Educational Policies & Curriculum Committee
Agenda for October 23, 2012 - Meeting #5
3:30 p.m. – MHB-315
Members in attendance: Pravina Cooper (CWL), W. Gary Griswold (ENG), Andrew Jenks (HIST), Danny Paskin
(JOUR), Heather Rae-Espinoza (HDEV), James Suazo (CLA Student Rep.), Jason Whitehead (POLS), Dave Whitney
(PSY), Teri Yamada (AAAS), Kris Zentrgraf (SOC), Mark Wiley (CLA), Cherie Dougan (CLA)
Guests: Ken Green (PSY), Diane Roe (PSY), Amy Bippus (COMM), Tim Xie (AAAS), Pete Lowentrout (RST),
Guido Urizar (PSY), & Dave Stewart (RST)
Gary called the meeting to order.
1.
Approval of EPCC #4 minutes of October 16, 2012.
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2.
Announcements / Additions to the Agenda
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3.
Agenda Item D.2. HIST 473 needs a better indication of GE approval.
A statement TBD was misattributed to Gary.
Danny moved, Jason 2nded.
Minutes approved with revisions.
Last week’s GEOG 495 reclassification request was withdrawn.
Agenda item G from the Dept. of Econ was removed from the agenda having already been reviewed.
Agenda item C will be discussed last so that guests do not have to wait.
Dave moved, Pravina 2nded
New Business
A. Political Science Department
1) New Type 2 Topic: CLA 490 (previously reviewed as POSC 150, Pre-Law Advising. 2nd read.
 Danny moved, Andy 2nded
 Mark explained that the course previously reviewed as POSC 150 would be a CLA type II
special topics with a three year shelf life so they could sort through the academic content.
Jason said it would continue as it currently is until the next curriculum cycle.
 Teri provided Jason with some revisions.
 The revisions would allow the class to be credited as CLA since Jason would be doing
the advising for the whole university.
 Heather asked about modeling the language in PSY 301 on the “history of employment”
and “familiarity with the methods and ethics” in the field. Jason said that’s what they plan
to do in the interim to the next curriculum cycle.
 APPROVED.
B. Communication Studies Department
1) New Course: COMM 431, Mediation and Dispute Resolution, 3 @ C4
 Andy moved, Danny 2nded
 Amy explained the course in conflict mediation follows other courses in the major and
would award a state certification. The pre-requisite courses fit the state curriculum.
 Heather, Danny, Teri, and Mark requested clarification in the course description that
the students would be earning a state certificate, not an academic certificate. Teri
asked how they would get the state certificate. Amy said many organizations offer the
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state certificate. The certificates are printed out on regular certificate paper by anyone
who has completed the curriculum. It carries little weight.
Danny inquired about the specific state organization that would certify the certificates.
Consumer Affairs requires 34 hours. What would be required in the course and how
does the SCO reflect those state standards? The requirements do not match the
website. Kris asked who would be the point person on the class to assure that the state
criteria are met? Amy indicated that many people in the department have the
certification.
Danny requested a better indication for students as to what the certificate would
mean for future employment, looking at the CA Dispute Resolution Programs Act.
Could they work in the courts? Students may think this is a substitute for a degree.
Heather added certificates are awarded with a Bachelor’s Degree, so students may
confuse this certificate with an academic one that appears on their transcript. Dave
questioned the revisions to the SCO for this motive because all students see is the
course description. Amy said it’s not like a license. It’s necessary, but not sufficient for
mediation employment.
James asked what grade they would need to get to get the certificate. Danny further
inquired about the need to complete hours and excused absences. Amy said they
would need to establish a performance threshold.
Kris pointed out that under IX. Assignments, optional assignments are required in
letter E.
Cherie said the form needs to match the SCO on pre-req’s. Do they want 330 or
430, or just 330.
Teri provided her helpful copy-editing to Amy.
Tabled pending revisions.
2) Program Change: BA in Communication Studies; COMM 309 moved from core to elective;
COMM 171 eliminated, and general editing. Road map attached.
 Amy explained the three program changes as removing a bottleneck from the course
classes and adjusting the units to reflect the change.
 Pravina pointed out an error correcting both instances of 18 changing to 21 on the
course change form.
 Heather pointed out that COMM was listed twice in the electives.
 APPROVED.
3) Program Change: Option in Interpersonal and Organizational Communication; COMM 309
moved from core to elective; COMM 220 included in LD core, COMM 171
eliminated, and units adjusted to reflect each. Roadmap attached.
 Danny moved, Pravina 2nded
 Amy explained that 220 will be added as a pre-req to upper-division courses, matching
wider academic standards.
 Heather indicated that the title for COMM 131 is incomplete according to the catalog,
COMM is missing from the list or electives, and “which 490 course” should be
“courses.” She also thought Pravina’s error on the previous form was on this form as
well, but Kris explained it wasn’t.
 APPROVED.
4) Program Change: Option in Communication, Culture and Public Affairs; COMM 309 moved to
UD core, COMM 171 eliminated and units adjusted to reflect changes. Roadmap attached.
 Kris moved, Danny 2nded
 Amy said the same mistakes were on this form as well.
 Jason also found an extra parenthesis on the electives list.
 APPROVED.
C. College of Liberal Arts
1) Program Change: Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts; increase the required units, add and
remove classes from areas.
D. Psychology Department
1) Program Change: MA in Psychology, Option in Psychological Research; add PSY 596 to
required core and require in student’s first semester, and PSY 696 in the 2 nd semester.
 Guido said they would be changing the sequence in the Master’s program because
students need research methods earlier. The change will streamline graduation, the
thesis, and mentoring.
 Danny moved, Pravina 2nded.
 Danny asked the frequency of offering the class. Guido said 596 would be offered in the
fall, and 696 in the spring. Danny asked if these offerings would delay graduation if a
student was sick and couldn’t finish 596 in the fall. Dianne said they can work on their
other coursework. Since it is usually a two-year program, it could delay their graduation.
 Heather asked if they planned to submit a course change form since the prerequisites for 696 on the program change form were changing to include 596.
 APPROVED.
E. Chinese Program
1) BA in Chinese Studies; Remove CHIN 250, add and subtract course choices under electives.
 James moved, Dave 2nded.
 Tim provided a handout indicating most of this information and said the Program in
Chinese Studies has lost faculty so they need to drop 6 courses (CHIN 250, 375, 471,
475, 571, & 575) [These courses appear in the lower division core (CHIN 250), Elective
list A,(CHIN 375, 471, & 475) & it is unclear where CHIN 571 or CHIIN 575 are in the
program]. They would need a new hire to re-activate some of the courses. They want to
change the pre-requisite from CHIN 302 to CHIN 301 for seven classes (CHIN 421, 451,
462, 492, 551, 562, & 592) [CHIN 421, 451, & 462 are in Elective list B. CHIN 492, 551,
562, & 592 are not in the program.]. They also want to remove CHIN 451 from Category
I [Elective list A] because it is a required course. They will add 3 courses (HIST 365,
R/ST 343, & HIST 382A) to the list of electives in Category II [Elective list B]. They will
remove courses that no longer exist (ANTH 427, ASAM 381, & HIST 410), cross-listed
courses (HIST 406A & WGSS 406A leaving A/ST 406A), and update numberings (A/ST
300I & 301I to A/ST 306I & 307I) in Category II [Elective list B].
 Teri told Tim they also need to remove Bipasha Baruah (International Studies). Mark
added that William Mulligan (Journalism) should be removed as well.
 Heather said that CHIN 301 and 370 seem to be missing because the upper division only
adds up to 21 units as listed. Tim indicated that nothing had changed with those courses,
so he left them out. Cherie then reviewed all the course changes with Tim to find out
what was deleted and what was left out because it was staying the same.
 Heather asked about the three new classes that weren’t in the online catalog. She was
told they are in the new catalog. She was also told that 490A & B were always relevant
special topics.
 APPROVED.
F. Religious Studies
1) Program Changes: BA, Minor and Certificate in Religious Studies; Drop RST 425 and 485,
and add RST 203 and 208 to choices in the category “Religion in the Contemporary World.
 James moved, Kris 2nded.
 Dave Stewart said he wanted to add 203 and 208 that they haven’t proposed yet and
drop 425 and 485. They will be creating new courses for a new faculty member. The will
make comparable changes to the contemporary religion courses in the B.A., Minor, and
Certificate.
 Tabled until we see the courses.
2) New Course AND GE request for C2b, D2(2nd Read); RST 101, Religion at the Movies, 3 units
@ C1
 Danny moved, Dave 2nded.
 Dave indicated that the objectives in Section IV are not measurable. The “will
understand” should be change to active verbs. Pete said he will revise with Bloom’s
taxonomy.
 Section IV. 4) 1) has a typo.
 Jason pointed out the discrepancy between the form and SCO for the course
description. Kris and Teri said they liked SCO better. Pete said they had forgotten to
update the form’s course description.
 Jason said the use of singular is vague with “introduce to method” in the course
justification. Pete said there is a plural of methods that they have cut down as reflected
in IV. 2. to what freshman can handle. With discussion, consensus was reached on
“representative critical method.”
 Jason asked about the SCO indication that different cultures will be discussed. Pete said
he could withdraw those learning objectives that were only for department use. Heather
and Kris said they would be needed if they wanted D2. It was discovered that the
agenda should not indicate that they want D2.
 Teri and Kris inquired about the term “arc of faith.” Pete said it refers to the reenchantment of culture instead of the nadir of secularization. Dave suggested “plain ol’
faith.”
 Teri provided helpful copy-editing comments.
 Kris said with the changes the course seemed more manageable in many ways, but the
third course objective to “understand the processes of religion as reflected in film over the
past century” seemed to be too much to cover. Pete said he would limit the discussion of
processes but wanted the whole century of film available to use.
 Kris suggested changing XIII. Extent and Nature of the Use of Technology to allow
powerpoint in case other faculty want to use it. Pete agreed to make the discussion of
technology broader.
 APPROVED.
3) New Course AND GE request for C2b and D2: RST 111, Religion Games. 3@C3
 Jason moved, James 2nded.
 Dave Stewart said RST 111 is a humanities lab course. Games would be the pedagogy
following an example from Barnard College. He has piloted one game in each of three
classes. First years find it engaging.
 Teri said she liked the creative course idea. The second line of the justification “cultural
issues that arise as religion and adherents act on behalf of their vision of the public good”
is unclear. Dave Stewart said they would pick a moment that is meaningful to enact and
feel a conflict to discuss. There would be more explicit discussion of contextualization for
an understanding that the perceived good isn’t good necessarily. They will come to
understand that a turning point needs to be understood in the context of the moment
when the text originated and brought into current context to understand. All the games
are about religion in the public square working for the public good. A byproduct of play
may be empathy, not necessarily sympathy or agreement.
 Dave said the videos of the games were impressive, but are 100-level students that
impressive. Dave Stewart said some have been down with first years, and others piloted
with regular incoming students. The pedagogy pulls people in and beyond themselves.
The instructor has to give the arc of the plot and keep the game on track. Dave asked if
all instructors can do this. Dave Stewart said they will have training to manage the game.
 Gary asked when they play the game. Dave Stewart said in class, but it spills out onto
discussion boards as they have to convince those that aren’t already assigned to a side.
 Mark asked about the need for pre-req’s and 100 numbering. Gary suggested it be
offered as a topic to decide. Mark said the class would need to be number 200 or more if
they wanted GE. James said EOP students would like the hands-on learning like Theatre
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113. Kris said if the course purpose is to get interest in RST, it may be more important
than GE. Dave that the 100-level might trump GE.
Pravina said the course sounded terrific and that the third line of the justification was best
to explain the course.
Jason asked if the participation could be broken down more systematically since there
was so much going on. Dave Stewart has a grading rubric to add in.
Tabled until decisions on numbering and pre-req’s are determined.
G. Economics Department
1) Program Change: Master of Arts in Economics. Removing ECON 503 from requirement #3,
and removing requirement #4.
C. College of Liberal Arts
1) Program Change: Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts; increase the required units, add and
remove classes from areas.
 Mark said the BALA program previously required 78 units but they need to establish a
better cohort between those who start with 90 units and those who start with no units left.
The discrepancy between these groups of students causes problems for scheduling.
This way, they have more options for completing the program.
 Dave said the areas are divided nicely. He asked how many they would have to take
from each of the areas below.
 Pravina said the added course ECON 340 is missing from the list of course changes.
Heather suggested the course not be added in because the description does not fit the
area cultures, values, and beliefs well, especially considering the number of courses in
the college in that area.
 Heather also indicated that the cross-listed course ANTH 475 / LING 475 / WGSS 475
should be LING 470 and RST 302I has the wrong title. Heather also asked how the
possible 6 units of 499 would work. Would the remaining 12 units be reduced
(requirement 3) or could they end up with just 6 units in one of the areas (requirement 1)?
 APPROVED.
4.
Adjourn. 
EPCC meetings are scheduled the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month in MHB-315.
All corrections due immediately to CLA.