Baccalaureate Core Committee

Baccalaureate Core Committee

November 2, 2015

Minutes

 

Voting members present: Dennis Bennett, Gerd Bobe, Robert Brudvig, Susie Dunham, Kevin Gable, Kira Hughes, David McMurray, Bob Paasch, Bill Smyth, Rorie Spill Solberg, Ariella Wolf

Voting members absent: Isbelle Brock, Steve Giovannoni, McKenzie Huber

Ex-officio members present: Academic Affairs – Heath Henry, DPD Director – Nana Osei-Kofi

Guests: Michelle Bothwell

 

1. Michelle Bothwell, BI 231/233 fulfilling bacc-core requirements for biological engineering majors (10-15 minutes)

• In 2006 – went thru initial accreditation for the degree – strict guidelines for Engr; must meet 72 cred for Engr plus Physics, cHemis and Biology for Bio Engineers; zero free electives in program. Remained at 192 credits when others moved to 182 credits
• Counting in-house Ethics courses - had to be rem0ved; so 6 more Engineering credits were added; also 6 in-house Physiology are included. Proposed to remove some of the in-house Physiology and give to Engr electives. Biology apparently didn’t know that Physiology was taught in-house – became a turf issue. Talked with Bio and Biochemistry to determine best Bio sequence to serve students the best. BCC approved that all students took Zoo 331 and 333; all took 450 & 451 in Chemistry and 493 & 494 in Chem – all were to take a BioE 340 (zero Physiology) – connecting Engr to Physiology – Zoo sequence was counted as a foundation. 2 cr left and needed 4; determined that Zoo 340 sequence was foundation – was misnumbered as a 300 level – what was missing was a lab component. BCC allowed students to take a 2 cred anatomy/physiology lab to satisfy Bacc Core requirement. IF students chose 194 credits, student could take ….. Bacc Core trumped Bio program (They‘re still not happy).
• Zoo 300 level sequence is now a 200-level sequence. 300-level is now an in-major sequence. This nullified the agreement. MyDegrees audits shows that students can’t graduate – some are due to graduate in June 2016, so a solution is needed quickly. Nothing has changed other than the numbering sequence.
• She’s asking to maintain the agreement or move forward. Make 200-level Bio a Bacc Core course, which can now occur because it’s now a 200-level sequence.
• Is Bioengineering accreditation different from other engineering programs? Yes, every Ene have similar program, but each sits under a division, BIoE is overseen by Bio Med, so it’s different from other Engineering programs. They have science and biology requirements not seen elsewhere.
• This would be an overall global fix, but waivers could be done for students this year? Yes. Exceptions can always be done by head advisors. Liaison moved to Associate dean and it didn’t trickle down to the curriculum chair in the unit; the advisors brought it to her attention.
• How well are students doing in BioEngr without Chemistry foundation? They have some problems with labs, particularly cell biology, but otherwise do quite well. They are in communication w/Bio and BioE funds a TA for both sections to assist BioE students
• At this point Michelle left the meeting.
• Michelle wasn’t able to produce a written version of the agreement.
• Would prefer to hear from Integrative Biology & determine whether they see these as being 200-level sequence as being equivalent. Ariella indicated that the courses are equivalent, and they are is equivalent to what is taught in community colleges.
• Is Bio willing to make it a Bacc Core course. Because 231 and 233 are lecture only, they can’t be a Bacc Core Courses because there is no lab component.
• Perhaps IB would be willing to enter into another agreement with BioE.
• Many programs on campus are tight; other Engr program are at 192 credits. IF we do this, on what basis do we allow this, but disallow other similar requests; is the subject matter and discussion adequate. Can ask IB, is there an extent to which one can recognize the Bacc Core learning outcomes in the courses that BIoE students would take?
• Chem 231 and 241 courses have a lecture and lab as separate courses, but must take both courses for the Bacc Core.
• Need to   comparability of current course set compared to earlier agreement and to get their perspective related to possible gaps.
• 2 issues – possible copycat and content. Felt that a copycat issue would not occur since it hasn’t occurred since 2006.
• Observed that they are currently requiring 231, 261 Chem sequence (3 terms) to fulfill the two Physical Science requirement, as well as Physics 211, 213 with lab – extremely heavy. Could they get away with taking     This would be redesigning their program, which is not the place of the BCC.
• Seems to be conflict between IB and BioE programs. Is it the role of the BCC to determine an end run? Being asked to grant Bacc Core exception, and both programs are involved in the exception.
• How common is it to grant exceptions to the 180 credit rule? Chemical, Bio Engineering, and Environmental Engineering are 192 because it is impossible to be accredited without 192 – they were previously at 204 credits.

Action: Ariella will contact both Brock McLeod and Bob Mason in Integrative Biology. The BCC would like a solution, if possible. Couch it in terms of it has come to our attention that the automatic exemption won’t work since the courses have been renumbered. Determine whether the courses are equivalent, and are they   XX . Need the IB response in writing to forward to the Registrar’s Office as an official document.

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CAT II Reviews

• FES 477/577 (Forest Ecosystems & Society – Agroforestry); Category: Contemporary Global Issues: Type: Change Course; Course #94210
  • Intent is to add the Contemporary Global Issues Category to the current Science, Technology, and Society Category. Need to state in the syllabus the single 1,250 word document for individual undergraduate students in the grading rubric. Clearly state the lecture in the syllabus that emphasize the interdependence of the     Bacc Core outcomes are not clearly indicated. Learning outcomes for CGI are not stated in the syllabus; no connection between the CGI and syllabus. Term papers are only done by graduate students and is the major difference between 577 and 477. Amount of writing is low.
  • Responses seem to be independent of the syllabus. It appears that two people may have contributed to the responses.

 

• HEST 310 (Humanitarian Engineering, Science & Technology – Introduction to Community Engagement & Community-Based Design); Category: Science, Technology, and Society (STS); Type: New Course; Course #94811
  • Syllabus lacks grading criteria, required texts and materials, and does not include the course schedule. There is no historic context, doesn’t indicate how to focus from a historical perspective, on the origin and nature of critical issues and problems that have global significance. Need to specify evaluation of student performance, including the format and grading criteria of the products with points, expected length of written products grading rubrics, etc. Need to specify the reading material for the course topics and need to flesh out the class schedule. Please clarify in the syllabus how you place the subject in historical context.
  • Some of the missing syllabus elements do appear in the responses.

Action: Strongly recommend that there be more integration between syllabus and responses, and fix missing syllabus elements.

 

 

• AEC 251 (Applied Economics – Introduction to Agricultural and Food Economics); Category: Social Processes and Institutions (SPI); Type: New Course; Course #94270
  • This is a new 3 credit course – it is a found(SPI)ational course in the degree; AEC 250 is already approved; and the student learning objectives are not listed verbatim. Assignments are not listed in the syllabus. There are points for homework, but the homework is not indicated; homework assignments are ‘TBD’ in the schedule. Most responses were fine, although some were vague.
  • Dd

Action: fix the learning objectives

 

 

• SPAN 361

 

• The prior identified issues have been addressed. Student conduct code link is incorrect.

Action: Recommends approval with the exception of needing the correct student conduct code.

 

• ECON 463/563
  • D

Action: Approve

 

• BOT 220 (Botany – Introduction to Plant Biology); Category: Biological Science; Type: Change Course; Course #94555
  • This proposal is in response to a prior course. It was assumed that the instructor was  were thinking about specific issues and it will be taught. Grading appeared to be confusing. Mentioned course that it is both on campus and Ecampus, same syllabus and same instructor – making adjustments to labs and field trips to accommodate Ecampus students. Ecampus course has a group project; Ecammpus will be group discussions.

Action: Recommends approval and suggests that grading is clarified.

 

 

Category Reviews (from 14/15 AY)

• WGSS 414 (DPD)
  • Syllabus looked great. Minor issues: there is a note that the statement is verbatim, Code of Conduct link is broken. Major issues: two sections in spreadsheet – 1 is Ecampus, but only one syllabi submitted, indicated it’s only in Corvallis, only one instructor; in another place it indicates two instructors. This class has an enforced prerequisite of WGSS 223 (also a DPD course), or instructor approval, that is not stated in the syllabus; primarily senior CLA students take the course – 22 students took the class in the last academic year. This course is not serving the population. Need to request online syllabus.
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Action: Minor: fulfillment statement isn’t present, Code of Conduct link is broken Major issues – spreadsheet and form is not consistent; Request online syllabus,    leading to decertification is prereq that is also a DPD course; justification is needed why this course, given the prereq, should be recertified.

 

GEO – Bioengineering course – submitted combined syllabi for  BEE 469 and 470; only 469 is currently an approved Bacc Core course. Word count document is listed as group, but appears to perhaps be individual writing. 469 may meet recertification requirements, but a new Cat II would be needed to add 470.

Action: Recommend recertification of BEE 469 and submit a Cat II to add 470 to strengthen the