5 AC-96-104 FACULTY OF SCIENCE ACADEMIC COMMITTEE Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday, May 6, 1997 at 3:00 p.m. in the Arts Council Room (160). PRESENT: Dean Shaver (Chair), Associate Dean de Takacsy (Vice- Chair), Professors Brawer, Doig, Franklin, Rigelhof, Sittmann, ThÈrien; Ms. Waluzyniec; J. DíAmico REGRETS: Professors Andrews, Baines, Grutter, Ingram, Pollard, Silvius, Wechsler; Associate Dean Norris; S. Aggarwal, S. Park; Mr. Crawford. DOCUMENTS: AC-96-88, AC-96-94, AC-96-95 AC-96-97 to AC-96-103 CHANGES TO THE ADDENDA TO THE AGENDA Item #2, Psychiatry 555-502 (Prof. Dubrovsky), AC-96- 88, will be discussed after Item #3 of the Agenda. Item #1, Approval of Graduate Courses in Basic Science departments, will be discussed under Other Business (#8). Prof. ThÈrien moved, seconded by Prof. Doig, that the amended Agenda be approved. The motion carried. (1) MINUTES OF APRIL 29, 1997 AC-96-94 Prof. Doig moved, seconded by Prof. Franklin, that the minutes be approved. The motion carried. (2) BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES Minute 710.6, Faculty of Arts - Multi-Track Programme (AC-96-85) 802.1 Associate Dean de Takacsy reported that a memorandum had been sent to Academic Committee members. Minute 602.3, Biology Genetics Course (177-274A) 802.2 Dean Shaver reported that he had been informally advised by the Chair of the Department of Biology that it may be too late to avoid consolidation of the Biology courses 177-274A and 177-202B for the 1997-98 academic year. The intention was to offer a genetics course in both the A and B terms for the 1998-99 academic year. Teaching support has been offered by departments in the Faculty of Medicine; as well, extra financial support would come from the Faculty of Science. (3) EXAMINATION SECURITY - PROFESSORS FARRELL AND HARPP (AC-96-95) 803.1 Prof. Harpp elaborated on his report. 803.2 Associate Dean de Takacsy said that Prof. Harppís report had been on APPCís Agenda for a while. In the meantime, Associate Dean de Takacsy had struck a separate sub-committee (consisting of Prof. R. Harris and M. McKinnon, Don McGowan and Prof. M. Yalovsky) to examine the recommendations listed in the document. Associate Dean de Takacsy said that APPC would be discussing the issue, and would be making recommendations that would affect the Faculty. He said that one of the controversial issues to be discussed at APPC is the possibility of Faculty making available old copies of all centrally administered exams (excluding supplemental and deferred exams), in the relevant libraries. Students have complained of old exams being available to some students, but not to others. Associate Dean de Takacsy said that there is opposition to having old exams publicly available, because multiple-choice exams are so difficult to set up, and so enormously time-consuming to set up properly. 803.3 For midterms, it was suggested that instructors make up seating plans (based on class lists provided by the Faculty), or hand out seating tickets as students entered the exam room. For final exams, the Faculty could make up seating plans; these plans could be used as signature sheets. It was pointed out that exam papers can be coded in such a way that students do not know which version of a multiple-choice exam they are writing. 803.4 Dean Shaver said he would look forward to the eventual emergence of recommendations from APPC and Senate. He said that if there were deficiencies in the report from APPC, he hoped Professors Farrell and Harpp would point them out. In such an event, perhaps Professors Farrell and Harpp could be invited back to an Academic Committee meeting; recommendations could then be made to Faculty. (4) PSYCHIATRY - PROFESSOR DUBROVSKY New Course: 555-502 Brain Evolution & Psychiatry AC-96-88 3 credits 804.1 After some discussion concerning the 100-level prerequisite course for 555-502, and after consultation with the Department of Psychology, the following changes to prerequisites, and the following restrictions, were suggested: Prerequisites, #11: Biology 177-115B or equivalent and permission of instructor. Restrictions, #10: Normally U3 or graduate students in Behavioural or Biomedical Sciences, or Philosophy. Prof. Brawer moved, seconded by Prof. Franklin, that the amended course proposal be accepted. The motion carried. (5) COMPUTER SCIENCE New Course (Referred back to School of Computer Science) 308-700A Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination AC-96-97 4 credits New Course (Referred back to School of Computer Science) 308-701A/B/C Thesis Proposal and Area Examination AC-96-98 4 credits 805.1 After some discussion, it was agreed to refer the courses back to the School of Computer Science for further clarification concerning the credit weight, the íHHí grade in Document AC-96-97, and the thesis proposal timetable information for 308-701A/B (Document AC-96-98). The motion was withdrawn. (6) BIOLOGY New Course: 177-460A Aquatic Conservation AC-96-99 3 credits Revisions: Restrictions, #10, should read: Advanced undergraduates and graduate students, instead of U3 upwards. Prof. Sittmann moved, seconded by Prof. Rigelhof, that the course be adopted. The motion carried. New Course: 177-471D/C Independent Studies in Biology AC-96-100 6 credits Prof. Sittmann moved, seconded by Prof. Brawer, that the course be adopted. The motion carried. (7) AD HOC HONOURS PROGRAM IN MATHEMATICS & NEUROSCIENCE AC-96-101 Prof. Rigelhof moved, seconded by Prof. Franklin, that the above ad hoc program for Ms. M. POOL be approved. The motion carried. (8) PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS 549-562A General Pharmacology I AC-96-102 3 credits Changes: prerequisites, corequisites, course description. 549-563B General Pharmacology II AC-96-103 3 credits Changes: prerequisites, corequisites, course description. Prof. Rigelhof moved, seconded by Prof. Franklin, that the above changes be approved. The motion carried. (9) OTHER BUSINESS - APPROVAL OF GRADUATE COURSES IN BASIC SCIENCE DEPARTMENTS 809.1 Associate Dean de Takacsy said that procedures for approval of graduate courses (600/700-level) between the Faculty of Science and the Basic Science departments have not really been established. He said that the Basic Science courses at the 600- and 700- level are not listed in the Faculty of Science calendar, but are included in the Faculty of Graduate Studies calendar. The Faculty approves 100 to 500- level Basic Science courses because these are intended for BSc students. 809.2 Associate Dean de Takacsy said that the 600/700-level courses could be routed directly to the Faculty of Medicineís curriculum committee, then to the Faculty of Graduate Studies & Research, and then to NRCP. However, since all the Basic Science departments are well represented on the Academic Committee, it would therefore be beneficial to both the Basic Science departments and the Faculty of Science to have proposals routed to the Academic Committee at some level, because it would make for better curricula and programs. 809.3 Associate Dean de Takacsy asked whether the Faculty should request that 600/700-level courses be routed through the Faculty of Science Academic Committee, or whether the Academic Committee should request not to receive these courses at all. 809.4 Dean Shaver suggested that it would be possible to communicate the concept of the Academic Committeeís reviewing such courses, to the Biomedical Sciences Curriculum Review & Planning Committee. 809.5 Associate Dean de Takacsy said he would write to the Biomedical Sciences Curriculum Review & Planning Committee, and added that the issue could be discussed at a future Academic Committee meeting. The meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m.