HAWAII PACIFIC
UNIVERSITY
FACULTY ASSEMBLY
GENERAL EDUCATION
CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT
COMMITTEE MINUTES
(Draft)
April 5th, 2010
1:15 – 2:30 pm
President’s Conference Room (FS 2nd Floor)
Faculty Members Present:
Catherine Unabia (CNS), Pattie Nishimoto (CHSS), Thomas Dowd (at-large), Natalie Lewis
(DOC), Hal Warren (IS), Phyllis Frus (at-large), Verna Hanashiro (Nursing), Justin Gukhyun Cho
(CBA)
Advisory Members Present: Ash Datta (MCP), Jen Alm (Libraries), Jill Merl (Adult Ed.), Lisa
Ishikuro (Advising/Enrollment), Laurie Leach (Director of General Education and OAA Rep)
Members Absent: Mel Masuda (at-large), Peter Greene (at-large), Nancy Hedlund (Assessment),
Gabriela Artigas (COPS)
Digest of the minutes:

Tom Dowd presented COM 1400, Critical Reasoning and Research, a new
General Ed course proposed for Research and Epistemology A. There was much
debate about the title of the course to differentiate it from WRI 1200 Research,
Writing, and Argumentation.

HIST 3558, Living History of Hawai‘i, a new course proposed by Douglas
Askman was considered for introduction to Gen Ed as an Upper Division Service
Learning course.

Upper Division Gen Ed assessment committee is making progress.

Plan for recertification was passed by Faculty Council.
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Full text of the minutes:
The meeting began at 1:27 p.m.
1. Discussion and approval of minutes from the March 1, 2009 meeting.
1.1. Point 2.10 justification for not having the writing prerequisite - rephrase it
to say: the instructor is willing to work with the student to improve their
written expression.
1.2. Specifics for new chemistry major for spring has an upper division Gen Ed
component – coming through in Spring
1.3. 5.5 – research proposals and assignments in certain courses are graded
with pass/fail.
1.4.
Pattie moved to accept the minutes with changes. All approved.
2. Consideration of COM 1400, Critical Reasoning and Research, a new general
education course proposed by Thomas Dowd for Research and Epistemology
A.
2.1. Considered for Research and Epistemology. Strong component of the
course involves defending. Suggestion to include “Critical Reasoning and
Rhetoric” in the title to show that this course includes oral defense. Provides
a theoretical base of how people acquire knowledge. Not a debate/ public
speaking class, but rather an oral defense/argument and judicial defense.
Critical Reasoning and Oral Defense.
2.2. Need a title that differentiates this course from Writing 1200 Research,
Writing, and Argumentation – focus is on rhetoric and audience.
2.3. Idea of the class is to give the students a handout of research on
resolutions.
2.4. Final recommendations for title from Gen Ed committee (04-05-2010):
(Will present these options to the Communication Department)
1- Critical Reasoning and Rhetoric
2- Reasoning Research and Oral Defense
3- Research Writing and Oral Defense
Suggestions from Department of Communication (04-07-2010):
- Critical and Rhetorical Reasoning
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- Research, Rhetoric, and Debate
- Research, Writing, and Oral Strategies
- Research, Writing, and Reasoning
- Research, Rhetoric, and Reasoning
- Research and Rhetorical Reasoning
- Rhetoric and Critical Reasoning.
- Oral defense and Critical Reasoning.
The Department of Communication took it to a vote and their final
recommendation for the title is Critical Reasoning and Rhetoric
2.5. Must change the first line of the description to encompass all of the areas
of study that the course offers. Mention writing if it is not included in the title.
And add oral communication in the description, instead of just communication
(under outcome #1).
2.6.
Include the ten-page research paper in the description.
2.7. This course will be taught one section in the fall, then perhaps 2 sections
thereafter.
2.8. Make two options available between this course, or the upper level
rhetoric course. Helpful for students who may not know if they want to be in a
particular major in their first year.
2.9. Prerequisite any is Com Skills A course. Change the title on the syllabus
to COM 1400 (not COM 1800).
2.10. Certain parts of the proposal can be condensed, combined, to make it
shorter.
2.11. Research & Epistemology courses must be passed with a C- or better.
Need to mention this.
2.12. Also, students have to pass the research paper and oral defense with a Cor better. Mention this in syllabus. +/- grades should be included (as they
are).
2.13. Natalie moves to approve this course with suggested changes. Changes
can be communicated by email. All members approved.
3. Consideration of HIST 3558, Living History of Hawai‘i, a new course
proposed by Douglas Askman as an Upper Division Service Learning course.
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3.1.
Verifying if the points on the syllabus add up.
3.2. 100 points for attendance is questionable. The service portion of the
course should count for more points (should be more than 10% of the course
grade).
3.3. Will be offered this fall whether we approve it or not so tis useful to have
gen ed certification in place.
3.4. To make the service learning more prominent should make this a bigger
component of the course, by integrating it into coursework.
3.5.
May want to spread out the service work throughout the semester.
3.6. Would like to see a second reading. Service learning will be verified, but
not reflected in the points. Would like to see a more detailed description of
the course schedule (time distribution). Suggestion to integrate the service
component into the curriculum earlier.
4. Progress reports on Upper Division Gen Ed assessment.
4.1.
There has been continued progress.
5. Plans for implementation of the recertification process for Gen Ed courses
and discussion of Gen Ed Program assessment.
5.1.
The committee's plan for recertification passed.
5.2.
Ask Lei Ana Green to post it to the Gen Ed website.
6. Discussion of meeting times
6.1. Our next meeting will be May 3, from 1:15 to 2:30 p.m. in the President's
Conference Room.
6.2.
The meeting adjourned at 2:35 pm.
Notes submitted by Natalie Lewis
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