Present: Julia Bondanella, James Craig, Dale McFadden, Elinor Ostrom, Vic Viola, Geoff Conrad (Chair)

Also Present: Dean Russell Hanson

1. The minutes of 11/5 were approved as amended.

2. The committee approved a draft policy on clinical ranks. It will be distributed by Dean Hanson to chairs and directors. The committee will consider these comments in any possible revision of the draft.

3. The committee approved a written response to the General Education Proposal. It will be given to Dean Hanson for comment and possible further action.

The main points of the response are as follows:

A. Any initiative that will simplify the statement of requirements and raise the quality of the educational experience is welcomed. The present requirement structure is too complicated, and the current situation in which Schools have their own conflicting sets of General Education requirements makes it hard for students to believe that there is any pedagogical basis for the General Education concept.

B. Our overall response is positive, but we would be much more supportive if the final document addressed the four suggestions below:


i. In order to make the selection of courses that satisfy the proposed categories as objective as possible, criteria should be established for what the committee will be looking for in determining that a course will fill the Gen Ed requirement.


ii. Since the College will be teaching the vast bulk of these courses, it is imperative that COAS be represented on the committees that actually will implement this proposal in a a manner that is commensurate with the responsibility that COAS will bear.


iii. We strongly urge that at each stage in the process University Division Advisers and student advisers from within the various schools be actively involved as consultants.


iv. To insure that the new requirement structure is working efficiently, it is suggested that a periodic review of the campus-wide requirements be implemented.

A. The committee informed him of the forthcoming documents on Clinical Ranks and the response to the General Education Proposal.

B. Dean Hanson stated his belief that the most effective way for delivering an undergraduate and doctoral degree in Gender Studies would be through the status of a department. He also stressed that new faculty would be attracted to Gender Studies if it had department status.

C. The committee agreed to invite some of the proposed faculty in Gender Studies to a future meeting. An agenda of specific questions and concerns will be created prior to the meeting.