Meeting Minutes
Minutes of the Academic Affairs UPC Meeting
October 27, 2004
Meeting held via tri-campus video-conference
Members Present:
[from 2:30 pm] Paula DeVoto, Alan Gitelson (chair) Patricia
Jung, Fred Kniss, Tiffany Young
[from 3:30 pm] Sheila Haas Members Excused: Anthony Barbato, E.J. Neafsey, Emily Preheim
Guest: George Thiruvathukal
The meeting was called to order at 2:30 pm.
Patti Jung moved and Fred Kniss seconded approval of the minutes of the
September 14th meeting. The minutes were approved with one abstention.
Prof. Thiruvathukal outlined the proposal before the AAUPC for the
three new master of science degrees desired by his department of computer
science: MS in Software Technology, MS in Scientific and Technical
Computing, and MS in Information Technology. He indicated that he had begun
work on the proposal on July 1st and that he has received support from the
College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business Administration, and the
Graduate School Council. He noted that the separation of the department of
computer science from the department of mathematics allows the former
department greater flexibility in proposing programs and courses to keep
abreast of a constantly changing discipline, and that the College of Arts
and Sciences is studying a revision for the Bachelor of Science degree for
CS majors. Of the three programs, only the MSIT will required 4-5 new
adjunct faculty.
Enrollment projections are not yet available.
There is no anticipated Ph.D. program proposal for the immediate future.
The department intends to focus on viable master's programs.
Question: why three separate degrees as opposed to a MS in CS with
concentrations in software technology, scientific and technical computing,
and information technology?
Response: partly a marketing strategy and also
because these are distinct fields without much overlap. Each stands alone
and there is integrity within each program. The department considers it a
service to students to distinguish the programs individually since the job
market is seeking specific skills when hiring.
Each program has an ethical immersion requirement but there are no other
specific course requirements. Students will take enough courses in a
concentration to give them the breadth they need for the job market.
Discussion ensued about the course "Social Issues in Computing" (page 6 of
the proposal). How is it possible to require such a course of graduate
students? What qualifies someone to teach a course basically belonging to
another department? Is team teaching a desired component of these programs?
Such a course presents opportunities for further interdisciplinary
relationships and interactions. The departments of theology, philosophy,
political science, etc., would be ideal for forging relationships to address
questions of authentication, confidentiality, fraud, hacking, etc. One
hesitation in allowing faculty from outside the CS department to teach any
of the courses in these programs is that too much content needs to be taught
by the CS department in every course available. This "ethics" course does
not substitute for a service project , and it is expected that values will
be integrated throughout the program.
How would one evaluate this ethics course as part of the computer science
curriculum? Does it meet the needs of the disicipline? How so? Does it
fulfill the goals of the University? Will the Graduate School Council
require such a course for every master's or doctoral program?
Other questions arose: will it be possible for a student to take two
different MS degree programs concurrently or simultaneously? Where is the
marketing study?
The committee recommended the following to Prof. Thiruvathukal:
revise the sections about learning outcomes to use the language of the
newly approved core curriculum
flesh out with details future connections to other schools and
departments
solidify the costs for each adjunct or item
continue to get written endorsements from interested parties
include a concrete marketing analysis
clarify if the ethics issue is part of future programming . To this end
conversations should be encouraged with philosophy and sociology to
determine the content of an ethics course or of a social issues course.
There are faculty in these departments who specialize in issues of privacy,
fraud, etc.
The recommendation of the AAUPC is to support the implementation of these
programs with the following conditions:
a thorough marketing analysis or study and a proposal for a marketing plan
revising the learning outcomes sections
clarifying the suggested future interactions with nursing and Rome Center
entertaining discussions with faculty who teach ethics.
It was moved by Tiffany Young and seconded by Fred Kniss to approve this
recommendation with conditions. The vote was 5-0-0. E.J. Neafsey supports
the proposal but was unable to be present for the vote.
The committee moved on to discuss the proposed absence policy for students
in co-curricular activities. Would it require a faculty member to lecture
again tutorially? No. Must a student athlete maintain a certain grade
point average? Would the student need to be at or above passing in a course
to be allowed to participate in co-curricular activities? Presumably normal
assistance from the student advising center will insure that students in
such activities do not fail.
The committee recommended adding the word "written" to the first sentence of
the policy so that it reads "...and to receive notes or other written
information distributed in the missed classes." and to insert a sentence
"Students should discuss with faculty the potential consequences of missing
lectures and the ways in which they can be remedied." The committee also
wondered, "should there be a policy similar to that of the NCAA about
restricting co-curricular activities off-campus for students on probation or
in poor academic standing." The vote to approve the absence policy as
revised was 6-0-0.
The proposed revision to the dual degree policy is to lower the minimum
number of hours needed from 160 s.h. to 128 s.h. or however many are needed
by the demands of both degree programs. The committee approved this
revision in policy 6-0-0.
Although the meeting scheduled for November 9th was intended for
cancellation, Sheila Haas requested that it be held because the proposal for
the program in Health Care Administration jointly to be offered by Nursing
and Business must be reviewed soon in order to be able to be marketed in
sufficient time to generate interest for the Fall 2005 semester. The chair
agreed that it should be held, and offered to ask the Provost to chair the
meeting since he himself will be out on the country in El Salvador on that
date. (Fred volunteered to go to El Salvador for Alan who regarded him with
disdain.)
Paula De Voto moved and Fred Kniss seconded for adjournment. The meeting
adjourned at 4:00 pm.