Faculty Senate Minutes
March 21, 2000
PSF 17/99-00

The meeting was called to order by the Chair, Professor Kavenik, at 3:30 in D137 MOLN. Members present were Colston, Duetsch, Feldt, Gellott, A. Goldsmith, Gregory, Hansen, Kinchen, Lindner, Mayer, McKeever, Meyer, Mullen, Noriega, J. Olsen, Ostheimer, Piele, Richards, Saffioti-Hughes, Schmidt, and Selke. Also present were P. Boyer, C. Ruffolo, R. Singer, R. Stolz, G. Wood, and E. Zepp.

The Minutes of the Senate for February 15, 2000, were approved without objection.

REPORT OF THE CHANCELLOR

In place of Chancellor Keating, Provost Ostheimer reported on actions taken at the March meeting of the Board of Regents. The most significant action pertaining to UW-P was the Board's approval of approximately $450,000 in additional expenditures to equip our new Sports and Activity Center. The Board also approved our request to award an honorary degree to William Boyd at the May commencement.

REPORT OF THE UNIVERSITY COMMITTEE CHAIR

Professor Gellott reported the passing of Professor Donna Carr on February 25. A memorial service was held on campus on March 3. Memorial contributions in her name should be made to the university scholarship fund.

Professor Gellott also reported the passing of Maureen Shucard, wife of Emeritus Professor Alan Shucard, on March 13. The University Committee sent flowers in the name of the faculty to the memorial service held on March 15.

NEW BUSINESS

ASSOCIATE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES DEGREE

The Academic Policies Committee recommended the following:

RESOLVED, that beginning in Fall 2000, with UW System approval, an Associate of Arts and Sciences degree will be conferred on students who complete the requirements set forth in Agenda Document 2.

Professor Zepp introduced the proposal for the APC, saying that the institution was granted an entitlement to plan this degree in 1990 and the entitlement will lapse if we do not act on it this year. She added that this degree is offered at a a number of other institutions in the University Cluster and the members of APC hoped that the availability of this degree will encourage a greater number of students to complete their general education requirements at an early date. Professor Duetsch asked how many of these degrees are awarded at the Cluster institutions and was told by Provost Ostheimer that there were not many awarded at any one institution but that the Cluster institutions together award about eight percent of the Associate degrees conferred in the UW System.

Professor Kinchen asked whether the APC had considered the possibility that conferral of this degree would create an impression that the institution is a community college. Professor Zepp replied that this had been discussed and was not thought to be likely. Professor Mayer said he could easily imagine that our announcement of such a program would be reported in a disparaging manner. Professor Saffioti-Hughes said this risk could be minimized by combining its announcement with the announcement of other initiatives we have recently undertaken.

Professor Gellott asked whether it had been determined how students would matriculate into this program at the time they are admitted. Professor Zepp replied that no recommendation had been developed in this regard. Professor Selke asked whether approval of this degree program would put us into competition with Gateway Technical College and was told by Professor Gellott that no program of this kind is offered there.

Professor Gregory said that she felt very positive about this proposal. She anticipated that the program may be of interest to elderly students and saw little public relations risk in offering it. Professor Mayer cautioned against letting an increased demand for introductory coursework drive our curriculum.

Provost Ostheimer said that he has observed no confusion in the community about our standing as a four-year degree-granting institution. He added that this program could serve pre-engineering and pre-nursing students well by enabling them to obtain a degree from UW-P before they transfer to another institution. Professor Feldt supported this view in the case of pre-engineering students. Professor Ruffolo questioned whether this program would serve pre-nursing students since they do not take the broad array of general education courses this program requires. Provost Ostheimer said that all UW institutions must honor the completion of general education requirements by students who transfer from another UW institution.

Professor Kinchen asked whether the APC had considered proposing a general education certificate program rather than an associate degree program. Professor Zepp said they had not, in part because the institution already has the entitlement and in part because such a program would be very different from anything we have previously called a certificate program.

Professor Lindner said that he found this to be a very attractive proposal and Professor Noriega agreed, saying that the issue for this sort of program is quality and we offer quality. Professor Gregory suggested that graduates of this program be allowed to go through our graduation ceremony and was supported in this by Professor Saffioti-Hughes.

Professor Richards MOVED THE PREVIOUS QUESTION (SECONDED by Professor Lindner). MOTION FAILED, 6 in favor, 10 against.

Professor Gregory urged the body to approve the proposal. Provost Ostheimer said that since the entitlement would not expire until the end of this academic year, the proposal could be considered at the next Senate meeting after questions that were raised today had been addressed.

It was MOVED by Professor Gellott (SECONDED by Professor Kinchen) that the proposal be referred back to APC to determine (before the April 18 Senate meeting) how students would matriculate into the program, how they would be treated at graduation, and how the requirements of this program would mesh with the requirements of other programs, e.g., in pre-engineering and pre-nursing. MOTION APPROVED on a voice vote.

SPANISH CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

The Committee on Academic Planning recommended the following:

RESOLVED, that a certificate program entitled Spanish for Professionals will be offered by the Department of Modern Languages, as set forth in Agenda Document 3, effective immediately.

Professor Wood introduced the proposal, saying that many of the required courses were already being offered and the program could be undertaken without additional staff. Professor Mayer questioned whether the cultural knowledge called for in the statement of goals really was likely to be provided in the required coursework.

The MOTION was APPROVED on a voice vote.

PIANO PEDAGOGY AND LITERATURE PROGRAM AND CONCENTRATION IN THE MUSIC MAJOR

The Committee of Academic Planning recommended the following:

RESOLVED, that a certificate program in Piano Pedagogy and Literature and a new concentration in Piano Pedagogy and Literature within the Music major will be offered by the Music Department, as set forth in Agenda Document 4, effective immediately.

Professor Wood introduced the proposal, saying there appears to be a large pool of potential students for the certificate program and the associated costs would be modest.

The MOTION was APPROVED on a voice vote.

ENTITLEMENT TO PLAN A M.S. IN INTEGRATED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

The Committee on Academic Planning recommended the following:

RESOLVED, that the request from the Biological Sciences Department for an entitlement to plan a M.S. degree program in Integrated Science and Technology, as set forth in Agenda Document 5, is approved for transmittal to the UW System Office of Academic Affairs.

Professor Wood introduced the proposal, saying that the proposed program would clearly address the institutional mission and a community need.

Dean Stolz asked for a description of the technology component of the proposed program and said he was unaware of any consultation with the School of Business and Technology about this proposal. Professor Gellott pointed out that if this entitlement to plan is approved, appropriate consultation would need to take place as the planning process proceeds.

Professor Mullen asked why, if the intention is to meet the needs of teachers, the institution would propose this M.S. degree rather than some other one. Professor Boyer, replying to both Stolz and Mullen, said that the program would provide training in technology that could be used in science classrooms and that the program would be unique in the UW System. Professor Mullen asked whether other departments should propose M.S. programs to serve teachers and was told by Professor Saffioti-Hughes that this proposal would fill an unmet need, while most comparable needs of teachers were already being met by existing programs at other UW institutions. Professor Wood reiterated that science teachers have a great need for this program.

Professor Selke pointed out that the new state system of teacher licensure would require teachers to obtain M.S. degrees to become master teachers. Professor Saffioti-Hughes said she saw a need for a program such as this in the humanities. Professor Gregory said that she had privately questioned Professor Boyer about the proposal and was now convinced that it would be conceptually sound.

Professor Lindner called for the question. The MOTION was APPROVED on a voice vote.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:30.