Eastern Michigan University, College of Arts & Sciences
College Advisory Council
MINUTES
12 November 2015, 15:30-17:00, 219 Pray-Harrold
PRESENT
Department/Program Representatives: Angell (BIO), Guthrie (CHEM), Kindred (CMTA), Moore (COSC), Kim (ECON), Luttrell
(ENGL), Ryker (GEOG&GEOL), Dieterle (HIST/PHIL, CAC Chair), Kovacs (IESS, ex-officio), Dumitrascu (MATH), Merrill
(M&D), Jacobs (PHYS/ASTR), McIntyre (PSY), Ensor (SAC), Higgins (WGST), Garrido (WL)
Department Heads: Ramsey (ENGL), Sambrook (GEOG/GEOL)
Ex-Officio: Dean Venner, Assoc. Dean Mehuron, and Assoc. Dean Pernecky (CAS Dean’s Office)
Guests: Doug Baker (CASAC) and Jodi Schumacher (CHHS, Athletics Training)
I. CALL TO ORDER: 15:30
II. GUESTS:
A. Doug Baker (CASAC) provided a handout and described work for a self-study report to complete in 2017 for the Accreditation and
Higher Learning Commission and the criteria to address. The report will make use of program and general education assessment
reports, institutional values (as expressed on EMU websites), and program review reports. It will be evaluated by external reviewers.
B. Jodi Schumacher (Athletic Training, CHHS) discussed concerns raised by the Sciences Subcommittee over the proposed MA program
in Athletic Training and related courses. In response to the concern that students enter with any 90 undergraduate credits, she stated
these are general education and other credits specified in a list. In response to concerns over the lack of critical thinking outcomes, she
stated the outcomes are dictated by accreditation but could add critical thinking. There was a discussion on course outcomes versus
program outcomes. In response to the absence of PHYS221in the list of courses, she said this prerequisite is indicated elsewhere.
Regarding whether the courses provide a substantive change from the undergraduate courses or are simply renumbered undergraduate
courses, and whether the proposed program provides an education above the level of an undergraduate degree, she stated that
graduates would be assessed differently. A discussion ensued over renumbering undergraduate courses to make them more expensive
graduate courses and which can be assessed for an MA. In response to the concern over adequate faculty researchers, she indicated
they recently hired a research-oriented faculty and will be getting another. A discussion followed on faculty qualifications: none have
Ph.D.s (clarified were that two are ABDs and one has a terminal MA) but she claimed Ph.D.s in Athletic Training are new, faculty get
degrees in other disciplines, and they will all have Ph.D.s by the time the program initiates. Regarding the concern over the location
and maintenance/cost of the cadaver lab for ATTR518, she stated it is at St. Joseph’s and would cost $500 for cleaning supplies.
III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES of the 22 October 2015 meeting of the CAC: Approved: 13 for, 0 against, 1 abstention
IV. REPORTS:
A. Motion to Separate the Athletics Training proposals as a package from the Sciences report: Approved Unanimously.
B. Motion to Accept the resulting Sciences report: Accepted: 13 for, 0 against, 1 abstention.
C. Motion to Accept the Arts report: Accepted Unanimously.
D. Motion to Not Pass the proposed Masters in Athletics Training: Motion Carried: 8 for, 0 against, 6 abstentions. Reasons: lack of
faculty with relevant degrees and research expertise; courses renumbered as more expensive graduate courses – graduate assessment
could be done in other ways (e.g., one hour competency courses and if lacking, they could be take the undergraduate courses)
E. Motion to Separate courses passed and not passed by the Sciences Subcommittee: Approved Unanimously.
F. Motion to Pass the courses passed by the Sciences Subcommittee: Passed Unanimously.
G. Motion to Pass the ATTR518 new course proposal: Passed Unanimously.
H. Motion to Not Pass the ATTR515, 516, 615, and 690 new course proposals: Motion Carried: 8 for, 0 against, 6 abstentions. Reasons:
these are simply renumbered 200- to 400-level courses.
I. Motion to Not Pass the ATTR630, 635, 685, and 695 new course proposals because there are no instructors with Ph.D.’s and research
expertise for these and no guarantee they will have staff with such degrees or expertise: Motion Carried: 8 for, 0 against, 6 abstentions.
V. INSTRUCTIONAL BUDGET APPEALS PROCESS: The Budget Committee and Dean met and mutually decided to wait until
equivalencies are worked out and for the Dean to consider other universities’ approaches for possible reforms to the CAS model. Until
then, departments may speak to the Dean about concerns, as in the past.
VI. MATRIX FOR NEW FACULTY REQUESTS: Faculty input was discussed with the Dean. Unknown is how the university-scale
matrix (approved by the Faculty Senate on 10 November, which the Provost encourages the colleges to use as a template-model for
their matrices) will be used after receiving ranked requests from colleges. The Dean resists weighting categories on the proposed CAS
matrix, and this also appears to be the case for the Faculty Senate’s university-level matrix. The Dean wants to keep the General
Education content as a distinct category (important for CAS) but may consolidate accreditation with “Other Important Information.”
VII. JOURNALISM REALIGNMENT (from ENGL to CMTA): Approved Unanimously.
VIII. DEAN’S REMARKS: Associate Dean Steve Pernecky gave a status report on the unfinished Summer 2016 instructional targets
and indicated that lowering enrollments are squeezing resources. Hybrid/Online courses continue to do well whereas enrollments in FTF
(face-to-face) courses continue to decline. He will use the same projection model as before using updated 2015 data (dividing the decline
trend by half and subtracting that from the 2015 targets) to initially see the results but is concerned. Some CAC representatives pointed
out that this model created the declines in enrollments by the sections that can be offered. Others suggested the trends in FTF vs.
hybrid/online courses were a result of encouragement to offer hybrid/online instead of FTF courses, despite student and faculty
preferences for FTF courses. He suggested more compressed (1-week, 2-week) or evening courses.
IX. ADJOURNMENT (with no time for Chair’s Remarks or Faculty Remarks): 17:03
Respectfully submitted, Bradley Ensor (Recording Secretary)