Received by the Graduate Council—November 1, 2010
GRADUATE COUNCIL CURRICULUM COMMITTEE (GCCC)
First Meeting/2010-11 Academic Year
October 11, 2010
Approved
p. i of iv
PRESENT:
G. Bennardo (LAS/ANTH), B. Bond (Graduate School), E. Niemi (EDU/CAHE/Student),
R. Orem (EDU/LTCY), J. Umoren (HHS/FCNS)
CONSULTANTS: D. Smith (Catalog Editor/Curriculum Coordinator)
Introductions were made Umoren was elected chair by acclamation.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Orem made a motion, seconded by Bennardo, to APPROVE THE AGENDA. Motion passed
unanimously.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Minutes from the April 12, 2010, meeting were approved and sent electronically.
2. The 2009-10 Annual Report was included as background information.
3. GCCC members are reminded that if they are unable to attend a GCCC meeting, they can name a
substitute to represent their constituency. If they know who that person will be prior to the mailing of
the agenda packets, they should inform Donna Smith (753-0126, dsmith@niu.edu) so the packet can
be sent directly to the substitute; otherwise, they should give their packet to the substitute. It was
clarified that substitutes do not need to come from a GCCC representatives department, but must come
from his or her college and must have graduate faculty status.
Bond explained that the consent agenda is used to expedite the consideration of some college
curriculum committee minutes and other straightforward and/or noncontroversial curricular items.
Those items are considered in two groups: 1) colleges minutes with no graduate-level curricular
attachments and 2) college minutes with graduate-level curricular attachments. If a GCCC member
has a question/concern about or wants to discuss any item on the consent agenda, he or she should feel
free to ask to have that item removed from the consent agenda and added to the items for discussion
prior to the approval of the consent agenda.
The last Friday in October, 2010 (10/29/10), is the deadline for receipt in Donna Smith’s office of
college curriculum committee minutes with proposed revisions for the next (2011-12) Graduate
Catalog. Therefore there may need to be a second GCCC meeting on November 15 to take up any
items that may have been tabled or not discussed at the November 8 meeting.
CONSENT AGENDA
Received by the Graduate Council—November 1, 2010
GRADUATE COUNCIL CURRICULUM COMMITTEE (GCCC)
First Meeting/2010-11 Academic Year
October 11, 2010
Approved
p. ii of iv
Orem made a motion, seconded by Bennardo, TO ACCEPT THE COLLEGE CURRICULUM
COMMITTEE MINUTES WITH NO GRADUATE-LEVEL ATTACHMENTS. Motion passed
unanimously. The following minutes were so received.
College of Business #15 (AY 09-10)
College of Business #16 (AY 09-10)
College of Business #17 (AY 09-10)
College of Business #1
College of Education #10 (AY 09-10)
College of Education #11 (AY 09-10)
College of Education #12 (AY 09-10)
College of Engineering and Engineering Technology #11 (AY 09-10)
College of Health and Human Sciences #2
Bond pointed out some specific items from the college curriculum committee minutes with graduate-level
attachments. In CBUS #2, they are proposing a new method of delivery on page 1. He noted that this is
geared toward students without business experience. Bennardo asked what is the rationale and Bond
responded that it is designed to attract traditional-aged students right out of their baccalaureate degrees,
including international students. There is also an international component with this. Discussion followed
to clarify the specifics including that this is a full-time, 12 month delivery method, which will be oncampus. In CEDU #14, there is a proposal for a certificate of graduate study. [NOTE: At the time of the
meeting it was noted that this was not a new proposal, but Smith has since received confirmation from the
college that this is a proposal for a new certificate of graduate study. This item was put to the committee
for a vote electronically and was approved.] In CEET #10, Bond pointed out the items on pages 6 and 7.
He added that the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) has issued a series of clarifying memoranda. One
rule is that graduate degrees must include a majority of courses that cannot be taken as an undergraduate,
including courses under the 400/500 split. In the case of the CEET minutes, they are striking out the 500level language. Bond is using these minutes as an illustration of something to be aware of in light of new
rules from the HLC. In CHHS #11, on page 4, Bond pointed out the new language about intent to register
for courses within 15 days of notification of admission to the program. Bond stated that this goes against a
national resolution among graduate schools where students have until April 15 to notify a program of their
intent to register. So if the GCCC accepts this change, NIU will not be in compliance with that. Bond will
be contacting the school to encourage some revisions to this paragraph to keep NIU in compliance. Orem
made a motion, seconded by Niemi, to ACCEPT THE COLLEGE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE
MINUTES WITH GRADUATE-LEVEL ATTACHMENTS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CHHS #11
FOR REASONS CITED ABOVE. Bond added that he will also contact the College of Engineering and
Engineering Technology regarding their changes in CEET #10. Motion passed unanimously. The
following minutes were so received.
College of Business #2
College of Education #14 (AY 2009-10)
College of Education #1
College of Engineering and Engineering Technology #10 (AY 09-10)
Received by the Graduate Council—November 1, 2010
GRADUATE COUNCIL CURRICULUM COMMITTEE (GCCC)
First Meeting/2010-11 Academic Year
October 11, 2010
Approved
p. iii of iv
College of Health and Human Sciences #12 (AY 09-10)
College of Health and Human Sciences #1
COLLEGE MINUTES FOR DISCUSSION
College of Education #13 (AY 2009-10)
In these minutes there is a new course on page 1. Bond noted that they are creating a companion course to
a 400-level course, although the courses won't share the last two digits. Orem added that there is already a
ETR 534. Orem made a motion, seconded by Bennardo, to ACCEPT THE GRADUATE-LEVEL
CURRICULAR ITEMS IN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION #13 (4/20/10). Motion passed unanimously.
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, #1
In these minutes are new courses on pages 1, 6-8. It was also noted that on page 4, they are adding several
courses to the certificate of graduate study in Women's Studies, one of which is from another college.
There is an e-mail from the School of Family, Consumer and Nutrition Sciences that states that it is
acceptable for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to add this course as an elective. Bond pointed out
the other catalog changes on page 10, where they are making revisions to the requirements for the
specialization in French. Niemi asked about the 400/500 split in the Women's Studies courses. Bond
responded that this is not quite the same issue as previously discussed since those are requirements for a
certificate. Orem made a motion, seconded by Bennardo, to ACCEPT THE GRADUATE-LEVEL
CURRICULAR ITEMS IN COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES #1 (9/8/10). Motion
passed unanimously.
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, #2
In these minutes are new courses in Political Science. It was clarified that it is at the college level where
the question of resources is addressed. Orem made a motion, seconded by Bennardo, to ACCEPT THE
GRADUATE-LEVEL CURRICULUM ITEMS IN COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES #2
(9/15/10). Motion passed unanimously.
College of Visual and Performing Arts #1
In these minutes are new course proposals, but Bond pointed out that what they are doing is deleting one
course with topics and creating three separate courses based on those topics. This will better reflect in the
student's transcript what course was taken. Orem made a motion, seconded by Niemi, to ACCEPT THE
GRADUATE-LEVEL CURRICULAR ITEMS IN COLLEGE OF VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
#1 (9/9/10). Motion passed unanimously.
OLD BUSINESS
There was no old business.
Received by the Graduate Council—November 1, 2010
GRADUATE COUNCIL CURRICULUM COMMITTEE (GCCC)
First Meeting/2010-11 Academic Year
October 11, 2010
Approved
p. iv of iv
NEW BUSINESS
1. Revisions to the Certificate of Graduate Studies in Homeland Security. Bond pointed out that
Public Health is deleting one course from the Health Sciences Track and adding another. The
deleted course duplicates the content of another course already required for the certificate. A
brief discussion followed regarding the rationale. Bennardo made a motion, seconded by
Orem, to ACCEPT THE REVISIONS TO THE CERTIFICATE OF GRADUATE STUDIES
IN HOMELAND SECURITY, HEALTH SCIENCES TRACK. Motion passed
unanimously.
2. New forms for new courses/course revisions. Bond reported that the reauthorization of the
higher education act has put added pressure on regional accrediting bodies. Another
requirement of the HLC (see also discussion under consent agenda above) is that universities
have to report the number of programs students can complete from a distance, and specific
technologies must be included in the report. All the courses must be accounted for and soon
the Provost's Office will send out a spreadsheet listing the courses for the specific departments
asking them if the courses are either 50% or greater than face-to-face, or 50% or less than
face-to-face. After those are completed, programs will be looked at to see how much a student
can complete with distance modalities. This has been done with two departments as a pilot
and it came back that one of the programs does qualify. Orem noted that 50% is pretty loose;
it will capture a lot of courses. Bond agreed, especially at the graduate level. He added that
the university needs to develop a system for identifying new courses so departments won't be
asked for this information every year. One idea is to have departments indicate on new course
proposals if a course is taught with more than 50% distance learning. It was discussed that
policies and procedures may also need to be changed to address the issue. It was noted that
there are faculty who are teaching courses that are listed as being a face-to-face course with
distance learning. Bond stated that the intent is to have a true accounting of NIU's courses for
accreditors. Bennardo also suggested that if a course goes from less than 50% distance
learning to more than 50% distance learning, departments need to report that as well. Bond
responded that for that scenario, it is his hope to come up with an expedited process. Smith
noted that if it was just an indicator in MyNIU that needed to be changed, it would not need to
go through the regular curricular process. There was a brief discussion regarding the pros and
cons of distance learning.
Orem made a motion, seconded by Niemi, to ADJOURN THE MEETING. Motion passed unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at 11:00.
The next meeting of the Graduate Council Curriculum Committee is November 8, 2010, 10:00,
Conference Room 304, Lowden Hall.
Respectfully submitted,
Donna M. Smith