Faculty Senate Curriculum Committee
Minutes from the November 16, 2005 meeting
Nancy Campbell
Mike Hanna
Amir Hirsa, chair
Sharon Kunkel
Dick Smith
Lee Odell
John Schroeder
Dave Spooner
Sam Wait
Mike Wozny
Guests:
Mary Anne Staniszewski
James Watt
1. The minutes from the meeting on November 9th and the minutes from this meeting will be
approved at the November 23rd meeting.
2. School of Humanities and Social Science (SoH&SS) - Mary Anne Staniszewski distributed a
revised proposal for the PhD in Electronic Arts. The revised proposal includes the faculty bios
and as well as an abstract of the proposal. M. Staniszewski indicated that there is a market for
this program. Rensselaer has a stable faculty and the program has the rigor that other programs
do not have. The stable environment at RPI is attractive to students looking at the other few
programs in this field. She reiterated that the discipline has matured and there is now a need
for doctoral level programs. Technology has driven some of this maturation. The proposed
program has both sound and visual aspects integrated in it. The research will include both a
creation and text. The artists in the program will focus on the structure of the technology. The
department hopes that with the increase in the number of students in the electronic arts area
they will be able to create a good-sized graduate community. A Doctor in Fine Arts is more
about performing than this degree will be. M. Wozny indicated that he has trouble seeing this
as a research degree. M. Staniszewski said that the students entering the program will have
already accomplished a certain level of research by the time they are admitted. Admitted
students will have a MS or MFA degree.
After a brief discussion about the resources needed to support the program, the Committee
agreed it was an issue for the Dean of SoH&SS. There was also a discussion about the number
of faculty in the department without PhDs. There was some concern about students in a PhD
program working with a faculty member without a PhD. M. Staniszewski said the department
will make sure that the student’s primary adviser has a PhD. She also said that in this field, the
master’s degree has been the terminal degree. The School of Architecture faced a similar issue
when they developed the proposal for their PhD program. Further discussion focused on the
nature of the research in this program.
The motion to approve the PhD program in Electronic Arts was approved by a vote of 5
in favor, 2 opposed and 1 abstention.
James Watt distributed a revised proposal for the BS in Games and Simulation Arts and
Sciences. Several issues were discussed including the following:
Faculty Senate Curriculum Committee
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Minutes from November 16, 2005
The layout of the degree template should follow the more standard format and
identify the H&SS elective core in each term
Include the required 3 courses of free electives
Only 1 H&SS core course can be specified
Requiring students to complete a dual major as part of the requirements for a BS
degree program is new ground for Rensselaer
Is there a word other than “Games” that can describe the program? For the faculty in
ECSE it raises a flag. J. Watt indicated that he is open to suggestions.
It needs to be approved by NYS as a new degree program so the proposal needs to
reflect the Institute requirements
Consider a single major with a concentration rather than a dual major
Review the timing of the science courses within the template
No action was taken on the proposal. The Committee recommended that the proposal be
developed and formatted:
 to follow the Institute requirements
 as a stand alone degree
J. Watt will bring the revised proposal to the meeting on December 7th.
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