University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Curriculum Proposal Form #2
Change in Degree, Major, or Submajor
Effective Term:
2107 (Fall 2010)
Type of Action:
Change in Minor
Degree:
BS
Program Title:
Computer Science
GPA Requirement for the Major/Submajor:
Sponsor(s):
Jonathan Kane
Department(s):
Mathematical and Computer Sciences
College(s):
Letters and Sciences
Consultation took place:
NA
Yes
(list departments and attach consultation sheet)
Departments: Curriculum and Instruction
Proposal Information:
(Procedures for Form #2)
Total number of credit units in program:
Before change 24
After change 23
1. Exact description of request:
Summary
Changes the required methods class for computer science minors to be eligible for teaching
certification in that area. Correct catalog.
From (as listed in catalog and on AR)
MINOR/EMPHASIS
COMPUTER SCIENCE
MINOR - 24 UNITS
1. COMPSCI 172, MCS 220, MCS 231, COMPSCI 271
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2. TO COMPLETE A TOTAL OF 24 UNITS, SELECT ADDITIONAL
COURSES FROM THE FOLLOWING: ANY COMPUTER
SCIENCE COURSE NUMBERED 300 OR ABOVE; ANY
MANAGEMENT COMPUTER SYSTEMS COURSE; MATH
280, CIGENRL 475 (CIGENRL 475 IS RESTRICTED TO
STUDENTS SEEKING A BSE DEGREE, STUDENTS SEEKING
CERTIFICATION TO TEACH COMPUTER SCIENCE
SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE)
To (to be listed in catalog and on AR)
MINOR - 23 UNITS
1. COMPSCI 172, MCS 220, MCS 231, COMPSCI 271
2. TO COMPLETE A TOTAL OF 23 UNITS, SELECT ADDITIONAL
COURSES FROM THE FOLLOWING: ANY COMPUTER
SCIENCE COURSE NUMBERED 300 OR ABOVE; ANY
MANAGEMENT COMPUTER SYSTEMS COURSE; MATH
280, SECNDED 442 (SECNDED 442 IS RESTRICTED TO
STUDENTS SEEKING A BSE DEGREE, STUDENTS SEEKING CERTIFICATION TO TEACH
COMPUTER SCIENCE ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE THIS COURSE).
2. Relationship to mission and strategic plan of institution, and/or college and department
goals and objectives:
As technology continues to be an important aspect in education at all levels, it is imperative
that we encourage and develop technological expertise. Both the University and the College
of Letters and Sciences are committed to providing instruction, materials, resources and
opportunities that will better prepare teachers in all fields to be able to use and teach
technological skills. A computer science minor, which provides a foundation for teaching
certification, should be more visible and accessible for education students.
3. Rationale:
When the Mathematical and Computer Sciences Department decide to maintain only one
computer science minor, they sent through a curricular proposal deleting Computer Science
Education. However, the intention was to still provide a minor for education students to take
to be certified, as seen by catalog description above, by including CIGENRL 475 as a class
option in the minor. CIGENRL 475 was intended to provide more of a focus on computer
applications and SECNDED 428, the math methods course, would provide the educational
practices aspect of the degree. However, this has become problematic for two reasons. First,
CIGENRL 475 is no longer offered by the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, and
the math methods alone is not really sufficient to consider it a computer methods course as
well. Second, somewhere in the catalog revisions, computer science was omitted from the
specific list of minors available to BSE majors in the College of Education, as were the
requirements for certification. With this error, few students knew it was available. In the last
few years, several students with math majors have been certified to teach computer science
when they had completed math methods. Curriculum and Instruction is requesting a program
change to require SECNDED 442 (2 units), Teaching Computer Science, rather than
SECNDED 428 (3 units), Teaching Mathematics in the Middle and Secondary School, for
the computer science minor for certification to teach computer science. This change would
also allow students with BSE majors, other than in mathematics, to pursue a computer
science minor. This proposal would be to correct alignment with those changes in the math
and computer science department and L & S.
The change from 24 credits to 23 credits is required since the SECNDED 442 course is only
2
2 units and is replacing a course worth 3 units. This change will affect none of the students
outside of the College of Education since all Computer Science and MCS courses are
currently three unit courses.
4. Cost Implications:
None to the department. There could be a very slight increase in the number of students
enrolled in computer science classes, however the total number of students should still fall
within the set cap for enrollment in that class. Therefore, no increase in cost to the
department or to the college should be incurred.
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