WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY
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 320_____
Course No.
This Proposal is for a(n)
__ Optical Mineralogy and Petrology
Course Title
_X____ Undergraduate Course
_______ _____4_____
Credits
______ Graduate Course
Applies to: ___X__ Major
___X__ Minor
__ X__ University Studies
__X__ Required
__ __ Required
___ __ Not for USP
_____ Elective
__X__ Elective
Prerequisites _____________ GEOS 220____________________________________________________
Grading
__X__ Grade only
______ P/NC only
______ Grade and P/NC Option
Frequency of offering ____every other year, Spring_________
Proposed Course Information. (Please indicate only proposed changes below.)
____ GEOS 435________
Course No.
_____________________________________________________ _____________
Course Title
Credits
This Proposal is for a(n)
______ Undergraduate Course
______ Graduate Course
Applies to ______ Major
______ Minor
______ University Studies
_____ Required
_____ Required
______ Not for USP
_____ Elective
_____ Elective
Prerequisites ____ GEOS 220 or GEOS 305 and CHEM 212____________________
Grading
______ Grade only
______ P/NC only
______ Grade and P/NC Option
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
Web Enhanced
Lecture: Classroom X
Service Learning
Travel Study
Laboratory X
Other: (Please indicate)
3.b. MnSCU Course media codes: (Please check all that apply).
None: X
3. Internet
6. Independent Study
1. Satellite
4. ITV Sending
7. Taped
2. CD Rom
5. Broadcast TV
8. ITV Receiving
4. Course requirements (papers, lab work, projects, etc.) and means of evaluation.
Web Supplemented
Internship/Practicum
9. Web Enhanced
10. Web Supplemented
B. Rationale for each of the changes proposed.
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:
_____Stephen T. Allard____________
Name (please print)
___457-2739
Phone
___
_______sallard@winona.edu___
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).
Current description:
320 - Optical Mineralogy and Petrology (4 S.H.)
Theory of optical mineralogy. Optical properties of minerals determined by petrographic microscope. Introduction to major sedimentary,
igneous, and metamorphic rocks; mineral equilibria and stability, mineralogic phase rule and metamorphic facies. Rock identification by
megascopic and petrographic techniques. Lecture and laboratory combined in studio format. Prerequisite: GEOS 220. Field trips
required. Offered alternate years in the spring semester.
Proposed description
435 - Optical Mineralogy and Petrology (4 S.H.)
Theory of optical mineralogy. Optical properties of minerals determined by petrographic microscope. Introduction to major sedimentary,
igneous, and metamorphic rocks; mineral equilibria and stability, mineralogic phase rule and metamorphic facies. Rock identification by
megascopic and petrographic techniques. Lecture and laboratory. Prerequisite: GEOS 220 or GEOS 305 and CHEM 212. Field trips
required. Offered alternate years in the spring semester.
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