Loyola University Chicago

Video-Conferenced between LS and WT

Members Present: Isiaah Crawford, Paula DeVoto, Alan Gitelson (chair), Kenneth Holtz, Patricia

Jung, Janice Rasheed, Denise Starkey

Members Excused: Anthony Barbato, John Pelissero

Guests: Gad Bensinger, Mary Elsbernd, Abolhasson Jalilvand, Ann Luther, Mary Ann McGrath,

Patricia Mooney-Melvin, Jeff Rosen, Bill Schmidt, Donald Schwartz

The meeting was called to order by the chair at 2:30 pm.

Old Business

and a second by Denise Starkey.

and a second by Isiaah Crawford with a reminder to insert the appropriate surname of a guest at

that meeting.

Next Meeting

The chair, Alan Gitelson, reiterated that the date of the next meeting has been changed from

New Business

Gad Bensinger noted that the Council on Graduate Studies had approved unanimously a proposal

to reduce the number of credit hours required for the Master’s degree in Criminal Justice, begun

in 1994, from the current 36 to 30, thus bringing it more in line with other master’s programs at

Loyola ( sociology, political science, philosophy, history) and competing institutions (UIC, DePaul).

The degree would still require ten courses, but no credit hours would be assigned to a thesis or an

internship. No substantive change would occur, but the program would become more economical

for the students and more competitive for Loyola.

Questions: How many opt for the internship? 60%-70%. …for the thesis? 5%. What distinguishes

a thesis from a major research paper? The thesis has structured formatting and deadline

requirements imposed by the Graduate School and the thesis is reviewed by the GS whereas the

major research paper requires only a departmental review and is more flexible.

Jeff Rosen explained that the career track of “medical technician” has evolved over the last fifteen

years to the profession of “medical technologist” and the bachelor’s degree is now the more

desirable credential. This proposal originated as a degree-completion program but along the way

the potential for a four-year degree program became apparent. Aspects are clearly intended for

the student coming in with an associate degree, though the program could be entered at various

stages.

Questions: Would the program receive accreditation in time for its first group of graduates? No,

but they could still sit for the licensure examination and provisional accreditation is usually

granted in the third year. If comparable programs are seeing a decline in students, why is there a

need for this program? The more technical programs are less appealing, but those programs

which are more professional in nature, like this, are in demand. Where is the ethics component

(point 5 of bullet 3 on page 5)? In the two new classes proposed “Introduction to Laboratory

Medicine” and “Advanced Laboratory Medicine” (page 20). But that is not specified in the courses’

content listed on page 20. Where would the program be housed? At the Medical Center Campus.

In order to make the program align more with its original intent as not a spiritual counseling

degree, IPS proposes eliminating the currently required course in Psychopathology but leaving it

available as an elective, and requiring the Human Relations Skills course only as core for Track I

“Spiritual Direction.” This track would also eliminate the Internship and Group Approaches

requirements, and substitute a Practicum. For Track II “Contemporary Spirituality,” there’d be

more choices of electives by dropping both Psychopathology and Human Relations Skills as

required courses.

Questions: What sorts of positions would be available to an individual with a degree in Spiritual

Direction? Not pastoral counseling positions, but more one-on-one introspective guides or

mentors. Where is the ethics component in these tracks? The courses contain content dealing

with the ethical conduct code established by the professional association for spiritual directors.

But that is for Track I only; what about religious or social ethics in Track II? Its graduates will not

become spiritual guides or mentors. This program is more for self-fulfillment. Should there not

be some survey of the history of spirituality… of the great spiritual movements? An applicant

without a formal background in religion must take an elective in each area of scripture and

theology.

This specialization is a timely and attractive option within the MBA program for today’s students.

Three among these six courses would be required in addition to a common core of seven courses

specified for the MBA.

Questions: Will the “risk management” specialization appear on the degree? Not on the diploma,

but on the transcript. Is any of the courses listed an ethics course? Not among these specialty

courses but among the core courses for any MBA is a required ethics course.

This is a novel approach as it involves a partnership with the Illinois Bankers Association. Loyola

would have an exclusive arrangement with IBA. The degree requires 18 courses and provides for

specialization in finance and banking. The format is similar to the Executive MBA.

Questions: Why should students take on-line courses (page 10) from IBA if Loyola offers

equivalent courses with its faculty? Faculty and courses would all be vetted through Loyola and

meet our criteria; this allows more flexibility. Students are taking classes as a cohort so this

permits some options. Is it fast-trackable for undergraduates like the five-year MBA? It is really

designed for professionals in the banking industry. Is this Loyola’s first arrangement with a trade

group association? For the school of business, yes; there is a program in health care management

in which the law school and the medical school partner with an outside association. It is not

dissimilar to an arrangement that Dalhousie University has made with a Canadian banking

association. What are the qualifications of the IBA individuals to teach graduate courses? Does

your accrediting agency examine the qualifications? Yes, AACSB does specify criteria and Loyola

will examine the background of the individuals teaching to determine appropriate qualifications.

Do students taking the IBA courses register with Loyola and pay Loyola tuition or pay IBA? We’ve

not yet decided that.

There are six recommended changes:

1) a shift from the cohort approach to traditional scheduling

2) instead of 12 required courses have 8 required and 4 elective

3) changes in course names

4) replacing the Practical Skills course with another approved IPS course due to overlap

5) strengthening the interdisciplinary nature of the program

6) including non-credit learning experiences

Questions: Are other department chairs amenable to absorbing these MA students into their

courses? Chairs in philosophy, theology, social work have indicated their willingness to do so. But

chairs do not have the authority to make such arrangements; strongly interdisciplinary proposals

like these should have written permission from both the department chair and the dean for

inclusion of their courses. Two required SW courses are listed here as required for this MA; with

whom in the SSW did you speak about accommodating your students? Jim Marley. But it is not

likely that these courses can absorb more students; SSW students now have difficulty in getting

these classes. There is also a question about accreditation if we have too many adjuncts teaching

these core courses, as we have now, in order to offer sufficient sections. The content of this

degree is very similar to that in the SSW program; isn’t there too much crossover or overlap

between the MSW and the MA in Social Justice? What is the difference? The

MA in Social Justice is a faith based program , a practitioner is not licensed as is a social worker,

and it is a highly interdisciplinary degree. What types of jobs will graduates get? Not jobs in

education or counseling as social workers do, but jobs in social justice agencies or community

organizing.

Education

No representative who could speak to this proposal was present so it has been tabled until the

October meeting

Discussions

As a general protocol, proposals coming forth should have an initial review by the department,

then a review by the respective academic body (Council of Graduate Studies, Academic Council,

etc.) , then the dean; interdisciplinary programs should have approval by all deans involved. A

written letter of support from the dean should accompany any proposals brought to the AAUPC.

Isiaah moved and Denise seconded a motion to consider Item # 9. Concerns were raised about

the internship and why it should not be awarded academic credit. Are faculty not supervising the

internship? Can we justify a non-academic internship? Another concern was the thesis vs the

major research paper. Why not just a thesis? Why not adhere to the format of the Graduate

School?

The committee is not categorically opposed to the idea of a 30 s.h. degree for this master’s

program but issues about the internship and thesis/paper are deterrents to approval. Upon

clarification by the provost with the department about these two concerns approval could be

granted. Paragaph 3 in the proposal is confusing and needs rewriting; is the thesis to be noncredit

and the paper credit or both to be non-credit?

Vote: 0 for, 7 against, 0 abstentions.

Denise moved and Patti seconded a motion to consider Item # 3. Once again concern was

expressed about ethics and its lack of inclusion in any course content when it is supposedly an

objective of the degree program. There was also a question as to how a waiver of a core area

could be justified when the curriculum does not itself provide for that justification, as in nursing.

In general, though, the proposal was deemed worthy of approval.

Vote: 7 for, 0 against, 0 abstentions.

Patti moved and Denise seconded a motion to consider Item # 4. But this is surely Old Business?

Somewhere in the AAUPC minutes of last year we expressed these same concerns. People in

spiritual crisis are vulnerable and there needs to be a professional ethics component preparing

practitioners to know where to draw the line, even those not in spiritual counseling programs.

And professionals completing Track I should know the basic Christian movements, should have

some sense of the history of Christian spirituality. Graduates are not intended to do pastoral

counseling or marriage therapy but to engage in dialogue with others along a spiritual journey.

Vote: 7 for, 0 against, 0 abstentions with conditions.

Isiaah moved and Paula seconded a motion to consider Items #5 & #6.

Item #5 Vote: 6 for, 0 against, 1 abstention.

Item #6: The IBA is a trade association with a strong lobbying group. Three primary concerns

arose: 1) how IBA faculty qualifications would be vetted; 2) lobbying efforts; 3) clarification about

the financial arrangements like tuition. Vote: 4 for, 0 against, 3 abstentions.

Patti moved and Paula seconded a motion to consider Item # 7. The recommendation that a

supporting letter from the dean(s) concerned that he/she (they) have endorsed the proposal and

agreed to provide courses and faculty was reiterated. Isiaah moved and Kenny seconded a motion

to approve this proposal with this condition. There was also a question as to whether this degree

might not be redundant with master’s degrees in social work or theology, but the degree currently

exists and the committee has to address only the issue of the changes.

Vote: 5 for, 0 against, 2 abstentions.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 4:40 pm.