UNIVERSITY COUNCIL
2013 – 2014
AGENDA
April 17, 2014, 11:00 a.m.
Presidents’ Lounge, Campion Hall
1. Approval of Minutes
2. Report of Chair
3. Proposed Mandate - Academic Oversight of Evening/Weekend Adult-Learner
Programs Affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences
4. Proposed Mandate - Transitioning the College of Professional and Liberal Studies
(CPLS) to a Degree Completion Program Within the College
5. Proposed Mandate for Credit Hour Policy
6. Mandate-Educational Studies Minor returned from CAS College Council and
passed.
7. Mandate-Process to Establish Concentrations and Tracks Within Academic
Majors returned from AP&P and Faculty Senate and passed.
University Council Minutes of Meeting
February 20, 2014
In attendance were: Phyllis Anastasio, Cary Anderson, Jeanne Brady, Robert Daniel, Joseph
DiAngelo, Kathleen Kennedy, Marybeth Harrington, Elizabeth Linehan, RSM, Amy Lipton,
Peter Norberg, Nicholas Paolizzi, Claire Simmers, Tim Swift, Kristopher Tapp, Ken Weidner,
Ferdinand Wirth, and Provost Wachterhauser, who chaired the meeting. Guests included
Professors Fingerut, McCann, Snetselaar and Allan, and Mr. Haller. The meeting convened at
11:05 AM.
Minutes
A motion to approve the minutes of the previous meeting was offered by Professor Norberg, seconded by
Professor Anastasio, and approved by a vote of 12-0-1.
Chair’s Report
1. Name change of the Environmental Science Program to the Environmental Science and
Sustainability Program. At the last University Council meeting, a request was made by
Professor Simmers to provide a written rationale for the name change. As a result of this,
a meeting between members of the Management Department and members of the
Environmental Science Program took place, which clarified the concerns and provided
the requested documentation. It was decided by the Council that the request had been
satisfied, and the name change was accepted. Professor Simmers thanked the Council
and stated that this was wonderful precedent that should be followed in the future.
2. Name change requested by the faculty in the Department of Decision/System Sciences
for the MS and BS in Business Intelligence. The department seeks to change the
program’s name from “Business Intelligence” to “Business Intelligence and Analytics”.
It was noted that there was no change in the department name and all courses would
remain the same. Council accepted the name change.
3. CPLS Mandate of Academic Oversight of Evening/Weekend Adult-Learner Programs
Affiliated with CAS. CAS College Council is sending the CPLS mandate back to
University Council in order to separate items in the mandate for further consideration by
College Council with the remaining items of the mandate going to AP&P to address the
dissolution of the College. Professor Norberg requested more information for Item 5 in
the mandate. It was decided by the Council that this should go to University Council
Executive Committee for a decision.
Old Business
1. The mandate of Entertainment Marketing Major was returned from HSB, College
Council, where it was passed. Professor Weidner moved to approve the recommendation
of the HSB College Council, which was seconded by Professor Simmers. The Chair
opened the floor to discussion. The mandate was adopted by a vote of 13-0-0.
2. The mandate of a Major in Information Technology was returned from AP&P and
Faculty Senate, where it was passed. Professor Simmers moved to approve the
recommendation of the Faculty Senate, which was seconded by Professor Linehan. The
mandate was adopted by a vote of 13-0-0.
3. The mandate of a Minor of Justice and Ethics in the Law returned from Faculty Senate,
where it was passed. Professor Linehan moved to accept the recommendation of the
Faculty Senate, which was seconded by Professor Simmers. The Chair opened the floor
for discussion. The mandate was adopted by a vote of 13-0-0.
4. The mandate of a Major in Secondary Education was returned by CAS College
Council, where it was passed. Professor Anastasio moved to accept the recommendation
of the CAS College Council, which was seconded by Professor Lipton. There was a
question about whether the language could be read to allow students in all majors to
adopt a second major in Secondary Education. It was determined that all majors could
adopt Secondary Education as a second major. The mandate was adopted by a vote of
12-0-1.
5. The mandate of a Bachelor of Arts in Biology for a double major in biology and
Secondary Education was returned from CAS College Council and passed. Professor
Norberg moved to accept the recommendation of the CAS College Council, which was
seconded by Professor Wirth. The Chair opened the floor for discussion. The mandate
was adopted by a vote of 14-0-1.
6. The mandate of a Linguistics Major was returned by CAS College Council, where it
was passed. Professor Norberg moved to accept the recommendation of the CAS College
Council, which was seconded by Professor Daniel. The Chair opened the floor for
discussion. The mandate was adopted by a vote of 14-0-0.
7. The mandate of Creative Writing Major was returned by CAS College Council, where
it was passed. Professor Lipton moved to accept the recommendation of the CAS
College Council, which was seconded by Professor Daniel. The mandate was adopted by
a vote of 14-0-0.
A motion to adjourn was adopted on a rising vote at 11:35 AM.
From Chair’s Report – to be shared with University Council
Department of Modern/Classical Languages-Dr. Robert Daniel
In our last departmental meeting, we came to the realization that the "CST" designation could lead to
some confusion because it looks like "cultural studies," which is not the intended curricular content and
which could infringe on areas of potential curricular development by other departments (Sociology,
English).
Rather than using "CST," we have voted to employ a different course designation: MCC = Modern and
Classical Cultures. This label will designate courses in our department, based in faculty expertise in
cultures both outside the U.S. and subcultures within the U.S. These courses will focus on cultural -rather than literary -- content. And they will be taught in English. This is the same proposal as before,
only with a different three-letter designation.
This new curricular area will allow my department to create course offerings in support of the GEP (First
Year Seminars, Writing-Intensive, Ethics-Intensive and Diversity/Non-Western Area Studies courses) and,
perhaps, to contribute ILCs to other departmental specializations. The first proposed offering will serve
to illustrate. It is a course on the philosophical underpinnings and historical development of Spanishdominated colonial Latin America. The focus is not on literary texts, but on the encounter of cultures
within the colonial framework. For that reason, it is not appropriate to offer the course under the LTT
(Literature in Translation) designation.
We envision MCC courses as having a broadly social/cultural/intellectual focus and as leading students
to reflect critically on culture (both formal culture, or "capital-C Culture," also known as "high" culture,
and common or everyday "lower-case-c culture," meaning the shared attitudes, mental models, habits,
expectations, processes and products that constitute the cultural fabric of social life).
Let me know if you need further explanation or justification. Many thanks.
Cordially,
Robert
PROPOSED MANDATE FOR UNIVERSITY COUNCIL
TITLE: Academic Oversight of Evening/Weekend Adult-Learner Programs affiliated with CAS
OBJECTIVE:
Establish direct academic oversight of all adult-learner evening programs with majors in Arts
and Sciences through the office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences, and the appropriate Academic
Program Directors, Associate Deans and Department Chairs.
REASONS FOR PROPOSED MANDATE:
As business programs in PLS have been subsumed under the academic oversight of the Dean and
academic departments of HSB, CAS should exercise the same authority in order to ensure both
the academic integrity and sustainability of programs offered for our non-traditional,
undergraduate students.
This mandate is intended to complement, not compete with, the assessment and review of the
existing PLS GEP requirements as part of programmatic review of the GEP during the 20142015 academic year.
Issues for study include the following:
1. Some programs affiliated with PLS have no affiliation with a specific academic
department or interdisciplinary program in CAS. This is problematic for oversight and
review and must be addressed so that all majors and programs offered in the adult
continuing education programs (currently CPLS) will be subject to academic oversight by
an appropriate academic department, academic program director and/or department
chair, associate dean, and CAS Dean.
2. All new majors, minors and other programs promulgated for students enrolled in this unit
will be generated and approved by the appropriate academic department, the Dean of
CAS and the standing university governance structure as necessary.
3. Special course structures, e.g. 8-week modules and many on-line and hybrid courses
designed especially for this demographic, will be offered, as determined by each
academic department and, in the case of Faith-Reason and GEP overlay courses, as also
approved by the relevant GEP certification committees. The question of access for day
students to these special courses that are designed for adult learners should be studied and
any recommendations should be shared with the GEP programmatic review team before
being implemented.
4. Administrators shall provide information about how the incorporation of PLS into CAS
will affect the College financially (e.g. in terms of FRM)
Recommended for Study by Which Body
_____
____
___X
_____
Faculty Senate:
Academic Policies and Procedures Committee
Faculty Senate:
Faculty Policies and Procedures Committee
College Council:
College of Arts and Sciences
College Council:
Haub School of Business
Standing Committee on Student Affairs, Full-time Undergraduate
Standing Committee on Student Affairs, Part-time Undergraduate/Graduate
_____ Administrative/Staff Council
University Council Executive Committee
Signature: Jeanne Brady, Jo Parker, Ann Green, Linsey Wisor, Ken Weidner, Brice
Wachterhauser (Chair)Date:
Please forward to the Provost who serves as Chair of the University Council, along with
complete documentation to substantiate the need for the proposed mandate
PROPOSED MANDATE FOR UNIVERSITY COUNCIL
TITLE: Transitioning the College of Professional and Liberal Studies (CPLS) to a degree
completion, Programs of Professional and Liberal Studies Program within the College.
OBJECTIVE: a) Recommend dissolution of CPLS as a College to a Program.
b) Determine if the transcript of students in the Program should explicably reflect that students
are in the Program and not in the traditional CAS degree program.
REASONS FOR PROPOSED MANDATE:
As business programs in PLS have been subsumed under the academic oversight of the Dean and
academic departments of HSB, CAS should exercise the same authority in order to ensure both
the academic integrity and sustainability of programs offered for our non-traditional students.
Thus PLS should cease to be a College and become a Program within the College of Arts and
Sciences.
This mandate is intended to complement, not compete with, the assessment and review of the
existing PLS GEP requirements as part of programmatic review of the GEP during the 20142015 academic year.
Issues for study include the following:
1. CPLS should be formally abolished as a separate “College” and replaced by a
Professional and Liberal Studies Program housed within the College of Arts and
Sciences and serving the adult-learner student population currently served by CPLS.
All CAS-PLS programs offering a degree or certification in Arts and Sciences should
be subject to academic oversight by the Dean, appropriate associate deans,
department chairs and academic program directors in the college of Arts and
Sciences.
2. Should SJU transcripts indicate the source of each student’s degree? More
specifically, if the GEP in PLS remains different but equivalent to the GEP for
traditional students, should the SJU transcript indicate the source of each student’s
degree? This would mean that transcripts should in some way explicitly reflect the
distinction between the day-CAS degree program and the CAS-PLS program.
Recommended for Study by Which Body
___X__
Faculty Senate:
Academic Policies and Procedures Committee
____ Faculty Senate:
Faculty Policies and Procedures Committee
_____ College Council:
College of Arts and Sciences
_____ College Council:
Haub School of Business
Standing Committee on Student Affairs, Full-time Undergraduate
Standing Committee on Student Affairs, Part-time Undergraduate/Graduate
_____ Administrative/Staff Council
University Council Executive Committee
Signature: Jeanne Brady, Jo Parker, Ann Green, Linsey Wisor, Ken Weidner, Brice
Wachterhauser (Chair)Date:
Please forward to the Provost who serves as Chair of the University Council, along with
complete documentation to substantiate the need for the proposed mandate
PROPOSED MANDATE FOR UNIVERSITY COUNCIL
TITLE: Credit Hour Policy
OBJECTIVE: Establish University policy regarding the assignation of credit hours to ensure
adequate contact/learning time consistent with state and federal guidelines.
REASONS FOR PROPOSED MANDATE:
SJU has no clear policy regarding credit hour assignment that departments can use when creating
or adding courses. This mandate seeks to create guidelines and a consistent mechanism that :
-
Maximizes student learning and interaction with faculty irrespective of delivery
method
Ensures compliance with federal and state guidelines in this regard
Allows students and faculty to conceptualize the breadth of course delivery methods
and the varying richness each provides.
RECOMMENDED FOR STUDY BY WHICH BODY?
__X__ Faculty Senate:
Academic Policies and Procedures Committee
____ Faculty Senate:
Faculty Policies and Procedures Committee
_____ College Council:
College of Arts and Sciences
_____ College Council:
Haub School of Business
_____ Standing Committee on Student Affairs, Full-time Undergraduate
_____ Standing Committee on Student Affairs, Part-time Undergraduate/Graduate
_____ Administrative/Staff Council
Signature:
____Paul Kleschick____________ Date:____03/21/2014____________
Please forward to the Provost who serves as Chair of the University Council, along with
complete documentation to substantiate the need for the proposed mandate.
Policy Title
Credit Hour
Policy Description
Saint Joseph’s University follows the guideline set by the Pennsylvania Department of
Education for determining the amount and level of credit awarded for courses, regardless of
format or mode of delivery. These guidelines are in compliance with policies set forth by both
the federal government and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
St Joseph’s University follows a semester system with the Fall and Spring semesters consisting
of approximately 14 weeks of instruction, after which the final exams may be given in the 15th
week. Summer terms are variable in length and adhere to this policy.
Policy Procedures
Implementation of Credit Hour Policy
Regardless of the format in which it is delivered, all courses taught at Saint Joseph’s University
require equivalent student-instructor and student-student interaction. The online modality
achieves equivalent interaction and learning through asynchronous discussions and group
work, and a number of online courses also incorporate some face-to-face meetings. In addition,
the expectation exists for online courses to include the same content and learning outcomes as
traditionally taught courses. To ensure equivalency, faculty develop the online structure and
content following the policy of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools that the
technology is appropriate for the course and that the course results in collegiate-level learning
outcomes appropriate to the rigor and breadth of the degree awarded.
Nationally Accepted Standards for Credit Hours and Semester Length
Every Saint Joseph’s course requires the equivalent of 50 minutes of instruction per week, per
credit hour, based on the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS™)
definition for credit hour, which states that a credit hour is a unit of measure representing the
equivalent of an hour (50 minutes) of instruction per week over the entire term. The University
also follows the semester system as defined by IPEDS: a calendar system that consists of two
sessions called semesters during the academic year with about 15 weeks for each semester of
instruction including the final exam. There may be an additional summer session.•
Practices to Determine Amount and Level of Credit
The faculty is responsible for the curriculum. Credit values for courses are determined at the
department level based on faculty expertise and course objectives. Upon departmental approval
the course is entered into the online curriculum action system and undergoes additional
evaluation as it moves through the course approval system. All curriculum and
review/approval committees and bodies of Saint Joseph’s University are charged with following
the policy on credit hours in their review and approval of all courses and for certifying that the
expected student learning for the course meets the credit hour standard.
Credit Hour Standard by Instructional Method
Lecture and Seminar : courses with multiple students that meet to engage in various forms of
group instruction under the direct supervision of a University faculty member. A typical 3
hour course will meet 2,100 minutes over 14 weeks of instruction.
Lecture hours required per credit
Credits awarded
Minimum contact time per
week for 14 weeks
Minimum instructional time
1
50 contact minutes
700contact minutes
2
100 contact minutes
1400 contact minutes
3
150 contact minutes
2100 contact minutes
4
200 contact minutes
2800 contact minutes
Laboratory and Studio: courses with a focus on experimental learning under the direct
supervision of a University faculty member wherein the student performs substantive work in a
laboratory or studio setting. The minimum contact time per credit is twice that of a lecture (2:1
ratio)
Laboratory/Studio hours required per credit
Credits
awarded
Minimum
contact time
per week for
15 weeks
Minimum
instructional
time
Lab/studio
minimum
instruction time per
week
Lab/studio
minimum
1
50 contact
minutes
700 contact
minutes
100
1400
2
100 contact
minutes
1400 contact
minutes
200
2800
3
150 contact
minutes
2100 contact
minutes
300
4200
4
200 contact
minutes
2800 contact
minutes
400
5600
Independent Study: courses of study in which a University faculty member regularly interacts
and directs student outcomes with periodic contact. Minimum credit hours are determined
based on lecture contact minutes with the face-to-face meetings and student work being
equivalent to the values found in the lecture contact table.
Internship/Practica/Field Experience: courses of study in which a University faculty
member regularly interacts and directs student outcomes with periodic contact. The learning
experience may also contain a site supervisor and directed activity/learning outside of a lecture
setting. Contact time requirements follow those of the laboratory/studio guideline.
Accelerated Courses: courses offered outside of a standard 15 week semester (including final
exam) in which the credit hours offered are the same as standard semester courses. The
content and substantive learning outcomes are the same as those in the standard semester.
These courses must meet the definition of standard lecture contact time within the time frame
the accelerated version is offered.
Online Courses: courses offered entirely online without regard to face-to-face meetings. These
courses have the same learning outcomes and substantive components of a standard lecture
course with alternate delivery method. Contact time is satisfied by several means which can
include, but is not limited to, the following: a.) regular instruction or interaction with a
University faculty member once a week for each week the course runs. b.) Academic
engagement through interactive tutorials, group discussions moderated by faculty, virtual
study/project groups, engaging with class peers and computer tutorials graded and reviewed
by faculty.
Hybrid Courses: courses offered in blended format with 1 or more face-to-face class sessions
and at least one or more online sessions, both containing direct interaction with a University
faculty member. University faculty members demonstrate through the syllabi that the content
and activities equate to a standard assignment of lecture credit.
Relevant Guidelines
Pennsylvania Department of Education Policies (2008)
At § 31.21, one college semester credit is defined as 14 hours of classroom
Instruction and one college quarter credit is defined as 10 hours of classroom instruction.
A three-credit semester based course, for example then, would need to meet for 42 hours
of rigorous college classroom instruction over the semester. A three-credit quarter based
course would need to meet for 30 hours of rigorous college classroom instruction over
one quarter.
The regulations are not framed in terms of minutes and PDE does not accept
compliance in terms of minutes. Courses must be scheduled for the correct number of
hours per credit awarded. For example, even if a 15-minute break is taken, a three hour
seminar should be scheduled for a full three hours from 2pm to 5pm, not 2pm to 4:45pm.
At § 31.22, the academic calendar requirements state that the hours of classroom
instruction cannot be calculated to include exams (i.e., final exams), holidays and
registration. A typical semester course meets for 14 weeks of instruction, so a typical
three semester credit class must be scheduled for 42 hours of instruction over a 14 week
period, after which the final exam may be given in the 15th week. Moreover, the
scheduled weeks of class may not include holidays. If a holiday is observed and class
cancelled, a make up for the hours lost must be scheduled to ensure that students are
offered the required hours of classroom instruction. For example, all classes scheduled
for Thursdays that are cancelled due to Thanksgiving must have make up time scheduled.
Both § 35.23 and § 31.22 allow for "innovative calendar arrangements", such as
accelerated, weekend, summer session, Winterim or other formats alternative to the 14
week semester. Therefore, for example, if an institution wishes to offer an accelerated
course, the total required number of hours of instruction per credit would need to be fit
into a shorter calendar period. The total number of hours of classroom instruction
required for the amount of credit awarded the course would not change.
§ 31.21 allows for determining activities that are "the equivalent" of classroom
instruction. For example, if the course is offered in part via online technology, such as
WebCT or Blackboard, then the faculty as a whole need to agree upon criteria for
determining what online activities constitute the equivalent of classroom instruction for
uniform implementation across the institution. Establishing such criteria across the
institution and identifying the number of hours each activity would represent as
equivalent to instruction will help ensure that the amount of credit awarded per course
complies with Pennsylvania regulations.
To identify high quality curricular content that is the equivalent of classroom instruction,
the following should be considered. The activities that are the equivalent of classroom
instruction would best be:
_ directly related to the objectives of the course/program,
_ be measurable for grading purposes,
_ have the direct oversight or supervision of the faculty member teaching the
course, and
_ in some form be the equivalent of an activity conducted in the classroom.
The equivalent content should not be:
_ homework assignments
_ ‘time spent’, that is, a calculation based on the amount of time the student
spends accomplishing a task
In addition to the Registrar or other administrator setting the academic calendar, each
academic administrator and each faculty member writing syllabi and planning for classes
should be aware of these regulatory requirements. Adherence to these regulations should
enhance the quality and rigor of higher education across Pennsylvania institutions and ease
transferability of credit and courses as needed by students.
Good morning Phyllis I've attached a mandate that was passed yesterday at College Council - the Educational Studies Minor
mandate. It's now ready to be discussed at University Council.
Phyllis
2013/2014 – 08
PROPOSED MANDATE FOR UNIVERSITY COUNCIL
TITLE: Minor in Educational Studies
OBJECTIVE: To provide a minor in Early Childhood Education for undergraduates not intending
to pursue PDE certification in Early Childhood Education.
REASONS FOR PROPOSED MANDATE:
(1) There is an expressed interest on the part of various majors to obtain a minor in Early
Childhood Education to supplement or complement majors (e.g., Sociology, Theology, Autism
Studies).
(2) Students beginning as Education majors often change their major, often already having
taken six or more foundations courses in Early Childhood Education.
(3) Having students identify as Educational Studies minors would facilitate tracking student
progress and course scheduling and planning (at present, Education courses are restricted to
students pursuing certification).
RECOMMENDED FOR STUDY BY WHICH BODY?
_____ Faculty Senate:
Academic Policies and Procedures Committee
_____ Faculty Senate:
Faculty Policies and Procedures Committee
XXX
College of Arts and Sciences
College Council:
_____ College Council:
Haub School of Business
_____ Standing Committee on Student Affairs, Full-time Undergraduate
_____ Standing Committee on Student Affairs, Part-time Undergraduate/Graduate
_____ Administrative/Staff Council
Signature:
__________________________________ Date:___11-12-13_______________
Frank Bernt, Chair, Teacher Education
Signature:
__________________________________ Date: ___________________
Eileen Sabbatino, Chair, Special Education
Please forward to the Provost who serves as Chair of the University Council, along with
complete documentation to substantiate the need for the proposed mandate.
Proposed Educational Studies Minor
Rationale
(a) Because the Pennsylvania Department of Education has increased requirements for teacher
certification, students intending to seek certification must begin certification-related
coursework in the freshman year; by the end of their third semester, they have completed 18
credit hours. This represents a substantial investment of coursework before one has even
completed the sophomore year. For those who have changed to other majors such as Health
Services, Sociology, Psychology, Business, or Communications, having such extensive
coursework in Educational Studies reflected (in the form of a recognized minor) on one’s
transcript would be a benefit.
(b) In other circumstances, it may be the case that a student is interested in taking basic
Education courses without seeking teaching certification. Often, Sociology majors interested in
pursuing an MSW or Theology majors considering parish or campus ministry work have seen
value in building a strong foundation in Education, even if state certification is not a goal.
There has been an Education minor in the past; however, it has been designed specifically for
students in other majors (History, English, etc.) pursuing Secondary Education certification.
Given the recent increase in course requirements for such certification, certification in
Secondary Education now requires the equivalent of a major.
Proposed Curriculum
Students choosing to declare an Educational Studies minor would be required to take the
following courses:
Required Core:
EDU 150 – Schools in Society
EDU 246 – Literacy, Language, and Culture
SPE 160 – Introduction to Special Education
One of the Following Developmental Courses:
EDU 151 – Learning, Cognition, and Development
EDU 121 – Child Development
EDU 157 – Adolescent Psychology
Any Two Additional Courses
EDU 155 – Early Childhood Education
EDU 231 – Educational Assessment
EDU 232 – Reading / Literature I
EDU 240 – Socio-Emotional and Motor Development
SPE 200/203 – Teaching in an Inclusive Environment]
Higher-level pedagogy courses would be permitted only with the approval of the department
chair.
Typical Rotation of Offerings
All of the courses listed above have been developed. All courses are offered at least once per
year, and many are offered each semester. Several of the courses are also offered during the
summer. All courses offered within the minor are housed in the Education Unit.
Comparison with Other Universities
Several Jesuit universities offering teacher certification also offer minors that do not lead to
certification, including Regis, Santa Clara (Urban Education), Boston College (offers several,
including a minor in General Education), Georgetown (Education, Inquiry, and Social Justice).
Locally, LaSalle University offers a minor, as does Chestnut Hill College.
Education Minor and the GEP
Because the Education major has been designed to allow for completion of all three overlays
within the major curriculum, students pursuing the minor would have maximum flexibility in
satisfying GEP overlays. Specifically, the following courses from the above list have been
approved for overlays:
EDU 150 – Diversity Overlay
EDU 246 – Diversity Overlay
EDU 151 – Writing Intensive Overlay
EDU 157 – Writing Intensive Overlay
Budget
The above proposal does not require additional staffing or financial resources.
Most of the students receiving the minor will change from some Education major (anchored in
state certification) to the minor, so the only change will be having the Registrar’s Office note
the completion of coursework. Because EDU and SPE courses are primarily offered for
certification candidates, enrollment in such courses would be limited to those students who are
either majors or officially registered minors. That is, students in neither of these categories
would not be permitted to enroll in EDU or SPE courses. The Education Unit is developing a
habit of proactively determining course needs for its majors at the beginning of each prior
semester, so that course offerings accurately accommodate student needs.
Hi Phyllis,
The attached APP report was passed in our Faculty Senate meeting this week by a vote of 139-06. I believe that it should now be forwarded to University Council.
Thanks!
Kris
APP Report on University Council Mandate:
Process to Establish Concentrations and Tracks within Academic Majors
Mandate: Process to Establish Concentrations and Tracks within Academic Majors
Mandate Number: 2011/2012 – 08
Author(s) of Report: Janine Firmender, Emily Hage, Elizabeth Morgan
APP Vote: Unanimous vote in favor of the report: 3/4/13
Background:
The Academic Policy and Procedures (APP) Committee received a mandate from University Council to
investigate what constitutes a concentration and/or track and to recommend guidelines for establishing
and maintaining a concentration and/or track at Saint Joseph’s University. This was to be completed in
the effort to recommend a consistent process by which departments can establish a concentration or track.
APP began this investigation by identifying current concentrations and tracks at Saint Joseph’s University
and requesting further information, as necessary, from department chairs. Information was also requested,
through email and/or interviews from Dr. Claire Simmers, Dr. David Allan, Dr. Brent Smith, Dr. John
Vacca, Dr. Peter Norberg, Dean Madges, and Sabrina DeTurk. APP continued this investigation by
completing an online search of the websites and/or course catalogues for concentrations and tracks at 28
other Jesuit institutions.
Findings:
The first finding resulting from this investigation is that, across Saint Joseph’s University and most of the
28 comparison Jesuit institutions, the terms “concentration” and “track” are used synonymously and
interchangeably. Different departments at Saint Joseph’s University use the terms “concentration” and
“track” synonymously. Across the 30 Jesuit comparison universities, there was also inconsistency in the
use of the terms “concentration” and “track.” These terms were used synonymously at some institutions,
while other institutions only used one or the other. In addition, from the review of some of the
concentrations offered at one university, it appeared that the university used the term concentration as a
specific area of focus within a major and used the term a track as the series of courses necessary to
complete the concentration.
Current concentrations and tracks at Saint Joseph’s University include five tracks in the English Major,
concentrations in multiple content areas for students in the Grades 4-8 Education Major, among others.
Additionally, it was noted that the Haub School of Business (HSB) no longer has concentrations or tracks
for undergraduate majors. However, there are 3-course concentrations in the Professional MBA program.
The number of courses for the concentrations and/or tracks ranges from 3 (HSB graduate program) to 10
(Education).
The number of courses necessary to complete a concentration/track at these universities also varied
widely, from 2 to 20 courses.
Recommendations:
(1) All tracks and concentrations which currently exist within the university can remain as they are.
(2) Moving forward, departments have a choice between two options.
Concentration
(a) Definition
A Concentration requires a minimum of four courses
A Concentration is an area of study within a students’ major.
Concentrations will be noted officially on the student's transcript.
(b) Procedure for creating a concentration
A department looking to offer a Concentration within the major prepares a description of the
Concentration, following the requirements as noted in an application form devised in
consultation with the Curriculum Committee.
In the case of interdisciplinary major programs, the cooperating departments submit the
application collaboratively.
The application is sent to College Council appropriate for the major. As part of this process, the
Curriculum Committee has an opportunity to review the concentration proposal. Any recognized
redundancies, program resource problems, or consideration of other departments involved in the
concentration can be reconciled in the process of this review by the curriculum committee.
Once the Concentration has been reviewed and any problems settled, the Department then sends
the description of the Concentration to the Registrar for coding in DegreeWorks. This must be
done by the end of February to appear in the fall listings for the same year.
Track
(a) Definition
A track requires a minimum of three courses.
In addition to a "core" set of expectations/courses within a major, students could opt to follow a
track.
A track does not appear on the student’s transcript.
(b) Procedure for pursuing a track
Faculty in a given department determine which tracks they want to offer.
Students have the option to choose change tracks, ideally in consultation with the student's
departmental advisor.
For students who did not opt to complete a described track, there is a generic option, with
everything beyond the core being elective major courses. For any use beyond graduation,
students could simply indicate the name of the track they pursued in their major program.
Thoughtfully devised tracks would have meaning to readers outside Saint Joseph's.
Tracks are not be coded on DegreeWorks, and they are not be noted on the transcript; the
Registrar's office is not involved.
(3) Exceptions:
Education:
Education in the College of Arts and Sciences uses requirements set by the Pennsylvania Department of
Education as the standards for its concentrations. The department should continue to follow the
requirements of PDE and is thus exempt from following the procedure outlined above.
Note regarding changes to report since first submitted
APP voted in favor of an earlier draft of this report on November 5, 2013. After the report was presented
to Faculty Senate in December 2013, it was sent back for revisions. Representatives of APP met with Paul
Kleschick (Registrar), Celina Gray (Advising Support Center), and Deron Albright (MTF/Curriculum
Committee) to review suggestions made at Faculty Senate. Based on responses at Faculty Senate and this
meeting, the report was altered so that it allows for the continuation of both tracks and concentrations at
SJU (not just concentrations), and the process for doing so was altered for each (see
“Recommendations”).