Educational Policies Committee

Tuesday, May 2, 2005

Members Present: Corinne Winter, Martin Hansen, Mara Adams, David O’Connell, Ragene Gwin, Bill Hixon, Tom Hill, Barb Wiese, Jeremy Burke, Dan Zeimet, Kari Rogers

Excused: Kim Bennett

Guests: Paul Koch, Bob Ristow, Linda Brown, Art Moreau, Judy Correa Kaiser, Andy Kaiser, Kathy Trujillo, Bill Hitchings

1. Approval of Minutes –

Motion to approve the minutes of April 19, 2005: M. Hansen; Second: R. Gwin

Minutes approved

Motion to approve the minutes of April 26, 2005: B. Hixon; Second: D. Gwin

Amendments as given by R. Gwin:

Three corrections were made.

Communication Courses Changes to WI

Paragraph 3 should read: Can students who are non-majors take these courses? Response: Usually only students who are getting a major or minor in Communications take the courses. What about class size limits? Response: COMM 230 (Media Writing) is held in a computer lab, thus limiting enrollment to 18 students or less.

Education Department Endorsement in Modern Languages

Paragraph 2 should read: All teacher candidates complete core competencies as recommended by the State education code. Endorsement candidates would complete 18 hours of the chosen language at the 300 level, 24 total hours in the content area, plus one 1 hour methods course. International experience would be emphasized.

Occupational Therapy Assistive Technology Certificate Program

(Corrections from Phyllis Wenthe.)

Two courses were not included in the list:

AT 520 AT with the Adult Population – 4 cr.

AT 550 Supporting Individuals with Technology – 3 cr.

Students need to complete a total of 12 credits to earn the certificate.

Last paragraph, second to the last sentence should read: Graduate credit will be offered to those who have a bachelor’s degree. Others could take for continuing education credit.

Minutes approved as corrected.

J. Burke said that he had received the material for HIST 367 and HIST 219, and that they do meet the requirements for general education.

J. Burke also indicated that he had received the appropriate material from M. Less for the EDUC 309 course.

2. COB Proposal - Change in Financial Institutions Concentration

Motion to approve: R. Gwin; Second: D. O’Connell

(Written submission to EPC.)

The current Financial Institutions Concentration requires Econ 313; FNCE/ECON 402, 403, 492; one of the following: FNCE 401, ECON 312 or 327. To provide more flexibility for the students, we would like to change this by eliminating the requirement to take ECON 313 and revise the choices from one to two.

Thus, the revised requirement for the Financial Institutions Concentration would simply be FNCE/ECON 402, 403,492 and two of the following: FNCE 401 or any 300 level Economic course.

(End of written submission.)

L. Brown reviewed the proposal. A. Moreau elaborated on the changes they are proposing.

Motion approved.

3. Psychology Department Proposed Changes

Motion to approve: M. Adams; Second: D. O’Connell

(Written submission to EPC follows.)

Proposal 1: To approve MATH 151 as a prerequisite for STAT 213.

Rationale: Students having a background in college algebra will be more prepared to perform the mathematical operations presented in this course. The MATH 151 requirement can be fulfilled in a number of ways:

- having taken up to pre-calculus in high school and having obtained a Math ACT of 23 or above.

- getting the appropriate score on the St. Ambrose University math placement test.

- Taking the course at St. Ambrose University or at another institution

Proposal 2: To approve PSYC 321, Psychology and Law, (or instructor permission) as a prerequisite for PSYC 325, Psychology of Criminal Behavior.

Rationale: After teaching these courses for several years, it has become clear to Dr. A. Kaiser that students need to have the background on the issues presented in PSYC 321 to have a better understanding of the issues discussed in the PSYC 325.

Proposal 3: To include in the catalog that students completing a BA, BS, or a Teaching Major in Psychology must have at least 12 credit hours of 300-level courses in psychology; with a minimum of one course from each of the four areas outlined in the psychology curriculum.

Rationale: We want to make it clear in the catalog that having a minimum number of 300-level credit hours is required to obtain a degree in psychology.

Proposal 4: To require students who are completing a BA, BA in Forensic Psychology, Teaching Major, Teaching Minor, and Minor in Psychology to obtain a minimum of a “C” in the course STAT 213 Applied Statistical Reasoning for the Sciences.

Rationale: To be able to understand the literature from which the area of psychology acquires its knowledge, students need to have an understanding of the procedures utilized to analyze data.

(End of written submission.)

Paul Koch read an addition to the course description for STAT 213:

Students taking STAT 213 may demonstrate an appropriate pre-requisite skill level in one of the following ways:

Having taken up to pre-calculus in high school and having obtained a Math ACT of 23 or above, or
Getting the appropriate score on the St. Ambrose University math placement test, or
Taking and passing Math 151 or above with a “C” grade or passing a comparable course at another institution, or
Receiving instructor permission.

A lengthy discussion occurred. Going from nothing to STAT 213 is too difficult for some students, so the Psychology Department is requesting all STAT 213 students take and pass MATH 151 with a grade of “C” or meet one of the other qualifiers as noted above. A question was asked about honoring the old prerequisite MATH 121 (now MATH 095) to satisfy this requirement if a student is under the old catalog. After further discussion, it was noted that this will be allowed. What about students who transfer this course from a community college? Response: It will meet the requirement.

A concern was raised that this proposed change preempts the general education requirements as approved by the faculty. Response: The Department is concerned that students have the necessary background skills to be successful in the course.

Discussion continued with some individuals expressing the opinion that the proposed change did not preempt the changed general education requirements.

B. Hixon expressed concerns about making a decision on this on the spur of the moment without adequate time for EPC members to read the additional statement that P. Koch read. (No copies were available for committee members.) It was noted that the four qualifiers are the same as they were before the Math Department made the change of renumbering MATH 121 to MATH 095. It should be noted also that meeting any of the first three qualifiers means that the student has met the general education requirements for math proficiency. Different instructors may have different emphases in their teaching. All current instructors for the STAT 213 course are open to speaking individually with students before giving instructor approval for taking STAT 213 without a math course. (CLARIFICATION NOTE: This course is a requirement for several undergraduate majors or may be taken by students who are considering a graduate program that requires statistics.)

It was noted that STAT 213 still satisfies the general education skills requirement for math. It was pointed out that testing out of a Math course preempts general education. (CLARIFICATION NOTE: Testing out of Math 151 eliminates the need to take STAT 213 to meet the general education requirements.) General issues that students across campus are dealing with for meeting the math general education requirement needs to be addressed by the entire faculty (e.g., seniors who are not able to pass the math requirements). This issue will be raised during the next academic year.

The Psychology Department encouraged EPC to vote on the proposal at this time because of the number of students who are currently affected by this situation.

A vote was called to approve Proposal 1 as amended by the material read by Paul Koch.

Motion passed (7 aye, 1 nay).

Discussion about Proposal 2-4 continued.

A question about the timing of courses was raised. Additional language about when courses are offered will be put into the new catalog.

Motion to approve Proposals 2-4.

Motion passed.

4. Graduate Special Education Proposal

Motion to approve: D. O’Connell; Second: B. Hixon

(Written submission to EPC follows.)

Program Changes for the graduate Special Education Licensure Program- Instructional Strategist 1

Beginning 1 June, St. Ambrose University, the Iowa Department of Education and eight Iowa colleges and universities including Buena Vista University, Drake University, Grand View College, Iowa State University, Morningside College, Simpson College, University of Iowa, and University of Northern Iowa will provide an endorsement opportunity to currently employed special education teachers holding a Strategist I Class C license. The endorsement program is entitled Strategist I Network (SIN). Once teacher has met the competencies, the Iowa Department of Education will issue the license rather than SAU recommending the teacher for Instructional Strategist I. Since the State is issuing the license, the license is limited to teaching in the State of Iowa.

Students enrolled in the SIN project will take the following courses

1. Foundations of special education,

2. Characteristics of students with mild or moderate disabilities,

3. Assessment,

4. Instructional Methods/ Assistive Technology (K-6 or 7-12),

5. Managing behavior,

6. Collaboration,

7. Transition (7-12)

8. Complete a Professional experience (K-6 or 7-12)

The content in each area can be found at -

http://www.state.ia.us/boee/speced.html#Instructional strategist I: mild and moderate

Therefore, we would like to make two changes in our graduate special education licensure program for Instructional Strategist I to match up with the courses offered by other institutions participating in the project.

1. SpEd 509, History and Philosophy of Special Education will become SpEd 509, Foundations of Special Education

2. Increase the number of credits for SpEd 560, Assistive

Technology from 2 to 3 credits.

(End of written submission.)

B. Hitchings gave some background information about the statewide program. This proposed change will align our courses with the state guidelines. We are part of a consortium that uses similar names and content for courses. The SPED 509 course is changing in title but not in content. Changes will reflect the strengths and needs of the students who are taking the courses.

Motion approved

5. Catholic Studies Minor and The Justice and Peace Minor Program Review

Motion to approve: R. Gwin; Second: D. O’Connell

(Written submission to EPC follows.)

Part I. The Catholic Studies Minor

PROPOSED ACTIONS

Delete THEO 302 as a required course, since it has been reassigned to the requirements for the Justice & Peace minor.
Delete THEO 404 as a required course, since it has been replaced by CATH 301.
Change the title of CATH 301 from Readings in Catholic Studies to Catholic Studies Seminar.

OVERALL DESCRIPTION OF THE CATHOLIC STUDIES MINOR

History of the Catholic Studies Minor

The Catholic Studies Minor has a long history at St. Ambrose University since its inception in the 1970’s. It has sought to integrate various disciplines, and offer students a broad understanding of Catholic intellectual tradition. This tradition is “a locus for questioning, a framework for ordering inquiry, a standard for preferring some sets of ideas over others; tradition is the record of a community’s conversation over time about its meaning and direction.”[1] At a Catholic university, students study life’s perennial questions and explore solutions within the context of a particular set of religious and ethical values, such as concern for the marginalized, a commitment to social justice, and a respect for all human life.

The expertise, breadth, and depth of faculty at St. Ambrose University are strengths of the minor, for such an inquiry could not take place without the resources of a university. No program of Catholic Studies could be successful without ecclesiastical support, and the university enjoys a positive relationship with the Diocese of Davenport. Faculty members support diocesan programs; priests of the Diocese are university faculty members, and the two institutions share material resources.

The Catholic Studies Minor was developed in the early 1970’s but failed to thrive as a program. It is difficult to ascertain how many students had selected Catholic Studies for a minor, as records from this earlier time period are sketchy. In the fall of 1997, a faculty committee chaired by Dr. Jon Stauff was convened to invigorate the minor, and at that time two new courses were added: the Introductory course CATH 201 and the seminar course, CATH 301.

Since its renaissance in 1998, less than five students have identified themselves as desiring to engage in this program of study. Low numbers and lack of interest are due to several factors. A key to the success of the program will be the opportunities to promote it; misconceptions about the minor and its aims amongst faculty and students have to be addressed, for there is the perception that it is engaged in the business of proselytizing. While the Catholic Studies Minor seeks to make a formal academic inquiry into the nature and history of Catholicism, it is not intended as a vehicle for seeking new converts to the faith. From its inception, the program is intended to be an interdisciplinary, ecumenical academic inquiry into a particular faith tradition and its intellectual, cultural, and aesthetic underpinnings.

Recently, there has been a dialogue between the Catholic Studies and the Justice & Peace programs as to the possibility of sharing resources, and a plan was included in the 2005-2008 strategic planning cycle to develop a Center for Faith, Justice and Learning which could include the Catholic Studies Minor, the Justice and Peace Minor, and the Service Learning Program.

Catalog Description

Current catalog description:

The current 2003-2005 catalog description consists only of a list of courses and a statement about entry procedures.

“Entry procedure for Catholic Studies Minor: A course of study should be worked out with an advisor. This will be submitted to the Catholic Studies program director for approval.”

Proposed catalog description:

“The Catholic Studies Minor at St. Ambrose University is an interdisciplinary program of study designed to offer the students an exploration of Catholic intellectual tradition. The goal is to gather students and faculty from all disciplines to engage in a critical, sympathetic investigation of Catholic thought and life. Catholicism is complex; it is a faith tradition that incorporates doctrines, structures, rituals, customs, philosophical thought, sociological phenomena, and artistic expressions. Catholic teaching addresses concerns that are both ecclesiastical and secular, and therefore it is fitting that such a process of inquiry take place at a university setting.

Students pursuing a Catholic Studies minor must select a mentor from members of the Catholic Studies Advisory Committee, who will guide and direct the student in selecting courses. Students who wish to substitute courses for ones listed must have the approval of the Director.”

Catalog Course Requirements: (changes appear in italics)

Requirements for an Interdisciplinary Minor in Catholic Studies: A minimum of 19 credits, including CATH 201, CATH 301, SVLN 201; one from THEO 307, 308. Students should select nine semester credits from the following: ART 354; HIST 245, 317,319; MUS 310; PHIL 343, 360; THEO 202, 215, 219, 362, 313;

CATH 201 Introduction to Catholic Studies 3 credits

Interdisciplinary foundations course. Students receive an introduction of the rich heritage of the Catholic intellectual tradition, including Church teachings, Catholic literary and artistic expressions, and contemporary issues in the Catholic community. Pre-requisite: One 100 or 200 level theology course or permission of the instructor.

CATH 301 Catholic Studies Seminar 3 credits

Provides an opportunity for scholarly research and writing in an interdisciplinary setting. Pre-requisite: CATH 201and six credits in the minor, or instructor permission.

Significant Changes Since the Last Program Review

The Summer 2004 Strategic Planning Task Force, comprised of faculty and staff, met to strategize ways in which the Catholic Studies and Justice & Peace minors could be revitalized.
The development of a mission statement, goals & objectives, and an assessment plan for the minor.
Utilization of Catholic Studies Program budget to support speakers and guest lecturers and collaborating with other departments and programs to fund campus activities, such as the interfaith peace service in November of 2001. Visiting lecturers sponsored by Catholic Studies include Dr. Terryl Kindar’s lecture on monasticism and medieval architecture in the fall of 2003, Dr. Charles Wilbur’s lecture on economic justice and issues of globalization in the spring of 2004, Barbara Ehrenriech’s presentation on minimum wage jobs in America in the fall of 2004, Dr. Robert Barnet’s lecture on medical ethics in Spring 2005, and Dr. Len Chrobat’s lecture on social justice and ethnicity in the spring of 2005.
The development of a strategic plan for the 2005-2008 planning cycle to develop a Center for Faith, Justice and Learning, which could include the Catholic Studies Program, and Justice & Peace Program, and the Service Learning Program.

Long Range Plans for the Catholic Studies Minor

1. To increase the number of minors

2. To increase the number of supporting courses from other departments to include specific areas of interest from all colleges

3. To increase the Catholic Studies Program budget so as to assist in developing new courses and supporting visiting scholars

4. To collaborate with the Advancement Department to secure community support for the minor

5. To develop an advisory board for the minor

6. To develop promotional materials to be used for recruitment, including use

of a website with connections to the University and ready-links to other sites

7. To collaborate with other academic departments within the university to support guest lectures, visiting artists, and programs of mutual interest

8. To support organizations and activities in the larger community that are congruent with the mission of the minor, in order to boost community awareness of the University and its heritage as a Catholic, liberal arts institution

ASSESSMENT OF THE CATHOLIC STUDIES MINOR

A) Departmental Minor Assessment Plan

1) Departmental Mission Statement

The fundamental purpose of the Catholic Studies minor is to establish and maintain an intentional scholarly focus on our core identity as a Catholic university by 1) preserving the depth and breadth of vision regarding the Catholic perspective, especially the intellectual, spiritual, social aesthetic and moral dimensions, and 2) preserving the St. Ambrose University commitment to the Catholic Intellectual Tradition across the disciplines.

2) Goals for the minor: Students in the Catholic Studies minor will

1. Be able to analyze and discuss characteristics of the Catholic perspective

2. Appreciate the richness of the Catholic heritage as it is reflected across the curriculum

3. Recognize the Catholic Intellectual Tradition as a living tradition to which they are called to make a contribution

4. Understand the connection between theory and practice within Catholic tradition

2) Objectives for the minor: Students in the Catholic minor will

1. Become familiar with key figures and essential sources for understanding the

Catholic Intellectual Tradition

2. Be able to articulate, in written and oral form, hallmarks of Catholic

tradition, such as sacramentality, subsidiarity, mediation, and a philosophy marked by critical realism

3. Be able to seek and appreciate truth where it may be found

4. Develop a multi-disciplinary plan of study including courses from at

least three departments

5. Complete at least one major project/paper in which the student adopts and supports a position within the tradition

6. Participate in Service Learning and philosophical reflection on the experience

3) Methods for Assessment in the Minor

Monitoring syllabi. The Director will maintain a file of syllabi of new and updated courses that support the minor. These will serve as resources for additional courses that might be designed to support the minor, and their review by the Director will help insure that the minor as a whole is meeting its objectives.
Student Portfolios. Portfolios of graduating minors will be kept on file, to be reviewed annually by the Director so as to measure progress in student’s critical thinking and writing skills.
Surveying current students, alumni, community constituents and friends. A survey will be conducted in the 2006-2007 academic year to measure the efficaciousness of the minor, the community needs and interests, and ways in which the minor can support the overall mission of the University.

Meeting the Program’s Objectives

The Catholic Studies minor is an interdisciplinary program, with two foundational courses: CATH 201 and CATH 301. These two courses are essential and bear a greater responsibility than the supporting courses for meeting the objectives of the minor. The following summary describes how the courses in the minor meet its objectives.

Objective 1. Minors are familiar with the key figures and essential sources for understanding Catholic Intellectual Tradition, and these figures and hallmarks are introduced in the CATH 201 course and supported by in-depth study in the CATH 301 course. Through readings, discussions, and individualized research, students are introduced to the names, ideas, theories, and events that have shaped this Catholic Intellectual Tradition. Other courses that contribute to the basic understanding of key figures and events are: THEO 202, 215, 219, 307, 308, 362; HIST 245, 317, 319; PHIL 343, 360.

Objective 2. Minors are able to articulate hallmarks of Catholic Intellectual Tradition in written and oral form as they are introduced in CATH 201 and supported with in-depth research in CATH 301. Other courses that address these benchmarks include THEO 215, THEO 219, HIST 245, 317; PHIL 343.

Objective 3. Minors are able to appreciate and seek truth; to do this requires some framework for assessing what constitutes truth and appreciating truth as a dynamic entity and not a static concept that is the possession of any single person or group. Courses that assist in laying down this theoretical framework include CATH 201, THEO 202, 219, 362; PHIL 343, 360.

Objective 4. Minors develop a multidisciplinary plan of study, and this is achieved by the requirement of taking courses from at least three different departments. Departments included for consideration are Art, History, Music, Philosophy and Theology. Inclusion of additional supporting courses in part of the long-range plan for the minor.

Objective 5. Minors will complete a major paper/project that requires them to understand the Catholic Intellectual Tradition and support/analyze a position within the tradition. CATH 201 introduces students to foundational concepts, and CATH 301 provides the student with the opportunity to conduct individualized research on a particular topic.

Objective 6. Minors will participate in Service Learning, and this will be arranged through the SVLN 201 course. Other supporting courses may have a service component attached to them that support the goals of the minor.

An elaboration of the courses and the program objectives can be found in the grid below.

Objective	1	2	3	4	5	6
CATH 201	X	X	X		X
CATH 301	X	X	X	X	X
ART 354	X		X	X
HIST 245	X	X	X	X	X
HIST 317	X	X	X	X	X
HIST 319	X	X	X	X	X
MUS 310	X		X	X
PHIL 343	X		X	X	X	X
PHIL 360	X	X	X	X
SVLN 201	X		X	X		X
THEO 202	X	X	X	X	X
THEO 215	X	X	X	X	X
THEO 219	X	X	X	X	X
THEO 307	X	X	X	X	X
THEO 308	X	X	X	X	X
THEO 313	X	X	X	X
THEO 362	X	X	X	X	X

Become familiar with key figures and essential sources for the understanding of Catholic Intellectual Tradition (Understanding, attitude)
Be able to articulate, in written and oral form, hallmarks of Catholic tradition, such as sacramentality, subsidiarity, mediation, and a philosophy marked by critical realism. (Understanding, skills)
Be able to seek and appreciate truth where it may be found. (Attitude)
Develop a multi-disciplinary plan of study including courses from at least three departments. (Understanding)
Complete at least one major project/paper in which the student takes and supports a position within the tradition. (Understanding, skills)
Participate in Service Learning and philosophical reflection on the experience. (Understanding, Attitude)

Assessment of Requirements, Course Sequencing, and Pre-requisites

Students are encouraged to take CATH 201 in their first or second year at St. Ambrose University and CATH 301 and the proposed CATH 401 during the last three semesters of their undergraduate work. The supporting courses from various departments can be taken at various times as the student fulfills major and general education requirements. Feedback from the Summer 2004 Task Force, along with student input, suggests that benchmarks at the beginning and end of the program are essential, along with latitude during the intervening time so as to accommodate scheduling concerns. Pre-requisites are important to the building of a skills set and knowledge base, but it should be noted that the majority of the supporting courses fulfill general education requirements and do no present an undue hardship for students to enter or complete the minor.

4) Documentation of Student Learning in the Minor

The instructors for CATH 201, 301, and 401 are responsible for collecting samples of student work for the student portfolios, which will be retained and reviewed by the Director. The Director reviews syllabi and reports to the Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee will review the assessment information during the academic year prior to program review.

5) Use of Assessment Information to Improve Education

The assessment plan will be reviewed in the year preceding the scheduled program review. The Advisory Committee should have this review as part of its regularly scheduled meetings. Samples of papers, exams, projects and others documentation of student work will be kept on file with the Director for five years, and student portfolios will be retained for five years. It is expected that student portfolios, survey data, and input from the Advisory Committee will provide the necessary data for assessing learning and teaching in this minor.

EVALUATION OF THE ASSESSMENT PLAN

The assessment plan will be reviewed during the year preceding the program review as part of the Advisory Committee’s meeting dedicated to preparing for the upcoming review.

B) Assessment of Teaching and Learning in the Minor

1) Samples of papers and projects from CATH 201, CATH 301 and SVLN 201, the required core courses, will be retained on file for three years. Portfolios of all minors will be retained for five years. These documents, and the survey data, will provide the necessary data for assessing learning and teaching in the minor.

2) Evaluate the program requirements, sequencing of courses and prerequisites. It is difficult to ascertain at this point any concerns with regards to sequence, requirements and prerequisites, as there is no data available from previous years. It is a goal of the program to expand and diversify through the addition of course offerings in other disciplinary areas not yet represented.

C) General Education Assessment of Teaching

This section presents the way in which CATH-designated courses fulfill the objectives of the General Education Program. Other courses in the minor that are from other departments are not included in this section as they are reviewed for General Education as part of their own departmental reviews.

CATH Designated Courses and Skills/Attitudes Grid

CATH Courses	201	301
Skills (Do)
Written Communication	1,6,7,11	1,6,7,11
Oral Communication	3, 4	3,4
Interpersonal Communication	3,6,9	3,6,9,11
Mathematical Reasoning Skills
Collaborative Skills	1,3,6	1,3,6
Health & Recreational Skills
Computer Literacy Skills	1,7	1,7
Information Literacy Skills	1,6	1,6
Foreign Language Skills
Attitudes/Values (Think About)
Respect for Differences	3,5