Undergraduate Studies Committee Minutes 9/10/09

Attending Voting Members: M. Bauer (CS), K. Ellington (Psych), D. Kamper (BME), G. Fasshauer (Math), L. Hosman (SocSci), C. Koehler (MSED), R. Krawczyk (Arch), J. O'Leary (CAEE), V. Perez-Luna (ChBE), G. Pulliam (Hum), G. Raman (MMAE), J. Saniie (ECE), K. Spink (BCPS), A. Tower (ROTC), R. Trygstad (CPD), J. Twombly (SSB), G. Williamson (ECE).

Attending IIT Guests: L. Batson (Comm across the Curr), J. Dorr (Library), J. Doyle (Admissions), D. Geiger (Student Affairs), B. Kibbe (Tech News), G. Welter (Ed. Serv.), P. Zachocki (Registrar).

The meeting is chaired by John Kallend. The minutes are recorded by John Snapper.

The Chair notes that there is a quorum for business. Convene 1:15 PM. Adjourn 1:40 PM.

The minutes of the May 5 meeting are accepted by unanimous consent.

Dr. Kallend reminds the UGSC of the policy that significant motions are not voted on the day on which they are brought to the UGSC. Significant motions are voted no earlier than the next UGSC meeting.

Dr. Kallend notes that the Faculty Handbook says in prose that a unit has a second UGSC member if the average of two numbers is above a threshold. The Handbook also gives a formula that has the sum (not the average) of those numbers. On 9/4/09, The Faculty Council determined that the prose statement is the intention of the faculty, and instructs to UGSC to take the average when determining representation to the UGSC. Dr. Kallend notes that Architecture, BCPS, and MMAE have two voting members on the UGSC.

Dr. Snapper draws attention to the discussion in the May 5^th minutes of non-calculus based mathematics courses. The UGSC had then formed a subcommittee to look into those offerings. The subcommittee has not met. Dr. Snapper asks if the UGSC wishes to reconstitute that subcommittee. It is the consensus of the UGSC that this matter be assigned to the subcommittee on general education.

Dr. Bauer draws attention to present practice that permits U4 undergraduates to enroll in internet courses without advisor or instructor permission. The UGSC forms a subcommittee to suggest a policy. The Subcommittee is <Bauer (chair), Spink, Trydstad, and Twombly>.

Drs. Bauer and Pulliam draw attention to the fact that the Drop/Add period now extends for two and one-half weeks into the semester. It is moved and seconded that

The UGSC recommends to the Calendar Committee that IIT shorten the Add period

to one and one-half weeks.

The motion is seconded. On UGSC policy a vote is put off until the next UGSC meeting.

Mr. Zachocki will discuss the Drop/Add period with the Calendar Committee, and report to the UGSC on the consequences of changing the Add period, and on separating the Add period from the Drop period.

Dr. Pulliam notes the UGSC resolution (4/11/09) for periodic assessments of C-courses. The process cannot be performed while the position of CAC director remains unstaffed. Prof. Kallend will draw this matter to the attention of IIT administration.

Dr. Kallend notes that the UGSC resolution (3/10/09) to review IIT general education, asking whether the general education program is the correct general education for IIT. The review has been put on hold to avoid conflict with the present effort to define the ìdistinctive featuresî of an IIT education. The UGSC reconstitutes a Subcommittee on General Education. The committee is <Kallend (chair), Krawczik, Spink, Snapper, Snyder, Twombly>.

J. Snapper, Secretary to the UGSC