Core Education Committee Meeting February 28, 2025

Oregon State University Faculty Senate

Meeting of the Core Education Committee
February 28, 2025
11:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Zoom

MINUTES

Committee members present: Kelsey Emard (Co-chair), Daniel Faltesek (Co-chair), Andrea Allan, Vipin Arora, Aidas Banaitis, Abigail Crowell, Liz Delf, Lori McGraw, Brian Mills, Holly Mitchell, Kari-Lyn Sakuma, Dave Stemper, Paula Weiss
Committee members absent: Matthew Kennedy
Ex-officio members present: Stephanie Baugh (Curriculum Management), Heath Henry (General Education Assessment), Ashley Holmes (WIC Director), McKenzie Huber (Core Education Director), Karen Watte (Ecampus)
Visitors and staff present: Caitlin Calascibetta (Faculty Senate Office), Troy Hall, Michael Jefferis, Kristin Nagy Katz, Dorian Smith, Caryn Stoess

EOP Proposal for Transitions

Proposal to offer Transitions within Educational Opportunities Program (EOP) as they already offer a similar course. Are there concerns with a Transitions course being taught through EOP by Academic Advisors? EOP has more holistic and intentional support and wants to be properly integrated with Core Education. Students receive multilevel support from faculty and academic advisors in their field of study. Discussed the pros and cons of partnering with different colleges and it varied based on the needs of the college. It is a balance between small and tailored and integrating into the present system.

Issue #1: The committee supports the idea of having a unique transitions course for EOP students
Issue #2: Having professional faculty be the instructor of record – EOP has reasons for this, but it would be an exception from what is being allowed across the university.
Issue #3: Is the committee okay with EOP picking their college transitions offering, or does the committee want EOP to use CORE 100/300?
Issue #4: Should EOP offer specific recitations for CORE 100/300, but not the full course?

More discussion will be held around this topic next week.

Course Reviews

The committee reviewed and discussed the following Core Education proposals.

• BI 204 Introductory Biology I
  • Seem like great fits for the category. Why is it five credits? They are not trying to align with Common Course Numbering.

Action: Motion to rollback BI 204, 205, 206: 1) the courses have to be 4 credits per the Learning Outcome, Criteria & Rationale (LOCR), and 2) please articulate how the essential assignment (EA) for Learning Outcome (LO)3 in BI 204 and 206 achieves the LO; seconded. The motion passed with 11 votes in favor, 0 votes in opposition, and 2 abstentions.

• BI 205 Introductory Biology II
  • Voted on with BI 204 and BI 206.

• BI 206 Introductory Biology III
  • Voted on with BI 204 and BI 205.

• ANTH 284 Primate Adaptation and Evolution
  • Exemplary.

Action: Motion to approve; seconded. The motion passed with 13 votes in favor, 0 votes in opposition, and 0 abstentions.

• PH 201 General Physics
  • Does not link to the OSU Bookstore in violation of HB2919. Inconsistent lab percentage. Minimum hours statement is incorrect. Lacks details on how LO3 is assessed. Is the Math pre-req statement acceptable?

Action: Motion to rollback PH 201: 1) comply with HB 2919; 2) fix inconsistent grade percentages between CIM and syllabi; 3) change the "minimum 15 hours" required statement; 4) provide more detail on how LO3 is addressed and assessed; and 5) explain why the pre-requisites should now be required not recommended and how that doesn't create barriers for students; seconded. The motion passed with 13 votes in favor, 0 votes in opposition, and 0 abstentions.

• PHL 481 Peace Literacy Solutions for Polarized Science Policy
  • The EA for all LOs is a trifold fact sheet and it is unclear how it will address the LOs and lacks connections. LO 1 does not address stakeholders. LO4 seems to be self-assessed. Does not appear to have a transdisciplinary approach.

Action: Motion to rollback PHL 481: 1) revise the course to be genuinely transdisciplinary with significant natural science content and approaches; 2) clarify how each LO is assessed including providing more detail about how the essential assignment achieves each LO; and 3) change the essential assignment for LO2 so that it actually addresses the LO; seconded. The motion passed with 13 votes in favor, 0 votes in opposition, and 0 abstentions.

• FW 350 Endangered Species and Society
  • Transdisciplinary approach unclear in course content. Course more likely to be a draw to students within its own discipline. Teamwork mentoring is unclear. Classroom conduct statement for Cascades seems overly harsh.

Action: Motion to rollback FW 350: 1) revise the course to be more transdisciplinary with significant social/behavioral science content and approaches in the course content/topics; 2) explain how the course is relevant to students outside of natural resource and conservation fields; 3) consider how the content/assignments can be broadened to consider conservation solutions globally not just within the framework of the US Endangered Species Act; 4) clarify how the teamwork mentoring is happening equivalent to 30 minutes/week; 5) make sure all campus syllabi consistently meet the LOs; and 6) remove or edit the classroom conduct statement from the Cascades syllabus because it is too severe for potentially misreading facial expressions; seconded. The motion passed with 13 votes in favor, 0 votes in opposition, and 0 abstentions.

• PHL 477 Psychedelics, Spirituality, and Healing (3rd review)
  • They have addressed all committee comments.

Action: Motion to approve; seconded. The motion passed with 13 votes in favor, 0 votes in opposition, and 0 abstentions.

• ANTH 352 Anthropology, Health, and the Environment (2nd review)
  • Teamwork issue was addressed.

Action: Motion to approve; seconded. The motion passed with 13 votes in favor, 0 votes in opposition, and 0 abstentions.

• HST 101 The Ancient Mediterranean: Origins of the West I
  • Assessment descriptions in the syllabi are a bit shallow compared to CIM, but acceptable. Overall, HST 101, HST 102 and HST 103 are all great courses.

Action: Motion to approve; seconded. The motion passed with 13 votes in favor, 0 votes in opposition, and 0 abstentions.

• HST 102 Europe in the World: Origins of the West II
  • Voted on with HST 101 and HST 103

• HST 103 Modern Confrontations: Origins of the West III
  • Voted on with HST 101 and HST 102.

• GEOG 202 Maps, Media & Communication (3rd review)
  • The committee ran out of time and was unable to discuss this review this week.

• MTH 211 Foundations of Elementary Mathematics (2nd review)
  • The committee ran out of time and was unable to discuss this review this week.

• OC 203 Oceans, Coasts, and People
  • The committee ran out of time and was unable to discuss this review this week.

• GEOG 240 Human Dimensions of Climate Change (2nd review)
  • The committee ran out of time and was unable to discuss this review this week.

• HDFS 260 Emotional Well-Being: Tools for Positive Mental Health
  • The committee ran out of time and was unable to discuss this review this week.

• MIME 497 MIME Capstone Design I
  • Met all the requirements for a WIC course.

Action: Motion to conditionally approve with the modified verbatim statement that it only gets WIC credit if taken with MIME 498; seconded. The motion passed with 13 votes in favor, 0 votes in opposition, and 0 abstentions.

• MIME 498 MIME Capstone Design II
  • Meets Beyond II category. Voted on with MIME 497.

• BI 319 Communication, Theory, and Practice in the Life Sciences
  • Fits the WIC category but missing the LO table in the syllabi. Gave the option for two different tasks but only gave instructions for one of the options. No statement in syllabus that says how it meets the Beyond category. Violates Academic Regulation 16. Postponed until next week.

• OC 455 Deep Sea Oceanography
  • The committee ran out of time and was unable to discuss this review this week.

Adjournment

With no further discussion or business before the committee, the co-chairs adjourned the meeting.