February 24, 2023

UNDERGRADUATE COUNCIL
MINUTES
February 24, 2023
2:30 p.m.
Upchurch Conference Room, BELL 3162

MEMBERS PRESENT: 
Voting:  Alan Ellstrand, Matthew Ganio, Chris Goering, Ethel Goodstein-Murphree, Kevin Hall, Casey Harris, Garry McDonald, Lona Robertson, Manuel Rossetti, Rodney Thomas II, and John Treat

Non-Voting: Amanda Corbell, Alice Griffin, Christa Hestekin, and Suzanne Kenner 

MEMBERS ABSENT: 
Voting: Adriana Gonzalez, Jeannie Hulen, Rhett Hutchins, John Pijanowski, and Jennie Popp
 
Non-Voting:  Gina Daugherty and Tiffany Murphy

GUESTS:  Alessandro Brogi, Fran Hagstrom, Deborah Korth, Bethany Springer, Ellen Urton, and Jill Wheeler

Chair Lona Robertson called the meeting to order at 2:30 p.m.

 

1. The minutes for the January 27, 2023 meeting were approved.

2. 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 to the Faculty Senate, meeting scheduled for March 8, 2023.

3. Old Business:  

None. 

4.  New Business:  

The following program change proposals were approved on the CIM Program Report with one correction to item 4.g. (see below).  The program change proposals will be forwarded for consideration to the Faculty Senate, meeting scheduled for March 8, 2023.

 

a. Proposed undergraduate program change for the Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences, Department of Agricultural Education, Communication and Technology – AGED-M – Agricultural Education Minor presented by Lona Robertson.

⦁ Remove AGED 4113 - Undergraduate Researchers Improving Student Experience from degree plan.
⦁ Remove AGED 3111 - Student Management from degree plan.
⦁ Changed AGED 4211 - Teachers as Professionals from one hour credit to AGED 4213 three hour credit.
⦁ Change AGED 4231 - Program Development from one hour credit to AGED 4233 three hour credit. This course will change from being offered during the last semester in the degree plan to the spring semester of the junior year. Other electives will be moved to accommodate this change and balance semester credit hours.
⦁ 4 credit hours will be removed (AGED 4113 & AGED 3111) while 4 credit hours will be added in expanded courses (2 in AGED 4213 & 2 in AGED 4233) for a net zero change in credits for the degree plan.

Changes to the AGED minor are needed to match changes to the AGED degree concentration. Changes to the AGED concentration degree plan are necessary in order to provide our students with a more rounded education in relation to holistically managing an agricultural education program. Changes would allow additional instruction in the areas of managing youth organizations and supervising experiential learning outside of a classroom through an expanded AGED 4233 Program Development course. These are areas in which recent graduates have indicated we need to provide additional instruction. The removal of the AGED 4113 URISE course is necessary because it does not teach skills that are highly sought after by students in our program. The removal of the AGED 3111 Student Management course is necessary because it is repetitive in the concepts taught. Most of the competencies taught in AGED 3111 are also taught in other AGED courses. Any AGED 3111 not covered in other courses can be integrated in the expanded AGED 4213 Teachers as Professionals course. Teachers as Professionals should be expanded to 3 hours to balance credits in the last semester and to provide additional contact time to teach competencies in this area. Currently, the AGED program needs improvement in teacher professionalism TESS standards. 4 credits removed from AGED 4113 and AGED 3111 will be replaced with 4 credits by expanding AGED 4231 to 4233 and AGED 4211 to 4213, adding 2 hours for each course (4a_aged-m_report_02242023, 4a_aged-m_revising_an_approved_licensure_program_coversheet_and_section_c_02242023).

 

b. Proposed undergraduate program change for the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Arts and Sciences Dean – PACEUM - Professional Agility and Career Essentials Undergraduate MicroCertificate presented by Deborah Korth.

Creating an undergraduate microcertificate in Professional Agility and Career Essentials.

Students need support to foster the connection among their major(s)/minor(s), the general education learning outcomes, and their future professional aspirations (4b_paceum_report_02242023). 

 

c. Proposed undergraduate program change for the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Arts and Sciences Dean – ARSC Honors – ARSC College Honors Requirements presented by Jill Wheeler.

Reformatted admissions language, policies, and program requirements, significantly reducing the amount of course clutter by removing the extensive course tables from the program requirements. No net changes to course requirements.

The Fulbright Honors Program looked at the way the other Honors Programs on campus list their honors requirements and realized that instead of being helpful, our method was overcomplicated in its method of delivery. The proposed changes were made to help clarify what the requirements actually entail as well as laying out the requirements for each honors level for students who complete the program (4c_arsc_honors_report_02242023). 

 

d. Proposed undergraduate program change for the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, Department of History – HIST Dept Honors – History Departmental Honors presented by Alessandro Brogi.

Revised specific course offerings.

To reflect newly submitted changes in course numbering (4d_hist_dept_honors_report_02242023). 

 

e. Proposed undergraduate program change for the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, Department of History – HIST Writing Req – History Writing Requirement presented by Alessandro Brogi.

Revised language in the writing requirement which includes the new courses that can satisfy the requirement.

Due to the addition of new senior-level writing courses that fulfill the writing requirement, the language has been updated to reflect these courses in the listing (4e_hist_writing_req_report_02242023). 

 

f. Proposed undergraduate program change for the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Social Work – SCWK Admission Reqs – Social Work Admission Requirements presented by Casey Harris.

Added further explanation of Criteria for Termination from the BSW Program to include that students can be terminated from the program due to engaging in any activity or behaviors that are incompatible with the "Ethical Principals/Guidelines for UA Social Work Students" which is documented, investigated and confirmed by a committee comprised of School of Social Work Faculty.
Addition to Criteria for Termination the note that students that are terminated due to the violation listed above are not eligible to reapply to the BSW Program. 

Criteria for Termination needed additional clarification to ensure students understanding of the importance of adhering to the "Ethical Principals/Guidelines of UA Social Work Students" and to avoid instances of confusion related to reapplication policies related to students terminated due to these sorts of violations. These changes ensure the BSW Program continues to assist students in the development of learning outcomes that are in line with professional social work ethical standards when completing the program (4f_scwk_admission_reqs_report_02242023). 

 

g. Proposed undergraduate program change for the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, School of Art – STARBFA-SCPT - Studio Art Bachelor of Fine Arts: Sculpture + Experimental Media Concentration presented by Bethany Springer.

Changed concentration title and relevant course title references in the 8SDP from "Sculpture" to "Sculpture + Electronic Media."

Establishing consistency of the program name in the catalog. The program is referred to as "Sculpture + Electronic Media" in all other School of Art materials and with the new courses that were developed last year (4g_starbfa-scpt_report_02242023). 

The presenter, Bethany Springer, requested that the eight semester plan be revised and change the word Electronic to Experimental throughout the document.  Alice Griffin agreed to correct the plan before moving the request forward.

 

h. Proposed undergraduate program change for the Walton College of Business, Department of Management – DEIMUM – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Undergraduate MicroCertificate presented by Alan Ellstrand.

Adding an Undergraduate MicroCertificate in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Management. 

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Management is a rapidly growing area within organizations. This Undergraduate MicroCertificate will provide students with instruction in this key area (4h_deimum_report_02242023). 

 

i. Proposed undergraduate program change for the Walton College of Business, Department of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Venture Innovation – ORINUM – Organizational Innovation Undergraduate MicroCertificate presented by Alan Ellstrand.

Adding a nine hour Undergraduate MicroCertificate in Organizational Innovation. 

Innovation is critical for organizational survival. The Undergraduate MicroCertificate in Organizational Innovation will provide hands-on experience for future organizational leaders (4i_orinum_report_02242023). 

 

j. Proposed undergraduate program change for the Walton College of Business, Department of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Venture Innovation – OUDOUM – Outdoor Products and Services Undergraduate MicroCertificate presented by Alan Ellstrand.

Adding an Undergraduate MicroCertificate in Outdoor Products and Services. 

The outdoor products and services industries are rapidly growing--especially in northwest Arkansas. The Undergraduate MicroCertificate in Outdoor Products and Services provides students with necessary knowledge to build and grow businesses in these areas (4j_oudoum_report_02242023). 

 

k. Proposed undergraduate program change for the Walton College of Business, Department of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Venture Innovation – SOINUM – Social Innovation Undergraduate MicroCertificate presented by Alan Ellstrand.

Adding an Undergraduate MicroCertificate in Social Innovation. 

Social Innovation is required for success in social enterprises. This Undergraduate MicroCertificate addresses a need in making students aware of the need for and in encouraging innovation among non-profit and social enterprise organizations (4k_soinum_report_02242023). 

 

l. Proposed undergraduate program change for the Graduate School and International Education, Department of Graduate Dean – INTL UGRD Admission Policy – International Students Undergraduate Admissions Policy presented by Christa Hestekin.

i. Updated and clarified English proficiency test scores to include specific references to scores for DET and WASSCE.
ii. Added language about the intensive English language course sequence for conditionally admitted students.
iii. A word document that shows the exact changes is also attached.

⦁ The language referring to WASSCE and DET have been moved here to increase clarity of when and how they can be used.
⦁ A new intensive English language course sequence have been developed for conditionally admitted students and language has been added to the admissions policy to include that (4l_intl_ugrd_admission_policy_report_02242023, 4l_intl_ugrd_admission_policy_update_02242023). 

5.  Announcements:

⦁ Online Teaching, Grades K-12 Endorsement - Revising a Certificate/Degree Licensure WITHOUT Academic Program Changes (5_online_teaching_k-12_endorsement_minor_revisions_to_teacher_licensure_02242023).

Next Meeting: March 17, 2023 (agenda deadline is March 3, 2023).

Meeting adjourned at 3:04 p.m.