Oakland University Senate
April 14, 1965
Minutes
PRESENT: Messrs. Appleton, Beardslee, G. Brown, Cammack, Cherno, Collins, Dettman, Galloway, Haden, Hammerle, Heubel, Hildum, Hoopes, Hough, Hucker, Malm, Matthews, McKay, Mobley, O'Dowd, Schwab, Sells, Stoutenburg, Stubblefleld, Susskind, Swanson, Tafoya, Tipler, Tomboulian, Varner, Williamson.
ABSENT: Messrs. H. Burdick, Eklund, Harding, Hetenyi, Howes, Pitts, Quaintance, Simmons,
GUESTS: Messrs, Blair, Burke, Evarts, Obear, Woditsch
Chancellor Varner called the meeting to order at 3:22 p.m.
Mr. Williamson moved to accept the minutes of April 7, 1965. Seconded by Mr. Susskind. Mr. Heubel moved to amend the minutes by changing paragraph 5 on page 3 to read "The parliamentarian stated that Article II, 1, (f), (g) and (h) should be put on the agenda by the Steering Committee for action at a subsequent Senate meeting. " Seconded by Mr. Stubblefield. Amendment adopted. The minutes were then approved.
Mr. Hucker asked that Messrs. Blair, Brieger and Burke, who are not senators, be permitted to participate in the discussion of the Academic Affairs Committee's recommended curriculum changes because of their membership on the Committee.
Mr. Hucker moved that the six recommendations under Part A of the curriculum change proposal be voted on separately, but that all recommendations under Part B be voted on as a package. Seconded by Mr. Heubel. Motion adopted.
Mr. Hucker moved the following paragraphs from the proposal: Part A -- "Have passed all prescribed University Courses, including two such courses designated S (that is, in seminar format). " (It is intended that every first-time-in-any-college student must pass two seminar courses among the first ten courses that he completes, and that every transfer student must satisfy this requirement unless he has successfully completed a full transferable year of English writing work elsewhere.)
"To fulfill University Course requirements, the Engineering Science major must take either UC 016-017 (Western Literature) or UC 034-035 (Western Institutions); and one course each in the Art-Music group, the Social Sciences group, and the Area Studies group. His program must also provide for two free electives, and he must satisfy the University foreign-language requirement. "
"To fulfill University Course requirements, the Secondary Education major in Chemistry must take UC 016-017 (Western Literature), UC 034-035 (Western Institutions), and one course each in the Art-Music group, the Social Sciences group, and the Area Studies group. His program must also provide for two free electives, and he must pass German 101-102, or demonstrate comparable competence, to satisfy the graduation requirement concerning foreign languages,"
"Successful completion of UC 050-051 (American Life in the Twentieth Century) may count as fulfilling one semester of the University Course Social Sciences group requirement."
"The Dean of the University (the Provost) is hereby authorized, with the continuing advice and consent of the Academic Affairs Committee, to activate and implement two "little college" experimental programs, in general accordance with the principles and guidelines set forth in attachment B and attachment C." Note: Attachments B and C were distributed to all senators with the proposal.
"Resolved, that an ad hoc Committee on Honors Programs be constituted by the Senate, to consist of three faculty members, with the charge to study, make proposals about, and if appropriate eventually implement suitable means of dealing with the academic needs of the University's most talented students. " (It is intended that such a committee should formulate and present to the Senate for approval a plan that might, among others, encompass any or all of the following: (1) the waiving of certain or all general-education requirements in favor of upper-level courses to be chosen in consultation with an adviser; (2) establishment of special honors sections in freshman and upper-level courses at the discretion of the faculties concerned; (3) senior-year honors thesis or comprehensive examinations; (4) special programs of an informal teaching nature, including colloquia, seminars, faculty-student dinners, etc.; (5) utilization of honors students as tutors; and (6) promotion of an honors society engaging in constructive community work.)
Part B �
"Unless otherwise approved, all courses will carry four units of credit. Courses and teaching activities may, however, be offered for variable credit from zero to eight units with permission of the Committee on Instruction. The Committee on Instruction is hereby authorized to approve requests from departments and programs for varying the credit value of courses in the present catalog, or of new academic courses proposed by the existing academic departments and programs; to approve any new departmental formulation of graduation requirements that varied course credit might make appropriate; and to determine what kinds of grades may be given for such courses and whether or not grades given in such courses should be counted in determining the cumulative grade-point average. As for courses, activities, and credits not affected by the foregoing authorization, the Senate, on advice of the Committee on Instruction, will determine for each new category of instances whether or not such credits may constitute part of the graduation requirements, whether or not the graduation requirements should be altered accordingly, what kinds of grades may be given for such courses or activities, and whether or not grades given in such courses or activities should be counted in determining the cumulative grade-point average."
"The statement concerning requirements for graduation on page 40 of the present catalog that a student must "1. Have passed at least 31 courses" is hereby amended to read "1. Have passed courses totaling not fewer than 124 credit units;"
"Except by permission of the Committee on Instruction, no department or program may require a student to earn more than 36 credit units in any one field of study, and no student may count toward graduation courses in any one field of study beyond one half of the total credit units required for him to graduate. The Committee on Instruction may not approve a departmental or program requirement in any one field of study exceeding 40 per cent of the total credit units required for the student to graduate without specific authorization from the Senate." ("Field of study" is here meant to denote what we ordinarily call the major, and not to encompass prerequisite or co-requisite fields. Using the present four-unit course as a standard for illustrative purposes, the proposed legislation would permit the Committee on Instruction to approve an Engineering Science program, for example, including up to twelve courses in Engineering but would require approval of the full Senate for any requirement in excess of twelve courses in Engineering.)
"All students in liberal arts majors, with the exception of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, shall be required to demonstrate facility in a foreign language through the fourth-semester level by placing beyond second-year language at the college level in a proficiency examination administered upon admission, or, if need be, by successfully, completing a fourth-semester course in language at the college level. All students in pre-professional programs (Teacher Education, both elementary and secondary; Business Administration; Engineering Science) and liberal arts majors in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics shall be required to demonstrate reading knowledge of a foreign language by placing beyond first-year language at the college level in a proficiency examination administered upon admission, or, if need be, by successfully completing a second-semester course In language at the college level. "
"Have attained a minimal breadth in his program by (a) passing at least 8 credit units as genuinely free electives, and (b) passing 36 or more additional credit units as specified to satisfy general-education requirements. "
"In partial satisfaction of the graduation requirements specified on page 40, every student must pass the following:
1. Two semesters of UC 01 Freshman Explorations, without duplicating letter-designated sections (A, B, C, etc.), completing both semesters while classified as a freshman in terms of credits earned toward graduation, and without enrolling for more than one Freshman Explorations section in any one semester. Every transfer student must satisfy this requirement unless he has successfully completed a full transferable year of English writing work elsewhere.
2. Courses in the categories listed below, totaling not fewer than the credit units indicated, either in University Course offerings or (with the consent of his adviser) in appropriate department offerings:
A. Western Civilization (European or American history or philosophy): 4 credits
B. Literature (Classical, English, or American literature, literature in a foreign language, or foreign literature in translation): 4 credits
C. Fine Arts (art or music): 4 credits
D. Social Sciences (political science, economics, psychology, anthropology, and sociology): 8 credits
E. Non-Western Civilizations (Asian civilizations): 4 credits
F. Science and Mathematics: 12 credits
3. One semester of UC 90 Senior Seminar in a letter-designated category outside his major field, to be taken in either of his last two semesters as an undergraduate. As authorized by his major department or program with consent of the Academic Affairs Committee, a student may utilize one or both seminar courses in category 1 (Freshman Explorations) and his course in category C (Senior Seminar), or any combination of such seminar courses, to satisfy, in addition, appropriate requirements in category 2. A student's general-education requirement may therefore vary between 36 and 48 credit units depending upon his major, but no student will be permitted to graduate with fewer than 36 credit units distributed among the general-education categories. "
Seconded by Mr. Heubel.
Mr. Hucker proceeded to explain and answer questions about each section of the proposal.
Mr. McKay moved that the Steering Committee call an open meeting of the faculty and staff to discuss the proposal of the Academic Affairs Committee. Seconded by Mr. Stubblefield. Motion adopted.
Mr. Hammerle asked the Chancellor whether the "little college" concept as described in the attachments to the proposal was practical in light of financial and faculty needs. Mr. Varner answered yes, and Mr. O'Dowd concurred.
Mr. Beardslee moved that the Academic Affairs Committee be congratulated for the thought and effort that went into the proposal even though the Senate may not adopt It. Seconded by Mr. Appleton. Motion adopted.
Mr. Matthews moved to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by Mr. Stubblefield. Motion adopted.
HNS/mm