February 26, 2016

Upchurch Conference Room – Bell Engineering

Members Present:

Voting: Karen Boston, Carl Circo, Paul Cronan, Norman D. Dennis, Jr., Jeannine Durdik, Ethel Goodstein-Murphree, Patricia Koski, Manuel Rossetti, and Kathy Smith

Non-Voting: Alice Griffin, Karen Turner, and Lindsay Turner

MEMBERS ABSENT:

Voting: Robert Brady, Judy Ganson, Carol Gattis, Janet Penner-Williams, John Pijanowski, Lona Robertson, Mary Savin, John Treat, Cathy Wissehr, and Tim Yeager

Non-Voting: Lisa Kulczak

GUESTS: Lynda Coon, Michael Daugherty, Fran Hagstrom, Laura Herold, Lanier Nalley, Betsy Orr, and Gary Peters

Chair Norm Dennis called the meeting to order at 2:30 p.m.

The minutes for the January 22, 2016 meeting were approved.
Course Change Proposals:
All course change proposals were approved without opposition. The approved courses are listed on the CIM Course Report created by CourseLeaf and will be forwarded for consideration as appropriate to the:
- Faculty Senate, meeting scheduled for March 9, 2016
- Graduate Council meeting scheduled for March 17, 2016
Old Business: None
New Business:
All program change proposals were approved without opposition on the CIM Program Report created by CourseLeaf. The program changes will be forwarded for consideration as appropriate to the:
- Faculty Senate, meeting scheduled for March 9, 2016
- Graduate Council meeting scheduled for March 17, 2016
1. Proposed undergraduate program change for the Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, & Life Sciences, Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness – INDV-M, International Development Minor was presented by Lanier Nalley.
  
  Creating a new minor in International Development. While the Economics and Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness departments offer a few classes each in development, independently the offerings are insufficient for students who want to work in economics in the low-income world. A joint minor will provide students with the opportunity to see both sides of economic development: agriculture (which is the main component of almost all low-income countries GDP) and economic theory (Table One, 4a_INDV-M_New Option_ Letter of Notification, 4a_INDV-M EconomicsDeptSupport).
2. Proposed undergraduate program change for the Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, & Life Sciences, Department of Human Environmental Sciences – AMPDBS, Apparel Merchandising and Product Development, Bachelor of Science in Human Environmental Science presented by Kathy Smith.
  
  The modification to the AMPDBS program requirements is to change the level of AMPD 3013 to AMPD 2013. The content of this course lends itself to a basic fashion, buying and promotion class that will give the theoretical foundation for AMPD 3033 Merchandising Math for the Apparel Industry and AMPD 3043 Fashion Brand Management. It has been determined that students need this foundation to be successful in subsequent courses. This will also enable students to take this course prior to junior standing once the junior standing prerequisite is removed. Thus, the ten-semester plan was changed to reflect that AMPD 3013 (now 2013) was moved from fall third year to fall second year semester. Also, the catalog notation to World Language was made to reflect the earlier approved program change (Table One).
3. Proposed undergraduate program change for the Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, & Life Sciences, Department of Human Environmental Sciences – HDFSBS, Human Development and Family Sciences, Bachelor of Science in Human Environmental Science was presented by Laura Herold.
  
  Adding HESC 2603 -- Rural Sociology was left out of the 2015-2016 Catalog of Studies. This request is being submitted to correct this omission (Table One).
4. Proposed undergraduate program change for the Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, & Life Sciences, Department of Human Environmental Sciences – HDFSBS-CDEV, Human Development and Family Sciences Child Development Concentration was presented by Laura Herold.
  
  The program has undergone extensive strategic planning, and the curriculum changes reflect priorities identified in that process. Two new courses at the 4000 level have been added (HESC 4473 and HESC 4413), and a five-year course rotation schedule has been developed to demonstrate that the courses can be taught using current faculty resources. The level of several courses has been changed to reflect the level of difficulty in course requirements. With regard to Analytical Approaches to Research I (HESC 4763) and Analytical Approaches to Research II (HESC 4773), these have both been changed from 2000 level courses to 4000 level courses to reflect the fact that the requirement of completing a research project has been added to the course requirements. HESC 2483, Family Financial Management, has been renumbered from HESC 4573 (Table One).
5. Proposed undergraduate program change for the Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, & Life Sciences, Department of Human Environmental Sciences – HDFSBS-LSPN, Human Development and Family Sciences Lifespan Concentration was presented by Laura Herold.
  
  The program has undergone extensive strategic planning, and the curriculum changes reflect priorities identified in that process. Two new courses at the 4000 level have been added (HESC 4473 and HESC 4413), and a five-year course rotation schedule has been developed to demonstrate that the courses can be taught using current faculty resources. The level of several courses has been changed to reflect the level of difficulty in course requirements. With regard to Analytical Approaches to Research I (HESC 4763) and Analytical Approaches to Research II (HESC 4773), these have both been changed from 2000 level courses to 4000 level courses to reflect the fact that the requirement of completing a research project has been added to the course requirements. HESC 3453, Parenting and Family Dynamics, has been renumbered from HESC 4453 (Table One).
6. Proposed undergraduate program change for the College of Engineering, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering – BENGBS, Biological Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering presented by Manuel Rossetti.
  
  Summary of Program Changes to BSBE
  Proposed to be published in the 2016-2017 University of Arkansas Catalog of Studies.
  1) Eliminate ELEG 3903 as a requirement and add a new required course: BENG 3663, Biological Engineering Methods II.
  2) Adjust the senior design sequence adding one hour to BENG 4822 (to create BENG 4823) and splitting BENG 4813 into a separate 1-hour professionalism component (BENG 4831) and a 2-hour senior design component (BENG 4812). Inactivate BENG 4813 and BENG 4822 in the process.
  3) Remove CHEM 3613 and 3611L and add 3 hours of technical elective.
  
  The net change is:
  +1 hour of engineering (-3 h ELEG + 4 h BENG)
  -1 hour of science/technical (-4 h chemistry + 3 h tech elective)
  +0 hours on the total program (remains at 128 hours).
  
  Justification:
  Our Academic Advisory Committee recommended improvements to the coverage of professionalism topics to include more workplace skills including conflict and change management. We decided to split-off the professionalism topics from the Senior Design course to better highlight the importance of these topics and to eliminate some confusion that had been expressed by students when the two were combined. Other feedback from the Academic Advisory Committee identified ELEG 3903 and advanced organic chemistry as being less critical to our current graduates. These were eliminated to allow more time to emerging skills (e.g., statistics and modeling) that we have had trouble covering in the old program. The existing Biological Engineering Methods course (BENG 2643) was basically split into two new three-hour courses to accommodate the expanded coverage. An additional technical elective was added to strengthen the ability of students to pursue a technical specialty (Table Two).
7. Proposed undergraduate program change for the College of Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering – Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering presented by Manuel Rossetti.
  
  This request slightly re-orders courses to streamline the eight-semester plan of study. It also restores a more fundamental mathematics sequence, changing MATH 3083 to MATH 2574 in the fall of the second year (to better comply with applicable accreditation guidelines). Changing CVEG 4851 to CVEG 2851 and moving it from the fall of the fourth year to the spring of the second year. Changing CVEG 3304 to CVEG 3303 in fall of third year. Also, moving CVEG 3133/3131L from fall of the third year to spring of the third year. Finally, it provides greater flexibility in the selection of STEM-related elective courses (Table Two).
8. Proposed graduate program change for the Department of Accounting – ACCTMA, Accounting, Master of Accountancy presented by Gary Peters.
  
  Request to offer the program via distance technology. Currently the Master of Accountancy degree is offered only as a full-time program for traditional graduate students who typically complete the program immediately after the bachelor's degree. Based on a review of other Master of Accountancy programs offered in the State of Arkansas, it is apparent that none of the four programs currently offer a 100% online option. In the Walton College, we have seen an increasing number of prospective students who need a part-time and/or online option in order to complete the Master of Accountancy (Macc). A review of prospective student inquiry data from just the last three years shows more than 500 individuals asking about the MAcc program who are outside the region and unable to attend full-time or who specifically ask about online options.
  
  The MAcc degree is designed to meet the accounting educational requirements for the State of Arkansas as well as other states throughout the U.S. In Arkansas, students completing the MAcc are eligible to sit for the Arkansas CPA exam with no additional coursework required. By offering the MAcc program online and in a part-time format, the Department of Accounting will be able to serve a wider population while providing more Masters-prepared accountants to the marketplace. The current demand is evidenced by the high number of students who have job offers in the current program prior to completing the first semester of the degree (Table Three, 4h_lon_13_2015 ACCTMA, 4h_Syllabi for Online MAcc).
9. Proposed graduate program change for the Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation – Clinical Occupational Therapy, Doctor of Occupational Therapy was presented by Fran Hagstrom.
  
  Adding a new degree. The clinical doctoral degree provides a focus on advanced clinical practice skills, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education, theory development, and research. The proposed OTD program will prepare graduates to secure positions as expert clinicians in specialty or emerging practice areas, as contributors to clinical research teams, as administrative leaders within health care organizations and as faculty in OT education programs. The proposed program will begin with an annual enrollment of 24 students in first two classes, increasing to 28 students in the next three entering classes, and culminating to a maximum annual enrollment of 32 students by the sixth class. This means annual enrollment of the program by the 8th cohort will be 96 graduate students with 32 graduating and entering the workforce each year.
  
  UAMS became aware of the need for an occupational therapy education program while conducting the needs assessment for the physical therapy (PT) program at UAMS Northwest in Fayetteville. Respondents to the PT needs assessment survey repeatedly commented on the shortage of occupational therapists in the region. National and state occupational therapist workforce studies and projections were reviewed and an analysis of the number and distribution of occupational therapists in the target region was conducted. Findings suggest that an occupational therapy education program at the UAF and UAMS Northwest campuses would provide significant benefit to the region and state. Facilities as well as OTs overwhelmingly identified providing more OTs to meet the demands in the regions as a positive aspect of the proposed UAF/UAMS program. It was noted by many respondents that an OT program in the area would help meet occupational therapy needs that are present in the urban as well as rural areas of the region and state. The unique opportunity of a joint UAF – UAMS program was highlighted in the responses of numerous respondents, specifically noting the reputation of both institutions as well as the resources available. It was also noted that an OT program in the region would provide opportunities for the enhancement of the OT profession through interprofessional education, evidence-based practice, research, continuing education, and degree ladder opportunities for occupational therapists with master’s degrees and occupational therapy assistants (Table Three, 4i_OTPD - New Degree-Ltr of intent, 4i_OTPD - New Degree - Proposal-1 Form).
Other Items Considered:
1. Informational item – Honors Graduate Fellows presented by Pat Koski. The Graduate School and International Education is proposing to offer a program entitled “Honors Graduate Fellows,” which will encourage Honors students to begin a master's degree in their senior year. We are requesting no changes in existing policies, and are entering this into the approval process as an information-only item (Honors accelerated program).
2. Informational item – Center for Learning and Student Success – Name change of Enhanced Learning Center and Quality Writing Center (5b_CLASS+_Name change_Ltr of Notification).
3. Discussion on requiring syllabus in CourseLeaf – after a lengthy discussion of what should be contained in a syllabus for new or revised courses, Norm Dennis agreed to draft a statement for UCPC to consider at their next meeting.
Next Meeting: March 18, 2016 at 2:30 p.m. (Agenda deadline is March 4, 2016)

Meeting adjourned at 3:35 p.m.