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2014_12_02_Minutes

MINUTES
MEETING OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE BOARDS
of the General College and the College of Arts and Sciences
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
3:30–4:43 PM, 3020 Steele Building

The meeting was called to order at 3:30 p.m. and chaired by Senior Associate Dean Abigail Panter.

Members in attendance: Daniel Anderson, Navin Bapat, Kelly Giovanello, Li-Ling Hsiao, Doug MacLean, Lee May, Abigail Panter, Michael Rolleri, Chris Roush, Margie Scarry, Mark Schoenfisch, Nick Siedentop, Anna Maria Siega-Riz, Keith Sockman, James Thompson

Absent: Yaakov Ariel, Chris Derickson, Marcie Cohen Ferris, Karen Gil, Christian Lundberg, Louise McReynolds, Vladas Pipiras, Christopher Putney, Louise Toppin

Guests: Robert Jenkins

Staff: Ben Haven

1. Welcome by Senior Associate Dean Abigail Panter.
Panter congratulated the Boards on their good work so far, and expressed her appreciation for their service to the College of Arts and Sciences by welcoming them to join her and the Office of Undergraduate Curricula staff at Top of the Hill immediately following the meeting.

2. Study Abroad Proposals, Robert Jenkins, Chair of the Study Abroad Advisory Board

Six study abroad proposals were presented to the Boards, including one Burch Field Research Seminar. Two of these programs speak to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) needs. Robert Jenkins, chair of the Study Abroad Advisory Board, responded to Boards’ members questions. The Boards expressed concern about how certain student populations would be treated if registered for the Math in Moscow Semester Program. This is to be addressed via the counseling process prior to registration in the program. Additional concerns were raised about the lack of a site visit pre-approval; however, this particular site is visited somewhat regularly and has been visited recently. The Boards also recommended that the Burch Field Research Seminar have some form of final exam or assessment noted. The Boards approved the study abroad proposals with their concerns noted and their recommendation addressed.

3. Curriculum Committee Report, James Thompson, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Curricula
The Boards approved the Curriculum Committee Report as distributed.

4. Southern Associate of Colleges Reporting (SACS), Abigail Panter, Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education
Panter updated the Boards on the SACS reporting request. There are a total of 18 points that the College is currently addressing. This report is due January 7, 2015. The focus is on independent studies, academic advisor and student services manager training, processes that are already in place, and recommendations for future policies.

Panter also discussed a recent College syllabi review process. This semester, the College reviewed a random subset of learning contracts and syllabi, rating them based on Faculty Council Resolution 2012-11 on Guidelines for Course Syllabi and the Independent Study Report recommendations. The senior associate deans will soon make a decision as to whether or not the syllabus review process is feasible in future semesters. As syllabi collection can be difficult, it may be helpful in the future to keep a document repository of all undergraduate syllabi. How or if these syllabi may be collected and stored is still a question that needs to be resolved.

Nick Siedentop briefly discussed progress on the subcommittee to explore ways to maintain integrity with course design. Meetings will soon be scheduled between Chris Roush, Chris Lundberg, Douglas MacLean, and Kelly Giovanello.

5. Curriculum Revisions, Nick Siedentop, Curriculum Director, Office of Undergraduate Curricula

Undergraduate Bulletin text for Curriculum Revisions

Nick Siedentop highlighted several items from the curriculum revision proposals, including the concentration name change from “German Studies” to “German Media, Arts, and Culture” to reflect the shift toward the humanities rather than the social sciences. No questions were raised. The Boards approved the curriculum revisions as distributed.

At 4:43 p.m., the meeting adjourned to Top of the Hill to celebrate the good work done by the Boards so far this academic year.

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The Administrative Boards of the General College and the College of Arts and Sciences are responsible for advising the Dean of the College about the undergraduate curriculum, including changes in that curriculum, approving individual courses offered in Departments and Curricula of the College, and making decisions when requested on specifications for degrees.