APPROVED MINUTES FOR THE 5th REGULAR MEETING
OF THE FACULTY SENATE
FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES-CAMDEN
March 30, 2011
CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 12:24 p.m. in Room 121 Armitage Hall, Dr. Andrew Lees, President, presiding.
- A representative from NJ-PIRG will attend the next meeting to discuss the ”Making Textbooks Affordable” project.
- Cati Coe, on behalf of the Academic Policy Committee, submitted a proposed Teacher’s Preparation course (964:434), Social and Cultural Foundations of Education, for Senate approval. Dr. Coe explained that in 2000, when the university dissolved RU-C’s Department of Education, the core courses were absorbed by professors’ home departments. The course in question would fulfill the Foundations of Education requirement in the program, but it would be offered only as a one-time summer course taught by Thomas Venables. There was no opposition to this from the departments of Sociology or History, both of which offer the other courses under Foundations of Education, but because the course was only going to be offered once, the Senate recommended that the course be taught under the Special Topics rubric, rather than as a new course in the catalog.
- Dr. Coe provided an update on the General Education Curriculum Review Committee. The committee is still in the process of gathering information about university requirements, i.e., through faculty surveys in the process of completion, conversations with the advising office and department chairs, and an examination of peer institutions’ requirements. The committee is moving as quickly as possible, but also taking care that there will be complete agreement on any changes. The last time general education requirements were changed, the process took two years; the current committee hopes to finalize its recommendations sooner. There was discussion over when changes would be made, the expectation being that everything would be completed by Fall 2012. More information will follow at the April 27, 2011 Senate meeting.
- Dr. Lees informed the Senate that he will be sending out a general call for reports from all committee chairs, requesting that chairs provide the Senate with a short report on their committee’s work at the April 27th and submit a written annual report.
- Minutes from the Senate meeting of March 2, 2011 approved. Voice vote.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:50 p.m.
REPORT ON ATTENDANCE:
Members Present: A. Lees, L. Bernstein, K. Lee, P. Palenchar, H. Blackford, R. Habib, E. Demaray, K. Elliott, C. Cosentino-Dougherty, C. Giaudrone, G. Verbrugghe, B. Piccoli, B. Jerome-D’Emilia, K. Vardanyan, S. Allred, E. Gomez, C. Coe, K. Hohing, J. Hippolyte
Members Absent: J. Schiavo, N. Yakoby, L. Silver, D. Hong, J. Smith, B. Bowden, E. VanderVen, J. Still, H. Jacobowitz, D. Kushary, S. Chao, R. Harris, I. Roseman, A. King, G. Caputo, J. Kehl