EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE

ACADEMIC, APPELLATE, AND SENATE COMMITTEE

ANNUAL REPORT

 

2007-2008 Academic Year

COMMITTEE:  University Curriculum Committee

 

1.       Membership (include ex-officio members).

         

Members

Jan Lewis (catalog secretary)

Janice Neil (Chair)

Paul Schwager (Vice-Chair)

Jim Tisnado

Jane Manner

Greg Lapicki

David Batts

Ex-officio members:

Ron Mitchelson

Linner Griffin

Charles Boklage

Tim Jenks

 

Kevin Snyder attended all of the 2007-2008 UCC meetings as a guest. He and Diane Coltraine (attended meetings first semester)  worked extensively to review the materials considered at each meeting.

 

2.       Meeting Dates (include members present*).
September 13, 2007

          Present:      D. Batts, J. Lewis, G. Lapicki, J. Manner, P Schwager, J. Tisnado, C. Boklage, L. Griffin, R. Michelson

          Excused: T. Jenks

          Absent: none

          October 11, 2007

Present: Regular Members: D. Batts, G. Lapicki, J. Lewis, J. Manner, J. Neil, P. Schwager, J. Tisnado, C. Boklage, l. Griffin, T. Jenks, R. Mitchelson

          Excused: none

          Absent: none

          October 25, 2007
Present: G. Lapicki, J. Lewis, J. Manner, P. Schwager, J. Tisnado, C. Boklage, L. Griffin, T. Jenks, R. Mitchelson

          Excused: J. Neil, D. Batts

          Absent: none

          November 8, 2007
Present: D. Batts, J. Lewis, J. Manner, J. Neil, P. Schwager, J. Tisnado, C. Boklage, L. Griffin, T. Jenks, R. Mitchelson

          Excused: none

          Absent: G. Lapicki

          December 13, 2007
Present:
D. Batts, G. Lapicki, J. Lewis, J. Manner, J. Neil, P. Schwager, L. Griffin, T. Jenks, R. Mitchelson

          Excused: none

          Absent: J. Tisnado

          January 24, 2008

Present: G. Lapicki, J. Lewis, J. Manner, J. Neil, P. Schwager, J. Tisnado

         C. Boklage, L. Griffin, T. Jenks

          Excused:  D. Batts, R. Mitchelson

          Absent: none

          Visitors: T. Caron, L. Lee

          February 14, 2008

Present: D. Batts, J. Lewis, J. Manner, J. Neil, P. Schwager, J. Tisnado, C. Boklage, L. Griffin, T. Jenks, R. Mitchelson

          Excused: none

          Absent: G. Lapicki

          February 28, 2008

Present: D. Batts, G. Lapicki, J. Lewis, J. Manner, J. Neil, P. Schwager, J. Tisnado, C. Boklage, L. Griffin, R. Mitchelson

          Excused; T. Jenks

          Absent: none

          March 27, 2008

Present: D. Batts, G. Lapicki, J. Lewis, J. Manner, P. Schwager, J. Tisnado,

C. Boklage, L. Griffin, R. Mitchelson

          Excused: J. Neil, T. Jenks

          Absent: none

          April 11, 2008

Present: D. Batts, G. Lapicki, J. Lewis, J. Manner, P. Schwager, J. Tisnado,

C. Boklage, L. Griffin, R. Mitchelson, J. Neil, R. Mitchelson, T. Jenks

          Excused: none

          Absent: none

          April 25, 2008

Meeting held by email: D. Batts, G. Lapicki, J. Lewis, J. Manner, P. Schwager, J. Tisnado, C. Boklage, L. Griffin, R. Mitchelson, J. Neil, R. Mitchelson, T. Jenks

                                         

3.      Subcommittees established during the year (include progress and/or completion of work).   None

  

4.      Accomplishments during the year, especially as addressed through committee goals.  Please include recommendations made to any University agency other than the Faculty Senate that will be noted under #5.

·       Approved numerous curricular changes from all colleges/schools at ECU.

·        Maintained and refined the liaison system instituted three years ago, including updating the Undergraduate Curriculum and Program and Development Manual and conducting a Fall 2007 informational seminar for liaisons from each unit.  The liaison system is working very well, vastly streamlining, improving the quality of proposals and reducing the work load of both faculty and the committee by helping to insure that course proposals and curricular revisions are complete, consistent, and organized before reaching the committee.

·        Clarification was made related to re-numbering 5000-level courses into 4000 level and 6000 level. Chair Neil communicated with Chair Kasperek of the Graduate Curriculum Committee related to identical proposal submissions. The chairs will alert the other unit if they receive course proposals that result from 5000 level course divisions.

·        A guidance memo with pointers was drafted by P. Schwager and D. Batts for liaisons to use for writing proposals for special topics, readings and courses with varying credit. The memo was approved by the committee and is now included in the Undergraduate Curriculum and Program Development Manual. J. Neil informed the Faculty Senate about the guidance document- no Senate action was required.

·        The committee adopted a 1-week time frame for submission of infrequent minor revisions to curricular proposals. Thus, the standard guideline is that individuals presenting curricular proposals should submit all revisions requested by the committee with one week of the UCC meeting at which such revisions were requested.

·        Dr. David Weismiller (guest) discussed SACS expectations.  He noted that a history of requiring new courses to have measurable course objectives will clearly be to our benefit in terms of SACS reaffirmation in 2013.  He also stressed the importance of outcomes assessment and program review at the University, College, and program levels.  Outcomes assessment at the student and course level is needed to feed into the program level review.  The key is starting with strong courses with measurable objectives.  Dr. Weismiller requested that one or two members of the UCC serve on the Working Group on University Outcome Assessment and Program Review: C. Boklage and R. Mitchelson volunteered.

·        Proposed Revisions to Part V, Section III of the ECU Faculty Manual.  The Educational Policies and Planning Committee has been working on revisions to Part V, that deals with academic program development, since 2005. It was noted that historically the UCC and GCC are involved with Requests to Establish, but not Intent to Plan requests.  After  a discussion, a motion was made, seconded and passed confirming the following:

o       The charge of the UCC should remain the same. The proposed changes could eliminate the committee responsibilities related to Section 4, items C and D.

o       The committee agreed that the UCC should be a part of the Request to Establish in the Baccalaureate Degree Program Campus Approval Process Checklist. We will ask that a new entry #f be inserted under #3, indicating that the UCC reviews a new program and its courses before it is presented to the EPPC.

o       On the EPPC report, Section C, Number 1, New Degree Programs, Step III, we will request that the parenthetical included with the eighth bullet be deleted and a new bullet inserted that indicates that the UCC reviews the request to establish a bachelor’s program.

o       On the EPPC report, Section C, Number 2, New Minors…, we will request that the parenthetical included with bullet six be deleted, as the UCC does want to see requests for title changes and moving or discontinuing programs as outlined in our charge.

·        The course banking/unbanking procedure was discussed. D. Batts and P. Schwager revised the “Course Banking and Unbanking Form” and presented the revision to the committee. A motion was made, seconded and passed to provide the committee with the option to accept the minutes of committee meetings via e-mail. The forms were presented at the Faculty Senate and approved (resolution # 08-16)

·        C. Boklage drafted a document concerning the committee’s response to the Final Report on UNC Tomorrow Commission. Members made suggestions and revisions.  The report was sent to the Faculty Senate.

 

5.  Reports to the Faculty Senate (include dates and resolution numbers).

 

Date of Report to FS

Business Presented

FS Resolution #

11/07/07

Minutes of 10/11/07

07-27

12/04/07

Minutes of 11/25/07

07-35

01/29/08

Minutes of 11/08/07

Minutes of 12/13/07

08-02

2/19/08

Minutes of 1/24/07

08-06

3/18/08

Minutes of 2/14/08

Minutes of 2/28/08

08-15

3/18/08

New Bank/Unbank form

08-16

4/22/08

Minutes of 3/37/08

Minutes of 4/11/08

08-33

 

                                                                       

6.       Business carried over to next year (list in priority order).

·    Maintain the liaison model used during the last four years.  Organize information seminar for liaisons and UCC members as early as possible in the fall semester. To prevent potential problems within the liaison system, emphasize that the liaison’s role is as a facilitator who works to see that proposals are properly prepared according to Program Development guidelines and complete before they reach the UCC; the liaison role is not intended to be an additional approval step.

·    Schedule additional meetings of the committee as needed.  Since the official catalog is now the online catalog and will be updated more frequently, proposals are considered throughout spring semester.  The final meeting of the year exclusively for UCC business.

·    Continue to refine the curriculum development process to streamline where appropriate and eliminate confusion for faculty developing curriculum proposals.

·    Continue to improve communication and coordination with the GCC, especially as it relates to the renumbering of 5000 level courses

·    Continue to support the Office of Academic Program’s workshops on curriculum development.

·    Continue to look for ways the ECU & UNC-System initiatives can be better reflected in curriculum development.

·    Monitor slippage in deadlines for submission of documentation & notification of affected units.

7.       Evaluation of the committee (include anything that hindered or assisted the

          committee's work during the year).

 

          A.      Charge: 

·                       Proposed Revisions to Part V, Section III of the ECU Faculty Manual presented by Dr. Dale Knickerbocker.  The Educational Policies and Planning Committee has been working on revisions to Part V, that deals with academic program development, since 2005. It was noted that historically the UCC and GCC are involved with Requests to Establish, but not Intent to Plan requests.  After  a discussion, a motion was made, seconded and passed confirming the following:

o       The charge of the UCC should remain the same. The proposed changes could eliminate the committee responsibilities related to Section 4, items C and D.

o       The committee agreed that the UCC should be a part of the Request to Establish in the Baccalaureate Degree Program Campus Approval Process Checklist. We will ask that a new entry #f be inserted under #3, indicating that the UCC reviews a new program and its courses before it is presented to the EPPC.

o       On the EPPC report, Section C, Number 1, New Degree Programs, Step III, we will request that the parenthetical included with the eighth bullet be deleted and a new bullet inserted that indicates that the UCC reviews the request to establish a bachelor’s program.

o       On the EPPC report, Section C, Number 2, New Minors…, we will request that the parenthetical included with bullet six be deleted, as the UCC does want to see requests for title changes and moving or discontinuing programs as outlined in our charge.

          B.      Personnel:

Exceptional – all faculty members were conscientious and dedicated to in the best interests of the university. There was limited student representation on the committee: The  SGA representative only attended one meeting and left early without explanation. An information and communication specialist from the office of Academic Affairs has greatly assisted the process by supporting the work of the committee.

          C.      Attendance:

All members were prompt in attendance and all attended most meetings; only absences were due to legitimate conflicts.

          D.      Responsibilities:

                    The workload of this committee, especially for the officers, is very demanding and continues to grow as the University expands, new programs are created, and old programs are revised to meet rapidly changing needs.  However, the success of the liaison system, the support of Academic Programs and the Faculty Senate office greatly facilitated the workload.  The continued polishing and streamlining of the liaison system and the support from Academic Programs in preparing meeting Agendas and master marked catalog copy documents prior to meetings should continued to improve the situation.

          E.      Activities:  Normal

8.       Suggestion(s) to the Chair of the Faculty and/or Faculty Senate for improving the effectiveness of the committee.

          The committee is in unanimous agreement that the liaison system and the support of Academic Programs in agenda and catalog copy preparation are essential in enabling this committee to operate in a timely and efficient manner.

 

        The committee reviewed several proposals that appeared to have significant duplication of content with other units. Additional guidance on what level of duplication and justification of duplication are appropriate would be helpful.

 

9.       Does the Committee’s organizational meeting next year need to be earlier than the date set this year?            No

         

                    Signed:  Chairs ___Janice A. Neil, RN, PhD_______________________

                                                                                          Janice Neil

 

                                        Secretary   _____Janice S. Lewis, M.L.S., J.D._____________