AUC 2014/15:07
ALL-UNIVERSITY COMMITTEE
Salem State University
MINUTES - 14/15:12
May 22, 2015
Convened: Time: 3:00 p.m.
Meier Hall room 218
Attending: Robin Benton, James Fallon, Ryan Fisher, Clarke Fowler, Scott James ,
David Silva, Nancy Schultz, Anne Sullivan, Stephen Young, Chair
Apologies: Karen House and Kanishkan Sathasivam
Please note: AUC = All University Committee, UCC = University
Curriculum Committee, APC= Academic Policies Committee, SAC = Student
Affairs Committee
I. Chair’s Report
Chair Young welcomed everyone to the last meeting of the year! He noted
that the e-approval of meetings has been going well and has sped up the
process of governance. He appreciated how quickly people approved the
minutes and how people have also been providing editorial comments and
even those who were not at the meeting e-mailed in abstentions. The
Academic Policies Committee has started to do e-approvals and they have had
some difficulty getting half the people to respond. So he thanked the
committee for their dedication to attending meetings and replying in a timely
manner. He then mentioned that the discussions on the General Education on
Wednesday was interesting and he looks forward to seeing the progression of
the core.
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II. Approval of Minutes
A. University Curriculum Committee
1. Curriculum Committee 14/15:21
Motion
To accept the minutes of the Curriculum Committee (14/15:21)
Made by: C. Fowler
Seconded by: J. Fallon
Vote
Motion passed unanimously.
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AUC 2014/15:07
Discussion The Chair of AUC gave a review of the minutes:
This meeting started off with Old Business and a package from the
Geography Department which included 4 items. There was a discussion about
some of the items and minor changes were suggested. The package was
passed unanimously. Next was a 4+1 BS/MS flowsheet from the Geography
department for their Geo-Information Science program was presented and
discussed. One correction of the minutes is that the Masters program has been
functioning for 23 years, not 15 and is one of the oldest, if not the first
Masters program in GIS. There were some minor changes suggested and the
flowsheet passed unanimously. Next the Interdisciplinary Studies Department
presented a package of 9 items. There was a discussion about a few of the
items and then the package passed unanimously. Next a package of 7 items
was introduced from the Computer Science Department. The courses are a
foundation for a new IT program with a new subject code: ITE. There was
additional discussion with some minor changes suggested. The package
passed unanimously. Next SMS requested a course change with PGR
designation which was unanimously approved and finally the Philosophy
Department put forth a package with 6 items. Two courses were tabled
because they did not have the proper forms and the rest of the items passed
unanimously.
That was the essence of the meeting.
Chair Young asked if there was any discussion. There was no discussion.
Motion
To end discussion of the minutes.
Made by: J. Fallon
Seconded by: R. Fisher
Vote
Motion passed unanimously
Motion
To approve the minutes of the Curriculum Committee (14/15:21)
Made by: N. Schultz
Seconded by: C. Fowler
Vote
Motion passed unanimously
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2. Curriculum Committee 14/15:22
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AUC 2014/15:07
Motion
To accept the minutes of the Curriculum Committee (14/15:22).
Made by: A. Sullivan
Seconded by: R. Fisher
Vote
Motion passed unanimously.
Discussion The Chair of AUC gave a review of the minutes:
In this meeting the Curriculum Committee only focused on Special Business
which focused on a discussion of the various UCC forms and if they are
currently in the most useful format. Survey about UCC forms was sent to
faculty and chairs – 24 responses came back with information. One quarter
thought there were some unnecessary items on the forms; the majority
thought all the information was necessary. There were no patterns in the
responses. There was considerable discussion about the forms and the courses
in the transitional model. It was noted that: The real issue is the time and
work related to designing a course that meets the learning outcomes, not the
forms.
There was no additional business and so the meeting ended. That was the
extent of meeting.
Chair Young asked for any discussion: there was no discussion.
Motion
To end discussion of the minutes.
Made by: J. Fallon
Seconded by: C. Fowler
Vote
Motion passed unanimously
Motion
To approve the minutes of the Curriculum Committee (14/15:22)
Made by: R. Benton
Seconded by: R. Fisher
Vote
Motion passed unanimously
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3. Curriculum Committee 14/15:23
Motion
To accept the minutes of the Curriculum Committee (14/15:23).
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AUC 2014/15:07
Made by: R. Benton
Vote
Seconded by: N. Schultz
Motion passed unanimously
Discussion The Chair of AUC gave a review of the minutes:
“In meeting 14/15:23 the Curriculum Committee started off with a brief
discussion about the final report. Then under Special Business there was a
motion to ask the registrar to do a global corrective change to pre-req.
language for all W-II certified courses. This was passed with one abstention.
Next a summer committee of volunteers was formed. Under Old Business,
the History department withdrew a course and two Philosophy courses will
remain on the Table for next year. Next a W-II for geography was passed
unanimously. Next IDS presented a package of 6 items. There was a
discussion about some of the items with minor changes and the package was
approved unanimously. Next there was a package of two items from SMS
with some brief discussion before it passed unanimously. The Psychology
department submitted a course for PGR designation. The course is at the 300level and there was discussion about freshmen taking a 300-level class. The
course passed unanimously. The School of Social Work submitted two W
courses. There was a brief discussion and they were passed unanimously.
Marketing and Decision Sciences Department submitted a W-ii course. There
were some suggested changes and then the course passed unanimously. Next
there were two listings of History items, first 10 items and then three items.
The three items were discussed and the package was passed unanimously,
though one course with an SR designation was not approved by the SR
subcommittee. Chair Young clarified with Rebecca Hains that the vote was to
pass all 13 items submitted by History.
This was essentially the meeting.
Chair Young asked for any discussion. Discussion ensued regarding the
assumption that the global corrective change to prerequisites that was
mentioned in the minutes referred to adding a “W1” course as a prerequisite
for all “W2” courses. Chair Young has confirmed this with Rebecca Hains
(UCC chair).
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AUC 2014/15:07
There was further discussion regarding the statement made in the minutes
regarding students who are approaching the 55 credit limit within their major.
It was suggested that rather than relying on individual advising interactions,
that perhaps degree tracker or the registration system itself should provide a
warning to students who are approaching or have surpassed this limit. The
committee is formally asking the Provost to make these suggestions to the
Registrar for exploration and possible implementation.
Motion
To end discussion of the minutes.
Made by: S. James
Seconded by: A. Sullivan
Vote
Motion passed unanimously.
Motion
To approve the minutes of the Curriculum Committee (14/15:23)
Made by: R. Benton
Seconded by: J. Fallon
Vote
Motion passed unanimously.
____________________________
B. Academic Policies Committee
1. Academic Policies Committee 14/15:08
Motion
To accept the minutes of the Academic Policies Committee (14/15:08)
Made by: N. Schultz
Seconded by: A. Sullivan
Vote
Motion passed unanimously.
Discussion The Chair of AUC gave a review of the minutes:
This meeting started off with the Chair’s report and a warm welcome to 2
student members who have just joined the committee. The Chair reported that
he Peter Walker, along with Alexandria Peary (First-year Writing Coordinator)
and Rebecca Hains (Curriculum Committee Chair), met with Provost David
Silva regarding the Academic Integrity policy and the Provost suggested that
perhaps a fellow (perhaps with an APR) could spearhead a thorough revision
of SSU’s academic integrity policy. Next under New Business, the IACUC
Opt Out Policy Statement was discussed. The Committee approved Proposal
15:128, which addressed a student’s right to know about live animal use in
courses. The All University Committee also approved it, but the Acting Provost
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AUC 2014/15:07
did not sign it because the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
(IACUC) was working on an Opt Out policy.
The proposed policy states: Since no academic program at Salem State
University requires a course that uses live animals, all courses that use live
animals are electives. Therefore, there is no need for a specific opt-out policy.
For students who wish to take an elective course in the research or behavior of
live animals, but do not wish to work directly with live animals, the same
learning outcomes can be met by taking an alternate course within the major.
Please see course descriptions for more detailed information.” There was
considerable discussion and then a vote which approved the policy 10 for, 2
against and 2 abstentions’. Next the committee took up the “Change of Grade
and Appeals and Contesting of Grades” proposal. The Appeals and Contesting
of Grades policy (15:323) approved by the APC on April 2, 2015 needs to be
reconciled with respect to the existing Change of Grade policy. The consensus
of the committee was that a procedure for appeal be spelled out in the catalog.
Joe Cambone volunteered to draft a proposal for an appeals procedure. There
was a motion to postpone action on the proposal which was unanimously
passed.
That was the essence of the meeting.
Chair Young asked if there was any discussion.
Motion
To end discussion of the minutes.
Made by: C. Fowler
Seconded by: J. Fallon
Vote
Motion passed unanimously.
Motion
To approve the minutes of the Academic Policies Committee (14/15:08)
Made by: N. Schultz
Seconded by: R. Benton
Vote
Motion passed unanimously.
2. Academic Policies Committee 14/15:09
Motion
To accept the minutes of the Academic Policies Committee (14/15:09)
Made by: N. Schultz
Seconded by: A. Sullivan
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AUC 2014/15:07
Vote
Motion passed unanimously.
Discussion The Chair of AUC gave a review of the minutes:
This meeting started off with approval of April 30th minutes. Next the
committee took up the “Change of Grade and Appeals and Contesting of
Grades” proposal which had been postponed at the last meeting. The proposed
wording: “A student wishing to contest a grade must do so in writing directed
to the course instructor who issued it no later than four months after its official
posting on Navigator/Polaris. (See also the “Change of Grade” section in this
online catalog.)” This new wording was placed in the catalog where it should
appear in the section on Change of Grade and the section was edited. There was
considerable discussion about the change of grade policy and then the proposal
was unanimously approved.
That was the essence of the meeting.
Chair Young asked if there was any discussion.
Motion
To end discussion of the minutes.
Made by C. Fowler
Seconded by: R. Benton
Vote
Motion passed unanimously
Motion
To approve the minutes of the Academic Policies Committee (14/15:09)
Made by: R. Fisher
Seconded by: R. Benton
Vote
Motion passed unanimously
III. Old Business
No old business.
IV. New Business
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AUC 2014/15:07
AUC Summer Committee volunteers include: Robin Benton, James Fallon,
Ryan Fisher, Clarke Fowler, Karen House, Scott James, David Silva, and
Stephen Young.
____________________________
Motion
Vote
To adjourn.
Made by: C. Fowler
Seconded by: J. Fallon
Motion passed unanimously.
Meeting adjourned at 3:25 pm
Minutes respectfully submitted by: Scott James
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