January 14, 1971 Senate Minutes
OAKLAND UNIVERSITY SENATE
5th Meeting
Thursday, January 14, 1971
3 p.m., 128-30 Oakland Center
Submitted by Frederick W. Obear, f o r the Steering Committee
A. Old Business
None
B. New Business
1. Motions from the Academic Standing and Honors Committee (Mr. McKay)
a. THAT MOTIONS b AND c BE APPROVED FOR FINAL VOTE AT THIS MEETING.
Procedural Motion
b. THAT THE FACULTY OF OAKLAND UNIVERSITY NOMINATE FOR THE BACHELORS DEGREE CONFERRED DECEMBER 18, 1970, THE STUDENTS NAMED ON THE LIST DISTRIBUTED AT THIS MEETING.
c. THAT UNIVERSITY HONORS BE AWARDED TO THE GRADUATES NAMED ON THE LIST DISTRIBUTED.
Comment: Master degrees are now handled by the Graduate Council.
2. Election to fill a vacancy on the Steering Committee (Mr. Burdick)
Comment: Professor Clifford Harding will be on sabbatical until after the expiration of his term on the Steering Committee. All members of the Senate are eligible to stand for election to fill this vacancy.
Nominations w i l l be accepted from the floor. .
3. Motion from the Academic Policy Committee (Mr. Hildum)
That the Senate adopt the following resolution :
COMPETENCY IN VARIOUS SUBJECTS TESTED I N THE COLLEGE LEVEL EXAMINATION PROGRAM, ADMINISTERED BY THE EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE, IS ACCEPTABLE I N FULFILLMENT OF OAKLAND UNIVERSITY GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS.
First Reading
Comment: This resolution simply extends the rationale of present practice with respect to Advanced Placement and our internal competency testing . The CLEP was designed by ETS t o help colleges judge academic competencies gained in extra curricular experience or reading, so that mature students would be rewarded for independent study and be required t o do less retracing of similar paths.
4. Motion from the Academic Policy Committee and the Athletics Committee (Mr. Hildum and Mr. Dovaras)
THAT THE PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT BE AUTHORIZED TO GRANT CREDIT FOR PHYSICAL EDUCATION COURSES. EXCEPT AS PART OF A PHYSICAL EDUCATION MINOR, NO MORE THAN FOUR CREDITS I N P.E. COURSES MAY BE PRESENTED BY A STUDENT TOWARD GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS.
First Reading
5. Motion from the Academic Policy Committee, the Athletics Committee, and Dean Laszlo Hetenyi
THAT THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION BE AUTHORIZED TO ESTABLISH A TEACHING MINOR I N PHYSICAL EDUCATION TO ACCOMPANY ANY OF THE TEACHING MAJORS, BOTH ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY. THE RULE THAT ALL PROGRAMS MUST INCLUDE AT LEAST EIGHT CREDITS OF FREE ELECTIVE SHALL BE WAIVED FOR THIS PROGRAM.
First Reading
Comments on motions 4 and 5:
a. These motions establish the principle of credit for physical education courses, with appropriate safeguards, and provide enabling legislation which would permit the School of Education to offer a minor in physical education if or when it may choose to do so.
b. Statements by representatives of school systems about jobs, by our admissions office about inquiries , and by Oakland students about desired programs indicate that we would make more Oakland teaching graduates readily employable, thereby make this University more attractive to applicants, and in turn increase our opportunity to be selective among applicants, by making physical education available as an adjunct to academic teacher preparation.
1. Since a good deal of instruction in physical education is going on already, supported by a professional staff and equipment, there is great financial advantage in using these resources to produce credits , for both the tuition return and the State support.
c. A limitation of physical education course credits for non-minors seems advisable i n order to maintain an appropriate balance with academic subjects.
d. This proposal includes no resolution of the administrative question about affiliation of the Physical Education Department. Our Senate committees feel that attachment to the School of Education has much to recommend it, but no Senate action would be proper until the School of Education expresses its official views on the matter.
e. Detailed descriptions of a number of possible course offerings and course combinations which seem appropriate for a number of minor programs are shown on a proposal which will be distributed at the meeting. The Senate, however, is not asked to legislate on the details of these proposals; these would more properly be the concerns of the School of Education and the Department of Physical Education.
1. These detailed proposals include minor programs ranging from 22 to 26 credits in physical education, with an added corequisite of one biology course. Staff and facilities are available to begin the physical education instruction as early as spring 1971 for about 50 students. The proposed biology corequisite would require a staff addition and would presumably not be ready before fall 1972.
f . The size of the proposed minor and the fact that it is not susceptible to any double counting with University requirements mean that with about half the existing teaching majors it would fill up all graduation credits. Two solutions seem simultaneously workable:
1. Maximum use of the practice of competency testing. This will help in the skill course area to shorten the program, but that will not account for all the overage.
2. Waiver of the 8 - credit free - electives rule. Our committees are not eager to propose this, but it seems a necessary step. We feel that a minor program, unlike a major alone, already embodies a good deal of choice and variety , so that in this case minimum violence is done to the spirit of the rule.
g. Not all of the proposed courses and programs would be offered immediately, but would be introduced as st aff permits and student interest justifies .
6 . Report of Steering Committee activities (Mr. Obear)