UNIVERSITY CURRICULUM COMMITTEE

Minutes - REVISED

May 4, 2007

1. The minutes of the April 9 meeting were accepted as written.

2. Mr. Bob Giordani noted that the definitions for Concentrations and Tracks would not yet appear in next academic year’s catalog. However, Mr. Giordani will email the revised definitions to Department Chairs.

3. Professor Joanne Li, Chair of Finance, presented a proposed new course, FIN 2XX, Personal Financial Management. Professor Gail Gasparich explained that this matter was on the agenda of the UCC as an exceptional case, due to a deadlock in the currently very small Course Approval Reporting Committee. Professor Li explained the rationale for FIN 2XX. Financial savvy is at a premium in an atmosphere of rampant household debt, heavy college loans, and multiplying retirement options. There would be much value in an introductory-level course addressing personal finance at TU. Various universities across the U.S. (e.g., Indiana University) offer courses along the lines of what the Finance Department is proposing. The College of Business and Finance’s peer institutions offer similar courses. FIN 2XX would be aimed at first-year and sophomore students who are not concentrators in Finance; the course (dissimilar to FIN 331) would not count towards the Finance concentration. It was noted that no transfer credit has ever been granted at TU for the similar personal finance courses offered by Maryland community colleges. A proposal for a personal finance course had been previously tabled at the General Education Committee due to similar issues. While committee members agreed that that knowledge of personal finance was a useful life skill, they had concerns that the theoretical foundation and critical thinking skills were limited and in need of considerable upgrading for a college level course, even at the introductory level. The material might be more appropriate for inclusion in a module on life skills taught during the First Year Experience, or by the Counseling Center, or as part of Student Life. It was also pointed out that the course would overlap with other courses currently taught: e.g., MATH 105 focuses on compound interest, and ECON 201 - 202 contain some similar materials.

Professor Jay Zimmerman moved and Professor Elin Lobel seconded the motion to reject the proposed new course. The motion carried, with six members opposed, none in favor, and two members abstaining.

4. Professor Tom Basuray, Chair of Management, presented a proposed new Entrepreneurship track for the Business Administration major. This track was initiated in response to Provost Brennan’s naming Entrepreneurship Education as one of five academic strategic initiatives. Entrepreneurial growth is critical to the health of the U.S. and Maryland economies, and TU students are increasingly interested in going into business for themselves after graduation. A BUAD track in Entrepreneurship is a good fit with interests in the Management Department and a good start to entrepreneurship education at TU; in the future it is anticipated that CBE faculty would collaborate with faculty in other departments to offer entrepreneurial education for non-business majors as well. The proposed track’s courses all have prerequisites, so are not appropriate for non-majors. Management estimates 25-30 students will initially be in the track. Track electives are anticipated to grow with time.

Professor J. J. Lee moved and Professor Leneida Crawford seconded the motion to accept the proposed new track. The motion carried unanimously, with eight votes in favor.

5. Professor Charles Flippen, Chair of Mass Communication, presented proposed changes to the Journalism/New Media track of the Mass Communication major, intended to enhance student skills across a range of traditional and emerging media. Students will now be required to take the new MCOM 256 and 257 (Journalism and New Media I & II) rather than MCOM 255 (Newswriting). MCOM 341 (Digital Publishing) will now be mandatory. Only 3 units of Professional Skills Writing courses will now be required, to keep the track at 27 units overall.

Professor Margaret Faulkner moved and Ms. Tracy Miller seconded the motion to accept the proposed changes. The motion carried unanimously, with eight votes in favor.

6. Professor Barry Moore, Chair of Electronic Media and Film, presented proposed changes to the EMF minor. EMF 120 (Concept and Story) has been added to the core so that the minor and major cores agree; EMF 222, a new basic production course, is required of minors (as of majors) and replaces the deleted EMF 267. EMF 379 has been deleted; EMF 271 has been reconfigured as 371 and is no longer suitable; and EMF 460 (an internship class) has also been removed as an option for the minor. Students will now select 9 units of electives rather than 12; the minor remains at 24 units. Professor Moore noted that the intent of the minor is to give an overview. This is intended to help control production resources.

Professor Crawford moved and Professor Faulkner seconded the motion to accept the proposed changes. The motion carried unanimously, with eight votes in favor.

7. Professor Barry Moore presented the proposal to eliminate the EMF certificate in Broadcast Journalism for Radio/Audio and TV/Video tracks of the EMF major. This certificate was created in parallel to a similar certificate offered by Mass Communications. These certificates featured course offerings from both departments. When MCOM deleted their interdisciplinary certificate and created a new certificate drawing only from MCOM courses, and certain changes were made to courses both in MCOM and EMF, the EMF certificate became applicable only to Radio/Audio tracks, resulting in insufficient interest. MCOM has no objection to the elimination of the EMF certificate. Professor Marzotto noted that for certificates, no UCC vote was required.

8. Professor Dave Schaefer of the Physics Department presented proposed changes to the Physics Secondary Education track for the Physics, Astronomy, and Geosciences major. In the core, PHYS 185, a new 1-credit overview, was added; PHYS 243 has been increased to 4 units (already approved); and a revised PHYS 311is now 3 units. The no-longer-offered COSC 165 (Visual Basic) has been replaced by the new PHYS 270 (Computers in Physics). SCIE 421,the Science Student Teaching Seminar, has returned in response to NCATE and NSTA accreditation standards. The program remains at 44 units.

Mr. Giordani moved and Professor Faulkner seconded the motion to accept the proposed changes. The motion carried unanimously, with eight votes.

9. Professor Dave Schaefer presented proposed changes to the Physics major. The department hopes to balance a strong core in classical physics with exposure to advances in the field, including nanotechnology, magnetic materials, and non-linear optics. Hence, the core now features PHYS 185, a new one-credit overview, and a new two-course sequence, PHYS 311 and 312, to provide a stronger foundation in Modern Physics. In the General Physics track, PHYS 354 is now required. PHYS 459 has been expanded to include content from the deleted PHYS 421; again, COSC 165 has been replaced by the new PHYS 270. There are also minor number and course name changes. Finally, a new capstone course, PHYS 495, has been added, with the former 400-level seminar recast for juniors as PHYS 385. In the Applied Physics track, PHYS 335 (Basic Electronics) will be required. In the Astrophysics track, ASTR 161 and ASTR 162 form a new two-course foundational sequence; the new ASTR 432 (Galaxies & Cosmology) folds in content from the deleted ASTR 423. These changes increase the General Physics track from 70-71 to 76-77 units and the Applied Physics track from 69-70 to 78-80 units; the Astrophysics Track has been reduced from 77-78 to 75-76 units.

Mr. Giordani moved and Professor Faulkner seconded the motion to accept the proposed changes. The motion carried unanimously, with eight votes.

10. Professor Dave Schaefer presented proposed changes to the Earth-Space Science major. The no-longer-offered ASTR 361 is replaced with ASTR 162 (General Astronomy II). SCIE 421 has been reinstituted in response to accreditation standards. The major thus increases to 55 units (from 52).

Mr. Giordani moved and Professor Faulkner seconded the motion to accept the proposed changes. The motion carried unanimously, with eight votes.

11. Professor Jonathan Lazar of Computer and Information Sciences presented proposed changes to the Computer Information Systems major. CIS majors take 12 units of a related discipline; most choose business courses. Selection of courses taken in other departments had been negotiated on an ad hoc basis. CIS decided it would be preferable to set out pre-approved sequences. Bioinformatics, Computer Art & Graphics, Geographic information Systems, Health Care Management, Instructional Technology, and Music The credit counts remain the same, with the exception of that for Music, which is now 13. Professor Crawford noted that MUSC 135, one of several choices for CIS majors, had been eliminated.

Professor Crawford moved and Mr. Giordani seconded the motion to accept the proposed changes. The motion carried unanimously, with eight votes in favor.

12. Professor Erik Scully from Biological Sciences presented a proposed change for the Secondary School Biology Concentration of the Biology Major. The Department wants to reinstate SCIE 421 as a corequisite with SCED 499. As with Physics, this was inspired by accreditation standards, as well as the beneficial effects seen from this seminar in the past.
Mr. Giordani moved and Ms. Gass seconded the motion to accept the proposed change. The motion carried unanimously, with eight votes in favor.

13. Professor Bob Rook, representing Interdisciplinary Studies, presented a proposed change to the Secondary Education track of the Interdisciplinary Studies/Social Science major. GEOG 101 is being dropped as a lower level option due to its natural science rather than social science approach. The number of overall units taken remains the same.

Ms. Miller moved and Professor Faulkner seconded the motion to accept the proposed change. The motion carried unanimously, with eight votes in favor.

14. Professor Crawford presented proposed changes to the Music major. MUSC 231 (Theory IV) and MUSC 233 (Musicianship III) are now required. As MUSC 201 (Music in the U.S., Analytic Emphasis) is now required, the Department would like to make MUSC 421 (Music in the U.S.) an elective rather than a requirement. “Double-dipping” with Gen. Ed. electives will no longer be permitted. Students will need to be approved by an advisor before enrolling in the capstone. Additional requirements for a Senior Thesis/Project and Music Internship are now spelled out.

Mr. Giordani moved and Professor Gasparich seconded the motion to accept the proposed changes. The motion carried unanimously, with eight votes.

15. The UCC meeting adjourned at 5:14 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Shana M. Gass

Secretary, University Curriculum Committee