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COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
Academic Year 2003-2004 

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT KEARNEY
GENERAL STUDIES COUNCIL
Meeting of May 6, 2004Minutes 

PRESENT: 

Faculty: Peg Camp, Valerie Cisler, Sandy Cook-Fong, Randall Heckman, Allan Jenkins, Sonja Kropp, Larry Kuskie, Marta Moorman, Janet Steele
Ex officio members: Mary Daake, Kristi Milks, Tanis Saldivar, Kim Schipporeit, and Bill Wozniak
Absent: John Lillis, Karen Malmkar, Chuck Peek, Glen Powell, Alicia Spelts, Kenya Taylor, Ed Walker

Wozniak called the meeting to order at 3:35 p.m. in the 2122 Founders Hall.

  1. REVIEW OF THE MINUTES OF APRIL 8, 2004
    1. Moorman (Jenkins) moved approval of the minutes of the April 8 meeting. The motion passed.
     
  2. CD/WI COURSE SUBMISSIONS
    1. Writing Intensive:
      1. HIST 474, American Constitutional History II (Cox)
      2. PSCI 170, Intro to Political Thought (Blauwkamp
      3. HIST 479, Nebraska and the Great Plains (Ellis)
      4. ECON 499, Independent Study and research in Economics (Jenkins, Bridges)
      All of the above courses have been reviewed and approved by the WI subcommittee. Camp (Kuskie) moved approval of items a - d. Motion passed. 
    2. Cultural Diversity:
      1. PSCI 140, Introduction to Comparative Politics (Aviles)
      2. VOED 434, Introduction to Students with Special Needs (Lear)
      Both of the above courses have been reviewed and approved by the CD subcommittee. Cook-Fong (Moorman) moved approval of items a and b. Motion passed. 
     
  3. OLD BUSINESS
    1. WI Cleanup:
      1. none
       
    2. CD Cleanup:
      1. none
       
    3. Notification of New WI Course-Instructor Assignments:
      1. none
       
    4. General Studies Assessment Update
      1. Wozniak distributed copies of an annual general studies assessment schedule. The schedule indicates the annual assessment is on a 16-month cycle, with the beginning of the assessment activities overlapping with the final writing stages of the previous year's report. The overlap occurs during the summer months, when most of those activities can be completed without a General Studies Council meeting. He also distributed copies of preliminary 2003-2004 General Studies Assessment Report (not included in the minutes because it is 34 pages in length.) He asked that Council members review the report over the summer and prepare recommendations for consideration at the August meeting. He noted that the student outcomes assessments for Math, Psychology, English composition, and Chemistry used very different methodologies and produced very different results. More discussion of this item will be scheduled for the next meeting.
       
    5. Proposals from WI subcommittee
      1. To include a general prerequisite for all WI courses of a "C" or better in ENG 102 (Review of pertinent data)
        The relevant data (a distribution of course grades for ENG 102) concerning this proposal were included in the assessment report. Other relevant data included a listing of WI courses typically taken by freshman students. Over the last 4 semesters, between 107 and 157 freshman students have taken WI courses. The majority of these are in TE 100. Any possible action was postponed until fall.
       
    6. Liberal Studies at UNK
      1. Continued discussion of schedule for discussing recommendations
        Wozniak distributed a revised schedule that included previous Council actions. (It is linked.) Jenkins (Cook-Fong) moved that the Directors of General Studies and the Center for Teaching Excellence develop a workshop for faculty that will address item 2-5. Motion passed. 
      2. Review of recommendation concerning review of the Fine Arts & Humanities category (Jenkins)
        Jenkins expressed concern over a motion passed at the last meeting. (Quoted from the previous minutes: "Kropp (Cisler) moved to send the following recommendations to the College of Fine Arts and Humanities for review by a committee of representatives of all Fine Arts and Humanities departments so that discussion can occur and comments be forwarded to the General Studies Council by October, 2004: Recommendation 2-1, requiring students complete ENG 101 and 102 during the first two years; Recommendation 2-2, adding foreign language as a strand of the Humanities category; Recommendation 3-2, status of Philosophy in the Humanities category (i.e., not required); and Recommendation 3-6, status of History in the Humanities category (i.e., rather than in Social Sciences.)") He was concerned that the CFAH would put in a lot of work on a proposal that ultimately might not be passed by the General Studies Council. He did not want the College faculty to assume that their proposal would become policy automatically. Kropp said that the CFAH has no such presumption, and that they understand that the Council and the other Colleges must approve such changes. The discussion then centered on whether the Council was "passing the buck" concerning the GS program. Wozniak said he understood his job was to establish a venue for proposals and their consideration, but not to provide the proposals. He said the actual motions should come from the faculty members of the Council. Kropp said she was reluctant to present such motions because the implications of such motions for other potential changes to the GS program were not clear. The discussion then centered on the history of the changes made to the General Studies Program and how major changes had usually accommodated political and practical agendas. The dilemma of how to change the present GSP was considered.
       
    7. Proposal concerning Governance of WI and CD courses
      Action on this item was postponed until the fall.
     
  1. NEW BUSINESS
    1. Review of meeting schedule for 2004-2005 academic year
      GSC members were reminded of the August meeting scheduled below. The complete schedule for the 2004-2005 academic year will be constructed at that meeting.
     
  2. MISCELLANEOUS
    1. Wozniak apologized for the unprofessional tone the last two meetings may have had.
     
  3. NEXT MEETINGS:
    1. The next General Studies Council meeting is scheduled for August 19, 2004 in 2122 Founders Hall.
      1. This meeting has traditionally been held at this time clean up any last-minute problems caused by new hires and schedule changes.
       
     

Attachment: Revised Assessment Schedule 

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT KEARNEY
GENERAL STUDIES COUNCIL
Meeting of April 8, 2004Minutes 

PRESENT:
Faculty: Valerie Cisler, Sandy Cook-Fong, Randall Heckman, Allan Jenkins, Sonja Kropp, Larry Kuskie, John Lillis, Marta Moorman, Kenya Taylor, Ed Walker
Ex officio members: Glen Powell, Tanis Saldivar, Kim Schipporeit, and Bill Wozniak
Absent: Peg Camp, Mary Daake, Karen Malmkar, Kristi Milks, Chuck Peek, Alicia Spelts, Janet Steele

Wozniak called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. in the 2122 Founders Hall.

  1. REVIEW OF THE MINUTES OF MARCH 4, 2004
    1. The minutes of the March meeting were approved via e-mail.
     
  2. CD/WI COURSE SUBMISSIONS
    1. Writing Intensive:
      1. none
       
    2. Cultural Diversity:
      1. none
       
     
  3. OLD BUSINESS
    1. WI Cleanup:
      1. none
       
    2. CD Cleanup:
      1. none
       
    3. Notification of New WI Course-Instructor Assignments:
      1. none
       
    4. General Studies Assessment Update Wozniak distributed printed copies of the assessment reports for 2002-2002 and 2002-2003 academic years. The 2003-2004 academic year report is nearing completion, Wozniak apologized that it was not ready for this meeting, but opined that it may be better to present the student outcome data to the departments first. He indicated that the ENG 101 writing assessment went particularly well. He anticipated that the main lessons learned from this first round of student outcome data collection will be methodological.
    5. Proposals from WI subcommittee (initiated by the Council of Chairs)
      1. To include a general prerequisite for all WI courses of a "C" or better in ENG 102.
        This item is postponed until Peek can be present and perhaps when other proposals that may come from the English Department Academic program review are under consideration.
       
    6. Liberal Studies at UNK
      1. Schedule for addressing recommendations
        Wozniak distributed the list of the recommendations from the 2001 APR and asked the Council to discuss the schedule of when to address the items. The list is viewable at the end of these minutes. Kropp indicated that the Council should consider some real changes to the program so that the Council does not become ineffectual and then waste the time of the membership. Wozniak indicated that it was the responsibility of the members of the Council to determine the agenda and to put forth proposals. He has been receptive to additions to the agenda and would rather not dictate the agenda to the Council. He indicated displeasure that some of the Council members publicly (in the SVCAA interviews) indicating the Council has acted ineffectually. Heckman (Taylor) moved to reject recommendation #9 that the University reconsider the name of the General Studies Program, i.e, we retain the name General Studies Program. Kropp indicated that Peek's proposal included a name change to Liberal Studies. Heckman said that keeping the name of the current program does not prohibit a new name for a new program. The motion passed (8-for, 2 against).
        Jenkins (Cisler) moved to accept recommendation #8 that the University emphasize the importance of advising in the General Studies Program.         Wozniak said that the Council of Undergraduate Education has discussed advising in the context of summer and fall orientation as well as within the first-year experience courses. He is also putting a brochure together that provides information about the GS program to students and parents. Certainly the Director will work with the Director of Advising, the Registrar, and the Director of CTE on developing an action plan for this recommendation. Jenkins and Cisler agreed that this was included in the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
        Kropp (Cisler) moved to send the following recommendations to the College of Fine Arts and Humanities for review by a committee of representatives of all Fine Arts and Humanities departments so that discussion can occur and comments be forwarded to the General Studies Council by October, 2004: Recommendation 2-1, requiring students complete ENG 101 and 102 during the first two years; Recommendation 2-2, adding foreign language as a strand of the Humanities category; Recommendation 3-2, status of Philosophy in the Humanities category (i.e., not required); and Recommendation 3-6, status of History in the Humanities category (i.e., rather than in Social Sciences.)         There was some clarification of the intent of the motion. It is hoped that these recommendations can be discussed along with some of the recommendations from the recent English Department Academic Program Review. The committee can then send their recommendations to the GSC by October. The motion passed unanimously. 
       
     
  4. NEW BUSINESS
    1. Proposal Concerning Governance of WI and CD Courses:
      1. Powell described a change in governance for which the time might be right. He suggested that the approval of WI and CD courses become the responsibility of the Faculty Senate Academic Affairs Committee. He noted that at the last GSC meeting, the Council spent an inordinate amount of time discussing the application of one instructor for WI status, which left little time for discussing other matters concerning the structure of the program. He already presented the idea to the Academic Affairs committee and it was received well. One other idea that was offered was to have the appropriate College Committees do the review, however, there could be inconsistent application of WI and CD guidelines if 4 different committees were reviewing. The Council seemed generally receptive to the idea. Cisler (Moorman) moved to move the governance of WI and CD courses to the Faculty Senate Academic Affairs Committee. Action on the motion was postponed until the next meeting when there will be more time for discussion. 
       
     
  5. MISCELLANEOUS 
  6. NEXT MEETINGS:
    1. The next General Studies Council meeting will be May 6, 2004 at 3:30 p.m., in 2122 Founders Hall.
    2. Subcommittee meetings
      1. WI subcommittee: April 29 at 2:30
      2. CD subcommittee: April 20 at 3:30
      3. Assessment subcommittee: April 19 at 1:30
       
     
  7. ADJOURNMENT:
    1. The meeting was adjourned at 5:10 pm.
     

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT KEARNEY
GENERAL STUDIES COUNCIL
Meeting of March 4, 2004
MINUTES 

PRESENT:
Faculty: Peg Camp, Valerie Cisler, Sandy Cook-Fong, Randall Heckman, Sonja Kropp, Larry Kuskie, John Lillis, Chuck Peek, Janet Steele, Ed Walker
Ex officio/non-voting members: Mary Daake, Glen Powell, Kim Schipporeit, Bill Wozniak
Guest: Tanis Saldivar (General Studies GA)
Absent: Jeanne Cutler, Allan Jenkins, Karen Malmkar, Marta Moorman, Alicia Spelts, Kenya Taylor,

Wozniak called the meeting to order at 3:34 p.m.

  1. MINUTES OF February 5, 2004 ALREADY APPROVED VIA E-MAIL 
  2. CD/WI COURSE SUBMISSIONS
    1. Writing Intensive:
      1. WSTD 220, Intro to Women's Studies (German)
      The subcommittee was split on its recommendation concerning approval of this instructor, so the full Council was asked to address the request. Powell explained the need for the course and the need to have the instructor approved to teach the course as WI. Dr Wysocki was taking a Professional Development Leave next fall and neither she nor the other approved WI instructors could teach the course. The Women's Studies Program has some momentum, offering the course as WI would make it more attractive to those who need the WI hours and are considering the minor. On the other hand, it was not seem as necessary that this particular section be offered as WI. The discussion concerned whether the circumstances warranted an exception to the guidelines for the WI instructor status for Ms German. In general, the subcommittee looks for some peer-reviewed publication or for a thesis or dissertation. Even though the instructor seemed qualified to teach a WI course, following the guidelines were seen as necessary in order to be fair.
      Peek (Kropp) moved for approval. Motion failed. 
    2. Cultural Diversity:
      1. i. none
       
     
  3. OLD BUSINESS
    1. WI Cleanup:
      1. none
       
    2. CD Cleanup:
      1. none
       
    3. Notification of new WI course-instructor assignments
      1. none
       
    4. General Studies Assessment Update
      1. Wozniak reported the outline of the assessment report that he will present at the next meeting. He had student outcome data from three departments, English, Math, and Chemistry. He hoped to receive data for Psychology before that meeting. Aside from those data, the report will include indirect assessment data from the National Survey of Student Engagement, the first-year program questionnaire (CESQ), and the Registrar's exit survey. Other data concerning the program offerings will include the WI and CD course and enrollment data and other data concerning enrollments and course offerings. He also reported that a complete written report should be available before the meeting and that only the highlights of the data will be presented in the meeting.
       
    5. Liberal Studies at UNK
      1. Continued discussion. There was extensive discussion concerning what actions should be taken as a result of the Modern Languages materials distributed and discussed at the last meeting. Even though specific recommendations were made in the report, Kropp said that she would not propose a motion until she saw what other proposals were being considered. She is opposed to each of us making our own proposals and then fighting it out. She preferred trying to balance each other's ideas/needs with some good will. Having specific recommendations on each agenda would allow all to hear how each other is thinking in general, what each of our bottom lines are in specific, and then we can launch proposals. Others reported that we have not addressed the specific recommendations from the Academic Program review and asked when we would address them. It was suggested that a list of the specific recommendation be presented to the Council with a schedule of when each recommendation would be addressed. Wozniak will comply.
       
     
  4. NEW BUSINESS
    1. Proposals from WI subcommittee (initiated by the Council of Chairs)
      1. Change item 4 in the guidelines for WI courses. Wozniak brought the suggestion concerning item 4 from the January meeting of the UNK Council of Chairs. In summary the proposal "loosens" the requirement that tests in WI courses consist primarily of essay questions to a recommendation that tests include essay question. The logic of the proposal is that professional writing "within the discipline" is usually not in the form of a response to an exam essay question.
        Lillis (Steele) moved for approval. Motion passed. 
      2. To include a general prerequisite for all WI courses of a "C" or better in ENG 102. There was extensive discussion of this issue. One side effect of the proposal is that it would effectively restrict WI courses to the sophomore year or beyond. Walker pointed out that this would be a problem for TE 100 and other programs that need to have WI courses taken early (such as some Allied Health programs.) Several questions were raised: How many students would be affected, i.e., how many get a C- or worse in ENG 102? How many 100-level WI classes are there? How many first year students are taking WI courses. Action on the proposal was postponed until some data can be reported.
       
     
  5. NEXT MEETING -- PLEASE NOTE DATE CHANGE.
    1. The next General Studies Council meeting is scheduled for April 8, 2004 in 2122 Founders Hall.
    2. Other meetings:
      1. WI subcommittee, March 25, 2:30
      2. CD subcommittee, March 23, 3:30
      3. Assessment subcommittee, March 22, 1:30
       
     

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT KEARNEY
GENERAL STUDIES COUNCIL
Meeting of February 5, 2004
MINUTES 

PRESENT:
Faculty: Peg Camp, Valerie Cisler, Sandy Cook-Fong, Randall Heckman, Allan Jenkins, Sonja Kropp, Larry Kuskie, John Lillis, Marta Moorman, Chuck Peek
Ex officio/non-voting members: Mary Daake, Glen Powell, Kim Schipporeit, Bill Wozniak
Guest: Tanis Saldivar (General Studies GA)
Absent: Jeanne Cutler, Karen Malmkar, Alicia Spelts, Janet Steele, Kenya Taylor, Ed Walker

Wozniak called the meeting to order at 3:34 p.m.

  1. MINUTES OF DECEMBER 4, 2003 ALREADY APPROVED VIA E-MAIL
  2. CD/WI COURSE SUBMISSIONS
    1. Writing Intensive:
      1. none
       
    2. Cultural Diversity:
      1. none
       
     
  3. OLD BUSINESS
    1. WI Cleanup:
      1. none
       
    2. CD Cleanup:
      1. none
       
    3. Notification of new WI course-instructor assignments
      1. ITEC 391, Aviation Law (Stephen Amundson)
      Wozniak described the circumstances of this assignment. There was a wholesale renumbering and re-prefixing of the Aviation courses from BASM to ITEC. Since this occasionally happens as departments evolve, the Council was asked if any other review or approval was needed other than that of the Director of General Studies. There was no objection to the Director handling those cases, then informing the Council.
    4. General Studies Assessment Update:
      Wozniak would like to reserve most of the next meeting agenda for a presentation of the assessment data collected this academic year. His intention is develop an assessment annual schedule including data collection in the fall semester and data analysis, data review, and strategic planning in the spring. The March or April meeting would include a review of the data, and the May meeting could include program planning, program development, and assessment of the procedures used to collect data. To continue the process, a number of departments are being considered for the next round of student outcome assessment next fall. Wozniak will contact the Chairs of these departments and ask for their cooperation.
    5. Capstone Proposal (second reading, attached)
      Wozniak described an addition to the proposal-the last paragraph under "Rationale." The proposal was amended to include an assessment component that would be included in the design of the course and that would assist in the assessment of the General Studies Program as a whole. Lillis (Cisler) moved for approval of the changes to the objectives and the catalog description of the category. Motion passed. There was extensive discussion concerning the rationale and the likelihood of success of such courses. Given the importance of student head count (SCH) in driving budget decisions, it is clear that there is little incentive for a department to develop a team-taught course. It is not clear how to handle the generated SCH for such a course nor how such a course would be handled with regard to faculty workload, especially if the course is team-taught by faculty from different Colleges. Other problems would include how such a course would be listed in the schedule. Schipporeit suggested there needs to be some answers to these questions before faculty will develop such courses. Wozniak indicated the answers are not within the General Studies Council purview, but under the control of the Deans and the Departments. Peek suggested that the Director (and any volunteers from the Council-so far Larry Kuskie and Chuck Peek) meet with the Deans to see how some of these problems can be solved. Peek (Jenkins) moved for approval of the amended rationale. Motion passed. The amended proposal is attached.
    6. Liberal Studies at UNK
      1. Proposal from Modern Languages
        Kropp reviewed her document concerning Modern Languages. Modern Languages is asking the Council to put foreign language study more within the mainstream of the GS program-- based on a suggestion in the Academic Program Review Report, the NSSE data, as well as the recognized need to prepare students to function in a global environment. The report also points out the difficulty to do so within the existing General Studies program. There was a consensus admitting to the need to emphasize foreign language more and admitting to the practical problems in doing so. The discussion will be continued at future meetings, in the context of other recommendations from the APR.
      2. Summary of Recommendations from 2001 General Studies Academic Program Review (materials attached)
        Wozniak presented a document that depicts how the UNK General Studies Program would look if all of the APR recommendations were implemented. He suggested that the document be used as a guide for any upcoming proposals concerning changes.
       
     
  4. NEW BUSINESS
    1. Wozniak said that he had submitted a proposal requesting support for General Studies program under a priority program initiative run by the Library. The GS program have been approved to receive funding for $2000 in books written by award-winning authors (e.g., LA Times Book Prizes) and for other titles supporting General Studies courses. John Lillis has prepared a book list, which was reviewed by the Council.
     
  5. MISCELLANEOUS

    The meeting was adjourned at 4:45 pm.

  6. NEXT MEETING

    The next General Studies Council meeting is scheduled for March 4, 2004 in 2122 Founders Hall.

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT KEARNEY
GENERAL STUDIES COUNCIL
Meeting of December 4, 2003
MINUTES 

Present:
Faculty: Peg Camp, Sandy Cook-Fong, Randall Heckman, Sonja Kropp, Larry Kuskie, John Lillis, Marta Moorman, Chuck Peek, Janet Steele, Kenya Taylor, Ed Walker
Ex officio/non-voting members: Kristi Milks, Bill Wozniak
Absent: Valerie Cisler, Jeanne Cutler, Mary Daake, Allan Jenkins, Karen Malmkar, Glen Powell, Kim Schipporeit, Alicia Spelts

Wozniak called the meeting to order at 3:34 p.m. He said the entire agenda may not be addressed in order to provide time for members of the Council to attend other functions including the SVCAA candidate interview. Some of the items on the agenda were postponed or deleted.

MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 6, 2003 ALREADY APPROVED VIA E-MAIL 

  1. CD/WI COURSE SUBMISSIONS
    1. Writing Intensive:
      1. HIST 441, Modern Latin America (Roger Davis)
      2. CJUS 345, Criminal Law, Web-based (Kurt Siedschlaw)
      3. ELED 373, Elementary Social Studies Methods (Ken Meyers)
      4. ELED 373, Elementary Social Studies Methods (Lynn Johnson)
      5. ELED 370, Elementary Mathematics Methods (Dena Harshbarger)
      6. TE 311, Math Methods I (Dena Harshbarger)
      Wozniak indicated that the WI subcommittee recommended approval of item a, conditional approval of item b (pending more information concerning amount of writing,) and approval of Harshbarger, Meyers, and Johnson as WI instructors (since the courses had already been approved.) Peek (Cook-Fong) moved for approval as specified. Motion passed.

      The WI committee also asked that a better procedure be implemented to allow more time for consideration of the WI submissions. The consensus was in favor of accepting new WI and CD proposals up to the time of the monthly General Studies Council meeting (3:30 on the first Thursday of the month) for formal consideration at the next General Studies Council meeting. Any submissions after that meeting will be considered in the next month's cycle of review. The Council also agreed that emergency instructor approvals as a result of personnel changes do not need to follow the procedural guideline.

    2. Cultural Diversity:
      1. SOWK 342, Behavior in the Social Environment II (Nadine Panter)
      2. ELED 373, Elementary Social Studies Methods (Ken Meyers, Lynn Johnson)
      The CD subcommittee recommended approval of items a and b. Walker (Kuskie) moved for approval of a and b. Motion passed. 
     
  2. OLD BUSINESS
    1. WI Cleanup:
      1. none
       
    2. CD Cleanup:
      1. ENG 280H, Utopian Literature (Luscher)
      The CD subcommittee reviewed supplemental information about the course provided by Dr. Luscher. Wozniak reported that the additional information was not yet incorporated into the course syllabus, given that only information provided was the letter. Walker (Kuskie) moved for approval. Motion passed. 
    3. Notification of new WI course-instructor assignments
      1. PSCI 360, Topics in American Politics (Duffin)
       
    4. General Studies Assessment Update:
      No report given.
    5. Capstone Proposal (second reading, materials distributed in November--attached) postponed until next meeting.
    6. Proposed new General Studies course (second reading, materials distributed in November)
      1. ENG 234, Reading and Writing about Literature
      Peek (Taylor) moved for approval of the course as another option in the Fine Arts and Humanities Category under Literary Perspective. Motion passed. 
    7. Changes in GS Political Science courses (materials distributed in November)
      1. Replace PSCI 100GS, Introduction to Political Science (deleted) change to:
        1. PSCI 140GS, Introduction to Comparative Politics
        2. PSCI 170GS, Introduction to Political Thought
         
      Cook-Fong (Moorman) moved for approval. Motion passed. 
    8. Changes in GS Biology Courses (materials distributed in November)
      1. Rename BIOL 104GS, General Botany to BIOL 104GS, Biology I
      2. Rename BIOL 107GS, General Zoology to BIOL 107GS, Biology II
      Steele (Cook-Fong) moved for approval. Motion passed. 
    9. Changes in Geography courses (attached)
      1. GEOG 104H, World Regional Geography Honors-to be deleted
      2. GEOG 206 and GEOG 207-deletion of catalog reference to anticipated schedule
      3. GEOG 209 Meteorology-addition of P designation
      4. GEOG 305 Environmental Conservation-update of course content and syllabus
      Lillis (Steele) moved for approval. Motion passed. 
    10. Liberal Studies at UNK
      1. Continued discussion
      2. Proposal from Modern Languages (materials forthcoming)
       
     
  3. NEW BUSINESS
    1. BS Science-related course requirements-proposal from Academic Affairs (revised attachment)
      Wozniak described the history of the Academic Affairs proposal to define the BS Science-related course requirements. Some departments had established these requirements to make the BS comparable to the BA requirements (Language). However, this necessitated the creation of new line in the web-based catalog to accurately list the requirement. The Academic Affairs discovered that Science-related course lacked a clear definition-so the category has been wide open. Wozniak explained that the proposal is being discussed in the College Academic Policy/Academic Affairs committees and that the General Studies Council was included in this discussion. Since the requirement could include GS courses, the issue seemed relevant. It was also mentioned that requiring extra science courses for the BS for all BS programs might encourage students to take the BA.
    2. Proposal for Cultural Diversity Credit for International Experience (attachment)
      Wozniak described the proposal from Dr Rick Miller. He mentioned that the proposal is in its initial stages of development and will be revised. A number of issues were raised including: (a) Is it possible for this credit to piggy-back onto an existing course? (If a student is already taking a course in conjunction with a tour, why should they have to pay more?) (b) Would Church-related trips qualify. Such as missionary trips? And (c) What is the procedure for changing the CD and WI requirements? Wozniak will forward these comments to Dr. Miller for consideration and will inquire about (c).
     
  4. MISCELLANEOUS

    The meeting was adjourned at 4:45 pm.

  5. NEXT MEETING

    The next General Studies Council meeting is scheduled for February 5, 2004 in 2122 Founders Hall.

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT KEARNEY
GENERAL STUDIES COUNCIL
Meeting of November 6, 2003MINUTES 

PRESENT:
Faculty: Peg Camp, Valerie Cisler, Sandy Cook-Fong, Randall Heckman, Allan Jenkins, Sonja Kropp, John Lillis, Marta Moorman, Chuck Peek, Janet Steele, Kenya Taylor, Ed Walker
Ex officio/non-voting members: Jeanne Cutler, Mary Daake, Kristi Milks, Glen Powell, Tanis Saldivar, Kim Schipporeit, and Bill Wozniak
Absent: Larry Kuskie, Karen Malmkar, Alicia Spelts

Wozniak called the meeting to order at 3:34 p.m.

  1. MINUTES OF OCTOBER 2, 2003 ALREADY APPROVED VIA E-MAIL 
  2. CD/WI COURSE SUBMISSIONS
    1. Writing Intensive:
      1. ENG 280H, Special Topics: Utopian Literature (Luscher)
      2. JMC 409, Public Relations Strategies (Terry)
      3. PE 461, Physiology of Exercise (Lopez, Unruh, Heelan) - change from 3 to 4 credit hours
      4. ENG 214, Beginning Fiction Writing (Lines, new WI instructor)
      5. CJ 380, Minorities an Criminal Justice (Wiersma)
      6. FSID 490, Special Topics: European Heritage Tour (Moore, new WI instructor)
      7. BIO 103, General Biology (Holley, new WI instructor)
      8. HIST 280H, Medieval Europe (Reider, new WI instructor)
      9. HIST 495, Topical Studies: Medieval Europe (Reider)
      10. CHEM 300, Environmental Chemistry (Mosher)
      11. SPCH 401, Special Topics: History of American Oratory (Eckloff)
      12. TE 331, Intermediate Literacy (Agard, Batenhorst, Powell, Hansen)
      13. TE 411, Inclusive Practices for Student with Exceptionalioties in Pre-K-6 Classrooms (Montgomery, Lewis, Hudson, Mollenkopf, Walden)
      Wozniak reported the WI subcommittee reviewed all of the above proposals and recommends approval. The package also included the approval of 4 new WI instructors. Peek (Moorman) moved for approval of items a - m. The motion passed unanimously. 
    2. Cultural Diversity:
      1. ELED 373 (aka TE 352), Teaching Elementary Social Studies (Walker)
      2. TE 411, Inclusive Practices for Student with Exceptionalioties in Pre-K-6 Classrooms (Montgomery, Lewis, Hudson, Mollenkopf, Walden)
      3. ENG 280H, Special Topics: Utopian Literature (Luscher)
      4. THEA 120, Introduction to Theatre (Garrison)
      5. FSID 490, Special Topics: European Heritage Tour (Moore)
      Wozniak reported the CD committee recommended approval of (a) ELED 373 and (b) TE 411. Cook-Fong (Cisler) moved for approval of items a and b. The motion passed unanimously.The CD committee recommended tabling ENG 280H and THEA 120 pending receipt and review of more information in the course syllabi. The CD committee did not recommend approval of FSID 490. No action was taken for items c, d, and e.
     
  3. OLD BUSINESS
    1. WI Cleanup:
      1. none
       
    2. CD Cleanup:
      1. none
       
    3. Notification of new WI course-instructor assignments
      1. none
       
    4. General Studies Assessment Update
      Wozniak said he is surveying GS departments to see if any departments have any student outcome assessment occurring for their GS classes. Chris Exstrom of Chemistry said Chemistry is using a standardized Chemistry exam in CHEM 160 and will provide the data to General Studies. Rick Miller in Psychology has agreed to run a pilot program for assessing PSY 203 using a standardized test, the ACAT. The SVCAA has agreed to fund the project. Other projects include collecting data from GS Math courses and from GS English Composition courses.
    5. Liberal Studies at UNK-A proposal for restructuring the program
      1. Continued discussion (With Peek's permission, this item was moved to the end of the meeting agenda)
        The discussion focused on whether there should be a Modern Languages requirement in General Studies. Peek asked the Council for a commitment to the concept rather than a specific plan on how to do it. The extent of the specifics is GS will make room for 3 to 6 required hours of intermediate level or above language study, and adjusting everything/anything else as seems best. Peek indicated that the best place to make this commitment is in the General Studies program rather than within the Departmental programs. The discussion included the following: The practical value of such a requirement was questioned, especially for our typical students. The benefits of such a requirement extend beyond literacy in the specific language and include improved critical thinking and appreciation of a different culture. A 6 hour requirement is basically the same as the requirement for a BA degree. Such a requirement would certainly have an impact on the number of BA degrees UNK produces. The National Survey of Student Engagement indicated that UNK students are significantly lower than comparably students in foreign language courework, international experiences, and exposure to diverse ethnic groups. Part of the problem may be the relatively weak preparation in modern languages that incoming UNK students possess. A three-hour requirement at the intermediate level may mean more than just 3 hours of coursework, especially if students are not prepared adequately. The need for a competency testing program in modern languages was discussed. Heckman suggested that UNL might be able to provide such test data on high school applicants to UNK. The issue of a name change for the General Studies Program was briefly discussed. The discussion will continue at the December meeting.
       
    6. Revised Capstone Proposal
      Wozniak presented a revised proposal for the capstone course objectives. Since the course could also be submitted and approved as a CD course, the requirement that the capstone course be CD was eliminated. The new objectives were revised to emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of the course and the increase from 1 hour to 1-3 hours. There were friendly amendments to change the wording to permit more clearly other methods. Lillis (Heckman) moved to approve then table the motion as per General Studies Council procedures. The motion will be formally addressed at the December meeting. 
     
  4. NEW BUSINESS
    1. Request from Central Community College to allow them to approve courses as both WI and CD.
      Wozniak distributed a letter from CCC requesting CCC be allowed to designate courses as both WI and CD. The course, according to their policy, will meet the same criteria for WI and CD as UNK WICD courses. The Council approved the request by consensus.
    2. Proposed new General Studies course
      1. ENG 234, Reading and Writing about Literature
      Peek (Jenkins) moved to approve ENG 234 then table the motion as per General Studies Council procedures. There was some discussion concerning the number of non-majors who might enroll in the course and whether that would be a burden. Peek responded that it would not. The motion will be formally addressed at the December meeting.
    3. Changes in GS Political Science courses
      1. Replace PSCI 100GS, Introduction to Political Science (deleted) change to:
        1. PSCI 140GS, Introduction to Comparative Politics
        2. PSCI 170GS, Introduction to Political Thought
         
       
    4. Changes in GS Biology Courses
      1. Rename BIO 104GS, General Botany to BIO 104GS, Biology I
      2. Rename BIO 107GS, General Zoology to BIO 107GS, Biology II
      No actions were taken on items 3 and 4. These proposals had not yet been approved by the Faculty Senate Academic Affairs committee.
    5. Clarification General Studies Decision Making Authority
      Wozniak distributed a chart (attached) that describes the sequence of events for decisions in which the General Studies Council has a role. He was shown this model at an NEA conference on shared faculty governance. In most cases, the sequence of review/approval moves from left to right, with each unit's role defined in their corresponding cell. SVCAA Hadley has already reviewed it and is supportive. The question was raised if the Faculty Senate Academic Affairs committee needs to be represented on the chart. Wozniak said the committee can be included as a part of the Faculty Senate's role. The item was reviewed and accepted as an information item.
     
  5. MISCELLANEOUS

    Meeting adjourned at 5:00 pm. Peek moved for adjournment.

  6. NEXT MEETING

    The next GS Council meeting is scheduled for December 4, 3:30 pm, in 2122 Founders Hall.

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT KEARNEY
GENERAL STUDIES COUNCIL
Meeting of October 2, 2003
MINUTES 

PRESENT:
Faculty: Valerie Cisler, Randall Heckman, Allan Jenkins, Sonja Kropp, Larry Kuskie, John Lillis, Karen Malmkar, Marta Moorman, Chuck Peek, Janet Steele, Kenya Taylor, Ed Walker
Ex officio/non-voting members: Jeanne Cutler, Kristi Milks, Kim Schipporeit, and Bill Wozniak
Absent: Peg Camp, Sandy Cook-Fong, Mary Daake, Glen Powell, Alicia Spelts

Wozniak called the meeting to order at 3:38 p.m.

  1. MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 4, 2003 ALREADY APPROVED VIA E-MAIL 
  2. CD/WI COURSE SUBMISSIONS
    1. Writing Intensive:
      1. none
       
    2. Cultural Diversity:
      1. none
       
     
  3. OLD BUSINESS
    1. WI Cleanup:
      1. BACC 311, Business Law (Mike Tye)
      The WI subcommittee has already reviewed the revised syllabus. Jenkins (Peek) moved for approval of the course. Motion passed. 
    2. CD Cleanup:
      1. none
       
    3. Notification of new WI course-instructor assignments
      1. CSIS 350, Information Systems Concepts (Messersmith)
       
    4. General Studies Assessment Update
      Wozniak reported that student outcome data will be collected from the a sample of English Composition classes and from GS Mathematics classes this semester. The faculty of both departments have been very cooperate in this venure. They will determine which instruments will be used and the context in which the data will be collected. Wozniak plans on reporting the student outcome data and other program data to the Council in the spring.
    5. Review of new forms
      1. New WI course approval
      2. New CD course approval
      There was considerable discussion of the new forms for WI and CD approval. The discussion centered on whether the guidelines accurately represented the decision making of the reviewers of the proposals. While it was understood that professional judgment was necessary for reviewing the course proposals, more emphasis on the revision process was needed. Walker (Heckman) moved to replace the word "should" with "will" on criterion 5. The motion passed. (The amended forms are attached.)
    6. GS/WI/CD appeal
      Wozniak described the form for Student appeals of General Studies, WI, or CD requirements and said its purpose is to strongly encourage students to work with their academic advisors to review such problems.
    7. New GS course
      The listed procedures for submitting new General Studies courses were distributed. It became apparent that according to the rules, changes to the General Studies program must occur by the time the printed catalog is done. Therefore changes to the program must occur on a two-year cycle. The Council understood that this is an important document and any revision needs to be carefully considered. Discussion of the document will continue in future meetings.
    8. Liberal Studies at UNK-A proposal for restructuring the program (Chuck Peek)
    9. Summary of Recommendations from 2001 Academic Program Review
      Items 6 and 7 were discussed simultaneously. Peek asked if the Council wants to put a proposal on the SVCAA's desk that will take into account at least some of the recommendations from the APR? The consensus was the Council should proceed with addressing all of the concerns mentioned. Cisler (Kropp) moved that the recommendations from the last APR be placed on the agenda of our next meeting for discussion. The question arose concerning what would be the best way to approach the list of issues. Jenkins suggested that we first address some of the more obvious issues that are easily solved (i.e., low-hanging fruit.) Peek suggested GSC members send their favorite low-hanging fruit to Wozniak who will then prepare the list of items for discussion (low-hanging fruit first.) Motion passed. (The summary of the APR comments is attached.)
    10. Adjustments to meeting schedule
      Wozniak said he will make adjustments to the meeting schedule via e-mail.
     
  4. NEW BUSINESS
    1. A proposal for the capstone category in General Studies
      Wozniak proposed a change to the Capstone category of the General Studies program that would change the hours from 0-1 to 0-3 and would eliminate the multicultural objective for the category. Several suggestions were made concerning the proposal. Wozniak will revise the proposal for consideration at the next meeting. Since this would be a structural change to the program, the changes will also need to be reviewed by each College's Educational Policy Committee.
     
  5. MISCELLANEOUS

    Meeting adjourned at 4:45 pm.

  6. NEXT MEETING

    The next General Studies Council meeting is scheduled for November 6 in 2122 Founders Hall.

Attachments:

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT KEARNEY
GENERAL STUDIES COUNCIL
Meeting of September 4, 2003
3:30 PM, Residence of Dr. Charles Peek, 2010 Fifth Avenue
MINUTES 

PRESENT:
Faculty: Valerie Cisler, Randall Heckman, Allan Jenkins, Sonja Kropp, Larry Kuskie, John Lillis, Marta Moorman, Chuck Peek, Janet Steele, Kenya Taylor, Ed Walker
Ex officio/non-voting members: Mary Daake, Kristi Milks, Kim Schipporeit, and Bill Wozniak
Absent: Peg Camp, Sandy Cook-Fong, Jeanne Cutler

Wozniak called the meeting to order at 3:38 p.m.

  1. DISTRIBUTION OF THE MINUTES OF AUGUST 21, 2003 
  2. CD/WI COURSE SUBMISSIONS
    1. Writing Intensive:
      1. FCSC 486, Families in Crisis (Asay):
      Kuskie (Taylor) moved for approval of the revised course as WI. Motion passed.
      1. GEOG 450, Senior Geography Project (Dart):
      Heckman (Jenkins) moved for approval of the course. Motion passed.

      Professor Dart was present to discuss different department models used for independent-research-type courses. In many cases, the Department Chair is listed as the instructor but the mentoring of the individual projects may be assigned to other instructors. For example, in the Psychology Department, all of the faculty have WI status and any may be assigned as a mentor for a WI independent study course. The responsibility of monitoring the whether the WI criteria are met rests with the department Chair. Given courses taught by "Staff" are not designated as WI until the specific WI-approved instructor is identified, Professor Dart agreed he would be listed as the instructor for the course, and he will work to gain WI approval for all potential GEOG 450 instructors before next semester.

      1. BACC 311, Business Law (Michael Tye):
      Upon review of the course syllabus, the Council noticed the writing activities did not seem to meet the WI course criteria. Heckman (Walker) moved to table the request pending further information. Also the policy that, once a course had begun, no "retroactive" approvals would be given. The pros and cons of strictly following the policy were discussed. Wozniak will investigate the matter further and report back to the Council.
    2. Cultural Diversity:
      1. none
       
     
  3. OLD BUSINESS
    1. WI Cleanup:
      1. none
       
    2. CD Cleanup:
      1. none
       
    3. Notification of new WI course-instructor assignments
      1. ART 303, History of Renaissance Art (Lang)
       
    4. Internationalizing the Curriculum (Jerry Fox)
      1. Professor Fox was present to lead a discussion of the article "The Internationalized Campus: A Strategic Approach" and to promote the idea of an internationalization review of the UNK curricula. Such a movement would require a strong commitment on the part of the administration and faculty. Ways to move forward were discussed. The difference between a cultural diversity class and an international experience were discussed, especially with regard to some of the CD proposals the Council had reviewed. Specific ideas for the General Studies Program will be discussed and compiled by the Cultural Diversity Committee and reported to the full Council.
       
    5. Liberal Studies at UNK-A proposal for restructuring the program
      1. Professor Peek led a discussion of the article, "Greater Expectations" and a proposal for changing the General Studies program. His proposed "Liberal Studies" Program included a section addressing core competencies (Writing, Speaking, and Critical Thinking), a modern languages component, and a "general studies" component. The "general studies" component would include a distribution of categories of introductory courses and the possibility of taking advanced coursework in an area of interest. A variety of issues were discussed including, measuring competencies of students within sections of the general studies program, whether the present system (a major, a minor, and free electives) allows sufficient depth of study of a particular topic, and the necessity to separate student credit production issues from liberal education issues. The discussion will continue in future meetings. Wozniak promised to bring some of the proposals from the last academic program review to further sharpen the discussion.
       
     
  4. NEW BUSINESS
    1. Change in Prerequisites for CHEM 160: Wozniak presented information concerning a proposed change in the prerequisites for CHEM 160. Given the number of consequent changes in programs requiring CHEM 160, the proposal has changed to:
      "CHEM 160, prerequisites: MATH 102 or minimum MATH ACT of 20 or permission of instructor." The change required no action of the Council.
     
  5. MISCELLANEOUS 
  6. NEXT MEETING

    The next General Studies Council meeting is scheduled for October 2 in 2122 Founders Hall.

    Other meeting dates for the 2003-2004 academic year.

    • General Studies Council at 3:30 pm:
      Oct 2, Nov 6, Dec 4, 2003; Feb 5, Mar 4, Apr 1, May 6, 2004.
    • Subcommittee meeting times:
      • WI Subcommittee: 2:30 Thursdays-two weeks before GSC
        Sept 18, Oct 23, Nov 20, Jan 22, Feb 19, Mar 18 (SB), Apr 22
      • CD Subcommittee: 3:30 Tuesdays-two weeks before GSC
        Sept 16, Oct 21, Nov 18, Jan 20, Feb 17, Mar 16 (SB), Apr 20
      • Assessment Subcommittee: 1:30 Mondays-two weeks before GSC
        Sept 15, Oct 20, Nov 17, Jan 19, Feb 16, Mar 15 (SB), Apr 19
       
     

GENERAL STUDIESCOUNCIL
Meeting of August 21, 2003
3:30 PM, 2122 Founders Hall
MINUTES 

PRESENT:
Faculty: Peg Camp, Valerie Cisler, Sandy Cook-Fong, Randall Heckman, Allan Jenkins, Sonja Kropp, Larry Kuskie, John Lillis, Marta Moorman, Chuck Peek, Kenya Taylor, Ed Walker
Ex officio/non-voting members: Jeanne Cutler, Mary Daake, Kristi Milks, Kim Schipporeit, and Bill Wozniak
Absent: Janet Steele

Wozniak called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. in 2122 Founders Hall.

  1. MINUTES OF MAY 6, 2003 (Already approved) 
  2. CD/WI COURSE SUBMISSIONS.
    1. Writing Intensive:
      1. TE 341, Foundations of Early Childhood Education (Mollenkopf)
      Walker (Jenkins) moved for approval. Motion passed.
      1. FSID 486, Families in Crisis (Asay)
      Jenkins (Peek) moved to table the proposal until the Council's concerns could be addressed.
      1. GEOG 450, Senior Geography Project (Dart, Dept approval)
      Peek (Cook-Fong) moved to table the proposal and invite Professor Dart to address some of the Council's concerns.
      1. SOC 495, Special Topics: Sociology of Sexuality (Wysocki)
      Camp (Peek) moved for approval. Motion passed.
      1. Lang (WI instructor approval)
      Wozniak said that Dr. Lang has been hired as Dr. Christine Boeckl's replacement. The department has asked that she be approved as a WI instructor so she can resubmit the syllabi for Dr. Boeckl's already-approved WI classes. Peek (Cook-Fong) moved for approval of Dr. Lang as a WI instructor. Motion passed.
      1. BIO 360, Genetics (K. Carlson)
      Heckman (Lillis) moved for approval conditional on the Director getting clarification from the instructor about the writing assignments and grading.
      1. PSCI 370, American Foreign Policy (Switky)
      Dr. Switky has been hired as Dr. Scott's replacement in Political Science and he has been assigned a class which has been approved as WI. Peek (Camp) moved for approval of Dr. Switky as a WI instructor. Motion passed. Wozniak will consult with Dr. Switky about the syllabus to ensure the guidelines for WI are followed.
    2. Cultural Diversity:
      1. History 452, Colonial India (Barua)
      Cook-Fong (Kuskie) moved for approval. Motion passed. 
     
  3. OLD BUSINESS
    1. WI Cleanup:
      1. none
       
    2. CD Cleanup:
      1. none
       
    3. Notification of new WI course-instructor assignments. Wozniak announced that the following instructor assignments were submitted and approved for the fall semester.
      1. TE 100, Teaching in a Democratic Society (Mumm)
      2. SPED 434, Instructional Needs of Students with Disabilities in Inclusive Setting (Walden)
       
    4. General Studies Assessment Update. The assessment committee met over the summer to discuss data collection for this fall. Wozniak introduced the General Studies Graduate Assistant, Tanis Saldivar, who will assist him with data collection and analysis. He also indicated the Office will attempt to collect some preliminary data in first-year Mathematics and English Composition classes.
    5. 5. Two items on the agenda, Liberal Studies at UNK-A proposal for restructuring the program (Chuck Peek) and Internationalizing the Curriculum (Jerry Fox) were deferred until the next meeting on September 4. Dr. Peek invited the committee to his home for a more comfortable setting for the discussion. Jerry Fox will also be invited to join the discussion. Wozniak will let the Council know the details of the meeting. Please review the three documents for the discussion.
      1. "Greater Expectations"
      2. "The Internationalized Campus: A Strategic Approach" at UNK" (distributed in the spring.)
       
     
  4. NEW BUSINESS
    1. Meeting dates for the 2003-2004 academic year.
      General Studies Council at 3:30 pm:
      Sept 4, Oct 2, Nov 6, Dec 4, 2003; Feb 5, Mar 4, Apr 1, May 6, 2004.

      Proposed subcommittee meeting times:

      • WI Subcommittee: 2:30 Thursdays-one week before GSC
        Sept 25, Oct 30, Nov 27, Jan 29, Feb 26, Mar 25, Apr 29
      • CD Subcommittee: 3:30 Tuesdays-two weeks before GSC
        Sept 16, Oct 21, Nov 18, Jan 20, Feb 17, Mar 16 (SB), Apr 20
      • Assessment Subcommittee: 1:30 Mondays-two weeks before GSC
        Sept 15, Oct 20, Nov 17, Jan 19, Feb 16, Mar 15 (SB), Apr 19
       
     
  5. NEXT MEETING

    The next General Studies Council meeting is scheduled for September 4 at Chuck Peek's home, 2010 5th Avenue.

 

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