SCD minutes Oct. 21, 2005

MAC Hall gathering room

Present: Austin, Kersten, Nielsen, Lockard, Galt, Walter, Everingham, L.

Smith, Al-atiyat

Absent: Kaye

Guest: Dean Hughes

Meeting convened at 3 pm

-Celebrations:

Austin's "Race and Lethal Forms of Social Control: A Preliminary Investigation into Execution and Self-Help in the United States, 1930-1964" has been accepted for publication to Crime, Law and Social Change.

Al-atiyat gave a lecture on Oct. 18 on women and politics in the Middle East.

-Minutes of last meeting were approved as revised.

-The process of approval of the Global Studies minor was discussed briefly. Dean Hughes indicated that we are in the beginning stages of the curricular approval process and formal decisions have not been made at this time. Hughes emphasized that he liked the concept of the proposal but would wait for the Academic Affairs Council to make a formal recommendation to him and then seek input from the University Committee and approval of the Faculty Senate.

The focus then turned to content:

-It was stressed that more History, Anthropology, Sociology and SCD courses needed to be included in the proposal.

-The current faculty membership and course list are still open to more participation and contribution.

-The issue of a budgetary home was raised. A view that the minor should be housed within SCD and not be a "free- standing" minor was expressed. Concerns were shared about budgetary chairs being able to determine whether a faculty member could teach courses in the minor and the impact of faculty commitments to course offerings on their respective budgetary units. Other budgetary chairs clarified these matters in current letters of support that accompany the minor proposal.

-Concerns about advising and oversight of the minor were discussed. These items entail extra time and responsibility.

-An explicit statement that no new courses would be necessary at this time beyond those listed in the proposal was requested.

-Relevant chairs and faculty whose courses are listed in the proposal have the option to withdraw their names and courses during the academic and administrative review process.

-The proposal offers an exciting choice for students across interdisciplinary units and disciplinary programs and long-term benefits to the university and the community.

-Galt was elected alternate SCD Faculty Senator.

-The last Faculty Senate meeting discussed: The Chancellor's plan for growth and the budget constraints it faces; energy costs on campus are increasing dramatically; The Weidner Center lost a huge sum of money last year; the number of mentally disturbed students is high.

-Discussion of SCD Core Curriculum was deferred due to time constraints.

-New Business: Transfer credits from area colleges; 2006 summer school courses are 73.

Adjourned at 4:30 pm.

Mark Everingham