Liberal Learning Program Council: Most Recent Minutes

February 1, 2012

Present: Bob Anderson (Secretary),Richard Bloomberg, Chung Chak, Mary Goldschmidt, Connie Hall, Rita King, John Laughton, Katherine McGarry, Romulo Ochoa, Sheenal Parikh, Monisha Pulimood (Chair), John Ruscio, Mariam Shah, Lynn Tang

Absent: Dan Chandler, David Holleran, Catie Rosemugy

Excused: Tom Hagedorn

1. The Minutes from December 7th were approved as submitted.
2. The meeting Schedule for Spring 2012: Feb 1, Feb 15, March 21, April 4, April 18, May 2 (if needed).  There was evident confusion over the room location as another group sincerely appeared to believe that they too were assigned SB 131.  Bob Anderson agreed to check into that.
3. PHY 370, The Physics of Clouds and Climate was not approved as a mid-level writing intensive course.  The vote was 0 approving, 12 disapproving, and 0 abstentions.  The reason for the disapproval is that the 370 course number is reserved for special topics, whether or not they are writing intensive.  We would have no way of determining the intention of particular topics or course instructors regarding the writing intensive nature of such courses.  Nevertheless council members were in full agreement that the course itself is worthy of approval as a mid-level writing intensive course.  It will be approved by Bob Anderson in his capacity as Assistant Provost, as is customary for topics courses designed for liberal learning purposes.
4. BIO 493, Independent Research in Biology II and BIO 494, Honors Independent Research in Biology II was not approved as a senior-level writing intensive course.  The vote was 0 approving, 12 disapproving, and 0 abstentions.  The primary reason is the lack of clarity concerning how the course actually operates.  It appears that students would only be exposed to the writing intensive aspects of the course when they take it for a second time with the same faculty member.  Furthermore the II following the course name does not clearly represent a sequence.  We could not locate an Independent Research in Biology I course.  Until this is clarified, members of LLPC are unable to evaluate it properly.
5. It was brought to the attention of LLPC members that both programs in the Technological Studies Department expect all incoming first year students to complete ETE 261, Multimedia Design during their first semester (at same time they are completing their FSPs and a semester before taking WRI 102 when needed).   It does not appear to be serving as the mid-level writing intensive course for which it was approved.  LLPC members voted to de-certify ETE 261 as a mid-level writing intensive course unless the department moves the requirement to the second or third year.  The vote was 12 in favor, 0 opposed, and 0 abstaining.  It was noted that there are several other courses required for the 2nd or 3rd year that appear to be candidates for the writing intensive designation.
6. Adjournment was at 2:45.  The next meeting is scheduled for February 15th.

December 7, 2011

Present: Bob Anderson (Secretary), Mary Goldschmidt, Connie Hall, Rita King, Katherine McGarry, Romulo Ochoa, Sheenal Parikh, Monisha Pulimood (Chair), Catie Rosemurgy, John Ruscio

Absent: Dan Chandler, Mariam Shah

Excused: Richard Blumberg, Chung Chak, Tom Hagedorn, David Holleran, John Laughton, Lynn Tang

1. Lunch was served in recognition of the upcoming holiday season.
2. The Minutes from November 16th were approved as submitted.
3. A lengthy discussion on the Music Department’s request to change the designation of MUS 246, Music in Global Perspective from literary, visual, and performing arts and global (approved by LLPC November 1, 2007) to behavioral, social, and cultural perspectives (retaining global) resulted in a rejection of the proposal by a unanimous 8 to 0 vote.  Comments, questions, and reasons are as follows:
• How would students be affected: those who took the course in 2010 which advertised itself in the syllabus as meeting the BSCP even though PAWS clearly lists it as meeting LVPA, as well as those who took it earlier as an LVPA course?
• How many people teach it, and if faculty members other than Prof. Heisler also teach it, are they qualified in ethnology?  How often is it taught? The ethnological portions of the course are not clearly described or delineated in the syllabus and in the readings which do not appear to be within the area of ethnographical social science.
• Members of the council are not convinced that the course meets the goals for BSCP, nor do they see good arguments as to why music majors should be able to get behavioral, social, and cultural perspectives satisfied ‘in house.’
4. Because the FSP committee has not met again since the last LLPC meeting, further discussion on domain designations for FSP courses was tabled.
5. Beginning as a discussion of the uneven quality of writing intensive courses (and sections of courses), a more broad-based discussion of goals, outcomes, and assessment ensued.  The fundamental question was again raised: are we meeting the goals and outcomes of the various aspects of the liberal learning program?  It was noted that the program is complicated and perhaps burdensome to administer.  We need to know if it is delivering what we claim for it.   The chair made a commitment to return to this discussion at a future meeting.
6. Adjournment was at 2:50.  No further meetings for the fall semester were scheduled.

November 16, 2011

Present:  Bob Anderson (Secretary), Chung Chak, Connie Hall, Katherine McGarry, Romulo Ochoa,  Monisha Pulimood (Chair), John Ruscio, Mariam Shah, Lynn Tang

 

Excused:  Richard Blumberg, Mary Goldschmidt, Tom Hagedorn, David Holleran, Rita King, Sheenal Parikh, Catie Rosemurgy

 

Absent: Dan Chandler, John Laughton

1. The minutes from October 19th were approved as submitted.  The vote was five in favor, zero opposed, and two abstentions (by people not present for that meeting).
2. COM 390, Communication Research Methods was approved for quantitative reasoning by a unanimous 7 to 0 vote.
3. Bob Anderson reported that members of the First Seminar Committee have raised questions about the policy that all FSPs need to satisfy one ‘domain’ and may satisfy one civic responsibility.  The problem seems to be that certain domains (behavioral, social, and cultural perspectives; world views and ways of knowing; and to a very limited extent, social change in historical perspectives) receive those FSPs that do not clearly fall within one of the domains, while natural science, quantitative reasoning, and literary, visual, or performing arts appear to be all but inviolable.  Bob reported that the existing policy was approved by CAP after several hearings in which the original proposal of having FSPs as ‘free-standing’ requirements was decried as punitive to those majors with scant, if any, room for elective courses.   Besides possibly diluting certain domains, the existing policy may have the effect of inhibiting FSP proposers from straying beyond conventional disciplinary areas (thus defeating any interdisciplinary impetus).     One suggestion from the FSP group was to have some FSPs fulfill domain requirements while others would simply fulfill the FSP requirement.  Bob opined that such an arrangement would be a disaster in the making because incoming students, who cannot be expected to understand the liberal learning requirements, would only later claim ‘foul’ when they discovered that some classmates were receiving additional liberal learning credits for their FSPs, but others were not.  Also, since half our students change majors at least once, such an arrangement would not be practical.

   Bob said he could not think of any way to de-couple FSPs from domain requirements except by allowing students selecting breadth Option C to use their FSP to count toward the domain of their choice, effectively reducing the domain requirements from 9 to 8.  That would allow all majors to retain their elective credits and/or not require students to add a course unit to complete graduation requirements.  Since students using  Options A and B need a minimum of only 6 courses to complete their breadth requirements, it could be a ‘tweak’ that would broaden the base of FSP creation without seriously weakening the program.

4. All agreed there needs to be more thought and discussion on this issue.
5. Adjournment was at 2:50.

October 19, 2011

Present : Bob Anderson (Secretary), Mary Goldschmidt, Rita King, Katherine McGarry,  Romulo Ochoa, Monisha Pulimood (Chair), Catie Rosemurgy, John Ruscio, Lynn Tang

1. The minutes from September 21, 2011 were approved unanimously as corrected.  The title of LIT/CMP 336 was correctly stated with “Eurasia” replacing “Eastern Europe” and with the following sentence added to item 8: For existing courses, requests for liberal learning designations must come with explicit departmental or program approval.  Only those members present on September 21st voted.
2. COM 415, International Communication was unanimously approved for world views and ways of knowing. 
3. COM 390, Communication Research Methodswas discussed and considered at length.  Because the Quantitative Reasoning Advisory Council (QRAC) has not yet met this semester, LLPC members considered the proposal on their own.  However, although the cover sheet was well stated the connections between the QR goals and the syllabus are not sufficiently clear.  The course was returned to its proposer with the following recommendations:
   • Integrate what is stated in the cover sheet more explicitly with the syllabus, including the readings which do not appear to provide adequate depth in quantitative reasoning.
   • To use the revised QR goals as displayed on the liberal learning website (https://collegecore.tcnj.edu/about/goals-outcomes/)  rather than the older set of goals that have not yet been updated on the QR website.
   • To submit the revised proposal to Bob Anderson and Monisha Pulimood, who will attempt to get QRAC’s recommendation  before LLPC revisits it.
4. PSY 351, Gender Gap in Science Careers was unanimously approved for the gender studies civic responsibility.
5. MGT 495, Senior Thesis in Management was unanimously approved for the senior level writing intensive requirement.
6. Bob Anderson briefly reported on a meeting he had with Debra Frank over LLPC’s role in liberal learning assessment during AY 2011-2012.  A more complete report will be given to LLPC members shortly.
7. Adjournment was at 2:50 pm.  The next meeting was set for November 2nd in Social Sciences 131.

September 21, 2011

Present: Bob Anderson (Secretary), Richard Blumberg, Chung Chak, Mary Goldschmidt, Tom Hagedorn, David Holleran, Rita King, Katherine McGarry, Romulo Ochoa, Monisha Pulimood (Chair), Lynn Tang

1. Bob Anderson convened the meeting, welcomed all to the new academic year and asked each member to make a self-introductory statement.  He then presided over an election for the new chair and vice-chair/secretary.
2. Monisha Pulimood and Bob Anderson were unanimously elected chair and vice-chair/secretary in two separate motions.  Bob Anderson agreed to continue chairing this meeting as he had created the agenda and produced its necessary materials.
3. The minutes from May 4, 2011 were approved unanimously with one correction (PHY 261 should be Advanced General Astronomy).  Only those members present on May 4th voted.
4. Fall meetings were set for Sept 21; Oct 19; Nov 2, 16, and 30 (if needed); and Dec 7, and 21 (if needed).
5. Bob Anderson distributed copies of all liberal learning goals and outcomes and a document detailing the Approval Process for Liberal Learning Designations as approved March 1, 2009.  He also detailed some aspects of the recent history of the course approval process and how it has been simplified.  He also mentioned that much of last year was devoted to the creation of a document outlining the prospects and possibilities of holistic liberal learning assessment and reminded council members that they may well be re-visiting it this year.
6. INB 250, International Business Study Tour: Doing Business in the European Union was returned to its proposer in order to clear up some questions about departmental ownership and whether or not a faculty led study abroad course with one number, but with different locations, professors, and content should properly come before LLPC in the first place.
7. LIT/CMP 336, Nomads, Warriors, and Poets: The Poetic and Epic Traditions of Eurasia was approved for global credit (it already has literary, visual, and performing arts approval).
8. After a brief discussion concerning the Approval Process for Liberal Learning Designations, it was informally decided that school approval should be added to the checklist for courses seeking liberal learning designations (or departmental approval if there are instances where a course does not need to go through the school curriculum committee).  For existing courses, requests for liberal learning designations must come with explicit departmental or program approval.
9. Adjournment was at 2:35 pm.  The next meeting was set for October 19th in Social Sciences 131.

May 4, 2011

Present: Bob Anderson (Secretary),Richard Blumberg, Mary Goldschmidt, Tom Hagedorn, Connie Hall, Nancy Lasher (chair), Romulo Ochoa, Monisha Pulimood, John Ruscio, Philip Sanders, Karen Yan

1. An abstemious luncheon of assorted artisan sandwiches with spinach and fruit salad (in separate bowls), brownies, and cookies was enjoyed by all once they moved it from the middle of the atrium to its proper location (and adjusted to the lack of coffee).
2. Nancy Lasher presented her second annual gift to the secretary: a sterling map of NPR locations around the USA.  Bob Anderson thanked the chair for her exceptional service to the council, and said she would be missed.  Agreement by council members was clearly indicated.
3. The minutes from April 6th were approved by unanimous vote as submitted.
4. MUS 498, Senior Capstone was approved as a senior-level writing intensive course by a vote of 7 in favor and 0 opposed (with no abstentions).
5. PHY 261, Advanced General Physics was approved as a mid-level writing intensive course by a vote of 8 in favor and 0 opposed (with no abstentions), but with the understanding that writing activities need to be reflected in the learning goals (and the further note that there is no mention of writing among the leaning goals as currently constituted).
6. After extensive discussion revolving around the question of whether or not the course is sufficiently within the requested behavioral, social, and cultural perspectives purview, INB 250, International Business Study Tour: Doing Business in the European Union was returned to its proposer for a session by session breakout of reading assignments.  LLPC will gladly consider a proposal in which learning activities are more closely tied to the BSCP goals and outcomes.
7. Assessment Report: Following another lengthy discussion during which Bob Anderson agreed to place additional conditions on the ‘curriculum mining’ section, add a section on ‘value added assessment,’ and call it a report rather than a plan, it was approved by a vote of 9 to 0 to 0 as a work in progress by the Liberal Learning Program Council. Shouts of joy and sighs of relief filled the room.
8. Nancy Lasher agreed to convene the first meeting in September for the purpose of electing a 2011-2012 chair and secretary.
9. Adjournment was at 3:00 as members crawled out of the room.