UMM CURRICULUM COMMTTEE

2008-09 MEETING #4 Minutes

October 1, 2008, 8:00 a.m., Imholte 109

Present: Cheryl Contant (chair), Brenda Boever, Mark Collier, Janet Ericksen, Van Gooch,

Donovan Hanson, Michael Korth, Judy Kuechle, Pareena Lawrence, Veronica Lei, Axl McChesney,

Alex Murphy, Dennis Stewart, Clare Strand, Nancy Helsper

Absent: Sara Haugen, Gwen Rudney

Visiting: Jayne Blodgett, Dorothy DeJager, Terri Hawkinson, Jeri Squier

In these minutes: Social Sciences Division catalog changes.

1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – September 24, 2008

MOTION by Kuechle to approve the September 24, 2008 minutes. No discussion. Motion passed by unanimous voice vote.

2. SOCIAL SCIENCES DIVISION CATALOG CHANGES

Contant announced that the Interdisciplinary Studies (I.S.) majors housed in the Social Sciences Division will be presented at the October 15 meeting, along with other I.S. changes. She explained that I.S. majors are either housed in a division or in the dean’s office. All will be presented at the same meeting.

Contant also announced that additional changes came through from some programs late yesterday. They were sent to the Committee members and will be viewed today, along with the original changes. She apologized to the committee and encouraged disciplines to get their work done on time and without mistakes to avoid such confusion.

ANTHROPOLOGY (Anth)

Lawrence presented the changes for the anthropology discipline. Anthropology proposes a change to the number and lists of courses required. The section stating “Take 1 or more course(s) from the following . . .“ is deleted. The number of additional elective credits is changed from 12 to 16 credits. Additional changes in anthropology are the result of a long-time faculty member retiring and an archaeologist hired to replace him. Changes include 4 new anthropology courses, 1 course title change, and 6 deleted courses:

Anth 2103-Archaeology (SS; 4 cr)

This course is added because the new archaeologist can teach it, and there is as an interest among students for such a course. Anth 2103 was originally proposed with a HDIV GenEd designator. It should have the GenEd designator of SS. This course was provisionally approved for Fall 2008.

Anth 3455-North American Archaeology (SS; 4 cr)

This course was added because anthropology currently does not offer any upper division archaeology courses. With the recent hire of an archaeologist, the anthropology discipline wishes to expand offerings in this subfield of anthropology.

A late proposed change to this course includes a change of the course number from 2455 to 3455. One of the prerequisites is a 3xxx level course.

Anth 3206-Ecological Anthropology (ENVT; 4 cr)

This course was added because anthropology currently does not offer any upper division archaeology courses. With the recent hire of an archaeologist, the anthropology discipline wishes to expand offerings in this subfield of anthropology. This course was provisionally approved for Fall 2008. Changes are proposed to the description, the term offered, the goals and assessment information.

Anth/Soc 3601-Social Change and Development in Latin America

This course title has changed to Social Justice and Human Rights in Latin America to better reflect course content, title, and description change.

Anth 3603-Latin American Archaeology (SS; 4 cr)

This course was added because anthropology currently does not offer any upper division archaeology courses. This course fills that gap and would contribute to the Latin American Area Studies Major.

Deleted courses are:

Anth 2311 - American Indians of the Great Plains: Victims and Victors (HDIV; (4 cr)

Anth 3101 - The Anthropology of Religion, SS (4.0 cr)

Anth 3201 - Cases of Extreme Inequality, IP (4.0 cr)

Anth 3202 - Culture and Biology, ENVT (4.0 cr)

Anth 3301 - India and South Asia, IP (4.0 cr)

Anth 4902 - Senior Seminar (4.0 cr)

MOTION by Ericksen to approve the anthropology discipline course changes.

Discussion:

Some courses that are being removed from the required and elective lists are at the 3xxx level. Lawrence explained that the discipline looks at 2xxx level courses as predominately a lecture class. They want 3xxx courses to have a major component of research. Strand stated there is a University Senate policy on the numbering of courses. 2xxx-level courses are not typically upper division and are typically taken in the sophomore year. DeJager added that the Scholastic Committee submitted to Campus Assembly a proposal for upcoming meeting to enforce the University Senate Policy that requires 50% of coursework in the major to come from the 3xxx level. [It was later clarified that the University Senate Policy refers to residency and requires that “students must complete at least half of upper division major work on the campus from which they are seeking to graduate.”]

After discussion the Committee members agreed that the anthropology discipline should look at what they want to do with course numbering levels (either change the course numbers or change the statement about the number of courses required at each level), and return to the Committee.

Gooch noted that the following statement does not use the standard language: “Up to four credits of D+ or D may be used to meet the major requirements if offset by a sufficient number of higher grades.” The standard is “. . . sufficient number of A-B grades. . .” Korth stated that he thought this statement was superior. The “standard” statement suggests someone will check to see if they have the right grades, which is not done.

Motion failed (0-11-0).

ECONOMICS (Econ)

Lawrence presented the changes for the economics discipline. The total number of 3xxx and 4xxx discipline courses in the catalog is increasing to 26 credits with two new courses added, which will be offered in rotation:

Econ 3014-Game Theory: The Theory of Strategic Behavior I (SS; 2 cr)

Econ 3015-Game Theory: the Theory of Strategic Behavior II (SS; 2 cr)

These courses are added because game theory has become a core field in microeconomics in the last twenty years, and it is not currently covered in any systematic way except in the Honors Curriculum. The economics discipline wishes to expand the elective offerings in this subfield of microeconomics. Econ 3014 was provisionally approved for Spring 2009. Two changes are proposed since it was provisionally approved. The original description was complex and the new description better explains the course. The prerequisite is being changed from 1111 to 1111 or #.

MOTION (Kuechle/Ericksen) to approve the economics discipline course changes.

Discussion:

Collier asked why the two new courses carry only 2 credits. Lawrence answered that most economics electives are 2 credits, to give students a wide variety of courses to choose from. It is only done with electives. The 2-credit courses are half-semester classes.

Motion passed (11-0-0)

HISTORY (Hist)

Lawrence presented the changes for the history discipline. Courses are being inactivated where a faculty position was lost, and two new courses were added. Language in program requirements is altered. Small changes of the frequency offered were made to multiple courses. Two new courses are:

Hist 2002–The Study of History; Schools, Rules, and Tools (HIST; 4 cr)

Hist 3012–History of Ancient Greece and Rome (Hist; 4 cr)

Discussion:

Boever asked about a word choice in Revision #6 of the Multiple Course Change Form. Lawrence will check with the discipline to see which word they intended to use. They will either leave as is or fix if it is a typo. The Committee will accept the decision of the discipline.

DeJager asked if Hist 2002 replaces Hist 2001-Intro to the Historian’s Craft, which was inactivated.

Lawrence stated that it is the same course and they would have used the same number, since every methods course is 2001. Contant suggested that Hist 2002 be changed to Hist 2001 for consistency of all social science methods course numbers. Strand asked if Hist 2002 could become 2001 effective Spring 2009, to avoid any registration in Hist 2002. Squier answered that it could be done. Contant stated that what gets done in the background to make it happen is not relevant to the Committee’s decision to make the change.

MOTION (understood) to approve the history discipline course changes, with the provision of changing Hist 2002 to Hist 2001 for consistency of all social science methods course numbers.

Motion passed (11-0-0)

MANAGEMENT (Mgmt)

Lawrence presented the changes for the management discipline. There are few changes in the management discipline. Three new courses are proposed in the major. Because of staffing constraints, the core has been strengthened with the addition of a new computer science course created for management students (CSci 1251), and two electives (Mgmt 3123 and 3171). The number of required courses is reduced to a limited set of offers. The total number of credits required changed from “58 to 60” to “54 to 58.”

Mgmt 3123-Managerial Economics (SS; 4 cr)

UMM has a distinctive comparative advantage in offering management as a major that is paired with economics as a major, and taught by overlapping faculty: the opportunity to emphasize the complementary nature of the two fields, and especially, to utilize the social science of economics in a central role in the study of the “art” of management. This course is designed to develop the central explanatory ideas of modern microeconomic theory for management majors through consideration of how they can inform managerial decision-making.

Mgmt 3171-Leadership in Organizations (SS; 2 cr)

Management currently offers no courses on leadership. This course will fill a gap within the discipline.

MOTION (understood) to approve the management discipline course changes.

Discussion:

Boever asked why the Twin Cities campus is mentioned in the sub-plan reference. Strand answered that it is coded into the PCAS system. It automatically appears when you have areas of emphasis (the Twin Cities campus calls it a focus). Ericksen wondered if the term emphasis might conflict with the self-created minor called area of emphasis. Stewart answered that he used the terminology that was in the last catalog. He didn’t see a need to change it unless the Committee decides that every discipline should use the same language. Contant stated that it’s still clear to students but we are talking about consistency and getting it uniform across campus. That is an argument that can be taken up after the catalog work is done. She asked if the Committee would like to send it back to the discipline to decide if they want to stick with the word emphasis.

Collier mentioned that it seems that the proposed changes leave only one course in financial management as a requirement for an emphasis in financial management. The other requirements are in public speaking and argumentation.

The Committee ran out of time and will continue with the discussion of management at the next meeting. There may be a need to schedule an additional meeting of the Committee.

Adjourned 9:12 a.m.

Submitted by Darla Peterson