Faculty Meetings: February 24, 2011 Minutes

Dean Andy Newcomb called the meeting to order at 4:01 p.m. in the Brown-Alley Room of Weinstein Hall.

• The minutes of the December 7, 2010 meeting were approved as circulated.
• The actions of A&S Academic Council were approved as circulated

The Dean announced that the approved FY12 budget maintains current support for existing programs, such as post docs and summer fellowships for students and faculty.  It reallocates $425, 000 to allow for merit-based equity adjustments by eliminating five dormant faculty lines and shifting equipment costs to the Plant and Kresge funds.  The model for allocation of FY12 equity-based adjustments reviewed by the Dean’s Advisory Council, Academic Council and the faculty as a whole is based on a study of faculty salaries that showed the greatest need in the assistant, faculty of practice and full professor ranks.  About half of the A&S faculty will receive equity merit bumps.  The eventual target for salaries in each rank remains to be determined.

The dean led a discussion of recommended changes to A&S tenure and promotion guidelines in the Faculty Handbook (see attached).  Although the logical necessity of the recommendation on page one concerning the compensation of an exceptional record in one area for a weaker record of achievement in another area might be questioned, its addition might help clarify the previous sentence, which could be understood to mean an overall level of excellence but not necessarily one in each of the three areas of teaching, scholarship and service.  The recommendations on page two concerning the dean’s consultation with T&P and on page six concerning keeping the actual vote of the department or of T&P from the candidate reflect existing practice.  Discussion on the recommendations concerning the addition of new materials to the candidate’s portfolio both questioned the necessity of deleting the sentence on page five and the necessity for the department and T&P to evaluate the same material.  Some wondered why the recommendation on page eight concerning a different assessment of a candidate’s portfolio than that of T&P by the president and/or provost should not also apply to differences between the department and T&P.

Hugh West (History) moved that changes to tenure and promotion criteria be referred to the former Ad Hoc A&S Tenure and Promotion Committee for review or revision (see attached).  The motion was defeated.

The dean requested that the current T&P Committee meet to consider today’s discussion and recommended that it consult with the Provost about any changes.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:10 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Gene Anderson, Secretary

Faculty Meetings: February 24, 2011 Agenda

Our next faculty meeting will be held this coming Thursday, February 24, starting at 4:00 p.m. in the Keller Hall Reception Room (KHRR).

Our agenda will be:

• Approval of minutes from our December 7, 2010 meeting. (please see below)
• Approval of Academic Council actions shown below
• Recommended changes to A&S T&P Faculty Handbook Guidelines (please see attached)
• FY12 Budget update
• Other Business

Next A&S Faculty Meeting
Tuesday, March 22, 2011 in the Brown Alley Room of Weinstein Hall beginning at 4:00 p.m.

Actions for Academic Council approval on February 1, 2011

Chemistry


Proposed program change for chemistry major

Revised course proposal (change in units):

CHEM 309-310 Physical Chemistry
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): Chemistry 141 or 191; Physics 132, 133, or 134; and Mathematics 212 or 232. Chemistry 317 is highly recommended.

New course proposals:

CHEM 314 Physical Chemistry Laboratory I
0.5 units
Prerequisites (if any): Chemistry 309

CHEM 315 Physical Chemistry Laboratory II
0.5 units
Prerequisites (if any): Chemistry 310 is a co-requisite

Criminal Justice

New course proposal:

CJ 330 Victims and the Justice System
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): Political Science 331, 333, or 337 or Sociology 207, 305, 311, 313, or 324; or permission of program coordinator.

Interdisciplinary Studies

Proposal for new Integrated Science (IS) minor


New course proposals:

IDST 484 Integrated Science (IS) Senior Seminar
0.5 units
Prerequisites (if any): IDST 284 and either MATH 212 or MATH 232 or MATH 235

International Education

Proposed name change for Languages across the Curriculum (LAC):

Request to change the name of the “Languages across the Curriculum Program (LAC)” to “Cultures and Languages across the Curriculum Program (C-LAC).”

Please see Rationale.

International Studies

Proposed change to International Studies major with a concentration in Modern Europe (ISME):

Current language: 8 units, including: HIST 111 Ideas and Institutions of Western Civilization II

Proposed new language: 8 units, including: HIST 111 Ideas and Institutions of Western Civilization II, or an approved survey course in modern European history

Rationale: A number of ISME majors are also history majors or minors who may not have had HIST 111, but have had other courses covering modern Europe. For such students, it may not be as educationally beneficial to go back as a junior or senior and take Western Civilization as it would be to take other more advanced courses that cover a broad spectrum of European history such as HIST 249 Twentieth-Century Europe. On the other hand, ISME majors who have taken little if any history would benefit from the broader focus provided by the Western Civilization survey.

Latin American & Iberian Studies (LAIS)


Revised course proposals (change in course number/title/prerequisite):

LAIS 313 Portuguese for Spanish Speakers (formerly LAIS 390)
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): LAIS 321, 331, or 331 (or permission of instructor)

LAIS 323 Mapping Luso-Brazilian Cultures (formerly LAIS 391 – Luso-Brazilian Readings)
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): LAIS 231 or LAIS 313

Mathematics


Proposed catalog revision:

The Mathematics faculty voted last year to discontinue offering Mathematics 231, Scientific Calculus I, and we are requesting that it be removed from the catalog.

Proposed change to calculus requirement for the B.S. degree:

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science recommends the following change to the B.S. degree requirement for calculus proficiency.

Current language: The requirements are the same as for the B.A., except proficiency in calculus must also be demonstrated by passing Mathematics 212 or 232 (cannot be taken pass/fail) or completing the Advanced Placement (AP) test with an acceptable score.

Proposed new language: The requirements are the same as for the B.A., except proficiency in calculus must also be demonstrated by passing Mathematics 212, 232, or 235 (cannot be taken pass/fail) or completing the Advanced Placement test with an acceptable score.

Please see Rationale.

Philosophy

Proposed change to philosophy major requirements:

Current language: Three units of electives, including one unit at the 300-level.

Proposed new language: Three units of electives, including one unit numbered 221 or higher and one unit at the 300 level. The remaining unit may be an FYS course taught by a member of the philosophy department, unless otherwise noted.

Proposed change to philosophy minor requirements:

Current language: Three units of electives, including one unit at the 300-level.

Proposed new language: Three units of electives, including two at the 300-level. The remaining unit may be an FYS course taught by a member of the philosophy department.

Physics

Proposed change to physics major


New course proposal:

PHYS 203 Systems Biology: Principles of Biophysical Circuits
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): PHYS 131, BIOL199, MATH211 (or 231), and CMSC 150 (or 155) (Note: PHYS 191/ CHEM 191 will substitute for these three courses.)

Religion

New course proposal:

RELG 288 Saints & Sinners in Muslim Literature
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

Actions for Academic Council approval on February 15, 2011

Art & Art History

Proposed program revision for Art History


Proposed program revision for Studio Art


New course proposals:

ART 465 Thesis Research Seminar
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): ART 365

ARTS 351 Contemporary Theory & Practice for Artists
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): ARTS 105, ARTS 106, and ART 121 or ART 122

Revised course proposals (course title changes):

ARTS 103 3-D Design (formerly Sculpture I)
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

ARTS 106 Foundation Space and Time: Sculpture and Video (formerly Foundation Space and Time)
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

ARTS 288 Sound, Video, and Animation (formerly Time-Based Media)
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): ARTS 104 or ARTS 106

Biology

New course proposals:

BIOL 324 Molecular Virology
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): BIOL 201 (Genetics) and BIOL 205 (Cell Biology) required, BIOL/CHEM 326 (Biochemistry) recommended

BIOL 331 Molecular Ecology
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): BIOL 207 (Ecology) or BIOL 225 (Evolution) required, addition of BIOL 201 preferred

Economics

Proposed change to Economics Arts & Sciences (ECNA) major


New course proposals:

ECON 201 Games and Experiments in Economics
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): ECON 101 Principles of Microeconomics

ECON 233 Ethics and Economics
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): ECON 101 Principles of Microeconomics

English

New course proposal:

ENGL 343 Modernisms
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): ENGL 297 or 298 with a grade of C or better

Environmental Studies

Proposed program revisions in Environmental Studies:

Added courses in Marine Biology (BIOL 111), Molecular Ecology (BIOL 331, up for approval), Geography of the James (ENVR/GEOG 215, up for approval), Ecotourism (ENVR/GEOG 210, up for approval), Landscape Ecology (ENVR/GEOG 315), Environmental Gradients (ENVR/GEOG 350), Independent Study (ENVR 390).

Allow BIOL 111 to satisfy the “Environmental Life Science” requirement of the ES major/minor

Allow students to take both CHEM 110 (“Pollutants in the Environment”) and CHEM 316 (“Environmental Chemistry”) for credit towards the major/minor.

Allow the experiential learning requirement to count as elective credit towards the major.

Eliminated the following courses from the major: PLSC 373 (“Methods for Public Policy Research”), ENGL 233 (“Contemporary Native American Lit”), JOUR 304 (“Reporting on the Environment”).

New course proposal:

ENVR 390 Independent Studies
0.5 – 1 unit (variable)
Prerequisites (if any): None

Film Studies

Proposal for film studies minor


New course proposal:

FMST 202 Introduction to Film Production
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

Geography


Proposed program revisions in Geography:

Added two courses (currently up for approval)

Clarified language about the experiential learning requirement (not an actual change in the requirement)

Eliminated the language about allowing outside courses

New course proposals:

GEOG 215 Geography of the James River Watershed
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

GEOG 220 Ecotourism
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

Modern Literatures & Cultures

New course proposals:

ARAB 203-204 Intermediate Arabic Conversation
.5 units
Prerequisites (if any): Must be taken together with or after completion of ARAB 201 and/or 202

ARAB 303-304 Advanced Arabic Conversation
.5 units
Prerequisites (if any): Must be taken together with or after completion of ARAB 301 and/or 302

ITAL 311 Italian Culture and Society
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): ITAL 221

JAPN 311-312 Japanese in Cultural Context
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): JAPN 202 or permission of instructor

MLC 114-115 Self-Directed Language Learning V-VI
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): MLC 113

MLC 210 Women, Virtue, and Temptation in Literature
1 unit
Prerequisite (if any): None

MLC 346 Insiders and Outsiders: Arabic Encounters with the West
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

MLC 352 Language, Race, and Ethnicity
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

RUSN 103-104 Elementary Russian Conversation
.5 units
Prerequisites (if any): Must be taken together with RUSN 101-102

RUSN 203-204 Intermediate Russian Conversation
.5 units
Prerequisites (if any): Must be taken together with RUSN 201-202


Political Science

New cross-listed course proposals:

PLSC 353/International Studies (IS) 353 International Security
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): PLSC 250 or MSCL 205 or permission of instructor

PLSC 359/International Studies (IS) 359 Global Governance
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): PLSC 250 or permission of instructor

New course proposal:

PLSC 366 Poverty and Political Voice
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): PLSC 220 or 260; SOC 101; or permission of instructor

Revised course proposals (change in title/description):

PLSC 311 Classical Political Thought
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

PLSC 355 International Relations of the Middle East (formerly Middle East Security)
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): PLSC 250

PLSC 358 The U.S. and Asia’s Great Powers
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

Rhetoric & Communication Studies


Proposed changes to RHCS major/minor


New course proposals:

RHCS 103 Rhetorical Theory
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

RHCS 104 Interpreting Rhetorical Texts
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

RHCS 105 Media, Culture, and Identity
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

RHCS 200 Public Speaking
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None


Course deactivation (informational item):

RHCS has deactivated RHCS 386. We did this last year as a way of consolidating our course numbers for independent studies in our major. Formerly, we had RHCS 386 Independent Studies in Rhetoric and RHCS 387 Independent Studies in Communication Studies. We now have only RHCS 387 Independent Studies in Rhetoric and Communication Studies.


Sociology & Anthropology

New course proposals:

ANTH 302 Medicine and Health from a Global/Anthropological Perspective
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): ANTH 101; SOC 101; IS 290; MH minor prerequisites waived.

ANTH 329 Anthropology of Race
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): ANTH 101; SOC 101; IS 290

ANTH 335 Law and Order: The Anthropology of Justice
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): ANTH 101; SOC 101; IS 290; LDST 102

Revised course proposals:

SOC 233 Understanding Globalization
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): SOC 101

SOC 330 Science, Technology, & Society
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): SOC 101 and SOC 211 or 221

Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies

New course proposal:

WGSS 279 Selected Topics
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

Documents

Academic Council: February 15, 2011 Minutes

Dean Newcomb called the meeting to order at 10:30 a.m. The minutes of the February 1, 2011 meeting were approved.

General Informational Items

N/A

Consent Agenda

The following proposals were approved without further discussion:

Art & Art History

Proposed program revision for Art History

Proposed program revision for Studio Art

New course proposals

ART 465 Thesis Research Seminar
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): ART 365

ARTS 351 Contemporary Theory & Practice for Artists
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): ARTS 105, ARTS 106, and ART 121 or ART 122

Revised course proposals (course title changes):

ARTS 103 3-D Design (formerly Sculpture I)
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

ARTS 106 Foundation Space and Time: Sculpture and Video (formerly Foundation Space and Time)
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

ARTS 288 Sound, Video, and Animation (formerly Time-Based Media)
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): ARTS 104 or ARTS 106
Biology

New course proposals

BIOL 324 Molecular Virology
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): BIOL 201 (Genetics) and BIOL 205 (Cell Biology) required, BIOL/CHEM 326 (Biochemistry) recommended

BIOL 331 Molecular Ecology
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): BIOL 207 (Ecology) or BIOL 225 (Evolution) required, addition of BIOL 201 preferred

Proposed change to Economics Arts & Sciences (ECNA) major
New course proposals

ECON 201 Games and Experiments in Economics
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): ECON 101 Principles of Microeconomics

ECON 233 Ethics and Economics
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): ECON 101 Principles of Microeconomics

English

New course proposal

ENGL 343 Modernisms
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): ENGL 297 or 298 with a grade of C or better

Environmental Studies

Proposed program revisions in Environmental Studies

Added courses in Marine Biology (BIOL 111), Molecular Ecology (BIOL 331, up for approval), Geography of the James (ENVR/GEOG 215, up for approval), Ecotourism (ENVR/GEOG 210, up for approval), Landscape Ecology (ENVR/GEOG 315), Environmental Gradients (ENVR/GEOG 350), Independent Study (ENVR 390).

Allow BIOL 111 to satisfy the “Environmental Life Science” requirement of the ES major/minor

Allow students to take both CHEM 110 (“Pollutants in the Environment”) and CHEM 316 (“Environmental Chemistry”) for credit towards the major/minor.

Allow the experiential learning requirement to count as elective credit towards the major.

Eliminated the following courses from the major: PLSC 373 (“Methods for Public Policy Research”), ENGL 233 (“Contemporary Native American Lit”), JOUR 304 (“Reporting on the Environment”).

New course proposal

ENVR 390 Independent Studies
0.5 – 1 unit (variable)
Prerequisites (if any): None

Film Studies

Proposal for film studies minor

New course proposal

FMST 202 Introduction to Film Production
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

Geography

Proposed program revisions in Geography

Added two courses (currently up for approval)

Clarified language about the experiential learning requirement (not an actual change in the requirement)

Eliminated the language about allowing outside courses

New course proposals

GEOG 215 Geography of the James River Watershed
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

GEOG 220 Ecotourism
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

Modern Literatures & Cultures

New course proposals

ARAB 203-204 Intermediate Arabic Conversation
.5 units
Prerequisites (if any): Must be taken together with or after completion of ARAB 201 and/or 202

ARAB 303-304 Advanced Arabic Conversation
.5 units
Prerequisites (if any): Must be taken together with or after completion of ARAB 301 and/or 302

ITAL 311 Italian Culture and Society
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): ITAL 221

JAPN 311-312 Japanese in Cultural Context
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): JAPN 202 or permission of instructor

MLC 114-115 Self-Directed Language Learning V-VI
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): MLC 113

MLC 210 Women, Virtue, and Temptation in Literature
1 unit
Prerequisite (if any): None

MLC 346 Insiders and Outsiders: Arabic Encounters with the West
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

MLC 352 Language, Race, and Ethnicity
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

RUSN 103-104 Elementary Russian Conversation
.5 units
Prerequisites (if any): Must be taken together with RUSN 101-102

RUSN 203-204 Intermediate Russian Conversation
.5 units
Prerequisites (if any): Must be taken together with RUSN 201-202

Political Science

New cross-listed course proposals

PLSC 353/International Studies (IS) 353 International Security
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): PLSC 250 or MSCL 205 or permission of instructor

PLSC 359/International Studies (IS) 359 Global Governance
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): PLSC 250 or permission of instructor

New course proposal

PLSC 366 Poverty and Political Voice
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): PLSC 220 or 260; SOC 101; or permission of instructor

Revised course proposals (change in title/description):

PLSC 311 Classical Political Thought
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

PLSC 355 International Relations of the Middle East (formerly Middle East Security)
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): PLSC 250

PLSC 358 The U.S. and Asia’s Great Powers
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

Rhetoric & Communication Studies

Proposed changes to RHCS major/minor

New course proposals

RHCS 103 Rhetorical Theory
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

RHCS 104 Interpreting Rhetorical Texts
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

RHCS 105 Media, Culture, and Identity
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

RHCS 200 Public Speaking
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

Course deactivation (informational item):

RHCS has deactivated RHCS 386. We did this last year as a way of consolidating our course numbers for independent studies in our major. Formerly, we had RHCS 386 Independent Studies in Rhetoric and RHCS 387 Independent Studies in Communication Studies. We now have only RHCS 387 Independent Studies in Rhetoric and Communication Studies.

Sociology & Anthropology

New course proposals

ANTH 302 Medicine and Health from a Global/Anthropological Perspective
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): ANTH 101; SOC 101; IS 290; MH minor prerequisites waived.

ANTH 329 Anthropology of Race
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): ANTH 101; SOC 101; IS 290

ANTH 335 Law and Order: The Anthropology of Justice
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): ANTH 101; SOC 101; IS 290; LDST 102

Revised course proposals

SOC 233 Understanding Globalization
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): SOC 101

SOC 330 Science, Technology, & Society
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): SOC 101 and SOC 211 or 221

Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies

New course proposal

WGSS 279 Selected Topics
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

Discussion Agenda

Attending Academic Council were Assistant Vice President & Dean of Admission Gil Villanueva, Sr. Associate Director of Admission Steve Wilborn, Sr. Assistant Director of Admission Dolores MacNeilly. Gil Villanueva briefed Council on the status of current admissions; up 8.6% this year after a record year last year. Dolores MacNeilly distributed a handout entitled “Experience Richmond 2011/Academic Snapshots.” Admissions will soon send forms to the chairs and program coordinators for them to indicate the name and location of their session and how many times it will be offered. Students will receive a brochure that describes each snapshot. The information will also be available on the internet. Passes will be given out for each session to discourage overcrowding at any one session.

Associate Dean Scott Johnson went over several possible changes to first-year student registration policies and procedures. The first item, which was unanimously approved by Council, was to limit first-year student registration to four and a half units (instead of five). However, advisors would be allowed to make exceptions in August.

Scott Johnson also stated that advising is looking into other options that would allow first-year students a chance to take a course pass/fail. Currently, first-year students with financial aid are not allowed to drop a course during the first semester. It was suggested that departments and/or programs could create half credit courses. Other members of Council did not believe that to be a viable solution. The dean encouraged Scott Johnson to create a proposal that would move through the proper channels to University Faculty.

As an informational item, registration for current students will be cut off a little earlier this year (mid-June) to allow new students a better opportunity to register. This will also allow new students to familiarize themselves with Banner Web and Grad Tracker and talk with someone if they need help.

Additionally, Dona Hickey, Scott Johnson, and Susan Breeden will be looking at ways to generate seats earlier.

Scott Johnson also asked the chairs and coordinators (or their delegated authority) to serve as the point of contact regarding summer registration requests (overrides, etc.).

Regarding specialty advising, Scott Johnson requested a volunteer faculty advisors to assist with specialty advising in each department, specifically with study abroad and athletics. While most were agreeable to specialty advising for study abroad, there was some concern as to whether athletes should have specialty advising.

University Registrar Susan Breeden summarized the program offerings of the American University Washington Semester visiting away program. Council approved this as a study away program.

Regarding the revision to residency requirement, the dean asked Council to discuss the proposed revision with their faculty and bring their concerns to the next Academic Council Meeting. Currently, if a transfer student has less than two years elsewhere, they cannot study abroad. The new proposal would help address that restriction.

The dean will contact individual departments regarding the NEH and Tucker-Boatwright Festival.

The proposed FY12 budget reallocations seem to be moving forward, $425,000 is still slated to be used for salary adjustments. There will need to be a continued discussion about the eventual goal for faculty salary levels in each rank. These initial adjustments are simply a down payment toward that yet to determined goal and only about half the faculty will receive equity merit adjustments.

The dean discussed the possibility of having chairs and coordinators write a two to three page “department/program profiles” for the new dean as a means to offer a brief introduction to each department/program. The form would be standardized for use by each area, to include faculty names and rank. In addition, there would be four key sections:

1. Specialty areas
2. Strengths of program
3. Aspirations for program
4. Aspirations for the liberal arts (where will the school move next)

Council expressed a desire to wait until the new dean is hired and to find out what information would be useful to him/her. The dean accepted the suggestion, but encouraged Council to think about these key items as information they should provide to the new dean. This will be discussed again at the next Academic Council meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 11:40 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Cheryl Burns

Academic Council: February 15, 2011 Agenda

Our next meeting will be Tuesday, February 15, 2011, from 10:30-11:45 in the Tyler Haynes Commons, Room 305 (THC 305). Please review the agenda below and the cited materials in advance of the meeting.

Approval of minutes from the February 1, 2011 meeting.

General Informational Items

N/A

Consent Agenda

We will use the Consent Agenda to deal with routine business that requires Academic Council action and would not be expected to generate discussion. Any item can be moved from the Consent Agenda to the Discussion Agenda.

Proposed program revisions for Art History and Studio Art

New course proposals

ART 465 Thesis Research Seminar
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  ART 365

ARTS 351 Contemporary Theory & Practice for Artists
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  ARTS 105, ARTS 106, and ART 121 or ART 122

Revised course proposals (course title changes)

ARTS 103 3-D Design (formerly Sculpture I)
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  None

ARTS 106 Foundation Space and Time:  Sculpture and Video (formerly Foundation Space and Time)
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  None

ARTS 288 Sound, Video, and Animation (formerly Time-Based Media)
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  ARTS 104 or ARTS 106

Biology

New course proposals

BIOL 324 Molecular Virology
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  BIOL 201 (Genetics) and BIOL 205 (Cell Biology) required, BIOL/CHEM 326 (Biochemistry) recommended

BIOL 331 Molecular Ecology
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  BIOL 207 (Ecology) or BIOL 225 (Evolution) required, addition of BIOL 201 preferred

Proposed change to Economics Arts & Sciences (ECNA) major

New course proposals

ECON 201 Games and Experiments in Economics
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  ECON 101 Principles of Microeconomics

ECON 233 Ethics and Economics
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  ECON 101 Principles of Microeconomics

English

New course proposal

ENGL 343 Modernisms
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  ENGL 297 or 298 with a grade of C or better

Environmental Studies

Proposed program revisions in Environmental Studies

Added courses in Marine Biology (BIOL 111), Molecular Ecology (BIOL 331, up for approval), Geography of the James (ENVR/GEOG 215, up for approval), Ecotourism (ENVR/GEOG 210, up for approval), Landscape Ecology (ENVR/GEOG 315), Environmental Gradients (ENVR/GEOG 350), Independent Study (ENVR 390).

Allow BIOL 111 to satisfy the “Environmental Life Science” requirement of the ES major/minor

Allow students to take both CHEM 110 (“Pollutants in the Environment”) and CHEM 316 (“Environmental Chemistry”) for credit towards the major/minor.

Allow the experiential learning requirement to count as elective credit towards the major.

Eliminated the following courses from the major: PLSC 373 (“Methods for Public Policy Research”), ENGL 233 (“Contemporary Native American Lit”), JOUR 304 (“Reporting on the Environment”).

New course proposal

ENVR 390 Independent Studies
0.5 – 1 unit (variable)
Prerequisites (if any):  None

Proposal for film studies minor

New course proposal

FMST 202 Introduction to Film Production
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  None

Proposed program revisions in Geography

Added two courses (currently up for approval)

Clarified language about the experiential learning requirement (not an actual change in the requirement)

Eliminated the language about allowing outside courses

New course proposals

GEOG 215 Geography of the James River Watershed
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  None

GEOG 220 Ecotourism
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  None

Modern Literatures & Cultures

New course proposals

ARAB 203-204 Intermediate Arabic Conversation
.5 units
Prerequisites (if any):  Must be taken together with or after completion of ARAB 201 and/or 202

ARAB 303-304 Advanced Arabic Conversation
.5 units
Prerequisites (if any):  Must be taken together with or after completion of ARAB 301 and/or 302

ITAL 311 Italian Culture and Society
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  ITAL 221

JAPN 311-312 Japanese in Cultural Context
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  JAPN 202 or permission of instructor

MLC 114-115 Self-Directed Language Learning V-VI
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  MLC 113

MLC 210 Women, Virtue, and Temptation in Literature
1 unit
Prerequisite (if any):  None

MLC 346 Insiders and Outsiders: Arabic Encounters with the West
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  None

MLC 352 Language, Race, and Ethnicity
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  None

RUSN 103-104 Elementary Russian Conversation
.5 units
Prerequisites (if any):  Must be taken together with RUSN 101-102

RUSN 203-204 Intermediate Russian Conversation
.5 units
Prerequisites (if any):  Must be taken together with RUSN 201-202

Political Science

New cross-listed course proposals

PLSC 353/International Studies (IS) 353 International Security
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  PLSC 250 or MSCL 205 or permission of instructor

PLSC 359/International Studies (IS) 359 Global Governance
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  PLSC 250 or permission of instructor

New course proposal

PLSC 366 Poverty and Political Voice
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  PLSC 220 or 260; SOC 101; or permission of instructor

Revised course proposals (change in title/description):

PLSC 311 Classical Political Thought
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  None

PLSC 355 International Relations of the Middle East (formerly Middle East Security)
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  PLSC 250

PLSC 358 The U.S. and Asia’s Great Powers
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  None

Proposed changes to RHCS major/minor

New course proposals

RHCS 103 Rhetorical Theory
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  None

RHCS 104 Interpreting Rhetorical Texts
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  None

RHCS 105 Media, Culture, and Identity
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  None

RHCS 200 Public Speaking
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  None

Course deactivation (informational item):

RHCS has deactivated RHCS 386. We did this last year as a way of consolidating our course numbers for independent studies in our major. Formerly, we had RHCS 386 Independent Studies in Rhetoric and RHCS 387 Independent Studies in Communication Studies. We now have only RHCS 387 Independent Studies in Rhetoric and Communication Studies. 

Sociology & Anthropology

New course proposals

ANTH 302 Medicine and Health from a Global/Anthropological Perspective
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  ANTH 101; SOC 101; IS 290; MH minor prerequisites waived.

ANTH 329 Anthropology of Race
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  ANTH 101; SOC 101; IS 290

ANTH 335 Law and Order:  The Anthropology of Justice
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  ANTH 101; SOC 101; IS 290; LDST 102

Revised course proposals

SOC 233 Understanding Globalization
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  SOC 101

SOC 330 Science, Technology, & Society
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  SOC 101 and SOC 211 or 221

Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies

New course proposal

WGSS 279 Selected Topics
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  None

Discussion Agenda

• Departmental participation in the academic sessions (Snapshots) for Experience Richmond (open house for admitted students) on Saturday, April 16, 2011. (Assistant Vice President & Dean of Admission Gil Villanueva, Sr. Associate Director of Admission Steve Wilborn, and Sr. Assistant Director of Admission Dolores MacNeilly)
• Potential changes to first-year student registration policies and procedures (Associate Dean Scott Johnson & University Registrar Susan Breeden)
• Specialty advising alternatives (Associate Dean Scott Johnson)
• American University Washington Semester program – request for approval for visiting away (see attached)
• Revision to residency requirement (see attached)
• NEH and Tucker-Boatwright rotation
• FY12 budget update
• Department and Program “white papers” for new dean
• Other business

Documents

Next Meeting

We will meet on Tuesday, March 1, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. in Tyler Haynes Commons, Room 305 (THC 305).

Academic Council: February 1, 2011 Minutes

Dean Newcomb called the meeting to order at 10:32 a.m. The minutes of the November 30, 2010 meeting were approved.

General Informational Items

N/A

Consent Agenda

The following proposals were approved without further discussion:


Proposed Program Change for Chemistry Major

Revised course proposal (change in units):

CHEM 309-310 Physical Chemistry
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): Chemistry 141 or 191; Physics 132, 133, or 134; and Mathematics 212 or 232. Chemistry 317 is highly recommended.

New course proposals

CHEM 314 Physical Chemistry Laboratory I
0.5 units
Prerequisites (if any): Chemistry 309

CHEM 315 Physical Chemistry Laboratory II
0.5 units
Prerequisites (if any): Chemistry 310 is a co-requisite

Criminal Justice

New course proposal

CJ 330 Victims and the Justice System
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): Political Science 331, 333, or 337 or Sociology 207, 305, 311, 313, or 324; or permission of program coordinator.

Interdisciplinary Studies
Proposal for new Integrated Science (IS) minor

New course proposals

IDST 484 Integrated Science (IS) Senior Seminar
0.5 units
Prerequisites (if any): IDST 284 and either MATH 212 or MATH 232 or MATH 235

International Education


Proposed name change for Languages across the Curriculum (LAC)

Request to change the name of the “Languages across the Curriculum Program (LAC)” to “Cultures and Languages across the Curriculum Program (C-LAC).”

Please see Rationale

Proposed change to International Studies major with a concentration in Modern Europe (ISME)
Current language: 8 units, including: HIST 111 Ideas and Institutions of Western Civilization II

Proposed new language: 8 units, including: HIST 111 Ideas and Institutions of Western Civilization II, or an approved survey course in modern European history

Rationale: A number of ISME majors are also history majors or minors who may not have had HIST 111, but have had other courses covering modern Europe. For such students, it may not be as educationally beneficial to go back as a junior or senior and take Western Civilization as it would be to take other more advanced courses that cover a broad spectrum of European history such as HIST 249 Twentieth-Century Europe. On the other hand, ISME majors who have taken little if any history would benefit from the broader focus provided by the Western Civilization survey.

Latin American & Iberian Studies (LAIS)

Revised course proposals (change in course number/title/prerequisite):

LAIS 313 Portuguese for Spanish Speakers (formerly LAIS 390)
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): LAIS 321, 331, or 331 (or permission of instructor)

LAIS 323 Mapping Luso-Brazilian Cultures (formerly LAIS 391 – Luso-Brazilian Readings)
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): LAIS 231 or LAIS 313

Mathematics 

Proposed catalog revision

The Mathematics faculty voted last year to discontinue offering Mathematics 231, Scientific Calculus I, and we are requesting that it be removed from the catalog.


Proposed change to calculus requirement for the B.S. degree

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science recommends the following change to the B.S. degree requirement for calculus proficiency.

Current language: The requirements are the same as for the B.A., except proficiency in calculus must also be demonstrated by passing Mathematics 212 or 232 (cannot be taken pass/fail) or completing the Advanced Placement (AP) test with an acceptable score.

Proposed new language: The requirements are the same as for the B.A., except proficiency in calculus must also be demonstrated by passing Mathematics 212, 232, or 235 (cannot be taken pass/fail) or completing the Advanced Placement test with an acceptable score.

Please see Rationale.

Philosophy


Proposed change to philosophy major requirements

Current language: Three units of electives, including one unit at the 300-level.

Proposed new language: Three units of electives, including one unit numbered 221 or higher and one unit at the 300 level. The remaining unit may be an FYS course taught by a member of the philosophy department, unless otherwise noted.

Proposed change to philosophy minor requirements

Current language: Three units of electives, including one unit at the 300-level.

Proposed new language: Three units of electives, including two at the 300-level. The remaining unit may be an FYS course taught by a member of the philosophy department.

Proposed change to physics major

New course proposal

PHYS 203 Systems Biology: Principles of Biophysical Circuits
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): PHYS 131, BIOL199, MATH211 (or 231), and CMSC 150 (or 155) (Note: PHYS 191/ CHEM 191 will substitute for these three courses.)

Religion

New course proposal

RELG 288 Saints & Sinners in Muslim Literature
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any): None

Discussion Agenda

Dean Newcomb introduced some new members of Academic Council: Bert Ashe-American Studies program, David Brandenberger-International Studies program, Jennifer Nourse (not present)-Sociology & Anthropology, and Mark Thomson-Military Science. Also attending Academic Council was Terri Weaver, Director of A&S Budgets & Operations, and Leah Nelson, filling in for Susan Breeden of the Registrar’s Office.

Dean Newcomb reminded Council about completing staff mid-year reviews in Planet Spider. He also advised Council to contact Human Resource Services if there are problems viewing staff information as many staff members have mistakenly shown up in the dean’s folder. Council expressed some concerns with the Planet Spider system such as the inability to print, system timeout (without saving), and the lack of confirmation after saving or submitting data.

Regarding job advertisements and Program Electronic Review Management (PERM) Labor Certification compliance, the dean requested all advertisements for director positions be sent to him. The dean will then consult with the senior associate dean. General counsel and human resources review the ad before it is routed back to the A&S academic employment coordinator. Susan Taylor will receive the final copy and consult with human resources one last time before the ad is placed. The procedure above should be followed for all continuing appointments where the candidate may be sponsored for citizenship.

The dean gave a brief overview of the departments that are conducting searches for pre- and postdoc positions. He also reminded Council about the Jessie Ball DuPont (JBD) and Distinguished Educator (DE) nominations. Typically, department chairs make the nominations for the JBD award; however, the dean will send another email to a broader audience to encourage nominations. Nominations for the Distinguished Educator award are still being accepted, the Distinguished Educator Selection Committee will meet within the upcoming week.

The dean advised Council that the FY12 budget is still a work in progress and nothing has been finalized. The dean will attend additional meetings with Maryland Hall before anything will be brought back to Council. Should there be any modifications; the dean will follow the normal budgeting protocol set forth in the Guide to Faculty Governance; first consulting with the Dean’s Advisory Council, Academic Council, and finally, the A&S Faculty.

A handout was distributed entitled “Preliminary Capacity Audit for 2011-12.” The dean reviewed the status of the capacity audit and encouraged Council to let him know of any changes or modifications so that he may make adjustments. A&S will be required to offer 38 FYS courses in Fall 2011 and will likely offer the same in Spring 2012. The dean should be consulted if anyone has slated more FYS courses than called for in the audit. The dean also needs to be informed of the number of adjunct units that will be used by each program/department during Fall 2011.

Dean Newcomb briefed Council on the recommendation for a moratorium on reassigned time. The recommendation has been endorsed by the Dean’s Advisory Council. The dean encouraged Council to work with the new dean on developing a policy for reassigned time. At this moment, it is not possible to decrease the load for faculty, adjuncts, and/or post-docs due to the lack of resources.

Associate Dean Kathy Hoke provided an explanation about the proposal for documenting summer research fellowship work. A course number, consisting of the department name (attribute) and a universal number, would be developed that would serve as a tracking tool for student research during the summer. Students would not receive academic credit. The course could be repeated should the student choose to conduct summer research over one or two years. Volunteers would not use the tracking number because typically, they are unable to dedicate eight full weeks to the project. Dean Hoke reiterated that this would not be a revenue source and the research must only be conducted during the summer. She also mentioned that research in Interdisciplinary Studies could be tracked in a similar manner using the IDST attribute. The dean suggested the proposal be revised to include the actual course number and be brought back to Academic Council on February 15, 2011.

Beginning this semester (Spring 2011), the Office of Institutional Effectiveness (OIE) will take over the online evaluation system. The dean distributed a draft handout entitled “Course Evaluation Guidelines at the University of Richmond.” The Dean’s Advisory Council highlighted two areas of concern related to incentives and courses with fewer than five students. Academic Council was in agreement with those concerns and the dean advised that he would bring it to the attention of OIE. It may also be necessary to revise, or eliminate, some of the excessive demographic information requested on the evaluation form. The final document will go before the University Faculty for approval.

The meeting adjourned at 11:41 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Cheryl Burns

Academic Council: February 1, 2011 Agenda

Our next meeting will be Tuesday, February 1, 2011, from 10:30-11:45 in the Tyler Haynes Commons, Room 305 (THC 305). Please review the agenda below and the cited materials in advance of the meeting.

Approval of minutes from the November 30, 2010 meeting.

General Informational Items

Any updates for the 2011-12 catalog (including new courses, course number/title changes, or major/minor/concentration changes) must be passed by Academic Council no later than the February 15, 2011 meeting (and A&S faculty at the February 21, 2011 meeting). These changes will be available for students as they register for Fall Term 2011 classes in March.

Consent Agenda

We will use the Consent Agenda to deal with routine business that requires Academic Council action and would not be expected to generate discussion. Any item can be moved from the Consent Agenda to the Discussion Agenda. 

Proposed Program Change for Chemistry Major

Revised course proposal (change in units):

CHEM 309-310 Physical Chemistry
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  Chemistry 141 or 191; Physics 132, 133, or 134; and Mathematics 212 or 232. Chemistry 317 is highly recommended.

New course proposals:

CHEM 314 Physical Chemistry Laboratory I
0.5 units
Prerequisites (if any):  Chemistry 309

CHEM 315 Physical Chemistry Laboratory II
0.5 units
Prerequisites (if any):  Chemistry 310 is a co-requisite

Criminal Justice New Course Proposal

CJ 330 Victims and the Justice System
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  Political Science 331, 333, or 337 or Sociology 207, 305, 311, 313, or 324; or permission of program coordinator.

Interdisciplinary Studies
Proposal for new Integrated Science (IS) minor

Interdisciplinary Studies
New Course Proposals

IDST 484 Integrated Science (IS) Senior Seminar
0.5 units
Prerequisites (if any):  IDST 284 and either MATH 212 or MATH 232 or MATH 235

International Education

Proposed name change for Languages across the Curriculum (LAC)
Request to change the name of the “Languages across the Curriculum Program (LAC)” to “Cultures and Languages across the Curriculum Program (C-LAC).”

Please see Rationale.

International Studies
Proposed change to International Studies major with a concentration in Modern Europe (ISME)

Current language:  8 units, including:  HIST 111 Ideas and Institutions of Western Civilization II

Proposed new language:  8 units, including:  HIST 111 Ideas and Institutions of Western Civilization II, or an approved survey course in modern European history

Rationale:  A number of ISME majors are also history majors or minors who may not have had HIST 111, but have had other courses covering modern Europe. For such students, it may not be as educationally beneficial to go back as a junior or senior and take Western Civilization as it would be to take other more advanced courses that cover a broad spectrum of European history such as HIST 249 Twentieth-Century Europe. On the other hand, ISME majors who have taken little if any history would benefit from the broader focus provided by the Western Civilization survey.

Latin American & Iberian Studies (LAIS)
Revised Course Proposals
(change in course number/title/prerequisite):

LAIS 313 Portuguese for Spanish Speakers (formerly LAIS 390)
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  LAIS 321, 331, or 331 (or permission of instructor)

LAIS 323 Mapping Luso-Brazilian Cultures (formerly LAIS 391 – Luso-Brazilian Readings)
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  LAIS 231 or LAIS 313

Mathematics 
Proposed Catalog Revision

The Mathematics faculty voted last year to discontinue offering Mathematics 231, Scientific Calculus I, and we are requesting that it be removed from the catalog.

Mathematics
Proposed change to calculus requirement for the B.S. degree

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science recommends the following change to the B.S. degree requirement for calculus proficiency.

Current language:  The requirements are the same as for the B.A., except proficiency in calculus must also be demonstrated by passing Mathematics 212 or 232 (cannot be taken pass/fail) or completing the Advanced Placement (AP) test with an acceptable score.

Proposed new language:  The requirements are the same as for the B.A., except proficiency in calculus must also be demonstrated by passing Mathematics 212, 232, or 235 (cannot be taken pass/fail) or completing the Advanced Placement test with an acceptable score.

Please see Rationale.

Proposed change to philosophy major requirements

Current language:  Three units of electives, including one unit at the 300-level.

Proposed new language:  Three units of electives, including one unit numbered 221 or higher and one unit at the 300 level. The remaining unit may be an FYS course taught by a member of the philosophy department, unless otherwise noted.

Proposed change to philosophy minor requirements

Current language:  Three units of electives, including one unit at the 300-level.

Proposed new language:  Three units of electives, including two at the 300-level. The remaining unit may be an FYS course taught by a member of the philosophy department.

Proposed change to physics major

New course proposal:

PHYS 203 Systems Biology:  Principles of Biophysical Circuits
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  PHYS 131, BIOL199, MATH211 (or 231), and CMSC 150 (or 155) (Note: PHYS 191/ CHEM 191 will substitute for these three courses.)

Religion New Course Proposal

RELG 288 Saints & Sinners in Muslim Literature
1 unit
Prerequisites (if any):  None

Discussion Agenda

• Mid-year performance review with staff
• Job advertisements
• Nominations for pre-doc/post-doc, JBD, and Distinguished Educator
• FY12 Budget update
• Scheduling and FYS allocations
• Status of selective reassigned time and recommendation for moratorium on released time requests
• Proposal for Documentation on Student Transcript of Summer Research (see attached)
• Department and Program “white papers” for new dean
• Pre-doc/post-doc concerns (Jane Berry)
• Other business

Documents


Next Meeting

We will meet on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. in Tyler Haynes Commons, Room 305 (THC 305).