COUNCIL ON ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
200 Bricker Hall
April 2, 2014
3:00 - 5:00 PM
MINUTES
Attendance
Faculty:
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PDr. Heather Allen (Chemistry and Biochemistry)
PDr. Mollie Blackburn (School of Teaching and Learning)
Dr. Lisa Florman (History of Art)
PDr. Ken Goings (African American and African Studies)
PDr. Blaine Lilly (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering)
PDr. Eric MacGilvray (Political Science)
Dr. James Rathman (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering)
PDr. Fernando Unzueta (Spanish and Portuguese)
PDr. Kay Wolf (Health and Rehabilitation Sciences)
PDr. Henry Zerby (Animal Sciences)
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Students:
Krista Bryson (CGS, English)
PSara Adelman (Inter-Professional Council, Medicine)
P Elena Chung (CGS, Chemical Engineering)
P Marnie Janson (USG, Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Sarra Kashyap (USG, Neuroscience)
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Administrator:
PDr. W. Randy Smith (Academic Affairs), Vice Chair
Guests:
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Mr. Bernard Forjwuor (Office of Undergraduate Admissions)
Dr. Steve Fink (College of Arts and Sciences)
Mr. Michael Gable (Office of the University Registrar)
Dr. Rob Griffiths (Office of Distance Education and eLearning)
Dr. Kate Hallihan (John Glenn School of Public Affairs)
Dr. Scott Herness (Graduate School)
Dr. Garrett Heysel (College of Arts and Sciences)
Dr. Alan Kalish (University Center for the Advancement of Teaching)
Ms. Sarah Odom (College of Education and Human Ecology)
Ms. Jen Simmons (Office of Distance Education and eLearning)
Dr. Bernadette Vankeerbergen (College of Arts and Sciences)
Dr. John Wanzer (Office of Undergraduate Education)
Mr. Andrew Zircher (College of Education and Human Ecology)
The meeting came to order at 3:07 PM.
REPORT FROM THE VICE-CHAIR – PROFESSOR W. RANDY SMITH
There were no comments from the Chair.
Smith announced that Kay Wolf has been awarded the President and Provost’s Award for Distinguished Faculty Service. Council members congratulated her.
Smith will be visiting the new Springfield STEM School on April 3, 2014 with Linda Martin Associate Dean, College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and Mindy Wright, Assistant Provost on April 3, 2014.
The University-wide Assessment Conference will be held April 4, 2014.
SUBCOMMITTEE B—SARA ADELMAN, MOLLIE BLACKBURN, MARNIE JANSON, JIM RATHMAN, FERNANDO UNZUETA
· Revision to the Undergraduate Major in English leading to the Bachelor of Arts Degree, College of Arts and Sciences
Guest: Clare Simmons, Director of Undergraduate Studies
Unzueta provided an overview of the proposal, noting that it proposed adding a required diversity course that increases the major by one course; and the grouping of the major into four concentrations: Literature; Writing, Rhetoric, and Literacy; Creative Writing; and Folklore. The concentrations will represent the different strands of English study.
Zerby moved approval of the proposal; it was seconded by Goings and carried with all in favor.
SUBCOMMITTEE A—ELENA CHUNG, KENNETH GOINGS, ERIC MACGILVRAY, KAY WOLF
· New Master in Applied Economics, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (FAES)
Guests: Hajime Miyazaki, Professor of Economics; Ian Sheldon, Andersons Professor of International Trade; Steve Neal, Assistant Dean, FAES
MacGilvray gave an overview of the proposal noting that it grew from faculty collaborations between the Department of Economics in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics in the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
There is a demand for a professional master’s program in the state of Ohio and across the country. This will be a tagged, professional and non-thesis degree. The MAE graduates will be proficient in cost-benefit analysis of business or policy alternatives and will be able to provide critical perspectives on various analytic decision issues.
Zerby moved approval of the proposal; it was seconded by Lilly and carried with all others in favor.
The proposal will need approval by the University Senate, Board of Trustees, and the Ohio Board of Regents.
· New Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization (GIS) in Comparative Literature, College of Arts and Sciences
Guest: Julia Watson, Professor
The Department of Comparative Studies is proposing this new GIS due to Comparative Literature being an established international academic field that unites scholars from different disciplinary homes. The field is already present in the work of scholars associated with ten different graduate programs in the Arts and Humanities and the GIS is designed to give visibility to the intersections of these departments and enable students to add a beneficial credential to their records.
Zerby moved approval of the proposal; it was seconded by Wolf and carried with all in favor.
· New Doctorate of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Guests: Deborah Larsen, Director; Jane Case-Smith, Professor
The Division of Occupational Therapy proposes the development of an Occupational Therapy Doctoral Degree (OTD) that will replace the Masters of Occupational Therapy (MOT). The OTD would be the only pathway to licensure as an occupational Therapist offered at the University. The American Occupational Therapy Association adopted accreditation standards for professional level OTD program in 2006 that define OTD professional training at a more advanced level than the standards required of MOT degree programs. The American Council for Occupational Therapy Education doctoral level standards were used to guide the development of the proposed program.
Zerby moved approval of the proposal; it was seconded by Blackburn and carried with all in favor.
The proposal will need approval by the University Senate, Board of Trustees, and Ohio Board of Regents.
DISCUSSION ITEM: Proposed Changes to the Autumn Semester Schedule—John Wanzer, Assistant Provost
Over the past 6 months there have been discussions within the Office of Academic Affairs and with various University Senate Committees, notably the Council on Enrollment and Student Progress, about the need to revisit the structure of Autumn Semester that has been in place since the calendar conversion occurred (2012).
There is a general consensus that a break is needed during the Semester. After considerable discussion it is being proposed that the semester begin one day earlier, end one day later, and that a 2-day (R-F) break occur at the end of the second week in October.
Wanzer outlined the following in detail.
o First Session Final Exam: For a final at the end of the First Session, we propose that the following “guidelines” be offered to instructors:
For a final examination at the end of the First Session in Autumn Semester, please consider one of the following:
1. An examination during the regularly scheduled class on the last day of that class for the session, but allowing for at least one “reading” day between the last day of instruction and the examination.
2. An evening examination on the last scheduled class day, or soon thereafter, but allowing for at least one “reading” day between the last day of instructional and the examination. Scheduling arrangements would need to be made in advance through the Office of the University Registrar.
o Last Day of the First Session/First Day of the Second Session: The first day of the Second Session of Autumn Semester would be the first day of the following week after the First Session classes ended.
o Examples of Instructional/Final Patterns: The following session patterns have been proposed such that there will be a nearly identical number of instructional days in each session for the most common course meeting patterns.
The 4 most commonly proposed instructional patterns in semesters are the following:
· MTWRF for 55 minutes each day (5 credit hours). In a session pattern, this would be a 2-hour block of time each day of instruction.
· TWRF for 55 minutes each day (4 credit hours). In a session pattern, this would be a 2-hour block of time each day of instruction.
· MWF for 55 minutes each day. (3 credit hours). In a session pattern, this would be a 2-hour block of time each day of instruction.
· TR for 80 minutes each day (3 credit hours). In a session pattern, this would be 3-hour block of time each day of instruction.
o Additional class time in a session pattern may make it easier to offer a Final Examination during the regular class period. He presented a table showing the two final exam options for the First Session and the days of instruction that would result.
Following a period of discussion, with clarifications made, the Council voted to endorse the proposal. It will now need University Senate action.
The Meeting Adjourned at 4:15PM.
Respectfully submitted,
W. Randy Smith
Melissa A. Newhouse
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