COUNCIL OF DEANS
                            MINUTES of SPECIAL MEETINGS
                            NOVEMBER 3, 6, and 7, 1995


The Council of Deans met in a special meeting at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, November 3,
1995, in the Vice President for Academic Affairs' conference room to review the
Report of the General Education Committee and related recommendations from the
Undergraduate Council.  All members were present except Dean Bowman.  Dr. David
Skotko represented the College of Education.  Vice President Berry presided.  The
individual sections of the reports were considered in the following order:

      COMPOSITION.  The General Education Committee recommended that the
requirement continue to be six hours, but with some flexibility of courses that could
fulfill the requirement.  The Undergraduate Council recommended to keep the current
requirement at English 1310 and 1320, Composition I and II.  Alternatives to English
1310 and 1320 were suggested and discussed.  Included in the options were other
composition courses, placement into a higher level sequence based on assessment, 
CLEP credit, and professional writing courses.

Dean Stark moved to recommend that the composition requirement continue to be six
hours and that designated alternative writing courses be developed to provide
flexibility in the fulfillment of three hours of the requirement. A student will complete
this general education area by a two-course combination of Composition I,
Composition II, and/or designated writing courses to be developed.  Seconded by
Dean Hattlestad, the motion passed unanimously.

      ORAL COMMUNICATION.  Both the General Education Committee and the
Undergraduate Council recommended that a three-hour, activity-based
communications course that focuses on the development of speaking and reasoning
skills in various discursive contexts be added to the general education curriculum.

Dean Roden moved to support the recommendations.  Seconded by Dean Hattlestad,
the motion passed unanimously.
COUNCIL OF DEANS, PAGE 2

      MATHEMATICS.  The General Education Committee recommended three hours
of College Algebra to fulfill the requirement.  It also recommended that those with
demonstrated proficiency in algebra be allowed to substitute Mathematics for General
Education or any higher-level mathematics or computer science course.  The
Undergraduate Council recommended that all students be required to take three hours
of college level mathematics only.

Dean Mosbo moved to recommend that the requirement be fulfilled by three hours of
college level mathematics, as defined by state statutes.  Students will be placed in
appropriate courses based on an assessment of their level of preparation.  Seconded
by Dr. Skotko, the motion passed unanimously.

      U. S. HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT.  Both reports recommended that all
students be required to complete three hours from the current History 2301 or 2302,
American Nation I or II, or Political Science 1330, US Government and Politics.  

Dean Roden moved to support the recommendations for the three hours as identified. 
Seconded by Dean Stark, the motion passed unanimously.    

      FINE ARTS.  The General Education Committee recommended three hours of
fine arts as a requirement for all students.  In addition, it recommended that the Art
and Music Appreciation courses be changed from 3000 to 1000 level and encouraged
the development of Theater Appreciation and other suitable fine arts courses.  The
Undergraduate Council supported this recommendation, but set the general education
fine arts courses at the 2000 level. 

Dean Hattlestad moved that the Fine Arts area of general education be a three-hour
requirement at either the 1000 or 2000 level, and that the area include courses in Art,
Music, and Theater Appreciation.  Seconded by Dean Hardin, the motion passed
unanimously.

      SCIENCES.  Both reports recommended that all students take eight hours in the
sciences with four hours from the physical sciences and four hours from the biological
sciences.  Both courses must include a laboratory.

Dean Mosbo moved to support the recommendation, with an option for the
development of interdisciplinary approaches that will satisfy part or all of the sciences
requirement.  Seconded by Dean Hattlestad, the motion passed unanimously.
COUNCIL OF DEANS, PAGE 3

      THEMATIC SENIOR SEMINAR.  The Undergraduate Council did not support the
General Education Committee recommendation to establish this area as a requirement. 

Dean Roden moved to support the position of the Undergraduate Council. Seconded
by Dean Grider, the motion passed 8 yes, 0 no, 1 abstain.

      HEALTH STUDIES.  The General Education Committee recommended this
requirement be two hours of health studies.  The Undergraduate Council
recommended that students take three hours of health/physical fitness studies. 
Discussion included opinions and reviews of course outlines from College of Health
and Applied Science departments. 

Dean Hattlestad moved to recommend that the Health Studies requirement be two
courses and a minimum of four hours.  Seconded by Dr. Skotko, the motion failed 1
yes, 7 no.

Dean Roden moved to support the recommendation of the Undergraduate Council for
three hours of health/physical fitness studies.  Seconded by Dean Grider, the motion
passed 7 yes, 2 no.

The remainder of the meeting was spent discussing issues related to World History,
World Literature, Humanities, and Social Sciences requirements.  The development of
a World Cultural Traditions category that might include part or all of these areas was
suggested.  The number of hours to be required in the total general education
curriculum was central to the discussion.  The General Education Committee had
recommended a forty-six hour program and the Undergraduate Council one of forty-
four hours. 

The meeting recessed at 3:30 p.m. 

The Council of Deans resumed the special meeting at 2:30 p.m. on Monday,
November 6, 1995, in the Vice President for Academic Affairs' conference room.  All
members were present.  Vice President Berry presided.

The meeting began with a continuation of the discussion from the November 3
meeting.COUNCIL OF DEANS, PAGE 4

Dean Stark outlined a world cultural traditions general education category that would
integrate recommendations of the General Education Committee report and the 
Undergraduate Council about World History, World Literature, Humanities, and Social
Sciences requirements. 

      WORLD CULTURAL TRADITIONS.  Nine hours required.

      Three hours from World History I or World History II.
      Three hours from World Literature I or World Literature II.
      Three hours from World History, World Literature, World Religions, or other 
courses that may be developed.

      HUMANITIES ELECTIVE.  Three hours, not to include courses in world religions
and world literature.

      SOCIAL SCIENCES.  Six hours from two disciplines, but not to include courses
in world history.

The hours required in the general education program would total forty-seven, but
included would be an option for students to use major courses to satisfy general
education requirements in the area of the major.  Majors that require an especially
great number of hours would be able to apply for an exception that, if granted, would
reduce general education hours to forty-four.

Dean Stark moved this proposal for a world cultural traditions category, the
humanities elective, social sciences electives, and the forty-seven hour general
education program with options.  Seconded by Dean Mosbo, the motion passed
unanimously.

Dean Mosbo moved that all students be required to meet the nine hours required in
the world cultural traditions category.  Seconded by Dean Stark, the motion passed
6 yes, 1 no, 2 abstain.

Dean Hattlestad moved that flexibility be allowed in the fine arts, humanities, and
social sciences categories, when exceptions are granted that reduce from 47 to 44
the number of hours required in the general education program. Seconded by Dean
Bowman, the motion passed 6 yes, 1 no, 2 abstain.

The meeting recessed at 4:20 p.m. 

The Council of Deans resumed the special meeting at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday,
November 7, 1995, in the President's Board Room.  All members were present.  Vice
President Berry presided.  The additional recommendations of the General Education
Committee Report were considered.COUNCIL OF DEANS, PAGE 5

      DIRECTOR OF GENERAL EDUCATION STUDIES.  The General Education
Committee recommended that the University establish such a position.  The
Undergraduate Council did not support the recommendation.

Dean Stark recommended that the University designate someone to coordinate and
provide leadership to general education studies.  Seconded by Dean Bowman, the
motion passed unanimously.

      DIRECTOR OF WRITING PROGRAMS.  The General Education Committee
recommended that the University create such a position.  The Undergraduate Council
did not support the recommendation.

Dean Hattlestad moved to defer the recommendation and take no vote at this time,
since a task force has been formed to address the writing issues on campus. 
Seconded by Dean McNiece, the motion passed unanimously.

      GENERAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE.  The General Education Committee
recommended that a standing University General Education Committee be formed. 
The Undergraduate Council supported the recommendation.

Dean Mosbo moved to recommend the following:  the establishment of a general
education committee be deferred at this time; the Undergraduate Council provide
coordination and leadership for the general education program until someone is
designated to assume these responsibilities; the Undergraduate Council establish this
spring a schedule for the recertification of existing general education courses and the
review of new course proposals after they are submitted by the appropriate
departments.  Once certified, courses will be subject to cyclical review based on a
schedule to be determined by those charged with responsibility for the general
education program.  In an effort to maintain the established philosophy behind the
general education curriculum recommendations, the Council of Deans encourages a
cooperative effort between the department committees, General Education
Committee, and the Undergraduate Council in all existing and new general education
course reviews.  Seconded by Dean Bowman, the motion passed unanimously.

      WRITING AND/OR SPEAKING INTENSIVE COURSES.  The General Education
Committee recommended that specific courses be designated as writing and/or
speaking intensive with a focus on reasoning and that each student be required to
take nine hours of these courses beyond the courses used to satisfy the general
education requirement.  The Undergraduate Council supported the recommendation
but lowered the requirement from nine to three hours.

Dean Hattlestad moved to recommend that the requirement be one writing intensive
course and one speaking intensive course for a total of six hours.  Seconded by Dean
Stark, the motion passed unanimously.COUNCIL OF DEANS, PAGE 6

      FACULTY DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS.  The General Education Committee
Report recommended that faculty be encouraged to engage in workshops in the
incorporation of writing, reasoning, and speaking in the classroom.  The
Undergraduate Council supported the continuation of such encouragement.

Dean Stark moved support for both recommendations.  Seconded by Dean McNiece,
the motion passed unanimously.

      COMPUTER LITERACY.  Both the General Education Committee and
Undergraduate Council recommended a requirement that students demonstrate
computer literacy or that they take a course designated as computer intensive.

Dean Stark moved the recommendation that all students be required to demonstrate
computer literacy before graduation.  Seconded by Dean Hardin, the motion passed
unanimously.

      USE OF TECHNOLOGY.  Both reports recommended the encouragement of
student use of appropriate technologies and adequate support by the University for
such usage.

Dean Bowman moved support for the recommendation that all general education
courses encourage students to use appropriate technologies and that the University
provide adequate levels of support for such usage by students.  Seconded by Dean
Hattlestad, the motion passed unanimously.

      ALTERNATIVE COURSES.  Both reports recommended the development of
alternative general education courses.

Dean Roden moved that departments be encouraged to develop alternative courses
that will fulfill general education requirements.  Seconded by Dean Mosbo, the motion
passed unanimously.

      INTERDISCIPLINARY COURSES.  Both reports recommended the development
of interdisciplinary general education courses.

Dean Grider moved support for the development of alternative, interdisciplinary
courses that could satisfy general education requirements.  Seconded by Dean Stark,
the motion passed unanimously.

      CULTURAL MATERIALS.  Both reports recommended that general education
classes incorporate relevant materials from other cultures.

Dean Hattlestad moved support for the recommendation.  Seconded by Dean
McNiece, the motion passed unanimously.

COUNCIL OF DEANS, PAGE 7

      FOREIGN LANGUAGE.  Both the General Education Committee and the
Undergraduate Council recommended that high school students be required to
complete at least two units of one foreign language for unconditional admission to
UCA.

Dean Roden moved to support the recommendation that, in accordance with the
provisions of Act 969, all students who graduate from high school after May 1, 1997,
be required to complete at least two units of one foreign language for unconditional
admission to UCA.  This includes students who follow the technical core curriculum
track.  Seconded by Dean McNiece, the motion passed by a unanimous vote.

The meeting adjourned at 4:45 p.m.




_________________________
ANTHONY D. SITZ
Secretary