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Classroom Scheduling Protocol
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| Wendy believes that the closure of Gilbert Hall for
renovation could be delayed. |
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| Foreign Language and Math Requirements |
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| John recommends postponing discussion until fall term.
Karen asks to discuss foreign languages briefly today, following
other business. |
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| Agenda Items for Fall Term |
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| Karen requests 3 agenda items to be considered for
fall. |
- Reconsider the criteria for making the deans list. The way
it is currently stated is confusing with regard to the number
of credit hours and the load that must be carried in order to
be eligible.
- Scott Pratt's prior suggestion that a sub-group of the Undergraduate
Council serve in an advisory capacity for academic content in
UO recruiting publications.
- Clarification of who should march in graduation. There is
a large number of students who aren't really graduating but
who participate in the ceremony anyway. In some cases this is
ok, but there is an increasing number of abuses of the system.
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Kate requests discussion of American Sign Language as a foreign
language option.
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| Anne would like to discuss to what extent opportunities
for distance education/distance learning should be a part of our
curriculum. The new term for this is Flexible Learning Environments
and it may encapsulate more in its definition than the former term.
To what extent do we want to encourage multiple learning environments
in our thinking about undergraduate education? |
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| Selection of Chairperson |
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| John's continued service as chair is proposed and
enthusiastically endorsed by the council. He accepts the nomination
and asks for someone to serve in an assistant capacity. Wendy Mitchell
offers to be assistant chair for academic year 2001/2002. |
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| Other Business |
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| John reminds members that submissions of proposals
must be made in .pdf format in the future. |
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| Foreign Language Placement |
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| Karen explained how the system is operating now. The
information in Banner tells us that students have met the admission
requirement of 2 years of foreign language, but doesn't detail which
specific language. This summer, for the first time, we'll have additional
(self-reported) information about which language was studied and
when. From an advising perspective this will be very helpful to
advisors. Useful advice will be given. Students will be counseled
by advisors as to the next step to take - either continue the same
language, but in the 111 series (not the very beginning sequence),
or start with a new language. The 111 series is available in both
Spanish and French. Currently being developed is a more efficient
placement test. This will be an electronic test and will be used
during IntroDUCKtion. The test estimates a starting point to begin
college coursework in a language. |
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| Kathy Roberts shares information broadcasted this
morning on television news. The current requirement for high school
students to take two years of foreign language will be put to a
vote. Presumably, proficiency, rather than a particular number of
courses, will be required. |
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| Karen has been working with Carl Falsgraf, a specialist
in test design, who is developing better proficiency tests. Undergraduate
Studies is helping to subsidize his efforts and to connect him with
the appropriate specialists in the particular languages, especially
French and German. |
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| John is concerned about the difference between students
who complete an AP language and receive college credit versus students
who take a placement test and test out of the requirement, but don't
receive credit toward graduation. He worries that there is little
incentive for doing well on the placement test. |
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| Anne points out that the AP courses teach culture
and not just the language, so there may be a reason that AP carries
college credit whereas basic language proficiency does not. |
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| Hilary points out that many students fulfill their
two years of high school foreign language during the first half
of their high school career. These students need something to compensate
for the two years of no foreign language study between fulfilling
their requirement and beginning college coursework. |
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| Karen explains that what will happen this summer is
that we'll be providing better advising but will not bar students
with previous language training from starting at the entry level
(101). There is a concern that we may currently not have an adequate
number of 111 courses for all of the students who should be in them.
Once we determine the relative need for 101 vs 111 courses fine-tuning
may be necessary. |
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| John inquires with Dick Koch as to math placement. |
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| Karen explains that Ken Ross has worked to revise
the math placement procedure. The initial placement will be based
on the SAT score. This score will be used to determine whether a
student is ready for college level math, or needs more work. For
the vast majority of students, this amount of placement should be
sufficient. However, there will be students who need to take the
placement test - either because they want to start at a level above
Math 111, or because they believe that the SAT-based placement is
incorrect. The use of the SAT score for appropriate placement, however,
will eliminate the mad rush to show up and take a mandatory math
placement test - which is irrelevant for many students, and which
has not been anticipated by students who do need to take it. |
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| Kate asks for an explanation as to how the B.S. math
requirement applies to students who begin their university math
at different levels. |
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| Dick explains that if you were to test into an advanced
level course you would be able to satisfy the requirement with fewer
courses than the norm. You would not have to take additional courses
as substitutes for the ones you had skipped over. |
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| Wendy brings up the issue of California, where they're
considering not using SAT scores. |
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| Dick interjects that people in California actually
want to retain SAT achievement tests, and were concerned about the
verbal SAT, not the math SAT. |
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| Kate offers her experience with language placement
and the system not serving her best interest. |
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| John wants to know if the information that we're providing
students is accurate and helpful. |
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| Kate has mixed feelings. |
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| Meeting Arrangements for Next Term |
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| Members will receive an email from John regarding
the meeting time for fall. John inquires as to whether or not this
time is good for members? Steve indicates that Tuesdays and Thursdays
are the best for him. KJ, Wendy, Bob, and Karen indicate that the
current arrangement is fine. |
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| Meeting adjourned at 9:15 a.m. |
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