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WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

ACADEMIC COORDINATING COMMISSION MINUTES

Regular Meeting  --  May 1, 2007

Chair James Hearne called the meeting of the Academic Coordinating Commission to order on May 1, 2007 in OM340 at 4:07 p.m.  There were fifteen (15) members present, and three (3) others for a total of eighteen (18). (See attached roster).   Senators welcomed and applauded Annie Jansen, newly elected Associated Students Vice President, Academics, whose term extend through 2008.  Jansen sits on the ACC Executive Committee.  Senators also welcomed and applauded Seth Hersch, Associated Students Senate Chair and ACC member through 2008.

Approval of ACC minutes

Commissioners approved the minutes of April 17, 2007 as written.

Appointments and Elections

Via paper ballot, Commissioners elected three faculty to International Programs Advisory Board from a slate of five candidates, for a two year term through 2009.  The winners are the following:  Amir Abedi-Djourabtchi, Political Science; Massimiliano Tomasi, M&Cl Lang; Kathleen Tomlonovic; Asian Studies.

Commssioners also appointed Bertil Van Boer, Music, to the Honors Board through 2009.

AGENDA ITEMS.   Curricular and Standing Committee Minutes.

The following curricular minutes came before ACC on May 1, 2007.

 

Huxley College notes

• 2/12/07: Changing just a number such as 338 to 438 can be confusing on the course forms.  The Catalog Coordinator hopes that next year a new form will be devised that allows a course to have its number changed without indicating all the variations – which appear to make a simple numbering change an entirely new course.

• 3/5/07:  An exception is made for the 498a-d courses.  The Registrar indicated this alph-suffix will not generate extra work since it is done at the end of a student’s program, and the course is typically not repeated, and it would not affect credit checking.

• 3/12/07: Student faculty designed major title edited to clarify intended meaning:  Title should read “Sustainability Planning….” And not “Sustainable Planning….”

TCCC: 4/10/07

Chair Hearne will write Memo asking for an explanation of 383 Public Genre Art Education which advertises as a requirement that students be Admitted to Woodring College of Education.  Commissioners expressed concern that the “underlining is daunting” in the catalog.  This course title easily encourages students other than Woodring students to enroll.  If the only rationale for the requirement is the background or fingerprint checking, why not list that as the requirement, rather than admission to an entire college?  This course seems like an elective that has components of interest to other students.  The prerequisites indicate students with several art prerequisites, but then limits those to Woodring students.  Commissioners believe there should be real justification for such restriction.

MOTION - Fractionalized Writing Proficiency Points in the Majors - MOTION

Commissioners defeated a motion, (hand count: 10 opposed, 2 in favor) that would rescind the moratorium against distributing Writing Proficiency (WP) points amongst several courses.  For next year there is no change in the Writing Proficiency requirement.  

Rationale:  Commissioners prefer to collect data (through the Assessment Committee’s Writing Accountability subcommittee – (WAG)) to find out the status and achievements of the writing in the majors at present before establishing a new system.

     (The following is the text of the defeated motion, reprinted from the minutes of April 17, when it was first discussed by the ACC:

 “First, that ACC rescind its original moratorium against distributing writing proficiency points amongst several courses.   Henceforth, a course may satisfy one-third ( ⅓), two-thirds (⅔) or three-thirds (1) of the writing proficiency requirement (denoted WP1, WP2, WP3, respectively, on classfinder).   

“Second,  such fractional writing proficiency status may be attached only to regularly offered courses—as opposed to individual sections or offerings—which apply to the major of the unit offering the course.”)

Commissioners’ Concerns

audit

Adjournment

Commissioners adjourned at 5:55 pm.

Rose Marie Norton-Nader, Recorder, May 1, 2007

ACADEMIC COORDINATING COMMISSION 2006-2007 ROSTER