UNDERGRADUATE COUNCIL MEETING

January 20, 2005 – 8:30 AM
Johnson Hall

 

Present:

Amalia Gladhart, Colleen Bell, Dave Hubin, Deborah Baumgold, Emily Gilkey, Herb Chereck, Hilary Gerdes, Kathy Roberts, Laura Vandenburgh, Mark Thoma, Martha Pitts, Peter Gilkey, Ron Severson, Steven Pologe, Tyler Neely

 

Absent:

Anne Laskaya, Deborah Exton, Julie Newton, Karen Sprague, Shelly Kerr

 

Introductions

Deborah Baumgold introduced Cathy Kraus, staff member of Undergraduate Studies, as the new recording secretary for UGC meetings.  Members of the council introduced themselves.

 

Updates

• Oregon Transfer Model
  
  Peter Gilkey reported the results of the OTM vote at various institutions.  OTM has passed at Southern Oregon University, Portland State University, and Oregon Institute of Technology.  It awaits action at Oregon State University, Western Oregon University, and Eastern Oregon University
  
  

  Grade Inflation
  
  Mark Thoma and Deborah Baumgold have been working with the Registrar’s office to collect data on grade patterns and hope to have some data available for the UGC to review by the next meeting.  
  
  Discussion of the issue of grade inflation will continue at the next meeting.
  
  
• Dean’s List Eligibility

Herb Chereck noted an oversight in the implementation of the eligibility criteria for the Dean’s List.  The change from 12 credits to 15 credits for eligibility was not announced in a timely manner, and 678 students were affected by this oversight.  It was decided to let the Dean’s List stand for Fall 2004.  Commencing with Winter 2005, the credit eligibility criterion will become effective.

Agenda

Consideration of overseas study programs and the Multicultural Requirement (see attachment)

Amalia Gladhart, Chair, Academic Requirements Committee, introduced a memo requesting the Council to consider whether or not overseas study programs meet the IC category of the Multicultural requirement. The proposal was prompted by petitions for overseas experiences to be accepted as fulfilling the UO Multicultural Requirement.

 

• Discussion

Numerous questions were raised by council members:

            How would this proposal affect international students?

            Would non-UO classes at other institutions be included in this new proposal?

            Would informal studies and/or experiences abroad be included in the proposal?

 

There was strong feeling that studies overseas should concentrate on UO-sponsored programs (OXX and AHA). UO already has a course evaluation process in place where overseas experiences can be systematically evaluated.

 

The question was asked how petitions for Multicultural Requirement credit are currently handled.  Basically, petitioning students are required to submit syllabi for overseas studies and submit justification statements showing how the experience meets the goals and requirements for Multicultural credit. The petition is then reviewed, the experience evaluated, and the petition accepted or denied at the departmental level.

 

It was pointed out that, generally, fewer than a dozen petitions from the entire campus are filed each year.

 

The purviews of the ARC, the Committee on Courses, and the UGC were discussed at some length in relation to curricular petitions. Of concern was the fact that curricular issues are not really the purview of the UGC in terms of formalizing and implementing curricular policy. This most appropriately is the role of the UO Senate. The role of the UGC is primarily advisory.

 

The Undergraduate Council has the sense that there are some circumstances in which overseas programs should be accepted as fulfilling the UO Multicultural Requirement in the curriculum.

 

The UGC felt that this general acknowledgement offers some helpful guidance to ARC in dealing with petitions.  As an arm of the UO Senate, the UGC also advised that ARC raise the issue in their annual report to the Senate.  If the ARC repeatedly approves petitions for accepting credit for particular Oregon overseas courses for the IC category in the Multicultural requirement, the Committee might request that these courses be designated as meeting the requirement.