ASCRC Minutes 4/6/10
Members Present: M. Beebe-Frankenberger, D. Dalenberg, C. Knight, A. Jokisch, S.
Lodmell, P. Muench, L. Tangedahl, A. Stovall, E. Uchimoto, R. Vanita, G. Weix, A.
Williams, K. Zoellner
Members Absent/Excused: E. May, M. Nielsen, S. O’Hare, J. Staub
Ex-Officio Present: B. Holzworth, E. Johnson, A. Walker-Andrews
Guest: Dean Comer
Chair Lodmell called the meeting to order at 2:15 p.m. He thanked chair-elect Knight for
chairing the last meeting
The minutes from 3/23/10 were amended and approved.
Communications:

The special topics policy will be included in the curriculum deadline memo sent
to all faculty in May and September. Chair Lodmell has communicated the
policy to Continuing Education.

Academic & Student Affairs Deputy Commissioner, Sylvia Moore’s response to
Chair Lodmell’s policy 309.1 inquiry is below:
Thanks for the note. I will do some checking to see the background for this
policy. Meanwhile, the policy in place is as it is written.
All of us are being encouraged to shift to an outcomes model that is based on
what is learned as opposed to time on task. Perhaps that approach would keep
us away from disagreements on how things are counted.
I will get back to you.
It seems that UM will need to establish its own guidelines given the ambiguity in
the policy.

According to the Associate Dean, faculty in DBS are referred to Continuing
Education when interested in offering a summer or winter session course. How,
then does oversight/approval reside in the college or school? Dean Comer will
join ASCRC later today to discuss the issue.

Chair Lodmell and other committee members attended the Common Course
Numbering meeting. Campuses will retain autonomy in terms of curriculum
review and the approval of new courses. Although OCHE indicates that each
campus may choose to crosslist, courses will not be crosslisted in terms of the
MUS common course master list. All courses, whether common or not will be on
the master list once. The course will have the rubric of the discipline that best fits
the learning outcomes. Interdisciplinary courses will be considered at the end of
the common course implementation. One positive outcome of the implementation
has been the discussions among the faculty across campuses.
The Graduation Appeals Committee is considering an issue related to existing
articulation agreements between UM and Flathead Community College. UM’s
Psychology program accepts a 200 level course as equivalent to a 300 level
course, but the course does not count toward the 39 upper-division credits
required at UM.

Chair Lodmell updated ECOS on ASCRC’s short course deliberations. ECOS is
supportive of the need to have guidelines, but is not yet ready to make a
recommendation. It suggested that the Senate be informed of the issue. Any
guidelines / benchmark should have flexibility for exceptions.
Business Items:
Sample courses

Camie will send the sample courses to ASCRC members to review. She will
contact the instructors for permission to post the courses after the Committee
approves them.
Short courses discussion

Dean Comer was provided with an overview of compressed course concerns and
the difficulty in interpreting BOR Policy 309.1. He agreed that there is ambiguity
in the policy and encourages ASCRC to draft guidelines that maintain flexibility.
The courses are reviewed in the Dean’s Office. Compressed courses should be
roughly equivalent to traditional courses with commensurate rigor. It would be
helpful to have guidelines to assist in the review process. Faculty and students
should have consistent opportunities. If the Committee discovers courses that are
not in compliance with existing guidelines, it should inform the Dean’s Office.
The University also needs to consider how courses are perceived outside the
University.
The interpretation of BOR Policy 309.1 should reflect the first statement – the
method for awarding credit should be consistent with the method used in the
regular academic program. The Committee should look at how other campuses
interpret the policy. The course time should be sufficient to meet the learning
outcomes. Guest lectures and films are also not monitored. It was questioned
whether the guidelines should include a definition of instructional time.
Good and Welfare

Members congratulated Camie for receiving the Outstanding Service to the
Campus Community award.

Committee members were reminded that the Accreditation Team visit is next
week. A faculty public meeting is scheduled on Tuesday at 2:00 pm in CE 210.
Faculty should be familiar with the Standard 2 self-study information.

Professor Zoellner informed the Committee that the Library is conducting a
Libqual Survey April 12-26th. Please complete the survey if you are randomly
selected.

Faculty will also be able to suggest books for the fist-year reading experience via
an electronic survey.
The next meeting will be April 20th.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:00 p.m.