Received by Undergraduate Coordinating Council—March 1, 2007
COMMITTEE ON THE UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM (CUC)
Fifth Meeting/2006-07 Academic Year
February 8, 2007
Approved
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PRESENT:
G. Aase (BUS/OMIS), R. Beatty (UCC/BUS/OMIS), R. Newsom (VPA/TH-D), J.
Rabak-Wagener (HHS/AHP, chair), E. Seaver (Vice Provost, ex officio), F. SolaresLarrave (LAS/FL--), J. Song (LAS/GEOG), R. Tatara (EET/TECH), M. VanOverbeke
(EDU/LEPF), R. Vasudevan (EET/Student Rep)
CONSULTANTS: D. Smith (Catalog Editor/Curriculum Coordinator)
GUESTS:
S. Todd Yeary (Center for Black Studies)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Minutes from the November 9 and November 16, 2006, meetings approved electronically.
Catalog revision from APASC.
Rabak-Wagener introduced the new representative from the College of Education, Marc
VanOverbeke. VanOverbeke is from the Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and
Foundations and is replacing Valerie Talsma for the spring.
CONSENT AGENDA
Aase made a motion, seconded by Solares-Larrave, to RECEIVE THE ITEMS ON THE
CONSENT AGENDA PENDING CITC APPROVAL OF APPROPRIATE ITEMS. The motion
passed unanimously. The following college minutes with no undergraduate-level curricular
items were so received.
College of Business #4
College of Education #5
College of Engineering & Engineering Technology #5
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences #7
The undergraduate-level curricular items in the following college curriculum committee minutes
were so received.
College of Business #5
College of Business #6
College of Education #4
College of Education #6
College of Education #7
College of Education #8
College of Health & Human Sciences #7
Received by Undergraduate Coordinating Council—March 1, 2007
COMMITTEE ON THE UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM (CUC)
Fifth Meeting/2006-07 Academic Year
February 8, 2007
Approved
ii of iv
COLLEGE MINUTES AND OTHER CURRICULAR ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION
None.
OLD BUSINESS
1. Subcommittee on the Review of Contract Majors and KNPE 101 Letter-Suffixed Courses
Song reported that she had received information from all the colleges. However, she thought
that the information from the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology was
incomplete. She will meet with Rabak-Wagener after the meeting to clarify what additional
information is needed.
2. New Student Information System
Seaver reported that they are about 40% along in the implementation. The implementation
team has been meeting with the colleges to identify curricular policies that may need
modification; and these are few. The majority of the changes will take place with academic
policies and procedures. However, one item of special concern for the colleges will be the
prerequisites. These will be monitored by the new system and colleges are being asked to
look at whether or not their courses really need the prerequisites that are listed. Prerequisites
will especially need to be evaluated for graduate courses for which undergraduate courses are
listed as prerequisites. The next phase is to meet with the colleges about security and access.
This will involve who gets access and to how much information. With the new system, the
university will moving to paperless record keeping, from Admissions to Registration and
Records to the departments, including posting grades.
Full implementation will be for the fall 2008 admitting class. The admitting cycle starts
summer 2007, so some things will be rolling out soon. There will be plenty of training
opportunities for faculty and staff who will be using the system.
3. Curriculum items not approved at the November 9, 2006, meeting
CSCI 240 from CLAS #2
Smith reported that the department is working on a solution to the issues with CSCI 240.
4. New courses (IDSP 312, IDSP 350, IDSP 410, IDSP 420, IDSP 440) and course revision
(IDSP 493) for the Center for Black Studies (plus an additional new course proposal for IDSP
405)
Rabak-Wagener reported that revised new course proposals had been received along with an
overall rationale for the courses. She and Smith evaluated each proposal according to the
checklist for new courses and Rabak-Wagener prepared a table listing each new course and
what, if anything, each proposal was lacking. The first document under discussion was the
three-page justification and rationale for the course proposals. One of the main rationales for
the new courses is to bring NIU’s Center Black Studies up to national standards as mandated
by the National Center for Black Studies (NCBS). Rabak-Wagener pointed out that the
rationale included a list of content areas outlined by the NCBS and stated that the proposed
Received by Undergraduate Coordinating Council—March 1, 2007
COMMITTEE ON THE UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM (CUC)
Fifth Meeting/2006-07 Academic Year
February 8, 2007
Approved
iii of iv
courses address most of those areas. Yeary noted that the new courses were created from
IDSP 302, Topics in Black Studies. Discussion of each course followed.
IDSP 312. Rabak-Wagener pointed out that there was a question regarding verification of
non-duplication. Laverne Gyant, director of the Center for Black Studies responded that the
School of Music did have a Black music class, but they have not offered it in the last 13
years, and the Department of Sociology agreed there was no duplication with their courses.
IDSP 350. The concern with this proposal was that some of the objectives weren’t specific to
the course. Yeary explained that the general course objectives connect to the holistic
curriculum model in the rationale that connects with the NCBS standards and will satisfy the
NCBS when they next evaluate NIU’s program.
IDSP 405. Rabak-Wagener noted that the Department of Sociology should be consulted for
non-duplication. Yeary noted that he will follow-up with that department. There was also a
concern that the objectives should be more specific. Solares-Larrave suggested that since
objective #6 is more specific, it should be moved up to the #3 spot. In addition, a phrase was
added to #2 so it now reads, “Develop an intellectual time line of critical theory and thought
about the social/historical condition of the Black male.”
IDSP 410. Rabak-Wagner pointed out that she felt this proposal was complete including a
statement about non-duplication and more specific objectives.
IDSP 420. This proposal was complete except for more specific objectives. A copy of an email was provided to verify non-duplication. There were suggestions for improving the
objectives and #1 and #2 now read:
1. Develop critical and strategic thinking skills for the social/historical analysis of Black
religion in America.
2. Become proficient with analysis of the religious experiences of the African/African
American community/ies.
IDSP 440. This proposal also needed more specific objectives. The committee edited the
first objective into three separate objectives.
1. Become proficient with historical analysis of the Black liberation movements.
2. Conduct critical analyses of the social context of the Black liberation movements.
3. Demonstrate understanding of the outcomes resulting from the Black liberation
movements.
The remaining objectives will be renumbered.
IDSP 493—course revision. It was noted that the revision dealt with a name change only.
The current title of the course is “African-Centered Research Methods.” The proposed title is
“Afocentricity.”
Rabak-Wagener asked the committee to look over the course descriptions for each new
proposal to see if anything needed to be edited. There were some questions about the courses
Received by Undergraduate Coordinating Council—March 1, 2007
COMMITTEE ON THE UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM (CUC)
Fifth Meeting/2006-07 Academic Year
February 8, 2007
Approved
iv of iv
that had prerequisites (IDSP 405, 410, and 440). Smith noted that she would edit the
descriptions for “catalog language” and check with Registration and Records on the
prerequisite questions.
VanOverbeke asked about the description for IDSP 410, Psychology of the African American
Experience, and why it did not include the word “psychology.” Yeary explained that they got
approval for the course from the Department of Psychology because of the way the
description is worded. He felt that the word “behavioral” is appropriate.
Aase brought up the linkage to other courses that is found in all the proposals. He stated that
since this is not a requirement of new course proposals that an explanation of why they are
including the list of courses be provided to eliminate confusion.
Song asked if the 400-level courses should have prerequisites. Yeary stated that there wasn’t
a course students needed to have before taking the IDSP courses in order to be successful. It
was also clarified that all of the courses are offered at least once a year.
Aase made a motion, seconded by Newsom, to APPROVE THE NEW COURSE
PROPOSALS FOR IDSP 312, IDSP 350, IDSP 405, IDSP 410, IDSP 420, IDSP 440, AND
THE COURSE REVISION FOR IDSP 493, PENDING APPROVAL FROM THE
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY FOR IDSP 405. Motion passed unanimously.
NEW BUSINESS
None.
ADDITIONAL BUSINESS
There was a discussion on Certificates of Undergraduate Study. There are a couple proposals for
new certificates in the College of Business, and Aase asked if they could require courses for the
certificates that students would be taking for other programs. Seaver stated that he would look
into this and get back to the college.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:45 p.m.
The next meeting will be March 8, 2007, 12:30, Altgeld 203.
Respectfully submitted,
Donna M. Smith