UNIVERSITY CURRICULUM COMMITTEE

Minutes

November 10, 2008

 

 

1.  The minutes of the September 22 meeting were accepted as written.

 

2. Professor Bob Hammell presented proposals for changing the Computer Science major, the Combined Computer Science and Mathematics major (both with and without the track in Computer Security). When analyzing the current core for all four majors, the department saw that 25% was dedicated to hardware issues, an approach that is outdated. COSC 280 and 338 (Assembly Language & Computer Architecture and Computer Organization & Architecture) were removed from the core. A new class, COSC 290 (Principles of Computer Organization), will encompass all the hardware material. At the same time a new class, COSC 350 (Data Communication & Networking) was added to the core for all four majors.

 

Professor J.J. Lee moved and Professor Elin Lobel seconded the motion to accept the proposed changes to the Computer Science major.
Professor Leneida Crawford moved and Professor Lee seconded the motion to accept the proposed changes to the Computer Science major with Security track.

Professor Margaret Faulkner moved and Professor Reza Sarhangi seconded the motion to accept the proposed changes to the Combined Computer Science Major with Mathematics.

Professor Faulkner moved and Professor Gail Gasparich seconded the motion to accept the proposed changes to the Combined Computer Science Major with Mathematics with a track in Computer Security. All motions carried unanimously; with 9 votes in favor.

Errata:
COSC 350’s course title is incomplete on each proposal, with the exception of the major in Computer Science with the track in Computer Security. 
For the major in Computer Science with a track in Computer Security: the Committee noticed that the core lacks the 1-credit COSC 480 (Senior Seminar). If intentional, core credits should be 28. For the Combined major in Computer Science and Mathematics: the total units should be adjusted to 92-97.
For the Combined major in Computer Science and Mathematics with a track in Computer Security: the MATH 490 course title is incomplete. (Again, should COSC 480 also be included?) [The Department confirmed that for the majors including the Security track, COSC 480 was superfluous, as the relevant ethical content was covered within the track courses.)
After the meeting, Computer Science was able to submit corrected proposals to Professor Faller.

 

3.  Professor Barry Buchoff presented a proposal for changes to the Accounting major. AACSB, the accreditation body for the College of Business and Economics, desired more uniformity across the Accounting major and other Business majors at Towson. Accordingly they have added the Computer Proficiency exam as a requirement for entrance to the major. The Committee recalled that when BUAD had added the Computer Proficiency exam, they had consulted with the Academic Standards Committee as this is a screen. Mr. Bob Giordani will check to see whether Academic Standards should be consulted about this or other aspects of the proposal. Declaration of the Accounting major will now be a prerequisite for advanced Accounting courses. Since the major is screened, this should increase the quality of Accounting graduates. (Professor Gail Gasparich was able to confirm that Form B had been submitted for all the affected advanced courses, as necessitated by the change in prerequisites.) Another change was that majors would no longer be required to take a POSC course.

 

The proposal from Accounting included a Form C. However, the first two columns asked the Committee to consult the attached material, including a photocopy of the current catalog and a separate summary of the changes.. The Committee found discussion of the proposal hindered by the absence of a side-by-side presentation of the current and proposed versions of the major as appearing in the catalog. Professor Faulkner moved and Professor Crawford seconded the proposal to table the proposal until a complete Form C could be submitted to the Committee. The motion carried, with 8 votes in favor and 1 vote against.

 

 

4. Professor Sharma Pillutla, Chair of e-Business and Technology Management, presented a proposal for the revision of the e-Business major. Professor Pillutla explained that his was a new department that combined faculty from Marketing (formerly known as Marketing and e-Business) and Management departments. Management courses taught by e-Business and Technology Management faculty were to be recoded under a new Hegis code: EBTM. Information had been forwarded to the Committee as an email (attached to minutes). (Mr. Bob Giordani confirmed according to that the department would still need to submit Form B to the Course Approval Reporting Committee with the new Hegis codes. The multiple courses can all be combined on a single form.)

One of the first tasks befalling the new department was to review the e-Business major. The major, last revised in 2003, was due for an overhaul given the realities of this fast-changing field. Newly created are required 400-level courses in Project Management and Business Process Management. EBTM 419 (Supply Chain Management) was also added to the core. (New course proposals are en route to the College Curriculum Committee.) EBTM 421 (Financial Concepts of e-Business) was eliminated as it was decided that BUAD Finance requirement FIN 331 together with hands-on work in the Business Process Management and Supply Chain Management courses would suffice. The major will offer a range of topics classes, but will no longer require EBTM 469 (Current Developments in e-Business) in the interests of core stability. COSC 484, CIS 475, ART 317, and MKTG 485 were dropped as electives; ENTR 355 (Entrepreneurship) was added.

 

Screening requirements have been streamlined: performance in the lower-level core and the major overall proved more informative than the grades received in MNGT/EBTM 337 or EBUS/EBTM 311. Now screening will align with that of the BUAD major.

 

Recall that changes in screening should go before the Academic Standards Committee, once the program changes are approved. Chair Greg Faller suggested that this process be reflected in the UCC flow chart.

 

Professor Lee moved and Ms. Shana Gass seconded the motion to accept the proposed changes to the e-Business major. The motion carried unanimously, with 9 votes in favor.

 

Errata:
EBTM 491 should list 3 credits.
Note that until courses are approved by the Course Approval Reporting Committee, courses should be listed with the “xx” formulation, rather than with a full course number.

It was indicated that MKTG 345 was to be dropped in Form C, in the justifications for changes column; the central column includes the course. Professor Pillutla confirmed that this course remains on the elective list.

After the meeting, EBTM was able to submit a corrected Form C to Professor Faller.

 

5. Professor Pillutla presented a proposal for a new track for the Business Administration major: Project Management and Business Analysis. Graduates in this field are in much demand. The College’s Business Advocacy Board has strongly supported the creation of this major, especially in relation to BRAC projections, as demonstrated by two emails from Board members included with the proposal. With this new track CBE will be able to offer hands-on experience in fields of study not often offered at the undergraduate level. Graduates would be able to sit for certifying exams — for Six Sigma green belt, Business Analyst, or Certified Associate in Project Management — to further enhance their marketability.

New courses have been created in Business Process Management, Project Quality and Six Sigma, Advanced Project Management, Business Intelligence, as well as Special Topics, Directed Readings, Independent Research, and Internship courses. Other relevant courses have undergone revision.

Might it be constraining to include Six Sigma in the name of the course — is this a “brand” that might soon fall out of favor? Professor Pillutla indicated that this was not a brand name of quality management but a distinctive approach that began at Motorola but was now applied to a wide variety of companies and industries. This method will be with us for some time to come. In response to a question about the relationship between Introduction to Project Management and the other similar courses, Professor Pillutla explained that this course would include but go beyond introductory material, at which point students would be able to take the two related courses in either order. Professor Pillutla supplied an email from the Marketing and Accounting department endorsing the inclusion of ACCT 341 and MKTG 349 as electives within the new track. Ms. Tracy Miller moved and Professor Crawford seconded the motion to accept the proposed new track in Project Management and Business Analysis. The motion carried unanimously, with 9 votes in favor.

 

Errata:
Under Upper Level Business Core Courses, it should read: “GenEd I.D. Advanced Writing Course is taken prior to or concurrent with BUSX 301.
New courses should use the “XX” formulation until they are approved by the Course Approval Reporting Committee.

After the meeting, EBTM was able to submit a corrected Form C to Professor Faller.

 

 

6. The UCC meeting adjourned at 4:50 p.m.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

 

Shana M. Gass

Secretary, University Curriculum Committee