General Education Council
Minutes
9.25.06 

Council Present:
E. Blankmeyer-McCoy Business Administration
V. Luizzi-Chair Representative
S. Ogletree-Liberal Arts
B. Stone-Applied Arts
T. Mottet-Fine Arts and Communication
S. Beebe-Chair Representative
J. Charles-McCoy Business Administration
S. Beebe-Liberal Arts
E. Morrison-Health Professions
D. Yarbrough-Health Professions
M. Johnson-Education
A. Krejci-Student Representative
V. Sriraman-Science
C. McCall-Education
C. Hazlewood-Science
K. Morris-Student Representative
T. Hindson-Liberal Arts Alt.
L. Lloyd-Education-Alt.
M. Titus-Student Representative Alt.
Council Absent:
E. Blunk-Applied Arts
I. Davidson-Fine Arts and Communication 

Meeting convened at 3:31 p.m. 

The Council decided on a preliminary resolution and R. Brown met with several groups of people to confirm if it could be implemented.

Found two problems:

1. You can’t put the science lab into the institutional option component because it is it’s own category.  It has to be decided to either cut the science lab or not to cut the science lab.
2. There is the problem with advising when students change majors.  There needs to be an institutional decision on how to handle this issue.

The Provost recommended going to a 42-hour core.  The Council needs to address the issues about what the institution needs.  The Council needs to redefine last week’s motion or move to something that resembles what R. Brown sent out.   

Motion:

L. Lloyd makes a motion for #1 on the Brown Proposal which is to collapse the current 041 Humanities subcategory into 040, which would include 3 hours from Philosophy 1305 and the Sophomore Literature series, making the English 23XX courses Writing Intensive. This would continue the ability of students who start here or complete most of their core here to fulfill 9 hours of Writing Intensive courses within the Core. Since Provost Moore has assured us to hold all departments harmless from losing teaching positions and graduate assistants caused by Core modifications, this would also allow the six Literature courses and Philosophy course to be taught in smaller sections to more effectively fulfill the Writing Intensive requirement, thus improving the quality of the undergraduate experience. 

C. McCall seconds the motion. 

Discussion:
-The logistics to making English Literature WI are huge.  It would take about 20 more IA to meet this need. 
-Provost wants a recommendation
-We won’t know until the end how many people will actually get exemptions, even though they think they qualify.  There were at least 16 departments needing exemptions for at least one-degree program and at least 20 that need the reduction of both core and major.
-At least one degree in the department needs to meet 120-hour rule
-It is not true that advisors can’t accommodate students moving around from major to major
-Disapprove of moving Philosophy to Literature because it is unique to Texas State
-If you allow this move it is for non-academic reasons because the Provost doesn’t want to ask for many exemptions
-Is the advisory board telling the GEC what to do?
-Should have 3 or 4 proposals
-Advisors will accommodate, but they need a level playing field university wide with rules that apply for all students so it works best for students—programming issues
-The Brown Proposal is the first proposal that comes close to a solution to the problem.  Science is becoming more and more important in a technological rich world.  It is practical to go from 46 hours to 42-hour core. 
-Another suggestion was taking 2-hours from humanities instead of 3-hours (this was by reducing Phil and Literature both to 2-hour courses)
-Compromise and have two options or cut one out
-Send recommendation to the Curriculum Committee
-Science not really set up to have students take courses without lab  

Motion:

S. Beebe made a motion to table the motion made by L. Lloyd for #1 on the Brown Proposal which is to collapse the current 041 Humanities subcategory into 040, which would include 3 hours from Philosophy 1305 and the Sophomore Literature series, making the English 23XX courses Writing Intensive. This would continue the ability of students who start here or complete most of their core here to fulfill 9 hours of Writing Intensive courses within the Core. Since Provost Moore has assured us to hold all departments harmless from losing teaching positions and graduate assistants caused by Core modifications, this would also allow the six Literature courses and Philosophy course to be taught in smaller sections to more effectively fulfill the Writing Intensive requirement, thus improving the quality of the undergraduate experience. 

The motion included repealing the amended B. Stone motion from last week that was approved.  B. Stone recommended a cut of 1-hour lab and 1-hour of PFW.   The Council suggested an amendment to that proposal. The new recommendation is for 2 hours to be reduced from the General Education Core Curriculum and those hours come from the four one-hour courses in the current core--2 PFW's, 1 Science lab, 1 US 1100 as well as each academic department being empowered to make its own choices of the 2 1-hour courses that would be required. 

B. Stone seconds the motion. 

For: 9   Opposed: 4  Motion passed. 

Motion:
B. Stone makes a motion for his original proposal.  He recommended a cut of 1-hour lab and 1-hour of PFW. 

S. Ogletree seconds the motion. 

Discussion:
-Some departments don’t need to make cuts to core so they can just add the core back in if we make cuts
-If we cut PFW we are devaluing wellness and we don’t think you should pick on PFW
-As long as students have a way to complete science without lab it meets the spirit even though take 7-8 hours
-120 hours is the minimum number of hours a student has to have to graduate.  The can only have a maximum of 30 hours above that.  If a graduate can graduate within 3 hours they can get $1000 rebate.  If a student goes the 30 hours above the 120-hour rule they have to pay out of state tuition.
-Where did the option of cutting COMM 1310 go?  I think that many of our own major classes teach cultural issues and speaking skills better than in that one class.
-If take away PFW the College of Education will be hit hard by this change.
-Can PFW say that generally by taking their course they have the expectation that it will change the behavior of the students?  Are we really cutting anything that is making a difference to the students—K. Morris mentioned some examples of students saying they were drinking at the Bowling Alley as apposed to learning bowling, etc. 

For:  8   Opposed: 8  Motion did not pass. 

Motion:
B. Stone made the motion to cut 2-hours from the 090 Institutional Option category with the student option of choosing to take 1-hour of US 1100 or 1-hour of PFW.  

K. Morris seconds the motion. 

Discussion:
-This takes it all out of only one category
-It is a student misconception that PFW doesn’t provide wellness.  The PFW that are offered on campus all provide the component of tracking heart rate and teaching wellness.
-Please also consider the community component and the possibility that we will put 3 businesses out of business.
-Charge of the GEC as per the PPS to do what is best to help Texas State students achieve the intellectual skills and knowledge which will prepare them for private, public and professional lives.
-We need to think about the relationship between student successes and academics.  The community issue is secondary to what needs to be done at the institution as part of the new legislation.
-Need to think of the economic impact of others as a consideration when cutting PFW classes.  The Council needs to think of all the options so that this change has the narrowest pocket of effect.   

For: 9  Opposed: 7  Motion passed. 

R. Brown will ask University Seminar and PFW to bring information about how this cut will affect their programs to the meeting on Monday, Oct. 2. 

Motion:

S. Ogletree made a motion that when we send the recommendation forward we do so as a first preference, second preference format.  The first preference would be the GEC would like to have no cuts to the GECC.  The second preference is the approved recommendation to cut 2-hours from the 090 Institutional Option category with the student option of choosing to take 1-hour of US 1100 or 1-hour of PFW.  

A. Krejci seconds the motion. 

For: 11 Opposed: 5  Motion passed. 

The student opinion on matters is always welcome. 

Please question the departments again and find out if they think they need an exemption.  This is the information that was provided last week column two.  The information about the exemptions could affect what the Council has to do. 

Implement by Fall of 2008 and a student should be about to graduate with a 120-hour degree.   

Adjourned at 4:45 pm.