Academic Council minutes - March 15, 2016

1. Approval of Academic Council meeting minutes from March 1, 2016

Dr. Michelle Hamm moved approval of the minutes of March 1, 2016. Dr. Bill Ross seconded. With no further discussion, the minutes were approved by voice vote.

2. New Course Proposals

GERM 445 was brought to the floor as a new course proposal. Dr. Elena Calvillo motioned to approve. Dr. Linda Boland seconded. With no further discussion, GERM 445 was approved by voice vote.

3. Revised Course Proposals

MLSC 204 was brought to the floor as a revised course proposal. Dr. Jon Dattelbaum motioned to approve. Dr. Linda Boland seconded. With no further discussion, the revised course proposal was approved by voice vote.

4. Econ Course Proposals

Dr. Ben Broening, Associate Dean, informed Academic Council that course proposals for Econ 234, Econ 368, Econ 315, and Econ 215 were approved by RSB at their previous faculty meeting.

5. Proposed Changes to B.S. Degree Requirements

Dr. Todd Lookingbill, a member of the Ad Hoc Committee to Review the B.S. Degree Requirements, presented the Revised Proposal from the Ad Hoc Committee.  The full document is attached to the agenda.

Dr. Todd Lookingbill motioned that Academic Council approve and endorse proposal 1, and advance the proposal to A&S Faculty Meeting for a vote. Dr. Mike Kerkchove seconded.

Dr. Bill Ross and Dr. Michelle Hamm voiced their concerns that parameters for advanced quantitative courses were not specified.  Dr. Hamm argued that, without these parameters, Academic Council would, in future, need to debate them in every instance when a department advances a new course to meet the requirement.  Dr. Lookingbill said that the Ad Hoc Committee had endeavored to negotiate a list of criteria or types of advanced quantitative methods, but no one list satisfied everyone.  The Ad Hoc Committee considered that a department would make a case that a proposed new course satisfied the advanced quantitative requirement in a manner appropriate to current practice in the discipline.

Dr. April Hill spoke in favor of the revision.  She observed that the new requirement would give flexibility to departments to adapt their curricula to best scientific practices in their fields.  This would allow departments to develop appropriate pathways for all students that include up-to-date advanced quantitative courses that prepare them appropriately for graduate or professional degrees.

Dr. Nicole Sackley argued that Academic Council did not have authority to approve the proposal.  She urged that only the A&S Faculty meeting should vote on the proposal to revise the degree requirements.  [The Guide to Faculty Governance, c IV, section 3 a. (added December 2005) requires approvals of revision to educational programs, including degrees, to be approved and endorsed by Academic Council.  Dean Skerrett confirmed that the Guide to Faculty Governance remains in force until June 15, 2016.]

Dr. Mike Kerckhove proposed a friendly amendment to the motion, adding to the end of Proposal 1 this clause: “appropriate to scientific inquiry.”  Todd Lookingbill accepted the amendment as friendly. 

After discussion, the members voted by show of hands: 

Approve:        10

Oppose:           3

Abstain:          10

Dr. Linda Boland requested that the vote be recorded for the A&S Faculty Meeting.

6. Upcoming Registration Advising—Libby Gruner

Dr. Libby Gruner, Associate Dean and Director of Advising, updated Academic Council on upcoming registration advising.

7. Workshop on Influence of Race/Gender in student evaluations, April 8—Libby Gruner

Dr. Libby Gruner reminded Academic Council that Dr. Chavella Pittman will be with us on April 8 for two faculty development workshops. In the morning, the session will be for faculty who are interested in learning about the influence of faculty’s marginalized statuses on classroom dynamics. A fuller description is given below.

In the afternoon, there will be a workshop for department chairs and members of T&P, as described below.

Time and place for both workshops will be coordinated.

8. IQS/SMART/URISE—April Hill

Dean Skerrett welcomed Dr. April Hill to Academic Council as new program coordinator for Integrated and Inclusive Science programs.  Dr. April Hill gave a summary of the Integrated Quantitative Science (IQS) course and the Science, Math, and Research Techniques (SMART) courses.  These courses have been developed over the past decade with multi-million dollar grants from the HHMI.  After three HHMI grants, we are now taking steps to institutionalize our interdisciplinary science and inclusive science initiatives.

9. Proposal for Registration Changes—Susan Breeden

Susan Breeden, Registrar, presented to Academic Council a Proposal for Registration Changes, which is attached in full.

Dr. Bill Ross expressed concern that this proposal would drastically increase email volume.

Dr. Dan Palazolo suggested modeling three classes instead of two in the first round, to see if this would relieve concerns.

Dr. Linda Boland echoed Dr. Beth Crawford’s suggestion that seniors—who are going to be put in the class anyway, if they need it to graduate—should be put in the courses they need before registration begins.

Susan Breeden thanked the members for their feedback and informed Academic Council that this proposal has also been taken to SGA for student feedback.

10. Creating Equity By Design

Dean Skerrett spoke about Creating Equity By Design, which is attached to the agenda. She asked that Academic Council be thinking about this document, especially with President Crutcher’s Strategic Planning Process underway. She asked Academic Council to consider where their department and the University of Richmond fit in with the overall landscape of higher education in terms of equity-mindedness, and to use this document to begin conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion in their academic programs.

Dean Skerrett observed that she and Associate Dean Wang have shared this resource with programs that are engaged in Academic Program Review.  She invites all programs to have equity-mindedness as a focus of their self-reflection and program review.

11. Lecture Budgets and Program Planning

Dean Skerrett updated Academic Council on lecture budget and program planning.  The process will be simplified this year to reduce bureaucracy. Instead of submitting budget proposals in late April for lectures and visitors during 2016-2017, the dean will allocate an amount based on the 4-year average of each department’s prior expenditures on lecturers. This allocation will appear as a temporary budget in the department. 

Academic Council can revisit with the new dean whether to continue the simplified process.

In addition, Dean Skerrett reminded Academic Council that Kevin Creamer had suggested setting up a Box so that departments can engage in collaborative planning regarding lectures and visitors. 

The meeting adjourned at 11:45.