EPC Annual Report 2007-2008
EDUCATIONAL POLICIES COMMITTEE
Annual Report 2007-2008
I. Membership
Shannon Morgan, Chair
Alyce Akers
Katherine Baker
Randy Cohen
Nazaret Dermendjian
Hillary Hertzog
Richard Horowitz
Lynn Lampert
Elizabeth Adams (Presidential Appointee)
David Rodriguez (Presidential Appointee)
Mike Fructman (Student Representative)
Matthew Zakhor (Student Representative,
Psychology
Family & Consumer Science
Music
Biology
Civil Engineering and Applied Mechanics
Elementary Education
History
Library
Liberal Studies
Chicana/o Studies
Associated Students [attended no meetings]
Associated Students [attended no meetings]
replacement for M. Fructman)
Cynthia Rawitch (Executive Secretary)
Gregory Mena (Recording Secretary)
Undergraduate Studies
Undergraduate Studies
II. Meetings
Fall 2007
September 12
September 26 [no quorum
latter part of meeting]
October 10
October 24
November 14
November 28
Spring 2008
January 30
February 13
February 27
March 12
March 26
April 9
April 23
May 7
III. Undergraduate Program Review in 2007-2008
Tami Abourezk managed the Program Review process during 2007-2008. Program
Review assignments are listed below.
Program
Art
CTVA
Deaf Studies
Health Sciences
EPC
Representative
Alyce Akers
Richard Horowitz
Diane Schwartz
Randy Cohen
Program
EPC
Representative
Humanities
Randy Cohen
Linguistics
Katherine Baker
Pan African Studies Alyce Akers
Psychology
Elizabeth Adams
Women’s Studies
Lynn Lampert
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EPC Annual Report 2007-2008
IV. Curriculum Reviews
EPC approved a paperless distribution of curriculum proposals [10/10/07]. Beginning
spring 2008, all proposals must be submitted via a centralized website.
EPC reviewed undergraduate curriculum proposals from the colleges. EPC reviewed and
approved approximately 165 proposals in fall 2007 and 126 proposals in spring 2008,
including new programs, program modifications, experimental courses, new courses and
course modifications. EPC also reviewed proposals for new and modified GE courses.
EPC approved 3 new academic programs during the academic year:
Fall 2007
§ none
Spring 2008
§ B.S. in Athletic Training
§ B.S. in Engineering Management
§ Minor in Queer Studies
EPC approved 33 modifications of academic programs during the academic year.
EPC approved 46 new experimental courses during the academic year.
EPC approved 67 new courses during the academic year.
EPC approved 141 course modifications during the academic year.
EPC approved 26 requests to designate courses as meeting the Information Competence
(IC) criteria during the academic year.
EPC approved 5 new GE science laboratory courses during the academic year.
A list of all of the approved curriculum proposals can be found in the EPC minutes at
http://www.csun.edu/epc/
V. New GE (Plan R) Curriculum Decisions
1. EPC approved the following motions:
a) Effective Spring 2008, EPC will look for a strong justification for switching GE
sections and a clear demonstration that the course meets the SLOs of the new
section better than the SLOs of the existing section [10/24/07].
b) The current waiver of the Information Competence requirement will be extended
for students graduating through Fall 2009. This is an extension of the waiver that
has been in effect for the last 18 months and was due to expire Fall 2008 [11/28/07].
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EPC Annual Report 2007-2008
2. Recertifying GE: In fall 2007, EPC revised and approved procedures for recertifying
GE courses [9/12/07]. EPC established a subcommittee charged with reviewing GE
Natural Sciences courses for recertification [9/12/07]. EPC approved a paperless
distribution of recertification portfolios [1/30/08]. Beginning spring 2008, all GE
Recertification Portfolios must be submitted via a centralized website.
In spring 2008, EPC reviewed GE Natural Sciences courses for recertification. The
subcommittee reviewed portfolios from 62 GE Natural Science courses (31 lecture and
31 lab components) and found all of them to be acceptable in terms of course content.
The committee also reviewed MATH 131 (GE Basic Subjects course left over from last
year), and approved it for recertification.
VI. Policy Recommendations
1. GE Residency Requirement: EPC approved a policy allows all general education
courses taken at any CSU campus to be used to meet the 9 unit CSUN GE residency
requirement. SEC sent the recommendation back to EPC for further consideration
regarding the justification for the policy. EPC will discuss and revise the justification in
fall 2008, and send it back to SEC.
2. Reinstatement After Third Disqualification: EPC approved a policy revision that
allows students meeting certain criteria to reapply to CSUN after being disqualified three
previous times [9/12/2007]. This policy was approved by the Academic Senate [spring
08].
3. 2.00 GPA Probationary Students: EPC approved a policy revision that allows
probationary students to maintain good standing by earning a 2.00 semester GPA. This
replaced the 0.05 cumulative GPA improvement [9/12/2007]. This policy was approved
by the Academic Senate [spring 08].
4. Third Repeat: EPC approved a policy revision that states that students wishing to
repeat a course for a third time must seek counsel with the Associate Dean in the college
of their major [5/7/08]. This proposal will go before SEC in fall 2008.
5. Honors at Graduation Petition Process: EPC approved a policy revision that
removes EPC from the Honors at Graduation student petition process [4/23/08]. This
proposal will go before SEC in fall 2008.
VII. Other Recommendations / Reviews
1. EPC approved the following motion: Although Undergraduate Certificate programs
are not encouraged, they are not prohibited. Proposals for Undergraduate Certificate
programs must be reviewed by EPC. Undergraduate Certificate programs will be
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EPC Annual Report 2007-2008
approved only if the Certificate is clearly of tangible value to students. The department
proposing an Undergraduate Certificate program bears the burden of proof in
demonstrating the value of the Certificate [11/28/07].
2. EPC approved the following motion: Remove assessment from the recertification
process beginning with the recertification of the Subject Explorations course. [2/27/08]
3. EPC approved the following motion: EPC will not review any proposals to move
existing GE courses from one section to another until the GE recertification process has
completed one full cycle, which will occur in Spring 2013 [3/12/08].
4. EPC agreed that a subcommittee is needed to study best practices for informing
students about hybrid courses in the schedule of classes.
VIII. Chair: Elizabeth Adams was elected chair of EPC for 2008-2009.
IX. Pending Issues
1. CSU GE Residency Policy: policy revision
2. Third Repeat: policy revision
3. Honors at Graduation Petition Process: policy revision
4. Designation of Hybrid Courses in the Schedule of Classes.
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