Minutes of the Faculty Meeting
Lycoming College
Monday, December 3, 2001 in Heim G09
The Faculty Meeting was called to order at 4:32 p.m. by Faculty Chair Mel Zimmerman.
Sister Catherine Gilvary offered the opening prayer by reciting the hymn “O Word Made Flesh Among Us” by Ruth Duck.
The minutes of the September 10, 2001 faculty meeting were approved as distributed in the Academic Bulletin of November 30, 2001.
SECRETARY'S REPORT There was no Secretary’s Report.
OLD BUSINESS There was no old business.
NEW BUSINESS
The following six proposals recommended from GCAA were approved. Faculty Chair Mel Zimmerman presented the fist five and Owen Herring presented the final proposal.
- ECONOMICS
Proposal & Rationale: American Economic History has been taught twice as an experimental course (ECON 252). The course has had solid enrollments, covers topic areas not addressed in other departmental offerings, and is of potential interest to students who are not economics majors. For these reasons, the department wishes to have the course formally added to the catalog. The history department also supports adding American Economic History to the catalog, and will be allowing the course to count as an elective toward the completion of the history major.
The department is in the process of obtaining WAC certification for the course so it can be offered as a writing-intensive course. At the present time, the economics department only has two courses that can be taught as writing-intensive. Both of these are upper level classes and among the more demanding courses offered by the department. American Economic History does not have any course prerequisites, so it will be accessible to a much larger share of the student body. The Economics Department perceives a need for more writing-intensive classes to be available in the curriculum that are not effectively restricted to students majoring or minoring in the department offering the course.
Catalog changes:
(1) Add the following description of ECON 222 on page 94.
222 AMERICAN ECONOMIC HISTORY
This course examines topics in American Economic History from the post-Civil War era through World War II. Topics covered include the causes of the rise of big business as the dominant means of production, the emergence of the union movement, the growth of the U.S. economy to the largest in the world, and the changing role of government in the economic system.
(2) Add ECON 222 to the following sentence on page 110 (in the History Department section).
The following courses may be counted toward fulfilling the major requirements: AMST 200, ECON 222, PSCI 221 and 439, REL 226 and 228.
(The History Department concurs with this change.)
(3) If ECON 222 is certified as a writing-intensive course, make the following changes.
Page 92, right-side column:
The following courses have been approved to be offered as writing intensive courses and may be offered as such: ECON 222, 337, and 440.
Page 35, left-side column:
ECONOMICS ECON 222, 337, 440
With no discussion, the motion passed.
- FOREIGN LANGUAGES & LITERATURES
Proposal: The department wants to improve the design of the capstone course which will be taught for the first time in the spring semester 2002. Specifically, they want to clarify that the colloquium will be taught in English except for the short, student presentations (approximately 5 to 10 minutes each) that will be delivered in the studied language.
Catalog changes:
FLL 449 JUNIOR-SENIOR COLLOQUIUM
This colloquium offers French, German, and Spanish majors the opportunity to meet regularly with peers, professors, and invited guest speakers to discuss linguistic, literary, cultural, and pedagogical topics. Each student enrolled in 449 is required to deliver at least one presentation in either French, German, or Spanishper semester. Taught in English except for the short presentations that students deliver in the studied language.The Colloquium will meet a minimum of 6 times during the semester for 1 hour each session. Prerequisite: Junior standing. The department recommends that, when possible, students take one semester of 449 during their junior year and another semester during their senior year. Students will be evaluated on a pass-fail basis. After successful completion of two semesters of the Colloquium, a student may enroll for additional semesters in which no oral presentation will be required. Non-credit course.
With no discussion, the motion passed.
- CHEMISTRY
Proposal: Change the prerequisite for CHEM 221 from a passing grade in CHEM 220 to a grade of C- or better in CHEM 220.
Catalog change:
220-221 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
A systematic study of the compounds of carbon, including both aliphatic and aromatic series. The laboratory work introduces the student to simple fundamental methods of organic synthesis, isolation, and analysis. Three hours of lecture and one four-hour laboratory period each week. Prerequisite for CHEM 220: CHEM 111. Prerequisite for CHEM 221: A grade of C- or better in CHEM 220.
After minor clarification, the motion passed.
- BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Proposal & Rationale: The Business Department proposes adding BUS 235, Legal Principles I, as a required core course for the major, to satisfy the criteria for gaining accreditation from the ACBSP (Business and Accounting accrediting agency). This change will require teaching 1 or 2 more sections of BUS 235 on a yearly basis. At present BUS 235 is taught by adjunct faculty, who will also teach the additional section(s). The proposed change removes BUS 235 as one of several options from the General Management track while adding BUS 235 to the core courses required of all majors.
Catalog changes:
Core courses required of all majors:
ACCT 110; BUS 223, 228, 235, 244, 312, 320, 338, 441; ECON 110 or 111.
Statistics is also required.
Track requirements:
General Management
ACCT 130; BUS 330, 449; one course from BUS 235, 332, 343, 345, 429
After some discussion, the motion passed.
- ACCOUNTING
Proposal & Rationale: The Accounting Department proposes adding BUS 235, Legal Principles I, as a requirement to the Management Accounting–128 hours and the Financial Accounting–128 hours tracks in order to comply with ACBSP (Business and Accounting accrediting agency) requirements. There should be no impact on staffing since most majors currently take BUS 235.
Catalog changes: The proposed changes deletes BUS 235 from the Financial Accounting–150 hours tracks while adding BUS 235 to the core courses required of all majors.
Core courses required of all majors:
ACCT 110, 223, 344, 440, 443; BUS 223, 228, 235, 244, 312, 320, 338, 441; ECON 110 or 111; MATH 123
Track requirements:
Financial Accounting – 150 hours
ACCT 224, 345, 436, 441, 442, 447, and either 449 or 470-479; BUS 235, 236; ECON 110 and 111; one course from SOC or PSY
After some discussion, the motion passed.
- INDEPENDENT INTERDISCIPLINARY MAJORS
Proposal & Rationale: Established Interdisciplinary Majors (EIM), and most other Lycoming majors, allow for some student course work to count toward the general distribution requirements. The Individual Interdisciplinary Major (IIM) does not allow students to count any of the courses in their IIM toward the distribution credit. This seems inherently unfair. While it makes sense to have mechanism in place that limits use of distribution courses in interdisciplinary majors, the current wording in the catalog seems a bit extreme. This proposal, therefore, would allow some limited use of distribution courses.
Proposed language: The major normally consists of at least 10 courses, at least six of which are at the 300 or 400 level. No more than two courses used to satisfy distribution requirements may be included in the major.
Questions were discussed how counting these courses compared with other majors, and the levels of these courses required for the IIM.
After some discussion, the motion passed.
Chair Zimmerman noted that to meet the catalog deadline, many proposals currently under consideration will be presented at the January and February meetings.
REPORTS
Dean John Piper
Dean Piper had several announcements: 1) He publicly acknowledged and thanked the Art Department for completing the first program review of this academic year. Two persons from other schools came to Lycoming this past week to review Lycoming’s Art program and the department has prepared a report. Three other departments are scheduled for review this year. 2) The HERI (Higher Education Research Institute) Faculty Survey has been distributed. The deadline for returning your survey to your faculty secretary is December 12th. 3) The Student Evaluations are underway for the current semester. The Personnel Committee has begun an extensive review of the faculty evaluation system, including the student evaluation forms. New forms may be ready for the new academic year. Many of the concerns raised during the Middle States Review are being addressed, including both the content of the evaluation questions as well as the entire process of administering the evaluations and the reporting of results. He thanked Dave Yerger who was Chair last year of the Faculty Personnel Committee and Dave Wolfe who is currently the Chair for their work on this process. 4) Steve Koehn received the Ecumenical Community Service Award for his help and his students’ help in producing programs for Odyssey and other programs. 5) He encouraged those departments who have not yet given names of those who will be working as part-time faculty during the spring semester to do so as soon as possible. 6) He reminded the faculty of the short turnaround time for grades at the end of the semester. They are to be hand-delivered to the Registrar’s Office in a timely fashion so that grades can be processed in a timely fashion.
Chair of the Faculty Executive Council
Mel Zimmerman announced that he would extend the deadline for the HERI survey to next Monday. The Faculty Executive Council has met with the Faculty Personnel Committee regarding the review of the evaluation process. We should have a proposal sometime during the spring semester.
Dean of Student Affairs
Dean Sue Saunders noted a new policy for drivers of the 15-passenger vans due to their greater risk of rollover. Beginning January 1, the College will require that all drivers, including students, receive training before driving the 15 passenger vans. Also beginning January 1, there may be no more than 10 passengers in a 15-passenger van.
President of the College
President Douthat thanked Marco Hunsberger and Gene Sprechini for chairing the United Way again this year. He thanked all who participated in the United Methodist Church University Senate’s review. We have not yet received their report. He announced that the College reissued the debt of the College at 2.77% for $9 million. Part of the bond issue will allow us to move forward for a recreational facility. The Board will be continuing a discussion on that facility and the general campaign.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Lynn Estomin announced the Creative Art Society Art Show in downtown Williamsport on Wednesday through Saturday from 7-10 pm.
Dean Piper thanked Art Sterngold and those who helped with the very successful, informative, and well-attended Fall Symposium. Jane Keller will chair the Spring Symposium Committee.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:14 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Eileen M. Peluso