Educational Policies and Planning Committee

Meeting Minutes

December 10, 2010

I. Call to order: Scott Gordon, EPPC Chair, called the meeting to order at 1:05 p.m. on December 10, 2010 in Rawl Annex 142. The following persons were present:

Regular Members: Susan Bashinski, Scott Gordon, James Holloway, John Kenney, Janice Lewis, Ed Stellwag

Ex-Officio Members: Deedee Glascoff, Linner Griffin, George Kasperek, Marianna Walker

Absent: David Seigel, Blaise Williams

Guests: Lori Lee, Karen Summey

II. The minutes of the November 12, 2010 meeting were approved as submitted. Chair Gordon recognized Karen Summey, the new Coordinator of Academic Program Development. He announced that the Faculty Senate approved our latest revisions to the ECU Faculty Manual, Part V. Academic Information, Section III. Curriculum Development.

III. Unfinished Business:

a. EPPC Involvement in Low-Productivity Program Reviews/Recommendations and Related Matters

Dr. Marianna Walker, Chair of the Faculty, reviewed the process outlined in the ECU Faculty Manual, Appendix D, Section VII., for termination of faculty employment associated with the curtailment or elimination of a program. The process begins with the Chancellor preparing a report to the EPPC outlining specifically the program changes and the options readily apparent to the Chancellor, including any options which would or might involve termination of faculty employment. After reviewing the report and meeting with pertinent individuals if necessary, the EPPC then provides its written advice and recommendations in a report to the Chancellor. Should the Chancellor then decide to consider reducing a unit’s faculty for reasons of program curtailment or elimination, the Chancellor shall establish an Ad Hoc Faculty Advisory Committee. Dr. Griffin noted that units can decide voluntarily to request the discontinuation of a program. Those requests also come to the EPPC. Chair Gordon noted the discrepancies between the ECU Faculty Manual, Appendix D, Section VII, and the ECU Faculty Manual, Part V. Section III. Dr. Walker indicated that she will discuss the discrepancies with the Faculty Governance Committee, make recommendations for changes, and inform us of the outcome and any needed action by the committee.

Dr. Walker stressed that it is important to note that the review of low productivity programs is different from the curtailment or elimination of a program. The review of low productivity programs is initiated by General Administration every two years, pursuant to a charge from the legislature. All programs that fail to meet certain standards related to the number of graduates and majors are placed on the list. Department faculty are involved in the program’s response, as are deans and the Academic Council. If the Academic Council recommends that a program be discontinued and the discontinuation will affect faculty employment, the EPPC will be notified. Dr. Walker indicated that the Provost and the Vice-Chancellor for Health Sciences want to meet with the EPPC to discuss the committee’s involvement in the event that faculty employment is not affected. They will be invited to the January meeting. Dr. Walker encouraged EPPC members to attend the University Budget Committee meeting at 4:00 p.m. on December 16.

IV. New Business

a. Request to Establish a Distance Education Program – MAEd in Physical Education

Professors James Decker and Dana Espinosa presented a request from the Department of Exercise and Sport Science to establish a new distance education degree program for the Masters of Arts in Education in Physical Education. The coursework in the program is already being offered online. The official designation as a distance education degree program will be reported to SACS and will permit the inclusion of the program in ECU’s list of online programs and related promotional materials. A motion was made, seconded and passed to approve the request to establish, with Chair Gordon abstaining.

b. Request to Establish a Certificate in Physical Education Clinical Supervision

Professors James Decker and Dana Espinosa presented a request from the Department of Exercise and Sport Science to establish a graduate certificate in Physical Education Clinical Supervision. The 12-hour certificate will be delivered online; all of the content is included in the MAEd online program. A motion was made, seconded and passed to approve the request to establish, with Chair Gordon abstaining.

c. Request to Discontinue the BA in EXSS

Professor Stacey Altman presented a request from the Department of Exercise and Sport Science to discontinue the BA degree in Exercise and Sport Science. Discontinuation will result in some administrative savings. The BS degree programs in the department are sufficient for preparing students in the discipline and for careers in related fields. Students currently enrolled in the program will be able to take the courses they need to graduate. A motion was made, seconded and passed to approve the request to discontinue the BA degree, with Chair Gordon abstaining.

d. Unit Academic Program Reviews

i. Department of Chemistry

Following discussion, a motion was made, seconded and passed that the EPPC send a memo to the Office of Academic Program Planning & Development stating that the EPPC has reviewed the documents for the Department of Chemistry program review and found the documents to be in good order.

ii. School of Communication

Following discussion, a motion was made, seconded and passed that the EPPC send a memo to the Office of Academic Program Planning & Development stating that the EPPC has reviewed the documents for the School of Communication program review and found the documents to be in good order.

iii. A motion was made, seconded and passed establishing that the future EPPC procedure for handling unit program reviews will be for the Chair to assign responsibility for each program review to two members of the committee on a rotating basis. Those members will be tasked with reviewing the documents and reporting to the full committee.

V. Announcements - None

VI. Adjournment

There being no further business, Chair Gordon adjourned the meeting at 2:30 p.m.

The next EPPC meeting will be on Friday, January 14, 2011, at 1:00 p.m. in Rawl Annex 142.

Minutes submitted by Janice S. Lewis