Educational Policy Committee Meeting
Tuesday, November 15
Members present: Mara Adams, Patrick Connelly, Fr. Bud Grant, Martin Hansen, Tom Hill, Bill McAleer, Keri Manning, Lori Rodrigues-Fisher, Deanna Stoube, Jim Van Speybroeck, Barb Wiese, Dan Zeimet
Members absent: Bradley Hannon (student representative)
Guests: Katie Trujillo, Bryan Ballantyne, Sandra Cassady, Karen Holden, Waylyn McCulloh, Sandra Quinn, Christopher Sharp
I.
Approval
of minutes
Motion to approve minutes of October 18 meeting: J. Van Speybroeck; second by D. Stoube.
Motion passed unanimously.
II. Physical Therapy
A. Notifications
Physical Therapy notified EPC of the pre-requisites now required for DPT 830: Management of the Medically Complex Patient and a change in course description for DPT 830 and DPT 850: Integration Project
B. Proposal to “split three credits allotted for DPT 700: Issues in Research II into two different classes, DPT 700…for 1 credit and DPT 705 – Critical Inquiry for 2 credits”
S. Cassady discussed the reasoning behind splitting these credits in order to give separate grades for clinical work and research.
Motion to approve proposal: D. Stoube; second by J. Van Speybroeck.
In discussion, physical therapy faculty argued that dividing the credits will make the grading process for the project less confusing. Students will report to their respective committees. They will also have the opportunity to present their research.
The proposed change would be effective in the spring 2006 semester.
Motion passed without objection.
III.
Pre-requisite
issue
Discussion began regarding the opening of an upper-level Theology course to students who have not completed the conventional prerequisites for it. Although members of the Theology department will be discussing this issue at greater length, the sense of the committee was that it should also be discussed in this venue because overriding departmental policies on pre-requisites is a serious curricular issue.
Motion to table discussion of this issue until December 6 meeting, at which time all deans should be invited: J. Van Speybroeck; second by K. Manning.
Motion passed without objection.
IV.
Creation of Environmental
Studies interdisciplinary minor
Fr. Bud Grant explained the origins of the Environmental Studies minor – a failed effort to create a learning community. He explained that no additional faculty compensation will be required for the courses offered for the minor and that many of the courses proposed as part of the minor already fulfill the requirements for general education. He also described the capstone requirement for the minor, ENVS 400, for which he hopes students would travel.
Motion to approve the new minor and two new courses, ENVS 201: Introduction to Environmental Studies and ENVS 400: Capstone: J. Van Speybroeck; second by P. Connelly.
Committee members raised concerns about how Bill Parsons and Regina Stephens will be compensated for team-teaching SOC/PSCI 375: Environmental Social Politics, without resolving the issue. They also inquired about the variable credit hours allotted to ENVS 400; Fr. Grant explained that each student will decide, with a faculty mentor, on the value of the project.
The paperwork for ECON 335: Environmental Economics includes a 4 point fact sheet, but does not include a catalog description, rationale, or discussion of course resources, all of which much be sent to Judy Gagne.
SOC/PSCI 375 will be listed under both departments in the catalog.
Theology will be the home of the ENVS minor and Fr. Grant will be the coordinator.
Motion passed without objection.
V.
Criminal
Justice Program Review
Motion to approve the program review: J. Van Speybroeck; second by P. Connelly.
W. McCulloh described some of the highlights of the Criminal Justice program review. First, CRJU 430/MCJ 530 Criminal Justice Statistics and Methods will be split into two separate courses, CRJU 43-/MCJ 530 Criminal Justice Statistics and CRJU 431/MCJ 531 Criminal Justice Research Methods. C. Sharp noted the difficulties of teaching both statistical techniques as well as research methods in a single course and K. Trujillo and L. Rodrigues-Fisher concurred that it is rare for these topics to be covered in a single course. So that the credit requirements for a Criminal Justice major will remain the same despite after this change, students will be required to take only 9 justice sub-system credits rather than the previously required twelve credits.
The program review also asks EPC to eliminate MCJ 600: Pro-Seminar in Criminal Justice from the MCJ program. This course is currently required to prepare students for their comprehensive exams in the master’s program. Dropping the course will permit graduate students to take the MCJ 530/MCJ 531 sequence without adding additional hours to the degree program.
General discussion of the Criminal Justice program followed. The undergraduate program has 80-90 majors and the graduate program has about 30 students, including several who are inactive. W. McCulloh explained that students who obtain an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice and continue into the master’s program do not repeat courses taken earlier; rather, they may choose from a variety of courses in the MOL, MSW, and other programs.
N.B.: There does not seem to be a standard policy for approving undergraduate courses cross-listed as graduate courses.
The committee inquired about Criminal Justice’s efforts to assess student learning. The department examined students’ degree audits to check their performance in classes; it also relies upon feedback about from the agencies where students have done internships. W. McCulloh maintains portfolios on students that include any notices about their internships, and K. Holden keeps copies of graduate students’ comprehensive exams. Learning objectives and program changes developed out of earlier reviews, discussions with new faculty, and suggestions from prior faculty.
In the process of preparing the review, the Criminal Justice department tried to figure out how to serve students better, assess learning properly, discern what skills and knowledge graduates should take with them. One of its key goals is to improve students’ writing skills and focus more on ethical problems in law enforcement.
N.B.: There seems to be no campus-wide understanding or consensus about whether four-point plans need to deal with General Education rationales, even if the courses themselves do not count towards General Education requirements. Perhaps Faculty Assembly or the Center for Teaching Excellence should take up this issue.
N.B.: Departments preparing program reviews are welcome to send early versions of their work to Fr. Grant, the General Education director, before they appear before EPC.
Changes and reviews accepted without objection.
VI.
Notification
of Approval of Russian Art as WI
With the approval of Dan Zeimet and Michael Hustedde, the Art department will offer Russian Art in Spring 2006 – for one time only – as a writing intensive course. This temporary measure will accommodate several transfer students who have been unable to take the required number of writing intensive courses in order to graduate on time.
VII.
Notification
from Education
SPED 210: Inclusion Strategies for Students with Special Needs will become SPED 310.
VIII.
Final Notes
The
On November 29, Nursing and Physical Education will be on the agenda. The MBA program and the tabled issue of pre-requisites will be addressed at the December 6 meeting.
Motion to adjourn at 4:42 by M. Adams; second by D. Stoube.
Motion passed without objection.
Submitted by Keri Manning