Faculty Senate: Undergraduate Curriculum and Academic Policy Committee

Report to Faculty Senate, Meeting of May 2, 2005

The Curriculum Committee met on April 12. The following business was conducted:

UCAPC Subcommittee Reports

Writing Across the Curriculum Committee: No Report
University General Education Committee: No Report

Course Inventory and Modification Requests

CECS

Approved Modifications: EE/EP 380, BME 464, BME 428

CEHS

Approved Inventories: deletions VOE 101, VOE 423, VOE 426, VOE 478
Approved Modifications: EDL 411

COBA

Approved Inventories: MIS 435, MGT 404
Approved Modifications: ACC 423, FIN 403, FIN 490, MIS 345

COSM

Approved Inventories:

GL 308   Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Ohio – Fall 2005
GL 382   Earth Materials I: Crystallography – Fall 2005
GL 384   Earth Materials III: Sedimentology – Fall 2005
GL 410   Oceanography – Fall 2005
GL 488   Introduction to Structural Geology – Fall 2005
GL 491   Teaching Experience – Fall 2005
GL 496   Senior Thesis Research – Fall 2005

(including the following approved inventory deletions)

            GL 115    The Planet Earth Laboratory
            GL 116    The Evolving Earth Laboratory
            GL 117    The Earth and Human Affairs Laboratory
            GL 311    Introduction to Structural Geology
            GL 312    Intermediate Structural Geology Recitation
            GL 312    Intermediate Structural Geology Laboratory
            GL 401    Rocks and Minerals
            GL 424    Gravity and Magnetic Exploration
            GL 424    Gravity and Magnetic Exploration Laboratory
            GL 441    Advanced Facies Analysis
            GL 487    Sedimentology
            PSY 111    Introductory Psychology
            PSY 112    Introductory Psychology
            PSY 201    Divorce: Current Perspectives
            PSY 202    The Psychology of Non-Verbal Communication
            PSY 209    Behavior Modification
            PSY 300    Research Design and Methods
            PSY 400    Advance Research Design and Quantitative Analysis
            PSY 429    Advanced Topics in Interpersonal Relation
            PSY 449    Theory and Research in Hypnosis
            PSY 450    Biofeedback Research & Application
            PSY 457    Psychological Administrative Principles for SocialAgencies
            PSY 482    Theories and Systems in Psychology

Tabled Inventories: The committee tabled the following due to the proposed course Modification proposals for PSY 105 and 110 (listed below under Mod. The latter are GE Program courses and there exists a moratorium on GE Program changes and each of the tabled courses carry PSY 105 and/or 110 as prerequisites. However, the committee did not have sufficient information as to whether or not the PSY 105 and 110 Modifications would require Ohio Board of Regents approval. If approval is not required, then the committee can proceed with reviewing the PSY 105 and 110 proposals as well as the four Tabled Inventories. The matter will be resolved for consideration at the May 12 UCAPC meeting.

PSY 211    Human Sexuality-Fall 2005
PSY 251    Stereotyping & Prejudice - Fall 2005
PSY 291   Drugs and Behavior - Fall 2005
PSY 294   Mind, Body, Consciousness, and Reality - Fall 2005

Returned Inventories: For the following, the committee noted several grammatical problems or inconsistencies that need to be corrected and resubmitted to the committee for the May 12 UCAPC meeting.

PSY 438    Work Stress & Well Being - Fall 2005
PSY 452    Cross-Cultural Psychology - Fall 2005
PSY 454   Applied Sport Psychology - Fall 2005

Approved Modifications:

BMB 210    Intro to Biochemistry & Nutrition – Inactive - Spring 2005
BMB 431    Clinical Biochemistry – Inactive -Spring 2005
BMB 451    Recent Developments in Biochemistry – Inactive - Spring 2005

Tabled Modifications: Given the the volume of proposals before the committee and after more than two hours of meeting, it was necessary to adjourn the meeting due to teaching and other commitments of committee members. As a result, it was not possible to review the following Modification proposals and, therefore, the committee tabled them for consideration at the May 12 UCAPC meeting.

EH 461    Careers in Environmental Health Sciences – Fall 2005
GL 105    The Planet Earth – Fall 2005
GL 106    The Evolving Earth – Fall 2005
GL 107    The Earth and Human Affairs – Fall 2005
GL 201    Hydrology and Water Resources – Fall 2005
GL 342    Fossil Vertebrates and Plants – Inactive -Fall 2005
GL 346    Earth Systems – Fall 2005
GL 381    Mineralogy and Crystallography – Fall 2005
GL 383    Sedimentary Petrology – Fall 2005
GL 405    Groundwater Monitoring and Remediation – Summer 2005
GL 421    Groundwater Law and Regulatory Principles – Inactive -Fall 2005
GL 423    Seismic Exploration – Fall 2005
GL 427    Regional Structural Synthesis Laboratory – Inactive - Fall 2005
GL 434    Field Geology – Fall 2005
GL 461    Geologic and Environmental Applications of GIS – Fall 2005
GL 463    Geological and Environmental Application of Remote Sensing – Aerial Photographs
GL 475    Applied Hydrogeology – Inactive - Fall 2005
PSY 105    Psychology: The Science of Behavior - Fall 2005
PSY 110    Psychology: Science and Practice - Fall 2005
PSY 200    Psychological Study of Contemporary Problems - Fall 2005
PSY 208    Environmental Psychology - Fall 2005
PSY 210    Psychology of Women and Men – Fall 2005
PSY 208    Environmental Psychology - Fall 2005
PSY 215    Psychological Principles in Commercial Films - Fall 2005
PSY 301    Basic Research Methods in Psychology – Fall 2005
PSY 302    Experimental Methods in Psychology - Fall 2005
PSY 304    Industrial and Organizational Psychology - Fall 2005
PSY 306    Engineering Psychology – Fall 2005
PSY 307    Tests and Measurements - Fall 2005
PSY 311    Abnormal Psychology - Fall 2005
PSY 321    Cognition and Learning - Fall 2005
PSY 323    Cognition and Learning Methods - Fall 2005
PSY 323    Cognition and Learning Methods Lab - Fall 2005
PSY 331    Psychology of Personality - Fall 2005
PSY 333    Personality Research Methods - Fall 2005
PSY 333    Personality Research Methods Lab - Fall 2005
PSY 341    Life Span Developmental Psychology - Fall 2005
PSY 343    Developmental Psychology Methods - Fall 2005
PSY 351    Social Psychology - Fall 2005
PSY 353    Social Psychology Methods - Fall 2005
PSY 361    Conditioning and Learning - Fall 2005
PSY 363    Conditioning and Learning Methods - Fall 2005
PSY 371    Perception - Fall 2005
PSY 373    Perception Methods - Fall 2005
PSY 391    Behavioral Neuroscience - Fall 2005
PSY 392    Behavioral Neuroscience II - Fall 2005
PSY 393    Behavioral Neuroscience Methods - Fall 2005
PSY 393    Physiological Psychology Methods Lab - Fall 2005
PSY 401    Advanced Experimental Design: Packaged Computer Programs - Fall 2005
PSY 411    Advanced Topics in Abnormal Psychology - Fall 2005
PSY 419    Advanced Topics in Behavioral Neuroscience - Fall 2005
PSY 421    Advanced Topics in Cognition and Learning – Fall 2005
PSY 425    Human-Computer Interface - Fall 2005
PSY 431    Advanced Topics in Personality - Fall 2005
PSY 432    Practicum in Applied Psychology - Fall 2005
PSY 433    Developmental Psychopathology - Fall 2005
PSY 439    Theory and Research in Clinical Psychology - Fall 2005
PSY 441    Advanced Topics in Developmental Psychology - Fall 2005
PSY 443    Psychometrics - Fall 2005
PSY 444    Advanced Industrial Psychology – Fall 2005
PSY 447    Psychology of Aging - Fall 2005
PSY 451    Advanced Topics in Social Psychology - Fall 2005
PSY 455    Psycholinguistics - Fall 2005
PSY 461    Advanced Topics in Conditioning and Learning - Fall 2005
PSY 465    Information Processing - Fall 2005
PSY 471    Advanced Topics in Perception - Fall 2005
PSY 475    Signal Detection Theory - Fall 2005
PSY 478    Animal Behavior - Fall 2005
PSY 481    History of Psychology - Fall 2005
PSY 487    Capstone Seminar on Select Topic - Fall 2005
PSY 488    Seminar in Special Topics - Fall 2005
PSY 498    Independent Research - Fall 2005

Program Changes

COSM

* the committee corrected the arithmetic for degree requirements from 201 to 200 hours
** the committee corrected the Departmental Requirements to include the missing GL Sci Electives 6 hours

New Programs

CEHS

Approved: B.S. Sign Language Interpreter Program

Academic Policy

Approved: Policy for Appealing Applications of Transfer Credit

Second Degree Policy and Latin Honors Policy: The committee continued its March 12 meeting discussion of the two policies (see March 12 UCAPC minutes). The issues and some forthcoming policy recommendations are:

1. When students earn a second degree from WSU, they are treated differently in the calculation of their final G.P.A. if they earned the first degree from WSU compared to if they earned the first degree from another institution. In the former case, all WSU course work (first and second degree) is used in the final G.P.A. calculation whereas in the latter case only WSU course work (second degree) is used in the final G.P.A. calculation. Hence, the two groups of students are placed on different playing fields for second degree G.P.A. calculations and, in addition, for the awarding of Latin Honors.

On this issue, the committee recommends that both groups of students be treated equally by calculating the G.P.A. for all second degree students based only on second degree course work and grades. A formal policy will be crafted and reviewed at the May 12 UCAPC meeting and, if approved, presented for consideration by the Faculty Senate at its June 6 meeting.

2. WSU G.P.A. ranges for awarding Latin Honors are presently 3.4 for cum laude, 3.6 for magna cum laude, and 3.8 for summa cum laude. Of the thirteen Ohio institutions, seven institutions have higher G.P.A. requirements for each of the Latin Honors awards. Based on information the committee collected, the Latin Honors policy for each Ohio institution is as follows: Latin Honors Policy Among Ohio Universities. While the current WSU Latin Honors Policy was approved by the Academic Council (faculty governance predecessor to Faculty Senate) 5/6/91, the University Faculty 5/14/91, and the Board of Trustees 6/6/91, the committee was unable to find any information on the rationale of the proposal and its approval in comparison to other institutions. Moreover, the committee was unable to find a national higher education standard recommendation for awarding Latin Honors.

On this issue, the committee felt that in the best interests of WSU, the Latin Honors Policy be changed to 3.5 for cum laude, 3.7 for magna cum laude, and 3.9 for summa cum laude. The proposed change in policy will also affect student eligibility for the "Deans List" of each college being that it is set at the Latin Honors Policy. A formal policy will be crafted and reviewed at the May 12 UCAPC meeting and, if approved, presented for consideration by the Faculty Senate at its June 6 meeting.

3. When students earn a first degree from WSU, they are treated differently in the calculation of their final G.P.A. if they are native students who first started their higher education at WSU compared to if they are transfer students who first started their higher education at another institution and transferred to WSU. The G.P.A. of native students is calculated on the basis of ALL course work and grades at WSU, including D's and F's and for only first grades earned in a course. Even for a "Fresh Start" student (absent for five years and resetting the G.P.A. to zero), ALL grades at WSU (including D's and F's earned prior to "Fresh Start") are used in the final graduation G.P.A. calculation. In contrast, a transfer student's final G.P.A. calculation is based on all WSU course work and grades, BUT only on A's, B's and C's earned in course work from the transfer institution (i.e., only on "Posted Grades"), hence excluding any D's and F's earned at that institution. While the Registrar's Office reports that the current DARS system is not capable of picking-up all none transfer "un-Posted" D and F work for each course at another institution, the committee found that such was not necessary if the goal was to compute a G.P.A. from the transferring institution, i.e., only the total hours attempted and the G.P.A. from the transferring institution is needed to incorporate such into the final G.P.A. calculation for WSU graduation. The Registrar's Office agreed that it will in the future explore ways in which DARS and the launching of BANNER can solve what the committee felt was a most serious inequity in the treatment of native vs. transfer students and report back to the committee.

On this much larger and substantial issue, the committee was informed that given the technological constraints at the level of the Registrar's Office and the DARS system and the absence of the forthcoming BANNER, the problem cannot be resolved at this time but new work will progress to hopefully incorporate solutions into the BANNER system. Upon notification from the Registrar's Office that it is possible to compute a transfer student's G.P.A. based on all course work and grades, the committee recommends a policy to do so and, therefore, treat native and transfer students equally in the calculation of the final graduation G.P.A. That work, however, will have to be the responsibility of a future UCAPC.

Reminder: Remaining Academic Year UCAPC and Faculty Senate deadlines.

UCAPC Meeting	UCAPC Submission Deadline (No Exceptions: receipt after forwards to the Fall 2005 UCAPC meeting & then to the Faculty Senate meeting in October or November 2005)	Faculty Senate Meeting New Business	Faculty Senate Meeting Old Business
May 12	May 2, 12:00 Noon	June 6	Fall 2005 Meeting