Report of the Academic Policy Committee
May 4th, 2007
1. It is the unanimous opinion of the committee that the changes in the Arts & Science
College Core (which are conditional upon approval of the University Core
Curriculum) do not require review by the committee, nor approval of the Senate.
2. The committee unanimously approved a major and a minor in Latin American &
Latina/Latino Studies, proposed by the Latin American Studies program in
cooperation with several departments, in the College of Arts & Sciences. We will be
forwarding the program description and précis separately.
3. The committee approved, by a vote of 9-2, with one abstention, the following motion:
That the 13-credit kernel of the University Core Curriculum, comprising ENGL
1201-1202, the two Signature Courses (CORE 1101 and CORE 2101), and
University Life, stand approved, but
That the establishment of a core college or equivalent structure completely
independent of the existing schools and colleges of the university shall invalidate
this vote and require fresh approval of any university core curriculum,
with the understandings (1) that the committee has not approved any other elements
of the proposed core, nor any administrative structure, and that these must still be
approved by the APC, and (2) that, in accord with the Faculty Guide, chairs or deans
are prohibited from making faculty course assignments without the faculty member’s
approval, other than in the department(s) or program(s) in which the faculty member
was hired, and that this specifically covers the signature courses, even for newly hired
faculty, and (3) that the Senate shall be provided with a specific policy for assignment
to departments and schools/colleges of signature course credits taught.
4. The APC requests
That the Senate whatever actions it deems appropriate to ensure that the
administration’s guarantee—that hiring in support of the University Core
Curriculum shall be in addition to any hires that would have been made in the
absence of the Core—is adhered to, and to place on the record its understanding
of the requirement for new faculty teaching responsibilities in support of the
University Core Curriculum—namely, that it can be satisfied through any element
of the core, and not just by teaching the signature courses.
5. The APC agreed unanimously to the following sense-of-the-body motion, and
requests that the Senate concur.
Moved, that the committee commends the effort and progress in the development
of content, process and evaluation for the five proficiencies in the UCC.
The committee moves
Under old business:
1. That the MACPC on-line program, and its attendant certificates, stand approved.
Under new business:
2. That the major and minor in Latin American & Latina/Latino studies stand
approved.
3. That the 13-credit kernel of the University Core Curriculum stand approved,
subject to the restriction and understandings stated above.
4. That it is the sense of the Senate that the effort and progress in the development of
content, process and evaluation for the five proficiencies in the University Core
Curriculum is to be commended.
The committee requests
1. That the Senate designate or appoint a committee to draft language or develop
policies to ensure that guarantees on the hiring of new faculty are adhered to.