Absent: Aitken, Bohrer-Clancy, Bolt, Brody, Carver, Chase (3), Goldschmidt (3), Kelton, Meyer (2), Stuhr, Thomas (2), Waters, Weeks, Williamson
Excused: Bohme, Carter, Forell, Fuller, Squires, Tepfer
1. Approval of the Minutes
President Soper called the meeting to order at 3:05 p.m. in 180 PLC. The minutes of the November 10, 1993 meeting of the University Senate were approved.
2. Report of the President to the Senate
President Soper reported that the December 1, 1993 meeting of the University Assembly had approved with no change two Senate motions. Those motions reduce the number of credits required for graduation, and make a parallel amendment to the meaning of the new Cluster Requirement. He also reported that the Assembly acted on Senate legislation modifying registration and course change deadlines, legislation which would not normally go before the Assembly. Soper explained that the Assembly was asked to correct a mistake which occurred when the Senate amended the original motion to expand the proposed windows of opportunity for late registration and course change deadlines. The Senate amendment failed to make consistent with other changes the time for assessing a change fee for grading option and variable credit changes. The Assembly approved the legislation after amending it so time lines will be compatible.
3. Report on Productivity Planning
Emphasizing the University's attempt to make productivity planning information available as quickly as possible in order to encourage input, President Brand and Provost Wessells noted that preliminary reports from the productivity working groups were on DuckScoop (the local Gopher) in the directory Administration/ Productivity Planning, and that the December Progress Report to the Chancellor would be soon. Wessells reminded the Senators that the University must get a final report to the Chancellor in March.
During the Productivity Planning discussion, President Brand opined that the University had been too complacent about Ballot Measure 5, and that the Measure 5
(commonly called "Son of 5") which will be on Oregons next General Election ballot will put much more pressure on the State's General Fund and thus result in even greater problems for higher education.
4. New Business |
As he noted that there was on the agenda a motion to alter the election process for the Graduate Council, President Soper announced that the Graduate Council had asked that that item be considered at another time.
Mr. Michael Dyer presented the Curriculum Committee's report (which is a permanent part of these minutes). He said the Curriculum Committee--by encouraging the dropping of old courses no longer offered, the collapsing of three term series courses to two, and the replacing of two or more related courses with one repeatable Topic subtitle course aimed toward credit neutrality.
President Soper then asked for approval of the Curriculum Committee's recommendations for each department. The Senate accepted with little discussion and no dissent minor changes in the Chemistry and Germanic Languages and Literature's sections of the Committee report. However, there was extended discussion about the English section of the report.
Senator Boren moved the following amendment to the Curriculum Committee report:
In the category "Old Courses Dropped," add:
ENG 106, Introduction to Literature: Poetry f3)In the category "Existing Course Changes excluding Subject Codes or Numbers," add:
ENG 203, Shakespeare (3)
ENG 206, Survey of English Literature (3)
ENG 255, Survey of American Literature (3)
ENG 104, Introduction to Literature: Fiction (4)Mr. Richard Stein, Head of the Department of English, explained that his department had recommended the changes proposed in Senator Boren's motion to the Curriculum Committee. Mr. Stein opined that those recommendations, which separated credit hours from contact hours by changing three credit courses to four credit courses, were motivated by sound pedagogical reasons. The recommendations, he explained, would require more work because all courses which his department was recommending be increased from three to four credits would require increased reading, writing and conferences with instructors. He said these courses would give students something like a small class experience.
ENG 105, Introduction to Literature: DrarnalPoetry (4)
ENG 107, 108, 109, World Literature (4, 4, 4)
ENG 151, Introduction to African-American Literature `4
ENG 201, 202, Shakespeare (4, 4)
ENG 204, 205, Survey of English Literature (4, 4)
ENG 253, 254, Survey of American Literature (4, 4)
ENG 240, Introduction to Native American Literature (4)
ENG 250, Introduction to Folklore (4)
During the discussion which followed, a number of Senators and President Brand and Associate Dean Durrant supported the English Department's recommendations, praising them as a means to get students to do more writing, and to take more responsibility for their own education.
When asked why the Curriculum Committee had not accepted the English Department's recommendations, Mr. Jack Whalen said the Committee was not of a single mind, and welcomed the opportunity to discuss the issue. He referred to the University Assembly discussion of the three- to four-hour credit change noted that other universities have a high correlation between credit hours and class time for lower division courses. Mr. Dyer added that the Curriculum Committee felt the English Department's proposal was admirable, but not quite clear about its implementation. He said there were questions about the load these recommendations might place on the instructor.
Senator Boren testified that his experience on the Undergraduate Education Policy Coordinating Council had convinced him that earlier guidelines equating credit hours with class time were written for an historical period which is past and no longer a reality at the University of Oregon.
Senator Boren's amendment was adopted by a roll call vote with no dissent.
The Senate then approved the amended report of the Curriculum Committee by voice vote.
5. Notices of Motions
President Soper announced that, at the next University Senate meeting, there would be a supplementary Curriculum Committee Report on the College of Education; and that, in February, there will be a motion on University of Oregon help for families.
The Senate adjourned at 4:25 p.m.
Nancie Fadeley Secretary
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