Liberal Learning Advisory Council Minutes Spring 1999

Minutes Arranged by Date

May 5, 1999

Present: R. Anderson (Chair-Secretary), J. Bossart, T. Breslin, J. Carney, D. Compte, K. Finkral, R. Margraff

The Minutes of April 21st were approved as submitted.
SOCL 385, Introduction to Applied Sociology was approved for social science, process. Approval is conditioned on an understanding that the amount of graded, out of class writing be a minimum of five pages for a sustained assignment and that the requirement be stated both in the teaching syllabus and in the course outline in the body of the proposal. The vote was 6 in favor, 0 opposed, and 0 abstentions.
HIST 296, Eat, Drink, Man, Women: A Gendered History of Food was approved for history, and Western and gender studies diversity distribution. Approval was unconditional; the vote was 5 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 abstention.
IDSC 100, Race, Class, and Gender: Interdisciplinary Explorations was approved for social science process. Inherent in the approval is the understanding that the course must be available for students across the campus, not just for students in the E.O.F. Program.
Adjournment was at 3:45. No additional meetings are set for this academic year. No objections were heard.

Courses Approved

SOCL 385 (soc science process)
HIST 296 (history, Western, gender)
IDSC 100 (soc science process)

April 21, 1999

Present: R. Anderson (Chair-Secretary), B. Bailey, V. Barrett-Kobes, D. Compte, K. Finkral, A. Knobler, H. Murray

The minutes for April 7th were approved as submitted.
HONR 280, Creative Computing was approved for Intellectual Skills, mathematics. The vote was 6 in favor 0 opposed, 0 abstaining.
SOCL 380, Education in American Culture was approved for social science content. The vote was 6 in favor 0 opposed, 0 abstaining.
SOCL 385, Introduction to Applied Sociology was tabled pending clarification of group size for the various projects (with the expectation that they be composed of two students each), and the submission of an alternative group project for the third exercise. Additionally the course must be open as a free elective for any major.
Adjournment was at 1:37. Members gleefully left the second substitute room (after having been driven out of the first substitute room by disrespectful students waiting for the showing of a non-existent video).

Courses Approved

HONR 280 (Intellectual Skills)
SOCL 380 (Social Science Content)

Courses Returned

SOCL 385

April 7, 1999

Present: R. Anderson (Chair-Secretary), B. Bailey, V. Barrett-Kobes, W. Behre, T. Breslin, D. Compte, K. Finkral, A. Knobler, R. Margraff, H. Murray

The minutes of March 24th were approved as amended (addition of W. Behre’s name-two small typographical errors corrected).
HIST/GEOG 291, Environmental History was approved for history. The vote was 9 in favor, 0 opposed, and 0 abstaining. It was noted that the dual prefix for the course is somewhat unusual and may fall under the “same as” cross listing policy now making its way through the governance system. The department is advised to consult with its dean and/or Records and Registration prior to listing the course in the registration booklet.
A brief, informal discussion on possible changes in the Perspectives on the World approval process led to no conclusions.
Adjournment was at 4:46 precisely. Basking in the extra hour of Daylight Savings time, council members stared briefly out the windows and then promptly left the room through the door. The next meeting is set for April 21st.

Course Approved

HIST/GEOG 291 (history)

March 24, 1999

Present: R. Anderson (Chair-Secretary), V. Barrett-Kobes, W. Behre, J. Bossart, J. Carney, D. Compte, K. Finkral, A. Knobler, R. Margraff, H. Murray

The minutes of February 17th were approved as submitted.
COMM 403, Public Communication Campaigns was approved for social science content or process by a vote of 9 to 0 with no abstentions. The chair was directed to ask Prof. Pollock why there were no rationales for goal number one and why outcomes and b in goal 1 were not checked. Approval is not, however, conditional on a response to these questions.
AFAM 240, Survey of African-American Music (as cross-listed with MUSIC 245, History of Jazz ) was approved for fine and performing arts. The vote was 9 to 0 with no abstentions.
Adjournment was at 2:52. Members tapped their toes on their way out of the makeshift conference room relegated to us. The next meeting was set for April 7 from 4:00 to 4:50 in Holman 311.

Courses Approved

COMM 403 (social science content or process)
AFAM 240 (fine or performing arts)

February 17, 1999

Present: R. Anderson (Chair-Secretary), B. Bailey, V. Barrett-Kobes, W. Behre, J. Bossart, T. Breslin, J. Carney, D. Compte, K. Finkral, E. Friedman, B. Gitenstein (Guest), R. Margraff, H. Murray, L. Rice

The minutes of February 3rd were approved as submitted.
President R. Barbara Gitenstein joined the council for a luncheon discussion of the aims and purposes of general education, its place in the curriculum and administrative structure, and some problems and possible solutions in its on-going operations. A related discussion of the summer readings program and its possible relationship to general education also occurred. Dr. Gitenstein indicated that she would like to see the college have a yearly theme that might be reflected in the summer readings as well as in special programming during the course of the academic year. She said she is considering leadership in the 21st century as a theme for her inaugural address; another theme mentioned was that of utopias.
COMM 242, Interpersonal Communication was approved for social science process. The vote was unanimous with no abstentions. No conditions or changes were suggested.
Adjournment was at 1:50 as members variously struggled up or lurched from the table, logy from their gourmet tuna and BLT lunches. The next meeting has subsequently been set for March 24th.

Course Approved

COMM 242 (soc science, process)

February 3, 1999

Present: R. Anderson (Chair-Secretary), B. Bailey, V. Barrett-Kobes, W. Behre, J. Bossart, J. Carney, D. Compte, K. Finkral, E. Friedman, H. Murray, L. Rice

The minutes of December 16, 1998 were approved as submitted.
Bob Anderson informed council members that President Gitenstein had expressed a willingness to come to a GEAC meeting. An agenda for her appearance at a meeting was suggested. It included concerns about staffing interdisciplinary courses, the establishment of an interdisciplinary faculty, the restructuring of the administration of general education, the location of general education within the college as a whole, and the relationship between the goals and outcomes guiding the program and the “delivery” mode now in place. Members decided that they would use the GEAC listserve to further refine and add items for discussion. [The list’s address is GEAC-L@list.tcnj.edu]. Bob Anderson agreed to contact Dr. Gitenstein about a date and time for the meeting. [Subsequently Bob has arranged for the president to come to the February 17th GEAC meeting for a brief luncheon engagement. Dr. Gitenstein can only stay until 1:00].
The remainder of the meeting was devoted to a discussion IDSC 252, Society, Ethics, and Technology. Mostly familiar gripes were restated. Newer council members were told about recent efforts at reform and transformation. General interest in re-establishing the SET Formative Review Committee was expressed; Keith Finkral indicated that he would do so.
The following calendar of anticipated meetings for the remainder of the semester was established:
- Feb 17: 12:15-3:00
- Mar 3: 4:00-4:50
- Mar 24: 2:00-3:30
- Apr 7: 4:00-4:50
- Apr 21: 12:30-3:00
- Apr 28: 2:00-3:30
- May 5: As determined
Adjournment was at 4:45. Members, unaccustomed to free time, continued to sit in their places alternately talking and staring. The next meeting is scheduled as indicated above.