UNIVERSITY CURRICULUM COMMITTEE

Minutes

September 25, 2006

Professor Toni Marzotto called the meeting of the University Curriculum Committee to order at 3:35 p.m. in the Towson Room (Cook 507) of Cook Library.

A. Special Session

Overview of Curriculum Process and Orientation for New Members and College Curriculum Committee Chairs

· The Curriculum Committee web site is a valuable, frequently updated repository of forms, syllabi, reports, and so on (path: TU homepage > Faculty/Staff > Faculty Senate > Curriculum Committee).

· Professor Marzotto encouraged committee members to have their college web pages link to the site.

· There is a link to agendas but this has not been updated. Some effort will be made this year to have meeting agendas posted prior to meetings.

· Cook Library will continue to support the UCC; all proposals go to Ms. Diane Cascella (410-704-2452) at the Library from 1 week to 10 days prior to the meeting date.

· UCC meetings are scheduled for the second Monday each month, from 3:30 to 5:00 or 5:30 p.m. September and October are exceptions this year due to holidays and a need not to overlap with the Senate. The next meeting of UCC is October 16.

· Professor Marzotto urged colleges to get their proposals in promptly to avoid backlogs.

· The University Curriculum Committee will communicate back to College Curriculum Committees in cases where programs are not approved by the UCC.

· Individual courses do not go through the UCC, but through the Course Approval Reporting Committee.

Professor Marzotto introduced the newly revised Forms A and B, as well as Form C, a new form dedicated to program changes. Revisions reflect changes to the name of Enrollment Services (once again known as the Registrar) and integration of Graduate School and Peoplesoft information. Forms A, B, and C begin in the Departments and are sent to the College Curriculum Committees. Professor Marzotto would like to combine the Appendix B coversheet with Form (Program Approval), to verify that all involved Departments are in agreement. It was noted that Forms A and B could be submitted in eight copies, when the individual College Curriculum Committee is smaller. There is no form for new programs that need external (MHEC) approval. Professor Marzotto explained that new programs coming to the UCC require a DOI (declaration of intent) from the Provost.

UCC members reviewed a draft of the flow chart for “Steps in the Curriculum Process at TU.” It is acceptable (possibly inevitable) for forms to be in several committees simultaneously. It is recommended that each committee where courses/programs have been submitted for approval is aware of other submissions. The UCC may need to approve certain programs pending approval in other bodies, or may choose to hold approval until approval elsewhere is gained. There was discussion about where Honors College courses should be submitted. It is recommended that the course be approved by the relevant College first, then the Honors program.

B. Regular Business Session

1. The minutes of the May 8 UCC meeting were accepted as written. However, it was noted that the Annual Report sent to members was for the prior year, 2005-2005. Yvonne Lev indicated she would send the correct document via e-mail.

2. Professor Marzotto was nominated as Chair. Ms. Shana Gass’ appointment to secretary was announced. Professor Jay Zimmerman moved and Ms Tracy Miller seconded the motion to elect Professor Marzotto to the chairship. The motion carried unanimously.

3. Proposed new minor in Health Science was tabled.

4. Professor Karen Eskow, chair of Family Studies, presented a proposal for changes to the major in Family studies. The Department proposes to substitute FMST 297 for COMM 115, which is no longer offered. Family Studies introduced a major track in Leadership in the Nonprofit Sector, involving course requirements in ECON, MCOM, CLST, MKTG, and MNGT as well as in FMST. Changes are driven by accreditation needs and the Department’s desire to add a new track. Program credits have been restated to cover the newly required FMST 497 and to ensure the minimum 24 credits outside of the core. Professor Sandra Tatman moved and Professor Zimmerman seconded the motion to accept the proposal. The motion carried unanimously.

5. Professor Beverly Leetch, representing the Department of Foreign Languages (note name change from Modern Languages), presented proposals for changes to Foreign Language Secondary Education programs. Both proposals are in response to new requirements from the American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), which accredits the language programs on behalf of NCATE. The Department will require all Spanish Secondary Education program majors to take additional 400-level Spanish literature/culture courses. Also, Secondary Education program majors in French, German and Spanish will be required to take ACTFL’s Oral Proficiency Exam to graduate. The Department will fund students’ taking the exam. Professor Leetch will present a slightly modified copy of the request, including a change to the Department name and a streamlined listing of the 400-level Spanish courses. Professor Leneida Crawford moved and Professor Gail Gasparich seconded the motion to accept the proposal, with changes discussed by Professor Leetch. The motion carried unanimously.

6. Professor R. Douglas K. Herman, from the Geography and Environmental Planning Department, representing the Asian Studies IDIS program, presented requested changes to the major and minor to drop courses that are no longer extant and to add other relevant courses. There was a question of whether the number of students in each track was known. Mr. Robert Giordani, the Registrar, verified that Peoplesoft could yield this information. Professor J.J. Lee moved and Professor Crawford seconded the motion to accept the proposal pending receipt of documentation that involved Departments are aware of the changes. The motion carried unanimously.

7. Professor Charles Flippen, chair of Mass Communication and Communication Studies, presented two proposals for changes. For the Broadcast Journalism/New Media track, the Department would like to drop MCOM 483 and replace it with MCOM 381, and alter the requirements in the Broadcast Journalism Certificate for students in the Journalism/New Media track. There was no formal vote on the Certificate proposal, since it is an internal departmental recognition, but there was a “sense of unanimity” in approval. Regarding the substitution of MCOM 381 for MCOM 483, Professor Gasparich moved and Professor Zimmerman seconded the motion to accept the proposal. The motion carried unanimously.

8. Professor Marzotto presented a proposal on behalf of Professor Sharon Glennen, chair of Audiology, Speech-Language Pathology & Deaf Studies, to substitute DFST 107 for SPPA 205, which is no longer being offered, in the major. Professor Zimmerman moved and Professor Margaret Faulkner seconded the motion to accept the proposal. The motion carried unanimously.

9. Regarding the Art History Major, full approval from the UCC is pending, contingent on approval from the Provost’s office and MHEC. This matter will be brought before the UCC once more when the DOI and required documentation is completed.

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

Respectfully submitted,

Shana M. Gass

Secretary, University Curriculum Committee