USF Undergraduate Council - Minutes of November 22, 1999

Present: Richard Dietrich, Grace Erickson, Mary Hardy, Ram Pendyala, Ken Pothoven, Jennifer Salk, Edward Silbert (Chairperson)

Absent: Joyce Nutta, Thomas Johnson

Guests: Jane Applegate, Rick Austin, Darrell Fasching, Mike Gibbons, Hilda Rosselli, Robert Sullins, Jane Young

The meeting was called to order at 3:12 p.m.

1. The minutes of September 27, October 11, and November 8 have been deferred to the next Undergraduate Council meeting.

2. Announcements -

3. Discussion and action on proposals

   • College of Education Request for Exemption - College of Education's request for an exemption from one Liberal Arts Exit Requirement was revisited. Following discussion, the exemption from one exit course was approved for the B.S. in Education only, with the understanding that students will be encouraged to fulfil the remaining 6 credit exit requirements with 1 MW course and 1 LW course. Baccalaureate standards will remain the same for the B.A. in Education.

   • ISS 1101 Knowledge and Society - The purpose of this course is to introduce students to issues concerning the relationships between knowledge and society. Among the issues addressed are competing accounts of knowledge and the relationship between knowledge and other forms of human experience and different aspects of social life such as religion, morality, aesthetics, politics, and gender. Following discussion and the omission of the historical perspectives request, it was approved as fulfilling general education social science requirements.

   • ISS 1102 Self and Society - The purpose of this course is to introduce students to issues concerning the relationship between the self (or individual) and society. Among the topics that may be addressed are the idea of human nature, how human nature is shaped by social and cultural factors; the moral obligations between individuals and society; and how gender and culture shape our understanding of the self. Following discussion and the omission of the historical perspectives request, it was approved as fulfilling general education social science requirements.

   • ISS 1103 Nature and Culture - This course examines competing ideas and theories concerning the relationship between nature and culture. Among the issues and questions examined are the relationship between nature and our awareness of it; to what extent is nature transformable; should "nature" dictate the shape of social institutions; how does technology affect our society and environment. Following discussion and the omission of the historical perspectives request, it was approved as fulfilling general education social science requirements.

   • REL 4174 Comparative Religious Ethics - (Course number will be changed.) A comparative study of religious ethics emphasizing how twentieth century social activists, such as Gandhi and M.L. King Jr. and eco-feminists such as Rosemary Ruether and Joanna Macy, have drawn upon and transformed traditional religious stories and spiritual practices in order to create a cross-cultural and inter-religious ethic for a multi-cultural world. Following discussion and minor changes, it was approved as a new course and exit requirement in MW, MI, and LW.

The next meeting will be Monday, December 13, 1999. The meeting was adjourned at 5:27p.m.

Please send any suggestions or comments to:
Office of Undergraduate Studies