UNDERGRADUATE COUNCIL MEETING

December 4, 2003

Members present:  Hilary Gerdes, Ron Severson, Julie Newton, Herb Chereck, Mark Thoma, Jim Imamura, Laura Vandenburgh, Steve Pologe, Tyler Neely, Colleen Bell, Dave Hubin, Karen Sprague

Members absent:  Gordon Sayre, Paul Engelking, Deborah Exton, Martha Pitts, Harry Wonham, Sue Yockelson, John Postlethwait, John Lysaker, Deborah Baumgold

Tentative Meeting Schedule

The tentative winter term meeting schedule shown below was proposed, based on a poll of council members.  Undergraduate Council meetings will be held alternate Thursdays, 12 – 1:30 in the Johnson Hall Conference Room. 

Jan 8               Jan 22

Feb 5              Feb 19

Mar 4              Mar 18

Criteria for 300-level Group-satisfying Courses

A draft proposal for criteria for 300-level group-satisfying courses was distributed to the council.

DRAFT   Criteria for 300-level group-satisfying courses

These courses should:

1. introduce students to the tools and perspectives of a discipline.  Courses on specialized subject-matter should also educate students about the larger discipline rather than focus entirely on a restricted segment of it; 

2. educate students about the way knowledge is produced in a discipline (e.g., through understanding experimental strategies or appreciating modeling and various kinds of data analysis);

3. include reading and analysis of primary literature as opposed to exclusive reliance on textbooks;

4. encourage analysis and synthesis of the course material, and employ evaluations that measure this level of understanding.

Some upper-division group-satisfying courses are likely to have subject-specific prerequisites, and all will have the general prerequisite of other University-level coursework.  Thus, faculty should expect students in these courses to be capable of the intellectual independence implied by criteria 3 and 4. 

Suggestions for revisions were:

• Combine criteria 2 and 3 to read:  Educate students about the way knowledge is created in a discipline (e.g., through understanding experimental strategies or appreciating modeling and various kinds of data analysis and by using primary sources if possible). 
• Revise criterion 1. to read:  Introduce students to and engage them in the substantial application of tools and perspectives of a discipline.  Courses on specialized subject matter should also educate students about the larger discipline rather than focus entirely on a restricted segment of it.
• Revise criterion 4 to read:  Encourage integration and application of perspectives through analysis and synthesis of the course material, and employ evaluations that measure this level of understanding. 

Council members suggested that this document contain some examples to help clarify these points.  Each of the three criteria should be accompanied by examples from several disciplines.  Karen Sprague asked that council members send examples to her.  

Karen will revise the draft criteria for discussion at the next council meeting (January 8, 2004). 

Department of Exercise and Movement Science Proposed Name Change

A proposal from the Department of Exercise and Movement Science to change its name to Human Physiology was distributed to council members for discussion at the next council meeting. 

Next Meeting

The Undergraduate Council will meet on January 8, 2004, in Johnson Hall Conference Room from 12:00-1:30.