OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

Curriculum Council

MINUTES - #01.02.10

Thursday, April 18, 2002

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

M. Quinn – Chair, Computer Science

C. Boyer – Horticulture

I. Delson – Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences

J. Drexler – Business

L. Flick – Science and Math Education

L. Friedman --  Public Health

K. Higgins – Education

J. Lee (delegate for T. Dick) – Mathematics

N. Scott – Crop and Soil Science

 

 

NON-VOTING MEMBERS, SUPPORT STAFF, AND GUESTS PRESENT:

 

M. Abbott – Academic Programs

G. Beach – Academic Affairs, Ex-officio

R. Burton – Assistant Provost for Academic Affairs, Ex-officio

W. Loveland – Budgets and Fiscal Planning Committee, Liaison

V. Remcho – Chair, Graduate Council

 

I.                APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The minutes from April 4th were approved. 

 

II.              REPORT FROM ACADEMIC AFFAIRS (B. Burton) – B. Burton's report from Academic Affairs and the discussion of service learning was postponed to accommodate the discussion of slash (4xx/5xx) courses.

 

III.            NEW BUSINESS

 

a)    The discussion of reorganization/restructuring policy and procedures was also postponed to accommodate the discussion of slash (4xx/5xx) courses.

 

IV.            OLD BUSINESS

 

a)    Slash (4XX/5XX) Courses – M. Quinn distributed a copy of the Graduate School's response to the Graduate Council's proposal to eliminate slash (4xx/5xx) courses.  He also distributed a copy of the email he sent requesting feedback from Department Heads and Advisors and a copy of the summary of responses he had received.

 

There is no "one-size-fits-all" solution to the problem of graduate students getting a genuine graduate-level educational experience, so the Council recognizes the need for departments to have flexibility in addressing their own situations.  L. Friedman suggested that concrete objectives be established (e.g. clearly delineated learning objectives for graduate and undergraduate students), but that the guiding principle be "persistent flexibility" (i.e. the path taken is less important than the goal).  The caution of a college-by-college approach is that it may communicate an inconsistent message about how the University defines the "graduate experience."

 

The Council recognized that the issue of slash courses is part of the larger issue of the University's values and goals, and the balance between its resources and programs.

 

The Council did not see clear and convincing evidence that the current proposal accomplishes the goal of improving graduate level education.  For instance, concern arose from that stipulation that graduate students would still be permitted to include up to 18 credits hours of 400-level courses on their programs.  The Council felt that this would not be an improvement over slash courses. 

 

G. Beach points out that the current policy about differentiating work requirements for undergraduate and graduate students in slash courses is to hold graduate students to a different standard and to evaluate them differently from undergraduates.  He notes that neither of these guidelines is outcome-related—i.e. how are the graduate students achieving more than the undergraduates?  The Council would like the focus of the discussion about slash courses and the graduate experience to be more outcome-oriented.

 

J. Lee also noted that procedural changes instituted at the administrative level will have a limited effect on the actual educational experience of students; he feels it is more contingent upon the faculty member delivering a graduate-level experience to graduate students. 

 

The Council agreed that policy changes must also have enforcement power in order to be effective.  B. Burton suggested that this can come in part through the graduate and undergraduate program review process.   The Council also expressed concern over the timeliness of complying with the recommendations of the university's accreditation body.  B. Burton clarified that the recommendation is to examine the problem--rather than implement the solution--by the 2004 follow-up site visit.

 

The consensus of the Council is to henceforth require differentiated learning objectives for all slash courses.  The Council would like to change the focus of discussions about defining "graduate" and "undergraduate" educational experiences to be more output related, rather than input related.  The Council is also interested in asking departments to examine current slash courses and to encourage decisions about whether they should be reclassified as 400- or 500-level.  This will be a separate motion introduced at a later meeting. 

 

The Council's suggestions will go to the Executive Committee and back to the Graduate Council.  The Graduate Council meets again a week from Thursday.

 

 

NEXT MEETING: April 25th, 1:15-3:00pm, MU Board Room

 

 

To check the status of Category I and Category II proposals, visit:

 

http://osu.orst.edu/admin/uap/curriculum_database/  for all Category I proposals, Category II proposals (other than course changes), and Baccalaureate Core course proposals

 

http://curriculum.bus.oregonstate.edu/search.aspx for Category II proposals for courses changes submitted after November 2001

 

 

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES

 

New

CSS 436. VADOSE ZONE HYDROLOGY LABORATORY (1).  Effective Fall 2002 (02-C198).

 

Change in Existing

CSS 306.  PROBLEM SOLVING: SOIL SCIENCE APPLICATIONS (1).  Effective Fall 2002 (02-C280).

 

CSS 435. VADOSE ZONE HYDROLOGY LECTURE (3). Effective Fall 2002 (02-C197).

 

COLLEGE OF FORESTRY

 

Temporary X

FS 520X.  POSING RESEARCHABLE QUESTIONS (1).  Effective Fall 2002 (02-C284).

 

COLLEGE OF HOME ECONOMICS AND EDUCATION

 

Drop

AIHM 181. BUILDING CONSTRUCTION METHODS AND DRAFTING (4). Effective Fall 2002 (02-C247).

 

AIHM 184. SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION METHODS (3). Effective Fall 2002 (02-C248).

 

New

AIHM 180. INTRODUCTION TO SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING (3). Effective Fall 2002 (02-C251).

 

Change in Existing

AIHM 577. FASHION THEORY (4). Effective Summer 2002 (02-C281).

 

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

 

Drop

PS 312. PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS (4). Effective Fall 2002 (02-C366).

 

New

ART 227.  TYPOGRAPHY: STRUCTURES (4).  Effective Spring 2002 (02-C362).

 

SOC 380. GIVING AND VOLUNTARISM (3). Effective Fall 2002 (02-C243).

 

PS 412/512. PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS (4). Effective Fall 2002 (02-366).

 

Change in Existing

ART 495/595. EXHIBITION DESIGN (1).  Effective Spring 2002 (01-C320).

 

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE

 

Change in Existing

GEO 305.  LIVING WITH ACTIVE CASCADE VOLCANOES (3).  Effective Summer 2001 (02-C194).