USF General Education Council - Minutes of February 5, 2007

Present: David Frankel, Ed Kellner, Gladis Kersaint, Greg Paveza, Hunt Hawkins, Ilene Frank, Joan Morris, John Ferron, Nancy White, Robert Potter (Chair), Philip Levy, Scott Campbell, Sharon Geiger, Terry Sincich

Absent: Andrew Smith, Jane Noll, John Hodgson, Suzanne Perry-Casler, William Murray

Guests: Diane Williams, Janet Moore

The meeting was called to order at 3:05 p.m. in ADM 296.

1. The minutes of January 22, 2007 were approved with the suggested corrections.

2. Announcements
   1. Meetings with CAS Chairs:
      Two issues on websites were discussed.
      • Listing of things needed for course proposal submission.
      • Rewrite the website in a different language and make it available 24/7.
   2. Meeting with Faculty Executive Committee:
      • The council discussed the importance of representation from the library. The members suggested that 2 staff members from the Library can be included in the GEC as the Library is hosting the new writing center.
      • The council also discussed the need for reviewers for undertaking reviews of the dimensions of "Human and Cultural Diversity" and "Human Historical Context and Processes".

3. Discussion
   1. Support/approval for USF GEC members to attend AAC&U meeting in Miami.
      The General Education Council approved support for the council members to attend AAC&U meeting in Miami from March 1-3, "General Education and Assessment." The GEC had budgeted $50,000 for the expenses to support member's attending conferences and seminars. The council decided to provide the expenses of it's members traveling to Miami on March 1st. Terry Flateby, Jane Noll, David Frankel, Andrew Smith and Janet Moore will be traveling to Miami to attend the conference.
   2. Change in course certification time from 3 to 4 year cycle.
      The GEC discussed extending the course certification time from a present 3 year cycle to 4 or 5 years. The GEC also discussed the importance of the faculty to regularly upgrade the course curriculum on the website and Blackboard. The council discussed the viability of an online portfolio of the courses which will enable the faculty to upgrade and modify the courses every year. Establishing a feedback process on the success of the course objectives was suggested to help the faculty to improve the courses.
   3. Exit Course Proposal
      Two exit courses (six credits total) are required in the Exit Course Program. The GEC discussed that each course must emphasize critical thinking and inquiry-based learning and one other dimension of the General Education curriculum. The GEC also discussed that the capstone course should include an assessment and synthesis of materials from the major, i.e., the final summary course within the discipline.

4. New course/curriculum proposals

   • SYO 4430 - Disability and Society (11/20/2006) -----------Approved.
     This course examines the applicability of sociological concepts to the experience of disability, and of disability as a means to a better understanding of the nature of social experience. The course was approved by all and no funding was requested. This is an exit course.

   • LIT 2000 - Introduction to Literature (12/11/2006) ---------Approved.
     This course will introduce students to the three major literary forms of prose, poetry and drama as well as to various "schools" of literary criticism. This course will not be counted towards the English major. The course was approved by all and no funding was requested. The core area is Humanities and the dimensions approved were critical thinking, inquiry based learning, creative and interpretive processes and experiences and ethical perspectives.

   • ASH 2270 - Southeast Asian History (12/06/2006) ---------------Approved.
     This course examines the origins and development of Southeast Asian history over the past two millennia. Southeast Asia is comprised of Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines, and East Timor. The course was well organized and approved by all. No funding from the GEC was requested. The core area is humanities and the dimensions approved by the council were critical thinking, inquiry based learning, global context and human historical context and processes.

   • LIT 2010 - Introduction to Fiction (12/01/2006) -----------Approved but Further Information needed.

   • LIT 2030 - Introduction to Poetry (12/01/2006) -------------Approved but Further Information needed.

   • WST 4320 - Politics and Issues in Women's Health (11/30/2006) -------------Approved but Further Information needed.

   • EUH 2031 - Modern European History II (12/12/2006) --------------Approved but Further Information needed.

5. Distribution and Assignment of Course Proposals

The next meeting will be Monday, February 19, 2007. The meeting was adjourned at 4:57 p.m.

Please send any suggestions or comments to:
Mia Fluitt - webcat@ugs.usf.edu