The next meeting of the General Education Committee will be at 3 p.m. on
Tuesday, Nov.2, in the Hiwassee Room
General Education Committee
10/18/99 Minutes
Present: Gene Bartoo, Betsy Darken, Nick Honerkamp, Gail Meyer, Marea
Rankin, Roger Thompson, Bruce Wallace, Barbara Walton
The committee convened at 3 p.m.
1. Computer Science 385: Ethical and Social Issues in Computing
In the absence of a representative for this proposal, the chair suspected
that no one had informed the department of this meeting. The committee
chose to discuss the proposal anyway, without plans to make any motions.
Questions and comments included:
a. What is "agora"?
b. What is the title of the textbook being used in this course?
c. The answer to guideline #3, "Concentrate on significant or influential
events or works of human culture and civilization", struck many committee
members as weak. The response needs to describe these events and if
necessary, explain why they are significant or influential.
d. Ditto for the answer to guideline #5, "Illuminate the relationship
between significant creative expression and the processes of society,
politics, and everyday life." The response must demonstrate that the study
of "significant creative expressions" is part of the course, and must show
how the relationship alluded to in the guideline is addressed in the
course.
e. Several members suggested that the course cover a broader span of time,
not just recent events, in its investigations of the impact of
technological innovations on human experience.
f. Several members expressed concern over a possible lack of depth in the
course--it may be too narrow and too limited in scope. Others were
intrigued by the direct discussion of ethical issues in computer science.
2. Computer Literacy Exemption Test
The chair reported that some progress is being made on this matter. She
will make a fuller report to the committee at its next meeting.
3. Dual Enrollment
The committee discussed the issue of non-AP college courses taken by
students who have not yet graduated from high school ("dual enrollment
courses"), particularly the hundreds of CSTCC courses taken by area
students every semester. Such students, if they choose to come to UTC,
will not be classified as transfer students, hence will be under the new
general education requirements. This includes current freshmen who took
dual enrollment courses last year, as well as students taking such courses
this year. It turns out that popular dual enrollment courses include
Freshman Composition (Engl 121 & 122) and a year of world literature. The
latter presents a particular problem since the new general education
requirements include only one course in the Humanities category, although
it includes two interdisciplinary Western Humanities courses in Cultures
and Civilizations category. To solve this temporary problem, Gail Meyer
made the following motion, seconded by Barbara Walton:
Through the summer of 2001, the General Education Committee will
temporarily accept certain Chattanooga State courses taken by high school
students in the dual enrollment program as satisfying UTC's 1999 general
education requirements. The Committee will develop a list of equivalences.
In particular, students who take two semesters of world literature will be
permitted to count one semester of world literature as one semester of
Western Humanities.
The motion passed, 8-0-0.
4. General Transfer Courses and General Education
Betsy Darken and Nick Honerkamp reported on their discussion about transfer
courses with Herb Burhenn, Acting Dean of Arts and Sciences and Head of the
Philosophy Department, Verbie Prevost, Acting Head of the English
Department, Bill Wright, Head of History, and John Phillips, coordinator of
the Western Humanities workshops:
The dean reported to the group that UTC has been receiving flak
about its treatment of transfer students. Dr. Prevost told a horror story
about a student who had received elective credit for a number of courses
for which he should have received major or general education credit.
Professor Darken commented that these problems had been discussed at other
meetings. One reason for the problem was the turnover in staff in the
Records Office. Another was the apparent failure by some department heads
to grant general education credit for transfer courses which met the Gen Ed
guidelines, but had no equivalent among UTC general education courses. A
third problem was a failure to inform transfer students of the option of
appealing "electives" to department heads for possible major or general
education credit.
In regard to the new General Education requirements, there was
general agreement that it would be impossible to insist on the 20% writing
requirement in transfer mathematics and natural science courses. For one
thing, this requirement would be unlikely to be specified in course
descriptions. However, a significant difference of opinion occurred over
the matter of what courses should be accepted as Western Humanities
courses. Professors Darken and Honerkamp were of the opinion that only
courses with reasonably similar course descriptions, including the use of
interdisciplinary materials and a set of primary texts, should be
acceptable as equivalent to our Western Humanities courses. The department
heads were of the opinion that considerable flexibility should be used in
granting transfer credit for Western Humanities. In particular, they
argued that a world or western literature sequence, or any similar
humanities sequence, combined with a course like World Religions, should be
acceptable as satisfying the Western Humanities/Nonwestern Cultures
requirement. However, Dr. Prevost expressed the opinion that students
transferring from neighboring community colleges should be expected to take
western humanities courses very similar to ours. Dr. Darken pointed out
that, on the face of it, there seemed to be significant differences between
our interdisciplinary Western Humanities courses and western literature
sequences, including the one currently offered by our own English
Department. In fact, it seemed that these sequences were different enough
from each other to cause a great deal of debate over the new General
Education proposal last year. The General Education Committee
representatives were puzzled about the fact that last year the English
Department asked for and received certification for courses for the
Humanities and Fine Arts category that Drs. Provost and Burhenn were now
suggesting should count for Western Humanities -- but only if taken as
equivalent courses at Chattanooga State. This would create a double
standard for UTC students vs. transfer students that Professors Darken and
Honerkamp found disturbing. Also, Professor Honerkamp suggested that such
a policy of "flexibility" would remove any need for feeder colleges to
change their courses to reflect our new General Education requirements.
Dr. Honerkamp pointed out, since our Western Humanities courses are very
special and at the core of our general education program, this requirement
should not be compromised. Professor Phillips remarked that it would be a
hardship for junior transfer students who had taken a number of humanities
courses elsewhere to be required to take two Western Humanities courses.
There was further discussion in the meeting with the department
heads over who has jurisdiction over decisions about general education
credit being given to transfer courses. All agreed that setting the
curriculum is indeed a faculty prerogative. In regard to evaluating
transfer credit, however, Dr. Burhenn pointed out that a number of years
ago the department heads were given the chore of evaluating transcripts for
elective vs. general education credit, and have been doing so ever since.
Professor Darken responded that -- perhaps naively -- she had assumed that
the department heads were adhering to the general education guidelines in
their decision-making. Counting world literature for our Western
Humanities is not adhering to the guidelines. Dr. Burhenn disagreed,
commenting that department heads have had to be flexible in these matters.
Professor Darken said that the appropriate course of action to follow
concerning this disagreement would be for the General Education Committee
to discuss the matter and, if it so chooses, to make a recommendation to
Faculty Council.
After receiving the report of the meeting from Professors Darken and
Honerkamp, the committee discussed the issues raised at this meeting and
were in general agreement with the statements made by the committee's
representatives. In addition, the committee ruminated that perhaps
department heads should send decisions about general education credit for
transfer courses to the Committee as information items.
Gene Bartoo made and Marea Rankin seconded the following motion:
Transfer courses are to be evaluated by department heads in the associated
disciplines for general education credit on the basis of (a) equivalence to
existing UTC general education courses, or (b) satisfaction of general
education guidelines. In the case of the interdisciplinary Western
Humanities subcategory, decisions regarding transfer credit will be made by
the General Education Committee.
The motion passed, 8-0-0. The chair is to draw up rationales for this
motion and the previously passed motion for presentation to Faculty
Council.
5. General Education Monies
The chair reported that she has submitted another grant to the UC
Foundation for next year, at the request of the administration. She is
concerned about the current grant. It is not at all clear that there will
be any funds to pay for faculty development, since the proposal was not
fully funded and large chunks of the grant have been used to fund General
Education lines. The chair will give the committee a full report once she
has gotten a grip on the budget.
A question was raised as to whether or not General Education lines created
for this year will be continued into next year. There is a little matter
of live human beings occupying these lines and wondering about their
futures, to say nothing of departments needing their services and students
needing instructors. The chair will check on this matter.
The committee adjourned at 4:40 p.m.
Betsy Darken, Ph.D.
Mathematics Department, #6956
UT-Chattanooga
615 McCallie Ave, Chattanooga, TN 37403
Phone:423-755-4580;Fax: 423-755-4586; Email: [log in to unmask]
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