAE), D. Gatchell (BME), J. Kallend (MMAE), R. Krawczyk (Arch), N. Nieswandt (MSED), J. O'Leary (CAEE), M. Pelsmajer (Math), G. Pulliam (Hum), J. Saniie (ECE), M. Shapiro, (SS), M. Snyder (CAEE), K. Spink (BCPS), R. Trygstad (CPD), J. Twombly (SSB).

Attending IIT Guests: G. Doyle (Undergrad. Admissions), C. Hannigan (Comm across the Curr), S. Malgrave (Student), K. Stetz (Stud. Affairs), ( B. Tapia (Acad. Res. Ctr), P. Troyk (BME), G. Welter (Ed. Serv.), P. Zachocki (Registrar)

The meeting is chaired by Greg Fasshauer.

The minutes are recorded by John Snapper.

Convene 12:50 PM. Adjourn 1:45 PM.

The Chair notes that there is a quorum for business.

The minutes of the Oct 14, 2008 are approved by unanimous consent. The UGSC did not meet in November or December 2008.

At the 10/18/08 meeting, the UGSC voted to create subcommittees that will review designations of courses as satisfying general education requirements. The subcommittees are:

Communications: G. Pulliam (Hum), M Bauer (CS), M. Gosz (MMAE), S. Mueller (Bus), S. Sennott (Arch), G. Welter (Ed. Serv) P. Zachorcki (Registr)

Computer Science: M. Bauer (CS), J. Hanrath (CS), D. Rempfer (MMAE), R. Krawczyk (Arch), X. Li (Math), J. Twombly (Bus), K. Stolley (Hum). C. Segre (BCPS), V. Turitto (BME)

Humanities: J. Snapper (Hum) & J. Kallend (MMAE)

Mathematics: M. Peslmajer (Math) & H. Kaul (Math)

Natural Science: K. Spink (BCPS) & B. Stark (BCPS)

Soc & Behav Sciences: M. Shapiro (SS) & R. Gordon (Psyc)

On Behalf of the Computer Science general education subcommittee, M. Bauer distributes a white paper calling for a discussion of the objectives of the computer science general education program.

Prof. Troyk draws the attention of the UGSC to an action at the Spring 08 meeting of the full faculty. At the meeting the Faculty considered a proposal to add the following statement to the Faculty Handbook:

Changes to the definition of the General Education Requirement, or designation of courses used to satisfy the General Education Requirement shall be reported to the Undergraduate Studies Committee. Approval of all changes, or course designations, shall follow the procedures as described in III/D/1,2,3,4,5. All changes submitted to the voting faculty, as described in III/D/3 shall be submitted to the voting faculty, in writing, not less than two weeks prior to the faculty meeting.

The Faculty by majority vote referred the proposal back to the UGSC for further consideration. Prof. Troyk asks the UGSC to act on this referral.

It is moved and seconded that the UGSC endorses the addition of the following statement to the Handbook:

Changes to the definition of the General Education Requirement, or designation of courses used to satisfy the General Education Requirement shall be reported to the Undergraduate Studies Committee. Approval of all changes, or course designations, shall follow the procedures as described in III/D/1,2,3,4,5.

By UGSC policy, there can be no vote on the motion until the March meeting of the UGSC.

On behalf of the subcommittee on the communications general education requirement, Prof. Pulliam distributes a white paper outlining a proposal to review criteria for the ìCî designation to a course, and a process for reviewing which courses in fact meet those criteria. Dr. Pulliam requests UGSC members to discuss the proposal in their units, in preparation for further UGSC discussion.

Prof. J. Kallend draws the attention of the UGSC to the fact that there has been no recent study of the appropriateness of the general education criteria to the IIT educational mission. It is moved and seconded that:

The UGSC will formulate a process for a review of the General Education Program with a focus on the question ìIs the general education program the correct general education for IIT?î The UGSC will then implement such changes to the general education program as are proposed and approved consequent to that review.

By UGSC policy, there can be no vote on the motion until the March meeting of the UGSC.

J. Snapper, Secretary to the UGSC