PROPOSAL FOR REVISED COURSES
Department ______ Geoscience _____________ Date ____ 1/21/2010 _______
If proposed course change requires A2C2 and/or graduate Council approval, i.e., not considered a notification, complete and submit this form with the appropriate number of copies. Refer to Regulation 3-4, Policy for Changing the Curriculum , for complete information on submitting proposals for curricular changes.
Current Course Information
___GEOS 350_____ __ - Geophysics
Course Title Course No.
This Proposal is for a(n)
_______ _____4_____
Credits
Applies to: ___X__ Major
_X____ Undergraduate Course
___X__ Minor
______ Graduate Course
__ __ University Studies
__ __ Required
__ X __ Elective
__ __ Required
__X__ Elective
___ X __ Not for USP
Prerequisites _____________ GEOS 130 or permission of instructor ___________________________________________
Grading __X__ Grade only ______ P/NC only ______ Grade and P/NC Option
Frequency of offering ____every other year, Fall_________
Proposed Course Information. (Please indicate only proposed changes below.)
____ GEOS 442________
Course No.
_____________________________________________________ _____________
Course Title Credits
This Proposal is for a(n) ______ Undergraduate Course
Applies to ______ Major
_____ Required
______ Minor
_____ Required
______ Graduate Course
______ University Studies
______ Not for USP
_____ Elective _____ Elective
Prerequisites ____ GEOS 130 or GEOS 235, and PHYS 201 or PHYS 221_ or permission of instructor __________ ____
______ Grade and P/NC Option Grading ______ Grade only ______ P/NC only
Frequency of offering _____________________________
A. Changes in the course description ,
1.
Catalog description (include a display of current and proposed course requirements).
2.
Course outline of the major topics and subtopics (minimum of two-level outline).
3.a Instructional delivery methods utilized: (Please check all that apply).
Lecture: Auditorium ITV Online
Lecture: Classroom X
Other: (Please indicate)
Service Learning Travel Study
Web Enhanced
Laboratory X
3.b. MnSCU Course media codes: (Please check all that apply).
Web Supplemented
Internship/Practicum
None: X
1. Satellite
3. Internet
4. ITV Sending
6. Independent Study
7. Taped
2. CD Rom 5. Broadcast TV 8. ITV Receiving
4.
Course requirements (papers, lab work, projects, etc.) and means of evaluation.
B
.
Rationale for each of the changes proposed.
9. Web Enhanced
10. Web Supplemented
C. Impact of this Course on other Departments, Programs, Majors, or Minors
1.
Does this course increase or decrease the total credits required by a major or minor of any other department? If so, which department(s)?
2.
List the department(s), if any, which have been consulted about this proposal.
D.
Describe impacts of this proposal on the University Studies Program.

Definitions:
01-Satellite:
02- CD Rom:
03- Internet: Predominately = where all, or nearly all, course activity occurs in an online environment. One to two activities may occur faceto-face in a classroom, with the maximum being two activities.
04 – ITV Sending: a course in which students are in the classroom with the instructor, other students join via interactive television technology from other geographically separate locations
05 – Broadcast TV:
06 – Independent Study: a course in which the teacher develops specialized curriculum for the student(s) based on department guidelines in the University course catalog
07 – Taped: a course in which the teacher records the lessons for playback at a later date
08 – ITV Receiving: a course in which students are not in the classroom with the teacher, other students join via interactive television technology from other geographically separate locations
09 – Web Enhanced- Limited Seat Time: For a course in which students are geographically separate from the teacher and other students for a majority of required activities. However, some on-site attendance is required. The course includes synchronous and/or asynchronous instruction.
10 – Web Supplemented- No Reduced Seat Time: For a course utilizing the web for instructional activities. Use of this code may assist your college/university in tracking courses for “smart classrooms” and/or facility usage.
Attach an Approval Form with appropriate signatures.
Department Contact Person for this Proposal:
_______Jennifer Anderson
Name (please print)
______________ __457-2457____ _____JLAnderson@winona.edu_________
Phone e-mail address
[Form Revised 7-5-07]
A. Changes in the course description,
1.
Catalog description (include a display of current and proposed course requirements).
350 - Geophysics (4 S.H.)
An overview of how geophysics is used to understand the Earth, covering both solid Earth geophysics and near surface geophysical techniques. Topics covered will include planetary formation, gravity, magnetism, energy flow, seismology, DC resistivity, electromagnetic methods, and ground penetrating radar. An emphasis is placed on developing a quantitative understanding of Earth processes through lecture, laboratory, and outdoor field work with near-surface geophysical equipment. Prerequisites: GEOS 130 or permission of instructor. Offered alternate years in the fall semester. Field trips required.
442 - Geophysics (4 S.H.)
An overview of how geophysics is used to understand the Earth, covering both solid Earth geophysics and near surface geophysical techniques. Topics covered will include planetary formation, gravity, magnetism, energy flow, seismology, DC resistivity, electromagnetic methods, and ground penetrating radar. An emphasis is placed on developing a quantitative understanding of Earth processes through lecture, laboratory, and outdoor field work with near-surface geophysical equipment. Prerequisites: GEOS 130 or
GEOS 235, and PHYS 201 or PHYS 221_ or permission of instructor. Offered alternate years in the fall semester. Field trips required.

Course outline of the major topics and subtopics (minimum of two-level outline).
NO CHANGES
B
.
Rationale for each of the changes proposed.
This requested change in course number is part of a complete restructuring of the Geoscience Department’s courses and programs offerings that began 3 years ago during curriculum discussions while preparing our program review. More recently, the graduation requirement of >40 credits numbered in the 300-400 levels and the required reduction in total credits allowed to 120 forced a revision of course requirements and prerequisites for each program. During this discussion we compared the current hierarchy of our courses and grouped them into levels based on prerequisites and whether they were required core courses for all majors or if they were electives. Additionally we looked to programs in other departments within COSE for guidance and alignment.
While these considerations lead to several increases in course numbers across the curriculum, a number of course number reductions were included in our final restructuring. Additionally, prerequisite changes resulted from the numbering of the prerequisites changing and in some cases a departmental agreement to change from
“informally advising” to “formally requiring” allied science prerequisites.
Below are the criteria we used to organize our courses:
100 Level: Reserved for intro classes for non-majors. No prerequisites. This aligns our introductory level numbers with other COSE departments.
200-Level: First level geo-courses with no prerequisites other than an intro-level Geoscience course. This is modeled after Physics, Biology, and Chemistry where the first course for majors is in the low 200s.
300-Level: Courses where prerequisites include 200-level Geoscience courses and/or other allied sciences.
These courses are core course requirements in all majors.
400-Level: <450 are advanced Geoscience elective courses where the ability to make connections across the discipline is required. Only students within 1-2 years of degree completion would be eligible to take these courses.
>450 are capstone courses leading to or including the completion of independent study projects.
The prerequisites for this course and the nature of the content support moving it to the 400-level and brings it into alignment with the above stated criteria.
C. Impact of this Course on other Departments, Programs, Majors, or Minors
3.
Does this course increase or decrease the total credits required by a major or minor of any other department? If so, which department(s)?
No Change
4.
List the department(s), if any, which have been consulted about this proposal.
E.
Describe impacts of this proposal on the University Studies Program.
No Impact