Liberal Learning Advisory Council Minutes Spring 2000

Minutes Arranged by Date

• May 10, 2000
• March 15, 2000
• February 16, 2000
• February 2, 2000
• January 26, 2000

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May 10, 2000

Present:  R. Anderson (Chair-Secretary), J. Bossart, D. Compte, K. Finkral, L. McCauley, A. Pfenninger

1. The minutes of March 15th were approved as submitted.
2. The request by Ellen Friedman, Coordinator of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program, to count WGST 280, the cross-listed version of AFAM 280, as social science process, gender, and non-Western was approved without dissention.  The course will be listed as AFAM/WGST 280, Africana Women in Historical Perspective.
3. HIST/MDLA 363, Latin American Studies was approved for history or literature (students’ choice) and non-Western diversity distribution.  Approval was unanimous and unconditional.
4. HONR 333, Literature, Culture, and Authenticity was approved for literature.  Approval was unanimous and unconditional.
5. PHIL 203, Philosophical Issues in Philosophy, Fiction, and Film was approved for philosophy or religion, and Western diversity distribution.  Approval was unanimous and unconditional.
6. RELG 211, Religion and Religious Thought was approved for philosophy or religion and for either Western or non-Western diversity distribution, depending on the particular religion being studied.  When the religion is Judaism or Christianity (or a variation on either) it will count for Western diversity distribution.  When the religion is Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Taoism, or any other non-Western religion, it will count for non-Western diversity distribution.  If the department seeks an alternative designation, say, non-Western for a version studying the religion and religious thought of Roman Catholic liberation theology in Latin America, then a written request to GEAC must be approved prior to the listing of the course for registration purposes. Approval was unanimous and unconditional.
7. HIST 236, The Holocaust in History was approved unanimously and unconditionally for history only.  The department’s request for Western diversity distribution was deferred pending a rationale or justification for the request.  None is offered, nor does the proposal claim to satisfy outcome, 11-f, “Answer the question, ‘How does Western civilization differ from other civilizations.’”
8. ANTH 335, Global Urbanization was approved for social science content and non-Western diversity distribution.  The vote was unanimous, with the understanding that course material will be contained within a 14-week semester (not 15 weeks as indicated on the syllabus).
9. Members noted that June 30, 2000 marks the end of three-year terms for Buddy Mayo and Leslie Rice, but that they are eligible for re-election by the faculty of their respective schools.
10. No additional meetings are scheduled for academic year 1999-2000.  Bob Anderson will convene the council in September.
11. Adjournment was at 1:50 following consumption of the remaining tuna subs.

Courses Approved

• WGST 280 (social science content, gender, non-Western)
• HIST/MDLA 363 (history or literature, non-Western)
• HONR 333 (literature)
• PHIL 203 (philosophy or religion, Western)
• RELG 211 (philosophy or religion, Western or non-Western)
• HIST 236 (history)
• ANTH 335 (social science content, non-Western)

Courses Returned

HIST 236 (for Western diversity distribution only)

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March 15, 2000

Present:  R. Anderson (Chair-Secretary), W. Behre, J. Bossart, R. Cobb, D. Compte, K. Finkral, K. Drennan, L. McCauley, A. Pfenninger, L. Rice

1. The minutes of February 16th were approved with the following change: Item #1 will read, “The minutes of February 2nd were approved.”
2. The misspelling in the second agenda item was noted and corrected.
3. HONR 349, Cities and Sanctuaries of Greece and Rome was approved for fine or performing arts and Western diversity distribution.  The vote was unanimous and unconditional.
4. ENGL 240, Cultural Representations of Gender was approved for literature, and non-Western and gender diversity distribution.  The approval was unanimous and unconditional.
5. Bob Anderson reported that the scheduled “enrichment lecture” for IDSC 151, Athens to New York, would be replaced by a panel on Race Relations in America.  It will be held at the regular date and time, April 12, 11:00 to 12:20 in Kendall Auditorium.
6. Adjournment was at 2:55.  The next meeting was set for April 5th at 2:00 in Holman 311 (as agenda items warrant).

Courses Approved

• HONR 349 (Fine or Performing Art, Western)
• ENGL 240, (Literature, Gender, non-Western)

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February 16, 2000

Present:  R. Anderson (Chair-Secretary), W. Behre, J. Bossart, R. Cobb, D. Compte, K. Finkral, H. Mayo, L. McCauley, S. McCook, K. Drennan, A. Pfenninger

1. The minutes of February 2nd were approved with the admonition that we must be cautious about giving pedagogical advice to departments or to those who propose courses.
2. HONR 311, The Passing of the Indians in the Nineteenth Century United States was approved for history and non-Western diversity distribution.  The vote was unanimous, but the department is to be notified that the bibliography appears to need updating, and instructions to students should be more clearly put (particularly concerning the number of weeks in the semester).
3. HONR 216, The Sociological Perspective was approved for social science content or process.  The vote was unanimous and unconditional.
4. HONR 347, Paris Before the Great War was approved for literature, or fine or performing arts and Western diversity distribution on the condition that a more specific rationale be provided explaining how the course is Western in a self-conscious or comparative manner.  The vote was unanimous.
5. Adjournment was at 3:00 pm.  The date of the next meeting was set for February 23rd with the understanding that the chair would cancel it if there were not sufficient business to come before the council [which he did].

Courses Approved

• HONR 311 (history, non-Western)
• HONR 216 (social science content or process)
  HONR 347 (literature or fine or performing arts, Western)

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February 2, 2000

Present:  R. Anderson (Chair-Secretary), W. Behre, J. Bossart, T. Breslin, R. Cobb, D. Compte, K. Finkral, L. McCauley, K. Drennan, A. Pfenninger, L. Rice

1. The minutes of January 26th were approved as submitted.
2. MATH 125, Calculus for Business and the Social Sciences was approved for mathematics under the Intellectual Skills category.  The vote was unanimous and unconditional.
3. HONR 349, Cities and Sanctuaries in the Ancient World was tabled until more information could be obtained on the following items:
   • The course description needs to be clarified; the one on the cover sheet differs from that on the syllabus.
   • The proposal needs a general course outline.  There is only a teaching syllabus.
   • The teaching syllabus includes reference only to Greek cities and sites; elsewhere in the proposal mention is also made to ancient Rome.  The syllabus should be rectified with the proposal itself.  Does the course include the whole of the ancient world, only Greece and Rome, or just ancient Greece?
   • The Western diversity distribution rationale needs to be more specific.  How and why does the course point out distinctive qualities of Western civilization?
4. MTRL 171, Introduction to Meteorology was approved for natural science under Perspectives on the World.  The vote was unanimous and unconditional.  However council members recommend that the Physics Department be asked to consider making the lab requirement more rigorous; that it appears to be overly descriptive, not sufficiently analytical, and in need of additional opportunities for students to gain experience in hypothesis formation.
5. Adjournment was at 2:55.  The next meeting was set for February 16th at 2:00 to 3:00 in Holman 311.  No records were set, nor even challenged; a dull time was had by all.

Courses Approved

• MATH 125 (Intellectual skills)
• MTRL 171 (natural science)

Courses Returned

• HONR 349

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January 26, 2000

Present:  R. Anderson (Chair-Secretary), J. Bossart, T. Breslin, S. Briggs, R. Cobb, D. Compte, K. Finkral, K, Drennan, A. Pfenninger, L. Rice

1. The minutes of December 15, 1999 were approved as submitted.
2. Members of the council introduced themselves to Dr. Stephen Briggs, Provost of The College of New Jersey, who, in turn, explored issues of general education effectiveness, workability, and structure, particularly in light of future directions the college may be taking.  Although all members agreed that any possible changes in the general education structure would follow careful research of other institutions and close listening to the TCNJ community, no formal action was taken at the session.
3. Adjournment was at 3:00.  The next meeting was set for February 2nd at 2:05 in Holman 311 (note time change).  The agenda will include MATH 125, HONR 249, and MTRL 171.