UNDERGRADUATE COUNCIL MEETING
October 9, 2003
Members Present: Deborah Baumgold, Tyler Neely, Gordon Sayre, Paul Engelking, Julie Newton, Herb Chereck, Ron Severson, Laura Vandenburgh, Mark Thoma, Jim Imamura, Harry Wonham, Hilary Gerdes, Martha Pitts, Colleen Bell, Steve Pologe, Debra Exton
Members absent: Kathy Roberts, Karen Sprague, John Lysaker, John Postlethwait
Introductions
Deborah Baumgold, Chair, began the meeting with introductions of new and continuing council members. Two Undergraduate Council lists were distributed with contact and membership information.
Summary of 2002-03 review of lower division group-satisfying courses
A document prepared by Karen Sprague for the Dean’s Council meeting describing the procedure and results of the Undergraduate Council review of group-satisfying courses offered in Fall 2002 was distributed to the council. Following their review, the Undergraduate Council passed four recommendations, below, which were distributed at the Dean’s Council meeting.
1. General-education courses must be offered in time periods that are standard for UO academic terms: 10 weeks for Fall, Winter, or Spring Term courses, and not less than 4 weeks for Summer Term courses.
Passed 5/27/03
2. The syllabus for each group-satisfying course must state the fundamental question(s) addressed by the course, and must indicate how the course meets the criteria for group status.
Passed 5/27/03
3. Faculty or departments are required to post Web syllabi for all group-satisfying courses prior to registration.
Passed 6/10/03
4. Proposed General Education courses that are to be offered in an on-line format should be reviewed for instructional design and delivery method, in addition to being reviewed for content through the regular approval process for new courses. This is to ensure that technology is used appropriately and that students are offered an educational experience similar to that in a classroom. The same procedure should be used during the cyclical 5-year review of established General Education courses, if they are offered on-line. An appropriate committee will be designated or created to carry out the extra review of on-line courses.
Passed 6/10/03
After consultation with the Dean’s council, Karen proposed the following revision to recommendation #3:
3. For all group-satisfying courses to be offered during a particular term, faculty or departments are required to post electronic syllabi or course descriptions that are expanded over those provided in the catalog. This course information should be understandable to someone unfamiliar with the field and should include the information in Point 2. To help students make informed choices of courses, the web postings should be made prior to the start of the registration period for the term in question, and should be directly accessible from Duck Web. Links to Dick Web are easily established, and can be made by individual faculty or by department staff.
The Undergraduate Council discussed this revision and developed a slightly altered version:
3. For all group-satisfying courses to be offered during a particular term, faculty or departments are required to post electronic syllabi or course descriptions that are substantially expanded over those provided in the catalog. This course information should be understandable to someone unfamiliar with the field and should include the information in Point 2. To help students make informed choices of courses, the web postings should be made prior to the start of the registration period for the term in question, and should be directly accessible from Duck Web. Links to Dick Web are easily established, and can be made by individual faculty or by department staff.
The motion was seconded and passed unanimously by the council.
Review of the 300-level group satisfying courses
Of the fifty-seven 300-level group-satisfying courses (excluding math and language) offered in Fall 2002, 15 remain for review. Ten syllabi were obtained and have been divided between the two work groups. A packet containing five syllabi each, survey score sheets, and the data from the 42 previously reviewed 300-level courses was distributed to council members. The syllabi should be reviewed and score sheets returned by October 16, so that the data can be considered at the next council meeting.
Future agenda items
At a Spring term council meeting, the Academic Requirements Committee (ARC) voiced concerns regarding the Incomplete mark at the UO. Specifically, current Committee practice is not always congruent with official UO policy. Many extensions beyond the 4-term limit are being given. Herb Chereck will facilitate a group appointed by the chair to review the Incomplete mark this term.
The College of Arts and Sciences would like the council to consider a proposal for a Marine Biology major this October or November. They will send a program proposal for council members to review.
Martha Pitts asks the council’s advice on possible changes to admissions requirements in 2006. The SAT test will soon include a writing element along with the verbal and math test sections. In light of this change, should the UO also require the writing section on the ACT?
Next Meeting
The next Undergraduate Council meeting will be on October 23, 2003, from 10:00-11:30, in Johnson Hall Conference Room.