Wilkes University Curriculum Committee
Minutes 03/24/15
11:00 a.m. in 108 Kirby Hall
Attendance: Morgan Clevenger, Rachel Duda, Emma Hao, Karen Frantz Fry, Sean Kelly, Joe
Kultys, Fanhui Kong, Del Lucent, Anastasia Mauger (student representative), Phil Simon, and
Pei Zhang.
Minutes from February 18, 2015 were reviewed and approved (Fry, Lucent); passed
unanimously with incidental changes.
Guests (listed in order of discussion to the Curriculum Committee): Dr. Diane Wenger,
Associate Professor, Global History and Languages; Karena Brace, Program Operations
Director, Graduate Teacher Education; Dr. Diane Polachek, Professor, Undergraduate Education
and Anne Thomas, Faculty of Practice, Undergraduate Education; Dr. Amy Bradley, Associate
Professor of Chemistry; Emily Havrilla, Assistant Professor of Nursing; Dr. Shaokang “Ken”
Wang, Assistant Professor of Finance; Dr. Sam Ferrara, Assistant Professor of Management; Dr.
Dan McCune, Associate Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences; and representing the Honors
Council: Dr. Helen Davis, English; Dr. Matt Sowcik, Business; and Dr. Joyce Chmil, Assistant
Professor of Nursing.
Old Business
College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
BA in History: Digital History Concentration (Fry, Zhang). Several questions were fielded by
Dr. Diane Wenger, who visited to clarify the program. No new courses were needed. Anticipated
interest in the program is unknown, but such a program is relevant for today’s market. Passed
unanimously.
New Business
General Education
Generic Foreign Language Classes FL 101 and 102, which are able to be used in the core Gen Ed
language option (Simon, Fry). Such a course labeling allows flexibility and nimbleness to offer
languages as experts are available and demand merits an available language. Passed
unanimously. Note: the 198 (elective only, non Gen Ed available) will be reviewed by the
Curriculum Committee.
Graduate Ed.
MS in Online Teaching Program Revision (Inclusion of PDE Online Instruction Endorsement)
(Fry, Lucent). Karena Brace, Graduate Education, explained the quality assurance standards
safeguarding online programs and required courses to keep relevant needs for online educators.
The program has been renamed and renumbered. Some specific PA topics are addressed, which
may increase demand. Passed unanimously.
“Course Addition-Strategies for the Inclusive Classroom" (Fry, Simon). Karena Brace, Graduate
Education, indicated this course is an addition and complements existing courses. Passed
unanimously.
ED: 672: Removal of Prerequisites (INCIDENTAL) (Hao, Lucent). Passed unanimously.
Undergraduate Education
Secondary Education as a Major proposed (Fry, Clevenger). Dr. Diane Polachek, Education and
Anne Thomas, Education. A minor in Secondary Education is 40 credits, which is hefty. Adding
2 courses allows changing the minor to a major. Student maintain their major in a specific
discipline (e.g., math, physics, English, psychology, etc.) and a minor, OR have the option to add
a few content courses to earn a major in Secondary Education. Concerns from a letter from
Dr. Barbara Bracken were reviewed and responded to by Dr. Polachek. Sequencing was a
concern, but in looking at 2014-15 bulletin, elective hours would be used to achieve the double
major to add Secondary Education for a major. The second concern was math faculty input into
education policies in K-12 and major advising. It was noted that Pennsylvania Department of
Education has jurisdiction over required curriculum for K-12, not Wilkes University. Dr.
Polachek indicates there are no proposed recommendations to change advising. Co-advising for
majors and minors would be implemented as is current practice. It was noted that various
disciplines would fit the extra courses in based on a major 8-semester curriculum where it could
naturally falls. Relevance of such a need both in PA and other states was mentioned as important
as well as an opportunity for students. Passed unanimously.
College of Science and Engineering
Change of Bioengineering Track Name “Cellular and Metabolic Engineering” to “Synthetic
Biology” (INCIDENTAL) (Clevenger, Fry). Dr. Lucent explained the need for clarity in names
and revisions to course descriptions to align with other recent changes and relevance to
classroom teaching and relevant student projects. Lucent abstained; Passed unanimously.
Course Addition, CHM 111: Fundamentals of Chemistry; Course Deletion, PHY 170: Concepts
in Physics and Chemistry (Kong, Zhang). Dr. Amy Bradley explained that revisions are needed
mainly for nursing students. The content is between information in CHM 105 and 115. The
course is open for any student. It is basically the same course, but renamed and changed
disciplines. It is noted that chemistry is required of all nursing majors; physics is not paramount
until the graduate level. Lucent abstained; Passed unanimously.
Deletion of MTH 413: Functions of Several Variables; Course change of MTH 361: Applied
Math I (INCIDENTAL) (Clevenger, Zhang). Dr. Kong explained the need for clearer content
and better sequencing. Passed unanimously.
School of Nursing
School of Nursing New Courses (RN to BS Program) (Clevenger, Fry). Emily Havrilla discussed
the need for program need and applicability. Passed unanimously.
The Jay S. Sidhu School of Business & Leadership
Modifications to the Sports and Events Management Major (Hao, Zhang). Dr. Sam Ferrara
discussed the 2-year history of the program and the need for changes. The program name will be
changed to just Sports Management Major. The justification is the confusion of “Events” relating
more to hospitality programs, not sports. Curriculum is proposed to be revised to focus on the
sports emphasis. The program is in high demand. Revised proposition to voted on changes
including all except 325 (Fry, Hao). (Passed unanimously). Other new courses must have syllabi
and course descriptions submitted. SM 325 needs to be resubmitted for April.
Addition of 2 courses, Financial Derivatives and International Finance into finance major
elective courses (Hao, Kong). Dr. Shaokang “Ken” Wang addressed the need for these new,
additional courses to meet relevant content for the finance majors. Passed unanimously.
School of Pharmacy
New Course, PHA/PHS 435 Pharmacogenomics (Fry, Lucent). Dr. Dan McCune discussed the
relevance of this specific course for today’s pharmacy students’ knowledge. Passed
unanimously. An original copy must be submitted to Curriculum Committee Chair Sean Kelly.
University Wide
Honors Program Curriculum HNR 390, senior course proposed and opportunity for curriculum
conversion application (Lucent, Zhang). Dr. Helen Davis, Dr. Matt Sowcik, and Dr. Joyce Chmil
discussed the status of the program, representing the Honors Council and interim director
Dr. Allen, indicated the additional structure and needs to frame the freshmen curriculum as well
as honors conversion courses. This one new course is proposed for a senior experience. Passed
unanimously.
Draft Letter Regarding Library Funding (Simon, Fry). Agreed to add Del Lucent’s comments
from email. Passed unanimously.
April items:
College of Science and Engineering
Addition of Elective Course BEGR 200: Principles of Biology for Engineers
4+1 Plan for MS degree in Bioengineering
SWOC Analysis Discussion
Announcements: Begin thinking about the election of a new chair for 2015-2016
Next meeting: April 21, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. in 108 Kirby Hall. Adjourned at 12:52 p.m. (Lucent).
Respectfully submitted,
Morgan R. Clevenger, Secretary