UOCC Preliminary Spring 2003 Report.  Request additional copies from lindaw@oregon.  After 5/2/03, report errors in writing to lindaw@oregon and gfreeman@oregon.

 

REVISED (5/7) PRELIMINARY SPRING 2003 CURRICULUM REPORT

PLEASE BRING THIS REPORT OF THE UO COMMITTEE ON COURSES

TO THE UNIVERSITY SENATE MEETING ON MAY 14, 2003

 

 

 

The body of this report consists of two major sections:  Proposed Course Changes for Fall 2003 (unless stated otherwise) and Other Curricular Matters.  Policies and definitions governing group and multicultural status are listed in the main body of this report.  Policies and definitions governing group and multicultural general-education requirements are under Other Curricular Matters.

 

Grading, repeatability, sequence.  Unless indicated otherwise, courses may be taken either pass/no pass or for letter grades.  P/N only or Graded only indicates that all students must take the course as specified in the bold print.  Separate grading options for majors are bracketed in this report and appear in UO class-schedule notes; they are not printed in UO catalogs.  R after course credits means that the course number may be repeated for credit.  “Sequence: after the description means the courses must be taken in numerical order.  Changes in grading option, course description, pre- and co-requisites, conditions of repeatability, and instruction type are not necessarily included here.

 

 

 

The Committee on Courses offers the following reminders:

 

ü       The Committee on Courses will no longer accept the old manual course proposal forms as of Winter 2003.  The electronic forms are available on the CAS web site, http://casweb.uoregon.edu/scripts/index.asp. Arrangements for access may be made with the Lexy Wellman in the CAS office. Future proposals submitted on old forms will be returned, without review, to academic departments, schools, or colleges.

ü       If there is any question that a proposed new or changed course might duplicate coverage in an existing course from another department or school, the proposing department must gain written confirmation that the other department has been consulted and does not object to the new or changed course.

ü       According to University Senate legislation, courses submitted for group-satisfying status must be submitted to the Inter-College General Education Committee.  CAS departments submit them directly to that committee; academic departments in professional schools and colleges submit them to their own dean’s office, which submits approved proposals to the Inter-College General Education Committee.  That committee reviews all group-satisfying proposals at the end of the University Committee on Courses review period.

ü       Proposals for undergraduate group-satisfying and multicultural courses must include written justification, regardless of whether they are new or existing courses.

ü       Courses may not be both group-satisfying and repeatable for credit.

ü       Proposals for new courses should be accompanied by full syllabi.

ü       For 400-/500-level courses, both proposal forms and syllabi must state explicitly the substantive and measurable differences in type and amount of work for the two levels.

ü       Changes in University Senate-approved UOCC reports take effect the following fall term unless requested by a department and stated otherwise in the report.

ü       At its May 1998 meeting, the University Senate agreed that the University Committee on Courses should include in its reports courses that should be dropped because (1) they have not been taught for three years, and (2) the department provided no reasonable explanation of why they have not been taught or whether they will be in the future.

 

 

May 14, 2003:  University Senate considers Spring 2003 preliminary report of the University Committee on Courses.

 

July 2003:                  Publication of 2003-2004 University of Oregon Catalog.  (The changes in this report will first appear in

                  the 2004-2005 catalog.)

 

 

 

 

 

The University of Oregon Committee on Courses moves that Proposed Course Changes for Fall 2003 (unless otherwise stated) and Other Curricular Matters be approved.  If approved, changes are effective Fall 2003 unless stated otherwise.  Changes in this report will first appear in the 2004-2005 catalog.

 

 

Members, University of Oregon Committee on Courses

 

Voting:                  Paul Engelking, Chair

                  David Conley

                  Christine Theodoropoulos

                  James Weston

                  Virpi Zuck

 

Ex officio:   Jack Bennett

                  Herb Chereck

                  Toby Deemer

                  Frances Milligan

 

Staff:                  Gayle Freeman

                  Linda White

                                         

Student:                  Cory Portnuff

 

 

 

 

OLD COURSES DROPPED

 

ANTH 110 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (4) Previously satisfied Social Science Group and International Cultures Multicultural requirements. (Changed to ANTH 161)

ANTH 180 Introduction to Language and Culture (4) Previously satisfied Social Science Group requirement. (Changed to ANTH 280)

ANTH 316 Sexuality and Culture (4) Previously satisfied International Cultures Multicultural requirement. (Changed to ANTH 165)

ANTH 427/527 Peoples of Central and East Africa (4)

ANTH 428/528 Peoples of West Africa and the Sahara (4)  

ANTH 444/544 Middle American Prehistory (4) (Changed to ANTH 350)

ANTH 461/561 Primate Systematics and Taxonomy (4)  

 

EXISTING COURSE CHANGES

 

ANTH 150 Introduction to Archaeology (4)

(Changed title, description)
ANTH 150 World Archaeology (4) Introduction to archaeology and cultural change from the earliest times to the advent of state-level societies. Social Science Group-satisfying status unaffected by change. 

 

ANTH 321 Peoples of India (4)

(Changed description)
ANTH 321 Peoples of India (4) A survey of India’s religious and cultural diversity, the caste system, issues of ethnic identity and untouchability, gender construction, social conflict, diaspora, and politics of poverty.

ANTH 367 Human Adaptation (4)

(Changed description)
ANTH 367 Human Adaptation (4) Human biocultural adaptations of menopause; birth and reproduction; life cycle and growth; adjustments to life in different environments: the Arctic, high altitude, and desert. Science Group-satisfying status unaffected by change. 
 

ANTH 411/511 Political Anthropology (4)

(Changed title, description)
ANTH 411/511 Politics, Ethnicity, Nationalism (4) Explores relationship between ethnicity, politics, and nationalism from historical and anthropological perspectives; addresses the way nationalism and ethnic identity construct and reproduce each other.
 

ANTH 412/512 Economic Anthropology (4)

(Changed title, description)
ANTH 412/512 Economy and Culture (4) Explores the cultural dimensions of production, distribution, and consumption processes, particular attention paid to variability and local-global dynamics. Brief historical overview and extended ethnographic analysis.
 

ANTH 419/519 Anthropology and Folklore (4)

(Changed title, description)
ANTH 419/519 Performance, Politics, and Folklore (4) Investigates the aesthetic, political, economic, and social dimensions of cultural performances by examining museums, heritage displays, folklore festivals, community celebrations, and tourist destinations. Pre or coreq: ANTH 419’ 8 credits in cultural anthropology or folklore, or instructor approval.
 

ANTH 442/542 Northwest Coast Prehistory (4)

(Changed title)
ANTH 442/542 Northwest Coast Archaeology (4) American Cultures Multicultural status for ANTH 442 unaffected by change.

 

ANTH 443/543 North American Prehistory (4)

(Changed title)
ANTH 443/543 North American Archaeology (4) Identity, Pluralism, and Tolerance Multicultural status for ANTH 443 unaffected by change.

 

ANTH 448/548 Gender and Prehistory (4)

(Changed title)
ANTH 448/548 Gender and Archaeology (4) Identity, Pluralism, and Tolerance Multicultural status for ANTH 448 unaffected by change.

 

NEW COURSES

 

ANTH 161 World Cultures (4) A first look into the work of cultural anthropology and an introduction to the cultural diversity of our globe. Students who have previously taken ANTH 110 (Introduction to Cultural Anthropology) are excluded from taking ANTH 161 for credit. Approved to satisfy Social Science Group and International Cultures Multicultural requirements.

 

(Subject previously taught as ANTH 316)

ANTH 165 Sexuality and Culture (4) Examines sexuality by understanding historical, cultural, economic, and political factors that contribute to the construction of sexual identities, relationships, and institutions. Approved to satisfy Social Science Group and Identity, Pluralism, and Tolerance Multicultural requirements.

 

ANTH 174 Anthropology of Food and Health (4) Overview of the evolution of human diet and health patterns. Adaptations to food availability, nutrients, and disease in different populations. Request for Science Group status denied.

 

ANTH 250 Introduction to Archaeology (4) Survey of important archaeological methods, theory, and interpretation. Focus is the problems and promise of various approaches to explore past human behavior. Prereq: ANTH 150 recommended. Request for Science Group status denied.

 

ANTH 260 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (4) Introduction to the important topics, methodologies, and frameworks in cultural anthropology. Approved to satisfy Social Science Group and International Cultures Multicultural requirements.

 

ANTH 326 Caribbean Societies (4) Looks at Caribbean culture as formed through migration, slavery, and trade, and the legacy of that process in religious, popular, and scholarly contexts. Approved to satisfy Social Science Group and International Cultures Multicultural requirements.

 

(Subject previously taught as ANTH 310)

ANTH 327 Anthropological Perspectives on Africa (4) Thematic and comparative exploration of the contours of life in contemporary Africa. Promotes a critical historical perspective on the anthropology of the continent. Approved to satisfy Social Science Group and International Cultures Multicultural requirements.

 

(Subject previously taught as ANTH 444/544)

ANTH 350 Ancient Mesoamerica (4) Rise and fall of various ancient mesoamerican societies such as Olmecs, Maya, Toltecs, and Aztecs, and their cultural antecedents. Prereq: 4 credits in archaeology or instructor approval. Approved to satisfy Social Science Group and International Cultures Multicultural requirements.

 

ANTH 352 The Ancient Maya (4) Introduction to the Ancient Maya, one of the most intriguing and enduring societies in Mesoamerica. Focus will be on origins of social complexity and inequality. ANTH 350 recommended.  Approved to satisfy International Cultures Multicultural requirement. Request for Social Science Group status denied.

 

(Subject previously taught as ANTH 310)

ANTH 488/588 Foundations of Social Theory (4) Graded only. Important early social theorists (Marx, Engels, Freud, Durkheim, Weber) and the historical conditions in which the study of society emerged in Western thought. Students who have previously taken “Foundations of Social Theory” at the 300 level are excluded from taking ANTH 488/588 for credit.

 

ANTH 493/593 Anthropology and Popular Culture (4) Popular culture offers insights into the conditions of the reproduction of social relations through the analysis of film, sport, television, advertising, folklore, fashion, and festivals. Prereq: ANTH 260.

 

(Subject previously taught as ANTH 422/522)

ANTH 620 Anthropology and History (4) Graded only. Advanced seminar explores the historical and contemporary intersections of history and anthropology and the debates in Western historiography.

 

REINSTATED COURSES

 

ANTH 414/514 Contemporary Issues in Anthropology (4) Dropped Fall 2002.
ANTH 425/525 Topics in Pacific Ethnology [Topic] (4) Dropped Fall 2002.

ANTH 465/565 Gender Issues in Nutritional Anthropology (4) Dropped Fall 2002.

ANTH 697 Ethnoarchaeology (4) Dropped Fall 2002.

 

 

 

EXISTING COURSE CHANGE

 

(Changed math requirement)

CIS 111 Concepts of Computing: Computers and Computation (4) Now fulfills requirements for proficiency in mathematics and computing as required by option 2 of the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. The sequence is CIS 111, 122, 133, and 210.

 

 

 

EXISTING COURSE CHANGES

 

CHN 350 Women in Traditional Chinese Literature (4)

(Changed title, description)
CHN 350 Gender and Sexuality in Traditional Chinese Literature (4) Primary and secondary works about women, sexuality, and changing gender roles in traditional China. Readings in English.

 

CHN 351 Women in Modern Chinese Literature (4)

(Changed title, description)
CHN 351 Gender and Sexuality in Modern Chinese Literature (4) Primary and secondary works about women, sexuality, and changing gender roles in republican, socialist, and post-Mao China. Readings in English.

 

 

 

NEW COURSE

 

(Subject previously taught as EC 199)

EC 233 Microeconomic Principles and Environmental Issues (4)  [Graded only for majors] Principles of microeconomics, framed in the context of environmental policymaking. Emphasis on differences between private and social costs and benefits. MATH 111 recommended. Students cannot receive credit for both EC 201 and EC 233.  Approved to satisfy Social Science Group requirement.

 

 

 

EXISTING COURSE CHANGE

 

GEOG 342 Geography of the World Economy (4)

(Changed title, description)
GEOG 342 Geography of Globalization (4) Historical and geographical dimensions of globalization; emphasizes economic and social factors. Topics include multinationals; trade agreements, sustainability, global inequalities, and racial and gender divisions of labor.

 

 

OLD COURSES DROPPED

 

GEOL 104 Introductory Geology Laboratory (1R)

GEOL 105 Introductory Geology Laboratory (1R)

GEOL 106 Introductory Geology Laboratory (1)

GEOL 321 Essentials of Mineralogy (2) (Changed to GEOL 331)

GEOL 322 Determinative Methods in Mineralogy (3)

GEOL 323 Introduction to Petrology (3) (Changed to GEOL 332)

 

EXISTING COURSE CHANGES

 

GEOL 433/533 Paleontology III: Non-marine Fossils (4)

(Changed title, description)
GEOL 433/533 Paleobotony (4) Evolution and ecology of plants and microbes from the origin of life to global warming. Laboratory exercises and field trip to collect plant fossils. Pre- or coreq: GEOL 103 or 203, or instructor approval.

NEW COURSES

 

GEOL 305 Dinosaurs (4) Overview of the past and present biodiversity of vertebrate animals, including ourselves, dinosaurs, and what ruled the ocean when dinosaurs roamed the land. Approved to satisfy Science Group requirement.

 

(Subject previously taught as GEOL 321 and 322)

GEOL 331 Mineralogy (5) [Graded only for majors] Crystal chemistry, systematic study of rock-forming silicate, and selected other minerals, mineral optics, and x-ray diffraction. Lab work with hand samples and petrographic microscopes. Prereq: GEOL 201 and 202 or 101 and 102; CH 211, 221, or 224; Coreq: CH 212, 222, or 225.

 

(Subject previously taught as GEOL 323)

GEOL 332 Introduction to Petrology (5) [Graded only for majors] Origin and classification of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. Microscopic study of rocks in thin section. Prereq: GEOL 331.

 

GEOL 434/534 Vertebrate Paleontology (4) [Graded only for majors] Evolution of vertebrates, including ourselves, based on fossil evidence. Physical and other evolutionary constraints are addressed, and lab exercises provide hands-on experience. Prereq: GEOL 103 or 203, or instructor approval.

 

 

 

NEW COURSE

 

(Subject previously taught as LING 410)

LING 441/541 Teaching English Pronunciation (4) Introduction to English phonetics and phonology, methods for teaching pronunciation, lesson plan development, and practice teaching.

 

 

 

REINSTATED COURSE

 

PHIL 670 Issues in Metaphysics (4-4) Dropped Fall 2002.

 

 

OLD COURSE DROPPED

 

PSY 427/527 Abnormal Psychology (4)

 

EXISTING COURSE CHANGE

 

PSY 430/530 Cognitive Science with Laboratory (5)

(Changed title, credits, description, instruction type)
PSY 430/530 Cognitive Science (4) Interdisciplinary approaches to studying mind and brain, including material from anthropology; cognitive, social, and developmental psychology; computer science; linguistics; and philosophy.

 

NEW COURSES

 

(Subject previously taught as PSY 410)

PSY 366 Culture and Mental Health (4) Role of culture in the definition and maintenance of mental health and the definition and treatment of mental illness. Approved to satisfy Social Science Group status and Identity, Pluralism, and Tolerance Multicultural requirements.

 

(Subject previously taught as PSY 410/510)

PSY 472/572 Psychology of Trauma (4) Cognitive, neuropsychological, developmental, social, and clinical approaches to understanding trauma. Includes analysis of childhood trauma, sexual assault, domestic violence, terrorism, combat, and natural disasters. Prereq: PSY 302, 303.

 

(Subject previously taught as PSY 410/510)

PSY 480/580 Development and Psychopathology (4) Biological and environmental factors that shape normal and abnormal development. Analysis of how family functioning affects psychopathology and resilience in children and adolescents. Prereq: PSY 302, 303.

 

 

 

NEW COURSES

 

REL 432/532 Islamic Mystical Thought (4) Graded only. Inner dimensions of Islamic piety and righteousness, from the Koranic and prophetic foundations to principal thinkers in the medieval Arabic and Persian Sufi traditions.

 

(Subject previously taught as REL 410/510)

REL 436/536 Medieval Islamic and Jewish Philosophy (4) [Graded only for majors] Thought and context of influential Islamic and Jewish medieval philosophers, including Ibn Sina and Moses Maimonides. Attention to prophecy, the soul, metaphysics, the state, and Aristotelian rationalism.

 

 

 

REINSTATED COURSE

 

RUSS 241 Great Russian Writers (4-4) Dropped Fall 2001

 

 

 

REINSTATED COURSE

 

SOC 646 Work and Organization Issues: [Topic] (5-5R) Dropped Fall 2001

 

 

 

EXISTING COURSE CHANGES

 

TA 651 Theory of Dramatic Production (Acting) (3)

(Changed credits)
TA 651 Theory of Dramatic Production (Acting) (4)
 

TA 652 Theory of Dramatic Production (Direction) (3)

(Changed credits)
TA 652 Theory of Dramatic Production (Direction) (4)

TA 653 Theatre of Dramatic Production (Structure) (3)

(Changed credits)
TA 653 Theory of Dramatic Production (Structure) (4)

 

 

OLD COURSES DROPPED

 

WGS 301 History and Development of Feminist Theory I (4) Previously satisfied Social Science Group and Identity, Pluralism, and Tolerance Multicultural category requirements. 

 

WGS 302 History and Development of Feminist Theory II (4) Previously satisfied Social Science Group and Identity, Pluralism, and Tolerance Multicultural category requirements.

 

NEW COURSES

 

(Subject previously taught as WGS 301 and 302)

WGS 315 History and Development of Feminist Theory (4) [Graded only for majors] Feminist theory from the Enlightenment through the Second Wave, with special emphasis on the diverse theories of the 1960s to the present. Prereq: WGS 101. Approved to satisfy Social Science Group and Identity, Pluralism, and Tolerance Multicultural requirements.

 

WGS 415/515 Advanced Feminist Theory: [Topic] (4R) [Graded only for majors] Topics addressing contemporary issues including queer theory, sexualities and genders, feminism and race, and global feminist theory. Prereq: one upper-division WGS course. R twice for a maximum of 12 credits.

 

 

 

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND ALLIED ARTS

 

 

 

REINSTATED COURSES

 

ARH 424/524 Classical Greek Art (4)

ARH 430/530 Early Christian Art (4) – taught Winter 2003

ARH 433/533 Gothic Sculpture (4) – taught Winter 2003

ARH 439/539 Gothic Architecture (4) – taught Spring 2003

ARH 452/552 19^th Century Problems: [Topic] – taught Spring 2003

ARH 484/584 Problems in Chinese Art (4)

 

 

LUNDQUIST COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

 

 

 

EXISTING COURSE CHANGES

 

BA 352 Business Leadership (4)

(Changed title)

BA 352 Leadership and Communication (4)

 

BA352H Business Leadership (4)

(Changed title)

BA 352H Leadership and Communication (4)

 

REINSTATED COURSES

 

MKTG 688 Theory and Research in Marketing Information (3) – taught Spring 2003

 

 

 

 

 

 

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

 

 

 

NEW COURSE

 

PHYS 111 Introduction to Weather (4)

 

 

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

 

 

 

CHANGED COURSES

 

FHS 405 Reading: [Topic] (1-5R)

(Changed credits)

FHS 405 Reading and Conference: Topic (1-21R) R for a maximum of 21 credits.

 

FHS 605 Reading: [Topic] (1-5R)

(Changed credits)

FHS 605 Reading and Conference: [Topic] (1-21R) R for a maximum of 21 credits.

 

 

 

 

 

ANTH 252 Human Impacts on Ancient Environments (4)

ANTH 280 Introduction to Language and Culture (4)

 

 

 

 

 

On Friday, April 18, 2003, the State Board of Higher Education approved a proposal for a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree program for a Multimedia Design Program.

 

 

 

 

The Academic Council has formally deactivated the Ethnic Studies Certificate administered by the Ethnic Studies Program.  The certificate was last listed in the 1999-2000 academic catalog, and became inactive in 2000.

 

 

 

As the primary, commonly available, summary of a course, the syllabus serves several purposes.  It outlines the course, it denotes what students may expect from the course, and it locates the course in the curriculum.  Not only read by prospective students, it is the best, concise, description of a course by those who teach it that is available to students and colleagues.  The University Committee on Courses uses course syllabi in its review of courses.  To maximize a course the usefulness of a syllabus to students and faculty, it is suggested that it contain the following contents.

 

1.  Course Number

2.  Title

3.  Credits

4.  Term, place, time, instructor

     (For a new course proposal, indicate when it is likely to be offered, and how frequently)

     (For a new course proposal, indicate who is likely to teach the course)

 

5.  Place in Curriculum

     •  Group requirement satisfying?  (Explain why)

     •  Multicultural requirement satisfying? (Explain why)

     •  Other general education requirement satisfying?

     •  Satisfying other major or program requirement?

     •  Preparatory for other courses?

     •  Prerequisites or other suggested preparation.

 

6.  Format (Lecture, Discussion, Lab, . . .)

 

7.  Outline of subject and topics explored

 

8.  Course materials (Texts, books, readings, . . .)

 

9.  Expectations for students

     •  Explicitly (by pages assigned, lengths of assignments, etc.), or by

     •  Expected student engagement (see suggested Student Engagement Inventory

     •  Readings

     •  Problems

     •  Attendance

     •  Project

     •  Writing

     •  Laboratory

     •  Field work

     •  Electronic media/network/online

     •  Performance

     •  Presentation

     •  Tests

     •  Differential expected for graduate work for joint 400/500 level courses.

10.  Assessment

     •  Methods (testing, homework, . . .)

     •  Times or frequency

     •  Grading policy

 

[See Faculty Handbook for other recommendations regarding university policies.]

 

 

To aid in assigning student credit hours uniformly to courses in the curriculum, the committee inventories the amount of student engagement in a course.  The committee has found the following tool to be useful.  Departments preparing course proposals are invited to use this, when deciding how many SCH units to request for a proposed course, and encouraged to report to the committee how this tool may be improved for their use.

 

Please identify the number of hours a typical or average student would be expected to spend in each of the following activities. The general guideline is that each credit should reflect 30 hours of student engagement. Therefore, a 3-credit course would engage students for 90 hours total among the activities listed below, whereas a 4-credit course would list 120 hours of activities in which students are engaged over the course of the term.

 

Educational activity	Hours student engaged	Explanatory comments (if any):
Course attendance
Assigned readings
Project
Writing assignments
Lab or workshop
Field work/experience
Online interaction
Performances/creative activities
Total hours:

 

Definition of terms:

Course attendance	Actual time student spends in class with instructor or GTF
Assigned readings	Estimated time it takes for a student with average reading ability to read all assigned readings
Writing assignments	Estimated time it takes for a student with average writing ability to produce a final, acceptable written product as required by the assignment
Project	Estimated time a student would be expected to spend creating or contributing to a project that meets course requirements (includes individual and group projects)
Lab or workshop	Actual time scheduled for any lab or workshop activities that are required but are scheduled outside of class hours
Field work/ experience	Actual or estimated time a student would spend or be expected to spend engaged in required field work or other field-based activities
Online activities	Actual or estimated time a student would spend or be expected to spend engaged in online activities directly related to the course, separate from online research required for projects or writing assignments
Performances/creative activities	Actual or estimated time a student would spend or be expected to spend outside of class hours engaged in preparing for required performance or creative activity

 

 

 

The following criteria were proposed by the Undergraduate Council and the College of Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee.  The University Senate approved them in May 1998.

 

1.   Group-satisfying courses proposed by departments or individual faculty members must be reviewed by both the College of Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee and the University Committee on Courses before submission to the University Senate.

 

2.   Group-satisfying courses must be numbered at the 100, 200, and 300 levels.  Lower-division courses must be offered annually and upper division courses at least biannually.  Approved courses must be at least 4 credits each [Senate Resolution US 9900-6, February 9, 2000].

 

3.   No more than three courses with the same subject code may be counted by a student as satisfying group requirements.

 

4.   Group-satisfying courses in art and letters, social science, and science must meet the following criteria:

1. Group-satisfying courses in arts and letters must create meaningful opportunities for students to engage actively in the modes of inquiry that define a discipline.  Proposed courses must be demonstrably liberal in nature and broad in scope.  Though some courses may focus on specialized subjects or approaches, there must be a substantial course content locating that subject in the broader context of the major issues of the discipline.  Qualifying courses will not focus on teaching basic skills but will require the application or engagement of those skills through analysis and interpretation.

 

b.   Group-satisfying courses in the social sciences must be liberal in nature rather than professionally oriented or devoted in substantial measure to the performance of professional skills.  They must cover a representative cross-section of key issues, perspectives, and modes of analysis employed by scholars working on the subject matter addressed by the course.  The subject matter of the course will be relatively broad (e.g., involving more than one issue, place, or time).  Courses with emphasis on methods and skills will satisfy the requirement only if there is also a substantial and coherent theoretical component.

 

c.  Group-satisfying courses in the sciences should introduce students to the foundations of one or more scientific disciplines, or provide a scientific perspective on a major problem facing society, or provide an introduction to scientific methods (including the use of mathematics and computers) used within or among disciplines.

 

5.   In particular:

 

a.    Courses designed primarily for majors are not excluded a priori from group status.

 

b.  Courses in methods or statistical analysis are excluded in the social sciences, but courses in theory construction are acceptable.

 

c.    Laboratory courses are not excluded from group-satisfying status in the sciences.

 

d.  Qualifying courses in arts and letters cannot focus on teaching basic skills, so first-year German, for example, could not qualify for group status, but reading Goethe in German might.

 

 

 

The 2000-2001 academic year was the first year that the Committee on Courses systematically deleted from the University catalog courses that have not been taught for three years or more.

 

In several cases, departments had not offered a specialized course under a course number and title specified in the catalog.  Yet, similar courses had been taught regularly in the department in various formats, under experimental numbers (410, 510, 610), or under the general designations for special topics seminars, workshops, or practicums (the 4/5/6 06,07,08,09 series).  With time, departments had discovered that a course description in the catalog was too specialized to apply to any of their courses as actually being taught.

 

Unfortunately, removal of an overly specialized course, although untaught, still might have consequences for departments.   Often, that course had been the sole representatives in the catalog of subjects that are taught by a department and are part of the regular curriculum.  Dropping that course could make it appear that a department offered no courses in that course’s subject area.

 

The committee has noted another, companion problem.  Over the years, the committee has observed that new courses tailored to the particular research interests and instructional style of an individual faculty member are likely to fall into disuse within a few years as the person's teaching assignments and interests change, or if the instructor becomes unavailable for teaching that particular course.

 

The Committee on Courses recommends that departments and programs develop more sustainable course descriptions.   A sustainable course description would identify a subject area and general approach, but would not be so restrictive as to exclude different perspectives or specializations also representative of that subject area.

 

The Committee also recommends that departments and programs be selective when proposing permanent course status for specialized courses that can only be taught by one particular instructor.

 

For example: A department with several experts qualified to teach ceramics, but having only one instructor who specializes in Ming porcelain per se, might currently have a specialized course titled  “Ming Dynasty Porcelains” in the catalog.   A more sustainable course title could be “Chinese Porcelains, ” or even “Porcelains,” depending upon the range of expertise available to teach the course.  Another approach would use the topics course “Ceramics,” possibly repeatable as the exact subject material–and transcript title–changes.

 

Departments following these recommendations could then represent the full range of their curricular offerings and could maintain a sustainable list of courses in the catalog.

 

 

 

Category A:  American Cultures.  The goal is to focus on race and ethnicity in the United States by considering racial and ethnic groups from historical and comparative perspectives.  Five racial or ethnic groups are identified: African American, Chicano or Latino, Native American, Asian American, European American.  Approved courses deal with at least two of these groups in a comparative manner.  They do not necessarily deal specifically with discrimination or prejudice, although many do.

 

Category B:  Identity, Pluralism, and Tolerance.  The goal is to gain scholarly insight into the construction of collective identities, the emergence of representative voices from varying social and cultural standpoints, and the effects of prejudice, intolerance, and discrimination.  The identities at issue may include ethnicities as in the American Cultures category, as well as classes, genders, religions, sexual orientations, or other groups whose experiences contribute to cultural pluralism.  This category includes courses that analyze the general principles underlying tolerance, or the lack of it.

 

Category C: International Cultures.  The goal is to study world cultures in critical perspective.  Approved courses either treat an international culture in view of the issues raised in Categories A and B­­—namely, race and ethnicity, pluralism and monoculturalism, and/or prejudice and tolerance—or explicitly describe and analyze a world-view—i.e., a system of knowledge, feeling, and belief—that is substantially different from those prevalent in the 20^th-century United States.

 

 

 

The Committee on Courses has discussed the criteria for adding an “H” suffix to a course number and recommends the following:

 

The “H” suffix is intended to advise students that a course provides honors content of significant difficulty and requires honors effort from students.  The University Committee on Courses will be looking for evidence of the following in determining whether a course should hold an “H” suffix designation:

 

1.  Students enrolling should have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.30 in their major.

 

2.    The content of the class, and the level of analysis, should be significantly deeper than for non-honors classes.

 

3.    Class size should be small enough to promote intensive student participation.

 

4.    The faculty member(s) teaching the course should be available for close advising outside of class.

 

 

 

MAJOR

 

Definition

Courses in designated primary subject areas/disciplines in which a student commits to gaining in-depth knowledge, skills, competence, and attitudes through a coherent pattern of courses.  A footnote accompanies the major definition: Divisional major programs emphasize a general and integrated approach to learning, with the student’s major program broadly inclusive of work in several of the discipline or subject areas within the specific division within which the student’s degree program lies (i.e. humanities, social science, science).  For instance, a divisional major program in the social sciences would call for the student to include within his/her major work from several of the disciplines or subject areas in the social sciences (e.g. sociology, political science, economics).  Because of the breadth of disciplines or subjects included in the major, the student has less opportunity to delve in depth into a single subject area such as sociology, political science, or economics, than they would be able to do were they in a “departmental major” program in a single one of these disciplines or subject areas.

 

Minimal Requirements

36 credits – of which a minimum of 24 must be upper division.  Departments should consider setting minimum residency requirements.

MAJOR

 

Definition

Courses in a designated secondary subject area or discipline distinct from and usually outside the student’s degree major in which knowledge is gained in a coherent pattern of courses.

 

Minimal Requirements

24 credits – of which a minimum of 12 must be upper division.  Should be within discipline that already has a pre-existing major or sponsored by department.

 

CERTIFICATE

 

Definition

An approved academic award given in conjunction with the satisfactory completion of a program of instruction requiring one year or more, but less than four years, of full-time equivalent post-secondary level work.  The conditions and conferral of the award are governed by the faculty and ratified by the governing board of the institution granting the certificate.

 

Minimal Requirements

36 credits – 24 upper division with 12 minimum at 400 level. Sponsoring department must provide guidance – template/check list, name of an advisor, with notice that student must consult an advisor to apply for certificate at least two terms prior to graduation.