ASCRC Minutes 10/13/09
Members Present: M. Beebe-Frankenberger, D. Dalenberg, C. Knight, S. Lodmell, E.
May, A. Stovall, L. Tangedahl, E. Uchimoto, R. Vanita, G. Weix, A. Williams, K.
Zoellner
Members Absent/Excused: P. Muench, M. Nielsen, S. O’Hare, J. Staub
Ex-Officio Present: E. Johnson, A. Walker-Andrews
Chair Lodmell called the meeting to order at 2:15 p.m.
The minutes from 9/29/09 were amended and approved.
Communication

The Admissions Standards Proposal was approved by the Faculty Senate with the
understanding that revisions would come back to the Senate for review. The
proposal identifies expectations for students to succeed at UM, which are significantly
above the MUS admissions criteria. Students with the higher criteria will be guaranteed
full admission. Students meeting the MUS criteria will be admitted only after an
additional academic review of written material that assesses the student’s commitment,
academic goals and level of maturity. The 15 percent exception pool will still be
available. A change in process to a selective admissions model rather than the current
rolling admission is also proposed. The new virtual academy funded by the legislature
will help schools deliver the necessary college prep curriculum.

There was considerable debate at the Senate with regard to the Academic Strategic Plan.
ASCRC postponed discussion until after curriculum consent agendas were presented.
Business Items:

The Science and Math curriculum items appended below were approved.
Subcommittee Chair Uchimoto will follow up with Wildlife Biology regarding
the proposed WBIO 441title change.

The Social Science curriculum items appended below were approved.
Subcommittee Chair Dalenberg will follow-up on the following:
Course #
PSYX 238
Title
Adolescent
Psychology
Anthropology
ANTH 240
Native Language
Instruction
ANTH 446
Determinants of
UG
Health
Change
New Course
Follow-up issue
Needs to be evaluated in
conjunction with the level II
proposal
New course
Syllabus does not match
course description
Level needs to be justified
New course
ANTH 447
UG
ANTH 448
UG
ANTH 463
UG
Medical
Anthropology
and Global
Health
Quantitative
Ethnographic
Methods
Historic
Preservation
Political Science
PSCI 445
Political
UG
Psychology

New course
Several issues including,
common course numbering
New course
Several issues including,
common course numbering
New course
Taught by Theatre faculty
member – question regarding
credentials
New course
Psychology should sign off on
the form
ASCRC discussed the Academic Strategic Plan draft. The Plan was drafted by a
committee made up of volunteers appointed by the Provost. According to the
Provost the document is intended to be aspirational and could be used for resource
allocation. It does not include an implementation strategy. There are concerns
related to the erosion of faculty governance, rhetoric, and the current resource
limited environment.
The Provost spoke to ASCRC in November 2007 regarding his ideas for a
coherent first-year experience focused on big questions across disciplines. At the
time it was recommended to delay discussions until after revisions to general
education were implemented. This type of first-year experience is in place at
other institutions.
Some members felt the Gateway to Discovery outline in the first initiative would
duplicate the First Year Interest Groups (FIGS). These courses are thematic, but
are not team taught. One opinion is that big question issues are political not
academic and agreement as to what they are would be impossible. Students would
need an information base to discuss them. The priority for first year students
should be to learn to write and think critically.
ASUM also has concerns and will be drafting a response. It was suggested that
ASCRC establish a workgroup to draft recommendations for improvements to
initiative 1 and 5. Professor Weix and Knight agreed to serve, as did student
member Ashley Williams. Professor Muench was also nominated. The General
Education Committee and Graduate Council should also be given the opportunity
to provide input. Another suggestion was to request additional volunteers from the
Faculty Senate in the process. Chair Lodmell will contact the Faculty Senate
Chair.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:00.
Science and Math Consent Agenda
Computer Science
CS 132
Fundamentals of Computer
Science
Change math pre-requisites
MATH121 -> M115 or M151
CS 435
Web Programming
Change prerequisite
CS 478
Multimedia Data Processing
New Course
BIOL 468UG
Endocrinology
New course
BIOL/MICB
483 UG
Molecular Phylogenetics
and Evolution
New course
Prog. mod.
Human biology option
Add and delete courses.
Cellular and molecular
option
Ecology & organismal
biology option
Add BIOL 468 & 483 as
elective
Add BIOL 468 & 483 as
elective
Prog. mod
Field ecology option
Add BIOL 483 as elective
Prog. mod
Microbiology (general)
Add MICB 483 as elective
GEO 151
Introduction to Fossil Fuels
New course
GEO 309
Sedimentation and
Stratigraphy
New course
GEO 451UG
Petroleum Geology
New course
GEO 439UG
Applied Magnetics
New course
DBS
Prog. mod.
Prog. mod
Geosciences
Physics & Astronomy
PHYS 180
Program
modification
Freshman Physics
Experience
physics minor
New course
Catalogue language change
Wildlife Biology
WBIO 245
Science Writing
Change prerequisites
WBIO 475UG
Case Histories in
Conservation Policy
Deletion
Social Science Consent Agenda
Anthropology
ANTH 311
Visual Anthropology of
Primates
Delete
ANTH 314
Principles of Forensic
Anthropology
Change prerequisite
ECNS 217
Economic Development
change course from 317
ECNS/CCS/E
VST 445
International
Environmental Economics
and Climate Change
add cross listing
Economics
Environmental Studies
EVST 430 UG
Culture and Agriculture
Program Mod
BA
Change credits from 2 to 3,
change to UG, change
description
Change major completion
requirements
Geography
Program
modification
Mountain Studies Minor
Restructuring requirements and
adding addition courses
LING 470 UG
Linguistic Analysis
Program
modification
Program
modification
Level I
Anthropology major with
linguistics option
Anthropology majors
Change title from Introduction
to Linguistic Analysis, change
description
changes to linguistic course
offerings
changes to linguistic course
offerings
Linguistics
New minor
Political Science
Program
Modification
changes to requirements
PSCI 300
International
Development Studies
Minor
Writing in Political Science
PSCI 336
The Causes of War
Delete course
PSCI 348
Multicultural Politics in the
United States
New course
Research Option
Change math requirement
SW 487
Practicum Seminar I
New course
SW 488
Practicum Seminar II
change title from Field
Practicum Seminar, change
credits from 2 to 1
SOCI 212S
Southeast Asian Culture &
Civilization
SOCI 442
Inequality and Social
Justice Service Learning
Change title from Southeast
Asian Culture & Civilization,
change description
new course
Delete course
Psychology
Program Mod
Social Work
Sociology