AC-98-78 FACULTY OF SCIENCE ACADEMIC COMMITTEE Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday, December 8, 1998, at 2:30 p.m. in the Arts Council Room (160). PRESENT: Dean Shaver (Chair), Associate Dean Mendelson (Vice- Chair), Professors Baines, Brawer, Drury, Franklin, GrÅtter, Lapointe, Paquette, Pasztor, Silvius, Rasmussen, Yau, Wechsler; Associate Dean Norris; Ms. H. Waluzyniec, J. D'Amico. REGRETS: Professors Kakkar and Panangaden; A. Chaudhry; J. Lefebvre, J. Liao, T. Samanta, G. Tsimiklis; Ms. D. Cowan. GUEST: Prof. J. Fyles DOCUMENTS: AC-98-53 AC-98-55 to AC-98-60 AC-98-61/61A, 62/62A, 63/63A AC-98-64 to AC-98-77 Dean Shaver called the meeting to order at 2:35 p.m. Dean Shaver said that he would have to leave the Academic Committee meeting at 4:00 p.m. because of another meeting which had been impossible to reschedule, and he apologized for having to leave early. Dean Shaver suggested moving some of the items on the Agenda because of his leaving early. ADDITIONS/CHANGES TO THE AGENDA - Items #9,10,11, and 13 would be considered after Item #3. - Item #7, MSE, would be considered after item #2, Business Arising from the Minutes. - Item #4, Physics 198-271A/B, was withdrawn from the Agenda. - Item #14, Other Business, program changes for Anatomy & Cell Biology and for Microbiology & Immunology, would be considered. Dean Shaver said it would be wise if the items under Other Business were postponed if insufficient members remained at the Meeting when the time came to consider these items. Dean Shaver said he thought that, in future, proposals would be more heavily examined than they had been. He said that proposals and decisions would have to be better justified in the documentation, so that questions could be answered more readily at upper levels - Faculty, APPC and Senate meetings. (1) MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 17, 1998 AC-98- 55 Prof. Brawer moved, seconded by Prof. Wechsler, that the minutes be approved. The motion carried. (2) BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES Minute 308.4, Earth & Planetary Sciences 186- 205A/Anatomy & Cell Biology 504-205A 402.1 Associate Dean Mendelson said that at the last Academic Committee meeting of November 17, 1998, Earth & Planetary Sciences 186-205A had been approved. The same course, Anatomy & Cell Biology 504-205A, had now been approved by the Biomedical Science Curriculum Review and Planning Committee of the Faculty of Medicine. He said that both 186-205A and 504-205A had been presented at the Faculty of Science meeting of December 1, 1998, for approval. At the Faculty meeting, there had been a question concerning the number of lecturers in such an introductory course. Since there was no representative from the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the Faculty meeting, it had been decided to table the course to the next Faculty of Science meeting scheduled for January 12, 1999. 402.2 Dean Shaver said it was important that professors who propose courses attend Faculty meetings to explain course structures, etc. He said it was his understanding that the instructor of 186-205A/504-205A would be present at all lectures and that the instructor would be the liaison between the guest lecturers and the students. Minute 304.2, Ad Hoc Honours in Cognitive Science 402.3 Associate Dean Mendelson said that, at the last Academic Committee meeting, there had been a question concerning the specific course number for the proposed six-credit honours project. He said that the student would be taking a three-credit independent study in Psychology and a three-credit independent research course in Psychology. Minute 309.1, Psychology 204-473A 402.4 Associate Dean Mendelson said that, at the last Academic Committee meeting, the question arose as to why Psychology 204-473A had been capped. He reported that the cap had been removed. Minute 309.3, Psychology 204-534A 402.5 Associate Dean Mendelson said that, at the last Academic Committee meeting, Psychology 204-534A had been approved pending consultation with the School of Social Work. He said that the School of Social Work had been consulted and that there were no objections, except for a minor change in the course description. Minute 309.4, Psychology 204-535A 402.6 Associate Dean Mendelson said that, at the last Academic Committee meeting, there had been a question concerning the means of limiting enrolment in this course. He said that there would be a password and that the instructor would ensure that there would not be more students enrolled in the course than is appropriate for a graduate seminar. Minute 310.5, Biology 177-208A, 177-304B 402.7 Associate Dean Mendelson said that, at the last Academic Committee meeting, Biology 177-208A and 177- 304B had been approved pending consultation with Biochemistry and other units. He said that the consultation process had not been completed by the last Faculty of Science meeting of December 1, 1998, and that these changes would therefore be brought to the next Faculty of Science meeting scheduled for January 12, 1999. Minute 311.1, Substitution of Courses in B.Sc./B.Ed. Program 402.8 Associate Dean Mendelson said that, at the last Academic Committee meeting, the above item had been brought for information only. He said that, at the Faculty of Science meeting of December 1, 1998, the substitutions were approved as applicable to all students in the program. (7) McGILL SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT - Prof. J. Fyles and Prof. J. Rasmussen - Domain in Earth Sciences and Economics AC-98- 64 (B.Sc. [B.A. - for information]) 407.1 Prof. Fyles briefly described the Domain in Earth Sciences and Economics for both B.Sc. and B.A. students and he answered members' questions. Prof. Pasztor moved, seconded by Prof. Paquette, that the domain be adopted. The motion carried. 407.2 Dean Shaver asked, in view of questions raised at Senate meetings, that MSE core courses be included in the front section of MSE domain proposals, in order to better describe the domain requirements. - Domain in Renewable Resource Management AC-98- 65 (B.Sc.) 407.3 Prof. Fyles outlined the Domain in Renewable Resource Management for B.Sc. students and answered questions. 407.4 Prof. Lapointe suggested that two Geography courses, 183-372A and 183-470C, would be of particular interest to students in this domain. 407.5 Prof. Pasztor asked that an amended list replace the Biology courses included in the domain proposal to reflect recent changes in Biology courses. 407.6 Prof. Lapointe moved, seconded by Prof. Norris, that the domain be adopted, with the inclusion of two additional Geography courses, 183-372A and 183-470C, and an amended list of Biology courses. The motion carried. 407.7 Dean Shaver said he thought the two domains were very interesting. He thanked Professors Fyles and Rasmussen and the MSE Committee for presenting the proposals. (3) MINOR COURSE CHANGES AC-98- 56 (for information) 403.1 Associate Dean Mendelson said that at the last Academic Committee meeting of November 17, 1998, Biology 177- 308B had been changed to 177-208A, that Biology 177- 204B had been changed to 177-304B, and that these course renumberings had necessitated changes in prerequisites to other Biology courses. As a consequence of these changes, and for other reasons, the Department of Biology was making a number of minor course changes. (9) RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT FOR MCGILL STUDENTS ON APPROVED EXCHANGE PROGRAMS AC-98- 66 409.1 Associate Dean Mendelson reintroduced the issue of the residency requirement for McGill students on approved exchange programs and presented the proposal in document AC-98-66. 409.2 Prof. Pasztor said that members should be aware that the regulations for transfer students were entirely different from the proposed regulation for Study Away and Exchange Programs; it was important to clarify this point wherever possible. Prof. Paquette moved, seconded by Prof. Pasztor, that the proposal be approved with the following change: 409.3 Document AC-98-66 should read: "...However, students in Honours, Major, and Faculty Programs who pursue an approved Study Away or Exchange Program may, with departmental approval, be exempted from the two-thirds rule. In addition, some ..." The motion carried. (10) CREDIT LIMIT ON PROJECT COURSES AC-98- 67 410.1 Associate Dean Mendelson reintroduced the above item and mentioned that two Psychology courses had been included in option #1 of the proposal. He asked members to choose between the two options listed in document AC- 98-67. 410.2 After some discussion, Prof. Yau moved, seconded by Prof. GrÅtter, that option #1 in document AC-98-67 be approved. The motion carried. 410.3 Associate Dean Mendelson said he had been made aware that, for a number of years, there had been no checking as to whether this regulation was being followed. He asked members who should be responsible for monitoring compliance with this regulation, and how it should be done. 410.4 Following a brief discussion, it was agreed that departments would submit a list of individual project or independent study courses to the Student Affairs Office and that the SAO would ensure that students do not take more than 12 credits of such courses towards a B.Sc. degree. (11) CEGEP STUDENTS WITH AN INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE AC-98-53 411.1 Dean Shaver said that CEGEP students entering with an IB diploma could possibly lack one Physics course, without the opportunity to replace it. He said the issue was not whether IB students would be admissible to McGill, but whether they would be allowed to graduate because of not having fulfilled the basic science requirements. 411.2 Associate Dean Mendelson said that such students entering without Biology would be able to make up the missing course within the 90-credit requirements, either at McGill or at CEGEP. He said that there were not many IB students currently, but that the situation could change. Associate Dean Mendelson said that the Ministry of Education was revamping the CEGEP curriculum and that this may increase the number of students taking IB's. 411.3 Prof. GrÅtter said that, if the Physics Department approved the proposed IB, it could lead to lowering the Physics standards in DEC's as well. The department was concerned about the wrong message being sent out. 411.4 Associate Dean Mendelson said that the new IB program was being introduced in CEGEPs and that the Faculty of Science would have to find a way to accommodate these students. He said that Associate Vice-Principal de Takacsy was very concerned because the IB students were among the best, and a failure to accommodate IB's could result in a loss of good students. 411.5 Dean Shaver and Associate Dean Mendelson suggested postponing approval of the new IB proposal and inviting Associate Vice-Principal de Takacsy to the next Academic Committee meeting on January 19,1998. 411.6 Dean Shaver emphasized that he thought this was an extremely important issue and that he thought the issue of graduation requirements should be looked at differently from the issue of admission. (13) DESIGNATING MINOR CONCENTRATIONS FOR SCIENCE STUDENTS AC-98-75 413.1 Associate Dean Mendelson gave some background information concerning the proposed document. He said that the proposal had come from Sharon Bezeau, Recorder, SAO. Associate Dean Mendelson said that at the Faculty of Science meeting of May 26, 1998, it had been approved that Science students would be allowed to take Minor Concentrations in the Faculty of Arts, but with the program designation "Minor," as opposed to "Minor Concentration," on students' records. He said that Science students can take almost all Arts Minor Concentrations and can register through MARS on their own. 413.2 Associate Dean Mendelson said there were administrative reasons and academic reasons (#1 and #2, document AC-98- 75) for the proposal. Prof. Paquette moved, seconded by Prof. GrÅtter, that the proposal be adopted. The motion carried. (4) PHYSICS New Program: - Minor in Physics AC-98- 57 404.1 Prof. GrÅtter introduced the proposal. He said that there were three Mathematics prerequisite courses in the proposed Minor program. He said that 189-222 was a prerequisite course for all the courses listed and that 189-314 and 189-315 were prerequisite courses for the 300-level courses. 404.2 Associate Dean Mendelson said that, because of the Mathematics prerequisites, the Minor really consists of 27 credits. He said these prerequisites should be designated straightforwardly in the program proposal. Concerning the rationale, Associate Dean Mendelson said there should be more emphasis on academic justification. 404.3 Prof. GrÅtter moved, seconded by Prof. Wechsler, that the Minor be adopted with the above changes. The motion carried. (5) PSYCHOLOGY 405.1 Associate Dean Mendelson said that the reason for not considering the following Psychology courses as minor changes was that the changes involved courses in other departments. 204-308A Physiological Psychology I: Fundamentals AC-98-59 Change in prerequisites. Prof. Franklin moved, seconded by Prof. GrÅtter, that the change be approved. The motion carried. 204-318B Physiological Psychology II: Motivation and Learning AC-98-60 Change in prerequisites. Prof. Franklin moved, seconded by Prof. GrÅtter, that the change be approved. The motion carried. (6) Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences & Chemistry New Course: 195-219A/180-219A Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry AC-98- 61/61A 3 credits 406.1 Prof. Yau introduced the new course and answered questions. 406.2 Prof. Yau moved, seconded by Prof. GrÅtter, that the course be adopted with some minor modifications to the documents. The motion carried. New Course: 195-419B/180-419B Advances in Chemistry of the Atmosphere AC-98- 62/62A 3 credits New Course Originally Proposed as a Five-Credit Course: 195-619B/180-619B Advances in Chemistry of the Atmosphere AC-98- 63/63A 3 credits 406.3 Prof. Yau introduced the new courses and answered questions. Prof. Yau moved, seconded by Prof. Rasmussen, that the courses be adopted. 406.4 After a lengthy discussion concerning the credit weight for the above 400-level course versus the 600-level course, Prof. Yau accepted a friendly amendment that the 195-619B and 180-619B be adopted with a three- credit weight. The motion as amended carried. (8) BIOLOGY 177-112B,L Cell and Molecular Biology AC-98-68 Change in lab hours. Prof. Pasztor moved, seconded by Prof. GrÅtter, that the change be approved. The motion carried. 177-201B Cell Biology and Metabolism AC-98- 69 Change in course description. Prof. Pasztor moved, seconded by Prof. Wechsler, that the change be approved. The motion carried. 177-358A Canadian Flora AC-98-70 Changes in course description and prerequisites. Prof. Pasztor moved, seconded by Prof. GrÅtter, that the changes be approved. The motion carried. Program changes: - Major Program in Biology AC-98-71 - Honours Program in Biology AC-98- 72 - Faculty Program in Biology AC-98- 73 - Faculty Program in Biology and Mathematics AC-98- 74 Prof. Pasztor moved, seconded by Prof. Drury, that the program changes be approved. The motion carried. (12) REPLACING EXEMPTED COURSES IN A PROGRAM 412.1 Associate Dean Mendelson said the issue concerned students coming to McGill with CEGEP courses that would normally be taken at McGill; such students are exempted from these courses. He said some departments reduce the program requirements and allow students to replace the exempted courses with electives; other departments require the students to replace the exempted courses with other courses from the program. Because of these differences within the Faculty, Associate Dean Mendelson asked members whether there should be a Faculty regulation concerning exempted courses or whether the issue should be left to departments. If members felt there should be a Faculty regulation, which of the above two approaches would be more appropriate? 412.2 The general consensus was that the issue should be decided by departments. (14) OTHER BUSINESS ANATOMY & CELL BIOLOGY Program Changes: - B.Sc. Honours, Major and Faculty Programs AC-98-76 Prof. GrÅtter moved, seconded by Ms. Waluzyniec, that the program changes be approved. 414.1 It was noted that 528-386D was restricted to Microbiology and Immunology students, and that 552-459D was restricted to Physiology students. These courses should therefore not be part of an Anatomy & Cell Biology program. 414.2 There was some concern about the removal of Psychology courses from the programs. In view of the "Note" (under Course Descriptions, document AC-98-76), it was suggested that courses in the Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology be capped. This would enable students from other departments to know immediately whether or not they could take a course. 414.3 Associate Dean Mendelson suggested that the changes to the Anatomy & Cell Biology programs be tabled to the next Academic Committee meeting of January 19, 1998. MICROBIOLOGY & IMMUNOLOGY Program Changes: - B.Sc. Faculty, Major & Honours AC-98- 77 Prof. Baines moved, seconded by Prof. Wechsler, that the program changes be approved. The motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 4:50 p.m. academic\acmn1998decf.doc