WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES CURRICULUM COMMITTEE
TO: Elaine Gaudio, Provost Greene, Deans, Associate and Assistant Deans, Chairs and Directors,
all College Curriculum Chairs, Faculty Senate Office and Senators, and members of the College
of Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee.
FROM: Duane Hampton, committee chair
NOVEMBER 20, 2015 AGENDA
TIME 2:00pm – 4:00pm – 2302 Friedmann Hall
Call to order
Announcements – mention of new numbering system
Acceptance of November agenda
Acceptance of minutes from October
Pending proposals
Pending proposals:
COMPARATIVE RELIGION
REL 16-98
(SC, MC) Course #, Title – REL 2065, Islam
Change from lower division to upper division course. Change the name of the
course.
MEDIEVAL INSTITUTE
MDVL 16-99 (AP) Revised Minor – Medieval Studies Minor
The proposed language increases the numbers of courses that fulfill the elective
requirement of the minor.
[1]
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BIOS 16-100 (SC) Pre or Co-requisites – BIOS 2400 – Human Physiology
The proposed improvement is to change the prerequisites for BIOS 2400 (Human
Physiology) from “BIOS 1120 (Principles of Biology) or BIOS 1610 (Molecular and
Cellular Biology) or BIOS 1510 (Organismal Biology) or BIOS 1910 (Introduction to
Human Anatomy and Biology)” to “BIOS 1910 (Introduction to Human Anatomy
and Biology)” or BIOS 2110 (Human Anatomy)”.
BIOS 16-101 (SC) Pre or Co-requisites – BIOS 2110 – Human Anatomy
The proposed improvement is to change the prerequisites for BIOS 2110 (Human
Anatomy) from “BIOS 1600 (Biological Form and Function) or BIOS 1120
(Principles of Biology)” to “BIOS 1600 (Biological Form and Function), BIOS 1610
(Molecular and Cellular Biology), or BIOS 1120 (Principles of Biology)”.
BIOS 16-102 (AP) Revised Major – Biomedical Sciences Major
We are adding BIOS 5525 (Fish Biology) and BIOS 5750 (Stem Cells and
Regeneration) as 5000 level alternatives for the Biomedical Sciences Major. Note
that BIOS 5750 is a capstone course.
BIOS 16-103 (AP) Revised Major – Biology Major
We are adding BIOS 5525 (Fish Biology) and BIOS 5750 (Stem Cells and
Regeneration) as 5000 level alternatives for the Biology Major. Note that BIOS
5750 is a capstone course.
BIOS 16-104 (AP) Revised Major – Biology Major – Secondary Education Curriculum
We are adding BIOS 5525 (Fish Biology) and BIOS 5750 (Stem Cells and
Regeneration) as 5000 level alternatives for the Biology Major-Secondary
Education Curriculum.
PHYSICS
PHYS 16-105 (SC) Pre or Co-requisites; Other – PHYS 1020 - Energy and the Environment,
PHYS 1040 - Introduction to the Sky and the Solar System, PHYS 1060 Introduction to the Stars and Galaxies and PHYS 1070 - Elementary Physics
Where previously, only the math course at the minimum required level was
specified as a prerequisite for several of our physics courses, we are now being
asked to specify all possible math courses which are likely to be taken by
students, in the event they place into a math course at a higher level. This does
not actually change the math proficiency required to enroll in any of these
courses in any way. We are also asked to change the specified test scores to
ranges instead of simply minima. The courses listed on this form all have the
same prerequisites.
PHYS 16-106 (SC) Pre or Co-requisites; Other – PHYS 1130 – General Physics I
Where previously, only the math course at the minimum required level was
specified as a prerequisite for several of our physics courses, we are now being
asked to specify all possible math courses which are likely to be taken by
students, in the event they place into a math course at a higher level. This does
not actually change the math proficiency required to enroll in any of these
courses in any way. We are also asked to change the specified test scores to
ranges instead of simply minima.
[2]
PHYSICS
PHYS 16-107 (SC) New Course – PHYS 1905 – The Universe of Physics
The proposed course is a multi-purpose seminar designed for any beginning
student with a general interest in physics, including those who may be
considering a major in physics. It is meant to give an overview of the field, what
is necessary for a physics degree (at WMU), what physicists do, the career
options available to physics graduates, and what the major topics are in physics
today.
PHYS 16-108 (SC) Course #, Different Level – PHYS 3520 – Waves and Optics
We propose to change the number of the physics courses Waves and Optics
from 3520 to 2500. No changes are proposed to the course itself.
PHYS 16-109 (AP) Revised Minor – Astronomy Minor
Besides the list of required courses, students currently have one choice to make
in how they complete the Astronomy minor program. They can either take (and
pass) PHYS 2050 and 2060 University Physics I, or pass PHYS 3520 Waves and
Optics. For the vast majority of students who choose the Astronomy minor, (ie.,
Physics majors) these courses are already required by their major program, so
this minor is relatively light on content. This proposed improvement would
replace the above with the choice of any course (at least 3 credit hours) that
meets the approval of the undergraduate advisor in Physics. The total credit
hours for the program would technically be unchanged, but in practice, most
students will have to take one more course than they now do.
PHYS 16-110 (MC) Description – PHYS 6620 – Electricity and Magnetism I
We are updating the catalog course description of PHYS 6620 Electricity and
Magnetism I to reflect approved change to the number of credit hours
(from 4 to 3). This change should have accompanied CAS 16-54.
PHYS 16-111 (MC) Description – PHYS 6630 – Electricity and Magnetism II
We are updating the catalog course description of PHYS 6630 Electricity and
Magnetism II to reflect approved change to the number of credit hours
(from 4 to 3). This change should have accompanied CAS 16-55.
GEOGRAPHY
GEOG 16-112 (SC) New Course – GEOG 4670 – GIS Projects and Programming
This proposal creates a new course, GEOG 4670 GIS Projects and Programming
and adds it as an elective course to the B.S. Geography – GIScience
concentration. The course has GEOG 3010 Fundamentals of GIS as prerequisite.
GEOG 16-113 (AP) Revised Major – B.S. Geography
This proposal expands the course offerings in the B.S. Geography-GIS
concentration. It adds two new courses GEOG 4685 – Internet GIS and
GEOG 4670 – Project Management and Programming to the concentration. It
removes GEOG 5690 Intermediate GIS, renamed and redescribed as
Geodatabase Design and GIS Workflows, from the required courses of the
concentrative and makes it an elective course of the concentration.
GEOG 16-114 (SC) New Course – GEOG 4685 – Internet GIS
This proposal creates a new elective course GEOG 4685 Internet GIS for the B.S.
Geography-GIScience concentration. The course will have GEOG 3010
Fundamentals of GIS as a prerequisite.
[3]
GEOGRAPHY
GEOG 16-115 (MC) Title – GEOG 5690 – Intermediate Geographic Information Systems
This proposal renames GEOG 5690 Intermediate GIS as GEOG 5690 Geodatabase
Design and GIS Workflow. It provides a new catalog description to reflect the
change. It also changes the course to the lecture/lab/discussion/format from the
previous format of separate lecture and lab.
GEOG 16-116 (SC) New Course – GEOG 3070 – Extreme Weather Under Climate Change
This proposal creates a new course GEOG 3070 Extreme Weather under
Changing Climate. GEOG 1050 Physical Geography or instructor approval will be
prerequisite for the course. Students will learn about mechanism and impact of
different extreme weathers that are directly influencing today’s human activities
under the climate change.
GEOG 16-117 (AP) Revised Major – M.S. Geography
This proposal revises the courses in the GIScience elective of the M.S. Geography
degree. It adds two new courses GEOG 6670 Project Management and
Programming and GEOG 6685 GIS and Internet Applications to the elective.
GEOG 16-118 (SC) New Course – GEOG 6670 – Project Management and Programming
This proposal creates a new course, GEOG 6670 Project Management and
Programming and adds it to the course in Geographic Information Science. The
new course requires GEOG 5010 as a prerequisite.
GEOG 16-119 (SC) New Course – GEOG 6685 – GIS and Internet Applications
This proposal creates a new course, GEOG 6685 GIS and Internet Applications, as
an elective course at the graduate level. The course has GEOG 5010 as a
prerequisite.
GEOG 16-120 (AP) Other – Revised Certificate
This proposal revises the graduate certificate program in Geographic. It adds two
new courses GEOG 6685 – GIS and Internet Applications and GEOG 6670 –
Project Management and Programming to the program. It also keeps the GEOG
5690 renamed and redescribed as Geodatabase Design and GIS Workflows in the
program.
[4]