MINUTES

ACADEMIC PLANNING COMMITTEE

Meeting of November 14, 2000

 

 

The Academic Planning Committee met on November 14, 2000 at 10:00am in room 481 McHenry Library.

 

Present: George Brown (Chair), Martin Chemers, Dave Kliger, Wlad Godzich, Lynda Goff, Frank Talamantes, Pat Mantey, John Hay (CPB), Betsy Moses (staff).

 

Absent: Academic Senate representatives pending appointment, Kathleen Dettman, Edward Houghton.

 

Guests: Keith Muscutt, Linda Kittle, Meredith Michaels.

 

 

1.  Chair’s Announcements.  Chair Brown welcomed members and guests to the first Academic Planning Committee meeting.  Future meetings will begin at 9:30 am.  Academic Senate representatives will be invited subject to formal appointment.  Professor John Hay, CPB Chair, was invited to attend today in advance of formal appointment.

 

2.  Discussion of 2000-2001 agenda.  Chair Brown suggested major agenda topics (see below) for consideration by APC this year.  Additional topics suggested by the committee include Summer Session and the Silicon Valley Regional Center.  Silicon Valley Center Interim Director Tanner will be invited to a subsequent APC meeting to discuss academic program planning.

 

3.  Academic Planning 2000-2010: principles.  Chair Brown noted that the majority of proposed academic programs will originate within established departments and will be integrated within division planning documents.  APC discussion will serve to stimulate parallel campus-wide discussions.  Members agreed that periodic retreats that include the department chairs, similar to the June 28 retreat, would be effective in achieving these goals.  Finally, academic planning efforts by the APC will in no way substitute for the well-established formal procedures  engaging senate consultation in the planning process.

 

Discussion followed on the process for introducing interdisciplinary and cross-divisional proposals as well as programs or schools new to UCSC.  Chair Brown proposed, and members agreed, that the APC is the appropriate site for discussing such programs. 

 

Programs meeting this criteria might include (but are not limited to):

 

History of Philosophy and Technology (Humanities/Engineering)

Digital Arts and Media (Arts/Engineering)

Health Sciences (Natural Sciences/Social Sciences/Humanities)

Environmental Sciences Task Force (Social Sciences/Natural Sciences/Engineering)

Forensics (Social Sciences/Natural Sciences)

Education (discipline specific undergraduate pathways to teaching credential)

Information Technology and Management (Engineering/Social Sciences)

Public Policy/Management/Business School (Social Sciences/Engineering)

Visual and Performative Studies (Arts/Social Sciences/Humanities)

Silicon Valley Regional Center (potentially all divisions)

 

Members commented on the merits of building new programs out of existing disciplinary perspectives or starting completely afresh.  New programs may attract a different type of student to UCSC and may help meet enrollment targets.  Building programs from existing departmental perspectives establishes an easily identifiable framework and may be quickly implemented.

 

4.  Guidelines for Program Reviews.  Last academic year Interim VPAA Carl Walsh distributed proposed new guidelines for external program review.  The proposed guidelines will be posted on the APC web site, and members’ input will be solicited.  Following APC approval the guidelines will be submitted to appropriate senate committees for review and comment.

 

5.  Guidelines for the Establishment, Review, and Disestablishment of Departments and Programs.  Faculty Assistant to the Provost Carl Walsh is reviewing current guidelines and will be invited to present them to APC.

 

6.  Procedures for the Establishment and Review of Colleges.  Colleges, as academic units, offer curricula and superimpose graduation requirements upon the campus-wide requirements.  With the establishment of colleges 9 and 10, and the possible establishment of colleges 11 and 12, procedures for the establishment and review of colleges need to be set forth.  The pending release of a campus task force report examining these issues provides a starting place for discussion.

 

7.  Members’ Items.  The University of California Office of the President (UCOP) has mandated that a state-funded summer quarter, equivalent in academic quality to the normal academic year, shall commence on the UCSC campus as early as summer, 2002.  All UC campuses are considering this issue, including anticipated impacts on faculty appointment periods, year-round curriculum planning, and infrastructure capacity.  This will be a future agenda item for the APC.

 

Meeting UCSC enrollment targets may be contingent on expanding summer session programs.  New program possibilities include academic skills preparation for entering freshmen, honors programs, and honors or gifted outreach efforts.  Successful programming will require closer coordination with the housing office.

 

The next APC meeting is scheduled for November 28, 9:30 am, in room 481 McHenry Library.

 

                                                                                    Attest:

 

                                                                                    George Brown, Chair

                                                                                    Academic Planning Committee