Curriculum Committee Minutes
November 30, 1999
Present: Barry, Breitenbach, Cannon, Cooper, Ives, Kerrick, Livingston, Mitani, Neff-Lippman,
Neshyba (chair), Pasco-Pranger, Pinzino, Stevens, Sugimoto, Tomhave, Washburn
Neshyba called the meeting to order at 4:05 p.m. The minutes for the meeting of November
23 were approved as posted.
Announcements
Neshyba announced that this was the last meeting of the fall semester. Meetings in the
spring semester will be held on Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m. in Library 134.
Report of the Subcommittee on Special Interdisciplinary Majors
ACTION: Cannon M/S/P that the Committee approve Hannah Aoyagi’s Special
Interdisciplinary Major in Environmental Policy, as detailed in her October 11 Proposed
Course of Study, in its minimal (21-unit) version. And to defer to a later meeting the
decision whether Hannah will be awarded the B.S. or the B.A. degree. In the discussion of
this motion, three questions were asked and answered. Tomhave asked how this SIM differed
from an International Political Economy major combined with an Environmental Studies minor.
Cannon answered that the SIM would involve more science courses. Washburn asked about the
composition of the advisory committee, which has been reduced to two because one of the
proposed advisors is departing the university. Barry answered that the student has already
begun to negotiate with a possible replacement advisor. Cannon noted that the composition of
the advisory committee has not been a condition of approval for previous SIMs. Tomhave asked
how the subcommittee would decide between a B.S. and a B.A degree. Barry answered that the
subcommittee would attempt to find a rationale by examining the requirements for B.S. and B.A.
degrees in departments that grant both.
Report of the Communication II Subcommittee
Pinzino (chair) reported that the subcommittee has been working on syllabi for courses in
Option A of the Communication II Core area. She requested additional recruits for her
subcommittee because of the number of syllabi to be considered. Sugimoto volunteered and
Neshyba quickly appointed him.
Report of the International Studies Subcommittee
Barry, speaking for the subcommittee’s absent chairman, recommended reapproval of BPA
270. ACTION: Barry M/S/P that BPA 270 (Business in the International Context) be
reapproved as an International Studies Core course.
Report of the Society Subcommittee
Sugimoto (chair) distributed a list of 8 courses that his subcommittee recommended for
reapproval. ACTION: Sugimoto M/S/P that the following courses be reapproved as Society
Core courses: Comparative Sociology 103 (Social Problems), Comparative Sociology 200
(Cultural Anthropology), Comparative Sociology 316 (Social and Cultural Change),
Economics 170 (Principles of Economics), History 374 (Women and Social Change in the
U.S. before 1880), Honors 214 (Society), Politics and Government 101 (Introduction to U.S.
Politics), Psychology 281 (Social Psychology), and Religion 112 (Archaeology and
Religion).
Other Subcommittee Reports
The chairs of the following Core review subcommittees reported that they are continuing to
work diligently at their assigned tasks: Communication I (Ives), Science in Context (Ives), Fine
Arts (Stevens), and Mathematical Reasoning (Cooper).
Pasco-Pranger (chair) reported that the Business and Public Administration Subcommittee
will begin its review of BPA’s proposed changes during the spring semester.
Other Business
Neshyba asked if members wanted to begin Committee meetings on the first Tuesday of the
spring semester. After a brief discussion it was decided to wait until the second Tuesday, thereby
giving the subcommittees a week to advance their work.
Neshyba thanked members for their efforts during the fall semester, and he invited them to
submit to him any suggestions they might have for improving the operation of the Committee in
the spring.
At 4:36 p.m. Stevens M/S/P that the meeting adjourn.
Respectfully submitted,
William Breitenbach
Secretary