December 3, 2012

1.     Course Approvals

GLY 170 (Natural Sciences)-approved by lack of objection

HIS 296 (Humanities)-approved by lack of objection

MUS 335 (Global Dynamics)-approved by lack of objection

2.     UK Core Language in Administrative Regulations and Senate Rules

Chris Thuringer and Ruth Beattie are working to update language to reflect the replacement of USP by UK Core.

3.     2+2 Program from the College of Social Work

Follow-up from UKCEC meeting held on September 17, 2012 with Karen Badger regarding a new 2+2 Program between UK’s College of Social Work and Qingdao Technological University (Q-Tech) in China.  Dr. Badger has submitted a document further outlining the details of the agreement.  Area Experts should look at the course descriptions included in Dr. Badger’s document and decide if the courses appear to fulfill the corresponding UK Core area (please email Joanie and Ruth your decisions).  This will be formally approved at the next UKCEC meeting, Monday, December 17.

4.     UK Core and Foreign Language: current state

Guest Dr. Ben Withers, Interim Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education, and Dr. Randolph Hollingsworth, Assistant Provost for Undergraduate Education, were present to discuss the changes in the foreign language requirement as the University transitions from USP to UK Core.  Under USP there was a language requirement, but the UK Core program has no such requirement.  Instead, foreign language is intended to be a graduation requirement (two high school credits in a single foreign language or two semesters at the postsecondary level).  In 2009 Senate Council voted to change to a proficiency-based requirement (http://www.uky.edu/Faculty/Senate/senate_council/minutes/2008-2009/SC Minutes April 27, 2009_TO SC_POST.pdf) and intended for there to be pilot testing starting in 2010 using the STAMP test.  However, the current Senate Rules only recognize foreign language as a recommendation for entrance but not as a graduation requirement (SR 4.2.2.1.C and SR 4.1.0).  The only language pertaining to foreign language as a graduation requirement is listed in the Bulletin, which is not official policy.

To correct this, one option is to consider the language in the Bulletin to be null, leaving no foreign language requirement.  Or the UKCEC can agree that Dr. Withers should propose to Senate the recommendation to affirm the Bulletin language as a bridge until a new foreign language proficiency requirement is approved.  The UKCEC agrees to affirm the Bulletin language until a new requirement is put in place.     

5.     UK Core and Foreign Language: future recommendations

Guest Dr. Susan Carvalho, Associate Provost for International Programs, was present to discuss how UK Core intersects with the foreign language requirement.  When the UK Core program was designed, it was capped at 30 hours, so the language requirement was not included in UK Core.  The intention was to make language an admissions requirement by moving to a proficiency-based requirement, using the STAMP test, which should be superior to a seat-time requirement.       

Dr. Carvalho is requesting that the UKCEC make a recommendation by January 21^st for an implementation

committee to be appointed by Senate.  This committee would be given a deadline to ensure that the pilot testing is completed.  The UKCEC should articulate how foreign language is part of UK Core and how it is not (it is part of the concept of Core, but not part of the hours requirement). 

It was also noted that the Foreign Language requirement should not be listed on the UK Core bulletin page (http://www.uky.edu/sites/www.uky.edu.registrar/files/ukc_2.pdf).  This statement will need to be revised: the first two sentences are okay, but the second paragraph will need to be replaced with the different ways students can prove proficiency, with the removal of the high school seat-time requirement.

6.     Meeting adjourned at 4:00 pm.

Prepared by Joanie Ett-Mims on December 5, 2012.