UCC/UGC/YCC
Proposal for New Academic Plan, Plan Change, or Plan Deletion
FAST TRACK (Select if this will be a fast track item. Refer to UCC or UGC Fast Track Policy for eligibility)If this is a new plan proposal and the plan is not listed in the current NAU academic program inventory, then you must complete the “Proposal to establish a New Degree” form.
If this proposal represents changes to the intent of the plan or its integral components, review by the college dean, graduate dean (for graduate items) and/or the provost may be required prior to college curricular submission.
1. Effective beginning FALL: / 2012
See effective dates calendar
2. College: / CEFNS / 3. AcademicUnit: / Quaternary Science
4. Academic
Plan Name: / M.S. Quaternary Science / 5.Emphasis: / N/A
6. Plan proposal: / New Plan* / Plan Change** / Plan Deletion
New Emphasis / Emphasis Change / Emphasis Deletion
** UCC plan or sub plan proposals must include an updated 8-term plan.
** UGC plan or sub plan proposals must include an updated program of study.
All Plans with NCATE designation, or plans seeking NCATE designation, must include a letter of approval from the NAU NCATE administrator prior to college curricular submission.
7. NCATE designation, if applicable:Initial Plan Advanced Plan Remove Designation
Change from Initial to Advanced Plan Change from Advanced to Initial Plan
8. Current / New* catalog plan text in this column. Cut and paste, in its entirety, from the current on-line academic catalog: (http://www4.nau.edu/aio/AcademicCatalog/academiccatalogs.htm)
M.S. Quaternary Sciences
Students in the M.S. Quaternary Science program partake in a rich multi-disciplinary field that explores Earth’s present environmental conditions and biota in the context of the geologically recent past. The Quaternary Period, roughly speaking, begins with the "Ice Age," dating back 1.6 million years.This plan allows you to obtain specialized interdisciplinary research and academic training as well as practical knowledge of the peer-review process, which includes writing grant proposals, producing research manuscripts, and presenting results at scientific meetings.
Our faculty have numerous research projects in Arizona and throughout the Colorado Plateau, and excellent opportunities exist for research in other regions of North America, including California and the Great Basin. The interdisciplinary nature of our program also results in interaction and cooperation with other scientists, as part of a larger team effort. We have active teaching and research collections of pollen, seeds, and wood; modern and fossil bones; southwestern U.S. mollusks; and modern and Pleistocene dung and hair specimens.
For this 37-unit plan, you take:
· 3 units in foundations: GLG 537
· 3 units in geosciences, from GLG 538, 637, QS 502, and ENV 530
· 3 units in paleontology: ANT 553 or GLG 536
· 3 units in paleobotany, from QS/BIO 671, QS 672, and QS 681 (when topic is packrat middens)
· 3 units in archaeology, from ANT 517, 550, 551, 552, 554, 555, 635, and 636
· 3 units in paleoclimatology: ENV 595 or QS/GLG/ENV 596
· 4 units in professional development: QS 587 (four consecutive 1-unit courses)
· 12 units chosen from graduate courses that are fundamental to your thesis project, selected with your committee’s guidance
· 3 units of thesis course work from QS/GLG/ANT/BIO/GSP/ENV 699, for the research, writing, and oral defense of an approved thesis
(Please note that you can only count 3 units of thesis credit toward your degree. However, you may end up taking more units because you must enroll for 699 each term while you are working on your thesis.)
Please note that all courses you choose must meet with your thesis committee’s approval. You may count up to 6 units of 400-level courses toward this degree.
In addition, please be aware that you must successfully pass:
· a written preliminary exam
· an oral comprehensive exam
· thesis defense /
Show the proposed changes in this column. Bold the changes, to differentiate from what is not changing, and change font to Bold Red with strikethrough for what is being deleted.
M.S. Quaternary Sciences
Students in the M.S. Quaternary Science program partake in a rich multi-disciplinary field that explores Earth’s present environmental conditions and biota in the context of the geologically recent past. The Quaternary Period, roughly speaking, begins with the "Ice Age," dating back 1.6 million years.This plan allows you to obtain specialized interdisciplinary research and academic training as well as practical knowledge of the peer-review process, which includes writing grant proposals, producing research manuscripts, and presenting results at scientific meetings.
Our faculty have numerous research projects in Arizona and throughout the Colorado Plateau, and excellent opportunities exist for research in other regions of North America, including California and the Great Basin. The interdisciplinary nature of our program also results in interaction and cooperation with other scientists, as part of a larger team effort. We have active teaching and research collections of pollen, seeds, and wood; modern and fossil bones; southwestern U.S. mollusks; and modern and Pleistocene dung and hair specimens.
For this 37-unit plan, you take:
· 3 units in foundations: GLG 537
· 3 units in geosciences, from GLG 538, 637, QS 502, and ENV 530
· 3 units in paleontology: ANT 553 or GLG 536
· 3 units in paleobotany, from QS/BIO 671, QS 672, and QS 681 (when topic is packrat middens)
· 3 units in archaeology, from ANT 517, 550, 551, 552, 554, 555, 635, and 636
· 3 units in paleoclimatology: ENV 595 or QS/GLG/ENV 596
· 4 units in professional development: QS 587 (four consecutive 1-unit courses)
· 12 units chosen from graduate courses that are fundamental to your thesis project, selected with your committee’s guidance
· 3 units of thesis course work from QS/GLG/ANT/BIO/GSP/ENV 699, for the research, writing, and oral defense of an approved thesis
(Please note that you can only count 3 units of thesis credit toward your degree. However, you may end up taking more units because you must enroll for 699 each term while you are working on your thesis.)
Please note that all courses you choose must meet with your thesis committee’s approval. You may count up to 6 units of 400-level courses toward this degree.
In addition, please be aware that you must successfully pass:
· a written preliminary exam
· an oral comprehensive exam
· thesis defense
9. Please list the Learning Outcomes of the Plan/Emphasis (see degree major assessment webpage http://www4.nau.edu/assessment/main/degree/degree.htm), if applicable to the proposal.
N/A
10. Will this proposal affect other plans, sub plans, or course offerings, etc.? Yes No
If yes, describe the impact and attach written responses from the affected academic
units prior to college curriculum submission.
11. Does this proposal have the support of the Dean’s office, including sufficient resources to administer the plan? Yes No
12. Is this plan currently offered at the same academic level by any other academic unit at
NAU? Yes No
If yes, list the plan(s) with duplicate material. If the duplication is great than 20%,
explain why NAU should establish the plan.
The Quaternary Sciences Program has had a modest but consistent enrollment in the last few years, which has brought into question as to whether it should remain a distinct MS degree program. However, steady interest in the study of former environments continues, as a means of understanding (1) potential analogs to future climates in the face of global change, and (2) the natural range of variability of ecological systems, human dimensions and physical processes. Because of this the faculty suggests that the QSP curriculum be converted to a subplan (Paleoenvironmental Sciences) within the Environmental Sciences & Policy MS. This is a perfect merger of two programs, which will give students a choice of analyzing issues pertaining to the environment in the context of policy decisions (ES&P subplan) or antecedent environmental issues as a basis for potential management decisions in the face of environmental changes (Paleoenvironmental Sciences subplan).
Answer 14 for UCC/YCC only:
14. Will this requirement be a Student Individualized Plan? Yes No
(Due to the flexible nature of Student Individualized Plans, selecting yes
will requirethe requesting academic unit to submit an exception for every
student in this plan. Theseexceptions outline the approved individual
requirements for encoding by DegreeProgress staff in the system).
Scott Galland 10/21/2011
Reviewed by Curriculum Process Associate Date
Approvals:
Department Chair/ Unit Head (if appropriate) Date
Chair of college curriculum committee Date
Dean of college Date
For Committee use only:
UCC/UGC/YCC Approval Date
:
Approved as submitted: Yes No Approved as modified: Yes No
:
:
Revised 06/22/2011