UNIVERSITY CURRICULUM COMMITTEE

Minutes

April 13, 2009

 

1. Professor Gail Gasparich chaired the meeting, filling in for Professor Greg Faller.

 

2.  The Committee welcomed two guests from a Middle States Working Group, Professor Shannon Glennen and Professor Bill Sadera.

 

3.  The minutes of the March 9 meeting were accepted.

 

4.  On behalf of Professor Faller, Ms. Shana Gass reported that All Forms C listed below and approved at the March 9 UCC meeting had been submitted to the Catalog:

 

1.     Comparative Ethnic Studies minor [elimination] (Jim Di Lisio)
– sent to Catalog (Laura L. Brown) 3/10/09

2.     Business Administration and Computer Information Systems combined major (Sharma Pillutla)
– sent to Catalog (Laura L. Brown) 3/10/09

3.     Exercise Science Major (Jill Bush & Gail Parr)
– sent to Catalog (Laura L. Brown) 3/10/09

4.     Early Childhood Education & Special Education combined major [new program] (Elizabeth Neville & Ocie Watson-Thompson)
-- forwarded to University Senate

5.     Museum Studies minor (Susan Isaacs & Nancy SIegel)
– sent to Catalog (Laura L. Brown) 3/10/09

The following, discussed and provisionally approved at the February meeting (sic), is still pending:

1.      LGBT Studies Minor (Jim Di Lisio)
– as of 3/6/09 still waiting for amended Form C

 

5.  A working group chaired by Dean Maria Fracasso has developed a standard for the certification of “service learning” courses in the catalog. Which body should be evaluating courses according to the standard? It was suggested that Dean Fracasso be invited to a meeting of the Committee for discussion.

 

6.  Ms. Gass reported on the meeting of Professor Faller, Ms. Gass, and Assistant Provost Catherine Horta-Hayden concerning the new program approval process. Assistant Provost Horta-Hayden confirmed that a Letter of Intent is still required. The Provost’s Office will clarify documentation and draft a cover sheet on which TU signatures can be recorded as new program proposals wend their way through the process. Additional clarification on which programs require MHEC approval would also be helpful. Ms. Gass will revise the new program process flow chart. The Committee should keep the Assistant Provost up-to-date about new Committee officers/elections.

 

7. Ms. Gass noted that Professor Faller, Mr. Bob Giordani, Ms. Gass, and catalog editor Laura L. Brown were scheduled to meet on April 16 to discuss the catalog revision process.

 

8.  Professor Nora Sturges presented a proposal for a new B.F.A. in Art + Design.

The department began work on a B.F.A. after their last major program review. The B.F.A. would allow for greater development of technological skills, meet the needs of both applied and fine arts students, and provide an even higher degree of professional-level preparation for a growing field. Salisbury and Frostburg offer the B.F.A. University of Maryland at College Park is unlikely to offer the program in the forseeable future.

 

It made sense to craft an 81-unit B.F.A. program, while streamlining the 66-72 unit B.S.  (see item 9, below) .  The B.F.A. adheres to accreditation body NASAD’s requirement that at least 65 % of units (78 of 180) be within the major. Students still have the possibility of graduating in four years, since two of the required courses can also count towards current general education requirements.

 

Tracks will include: Ceramics, Digital Art and Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Interdisciplinary Object Design, Metalsmithing and Jewelry, Painting and Drawing, Photo Imaging, Printmaking, and Sculpture (including B.F.A. versions of all B.S. tracks, with some track name revisions: see item 9). All tracks feature the same First-Level foundations curriculum previously approved for the B.S..

 

Table 1: Resources is based on the assumption that just over half of the current number of Art + Design students would opt for the B.F.A., with overall enrollment and units taught remaining constant.  The current Art + Design faculty are well-qualified to teach in the B.F.A., though Professor Sturges noted that the department was currently understaffed. Technology teaching will be intensified under the B.F.A. program; in response to a question, Professor Sturges said that lab space currently used heavily by Using Information Effectively general education classes should be freed up with the advent of new general education requirements.

 

The department proposes that the B.F.A. be a screened major (as opposed to the B.S.). Admission requirements vary by track. Students not admitted will have the option to reapply once. The Committee recommended that the tracks create rubrics for portfolio review and that the wording concerning the screening requirements be clarified.

 

In the Interdisciplinary Object Design track, it was noted that not all Advanced Materials and Technique groupings had four classes. It was decided to list the intended fill-in course, ART 3XX (Design and Social Entrepreneurship) with each group, to clarify options.

Ms. Tracy Miller moved and Mr. Bill Logan seconded the motion to accept the proposed changes, pending receipt of recommended revisions. The motion carried, with 5 votes in favor

 

9. Professor Sturges presented proposed changes to the B.S. in Art, to be renamed Art + Design. The B.S. will be reduced to 45-81 units (depending on track selection), distinguishing it from the proposed B.F.A.; the lower-unit tracks are more in line with the requirements for a liberal arts major.

 

Mentions of the Post-Baccalaureate in Art Education and newly approved Interdisciplinary Studies Museum Studies minor have been added; a description of career options was better suited for the department web page.

 

All tracks require the new (previously approved) set of foundations courses for the Art + Design program. It will no longer be required to complete all foundations courses before enrolling in other art courses.

 

The Interdisciplinary Crafts track has been renamed Interdisciplinary Object Design, better reflecting the current state of the field. The Photography track: Fine and Applied Arts option has been eliminated (to be revised and included in the new B.F.A.), with a new Photo Imaging track created.

 

Screening for the Digital Art and Design track will be eliminated (the B.F.A. version will be screened). Screening to the Graphic Design track will be minimal: students must receive a minimum 2.67 GPA in the ART and ARTH prerequisites for ART 417 (Graphic Design II), a course required for the track.

 

New 45-unit General Fine Arts and General Design tracks have been added.  Extant tracks have been rationalized in light of the newly approved foundations curriculum, and all have been reduced in size. Course eliminations vary by track.

 

New unit counts for tracks are:

 

 

Newly created courses (all approved by the Course Approval Reporting Committee) have been added as appropriate. All courses below are track requirements except as noted:

 

 

Also reflected in the proposal are miscellaneous course name changes.

 

For clarity, it was recommended that the General Fine Arts track break out what are essentially elective courses under that heading, rather than including them under Required Courses.

 

Some minor typographical errors, including missing units, were pointed out.

 

Professor Margaret Faulkner moved and Ms. Miller seconded the motion to accept the proposed changes, pending receipt of revised proposal. The motion carried, with 5 votes in favor

 

10. Professor Sturges presented proposed changes to the major in Art Education.

Considering the inclusion of ART 1XX (Digital Tools and Concepts) within the newly approved foundations curriculum, ART 217 (Introduction to Computer Media) has been dropped. Unit counts have remained the same.

 

Mr. Logan moved and Ms. Miller seconded the motion to accept the proposed changes. The motion carried, with 5 votes in favor

 

11. Professor Sturges presented proposed changes to the Art History major.

 

Additional elective choices for both Research and Research/Studio tracks include newly approved ARTH 300 (Introduction to Museum Studies), ARTH 302 (Museum and Community), ARTH 350 (History of Prints in America), ARTH 326 (History of Interiors), and ARTH 352 (History of New Media).

 

Studio course requirements in the Research/Studio track were aligned with the revised Foundations courses: ART 205 (Human Figure) was eliminated to maintain the credit count.

 

The Committee recommended to omit the text under the heading Museum Studies Electives, to avoid confusion about the Art History major’s relationship with this Interdisciplinary Studies minor.

 

Ms. Shana Gass moved and Professor J.J. Lee seconded the motion to accept the proposed changes, pending receipt of a revised proposal. The motion carried, with 5 votes in favor.

 

12. Professor Sturges presented proposed changes to the Art minor, to be renamed the minor in Art + Design.

 

Other changes reflect the newly approved foundation curriculum.

 

It was observed that, given the reduction in the B.S. and the creation of the two 45-unit general tracks, the gap between the major and 30-unit minor was narrowing.

 

Professor Faulkner moved and Ms. Louise Shulack seconded the motion to accept the proposed changes. The motion carried, with 5 votes in favor.

 

13. To gather information for Middle States, Professor Glennen and Professor Sadera spoke with the Committee about the curriculum process at Towson. Issues included the scope of the University Curriculum Committee and Course Approval Reporting Committee; the various approval processes, with the criteria used; and communication.

 

14. The UCC meeting adjourned at 5:05pm.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,



Shana M. Gass

Secretary, University Curriculum Committee