AC-98-133
FACULTY OF SCIENCE
ACADEMIC COMMITTEE
Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at 3:00
p.m. in the Arts Council Room (160).
PRESENT: Dean Shaver (Chair), Associate Dean Mendelson (Vice-
Chair), Professors Baines, Damha, Drury, GrÅtter,
Lapointe, Panangaden, Paquette, Pasztor, Rasmussen,
Silvius, Wechsler; Associate Dean Norris; Ms. E. Gibb
(in the absence of Ms. H. Waluzyniec); J. D'Amico.
GUESTS: Professors N. Roulet and D. Wolfson; Ms. K. Lauer.
REGRETS: Professors Brawer, Franklin, and Yau; Ms. D. Cowan; A.
Chaudhry; J. Lefebvre, J. Liao, T. Samanta, G.
Tsimiklis.
DOCUMENTS: AC-98-89(Revised 2) AC-98-106(Revised), AC-98-
107(Revised)
AC-98-114 to AC-98-132
Dean Shaver called the meeting to order at 3:05 p.m.
ADDITIONS/CHANGES TO THE AGENDA
- Item #8, Guidelines for Undergraduate Research Courses,
to be considered after item #6, McGill School of
Environment.
(1) LEO YAFFE AWARD COMMITTEE REPORT - PROF. D. WOLFSON
801.1 Prof. Wolfson, Chair of the Leo Yaffe Award Committee
for 1999, gave a summary report.
801.2 The committee members were Professors: D. Taylor,
Psychology (Continuing Member); J. Crawford, Physics;
L. Hendren, Computer Science; M. Lapointe, Geography;
B. Lennox, Chemistry; J. Paquette, Earth and Planetary
Sciences; H. Warshawsky, Anatomy and Cell Biology; M.
Yau, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences; the two student
members were R. Leonar, Physiology, and D. Shiff,
Microbiology and Immunology.
801.3 Prof. Wolfson said that Prof. L. Hendren, School of
Computer Science, stepped down from the Committee when
she became aware that her husband, Prof. P. Panangaden,
had been nominated by the School of Computer Science.
He said the Dean had decided that a replacement was
unnecessary since the committee was sufficiently broad.
R. Leonar had been replaced by M. Chuhhom, Microbiology
& Immunology, because R. Leonar had been a student of
one of the nominees.
801.4 The nominees were Professors: M. Damha, Chemistry; L.
Hermo, Anatomy & Cell Biology; N. Kamran, Mathematics &
Statistics; R. Koestner, Psychology; L. Lefebvre,
Biology; P. Panangaden, Computer Science; J. Silvius,
Biochemistry; and E. Zorychta, Pathology.
801.5 Prof. Wolfson said that Prof. Prakash Panangaden of the
School of Computer Science had been nominated by the
Committee to receive the 1999 Leo Yaffe Award.
801.6 The following is a detailed report of the Leo Yaffe
Award Committee:
"Professor Panangaden's selection as the 1999 nominee
for The Leo Yaffe Award for excellence in undergraduate
teaching in the Faculty of Science was greeted with
spontaneous applause by the Leo Yaffe Award committee.
Such was the committee's enthusiastic support for its
own nominee! Professor Panangaden's profile as an
educator of undergraduate students, rather than a mere
teacher, simply demanded recognition.
"Prakash, as he prefers his students to call him, came
to McGill in July 1990 from Cornell University. His
arrival at McGill was described in 1997 by the Director
of the School, Professor Devroye, as "the pivotal event
of the last ten years." For Prakash immediately
undertook to revise and streamline the undergraduate
program in Computer Science. One of his first tasks was
to teach the important "Introduction to Computer
Science" course which he did with brilliance and
creativity, by unlocking the creativity in his
students. Professor Devroye writes, "Overnight, the
course became a playground for brainstorming and joint
discovery of new ideas and solutions. . . . Without
exception, students idolized Prakash, started hanging
around his office at the oddest of times, and
congregated with or without Prakash for discussions and
cerebral excitement. Most importantly, all students
leave Prakash's course loaded with confidence and
curiosity." The ability to engage all, and not just
the few very talented, is the mark of an exceptional
teacher.
"The consistently high course evaluations which Prakash
has received over the years attest to his ability to
reach all, even when the subject matter is tough. His
former students were happy to write about the influence
he has had on them. Theirs are words of uninhibited
praise that capture the many facets of excellent
teaching:
'He is as passionate about teaching as he is about his
research, which he would enthusiastically tell anybody
about if they gave him the chance.'
'Prakash often comes out more as a friend than a
teacher." The same person wrote, "He has single-
handedly sparked and maintained a real interest in
computer science in many students, including myself.
His attributes have made him a role model as far as my
professional life is concerned.'
'............he made me realize my full potential in
adjacent areas such as Calculus and Linear Algebra."
"Prakash is never afraid to admit that he does not know
the answer to some difficult question.'
'............his lectures are clear, well-structured,
organized and informative.'
'..........his office door is open to students often
outside of office hours. He is ready to help students
with any of their concerns or questions.'
'What sets Prakash apart, however, is that he always
manages to inject even in the most basic courses a
sprinkle of modern research, anecdotes and analogies
with modern development that always give the feeling
that there's a lot more work to be done in the field
and that we should all think about that.'
"The gems contained in the many letters are far too
numerous to list completely. As if teaching courses as
effectively as does Professor Panangaden were not
enough, he has also been a fervent participant in
undergraduate education in general. The President of
the Computer Science Undergraduate Society describes
Prakash's role in this broader setting. "Speaking on
behalf of the Computer Science Undergraduate Society,
he has attended almost every CSUS event, which shows
that he is dedicated to the students. He is not only a
professor, but he is also the Undergraduate Program
Director for Computer Science. . . .He understands the
students' needs and wants to ensure the quality of
their education. On many occasions he has asked the
students and myself about our opinions of certain
courses and will take action on a situation when
necessary.
"There is yet more! Professor Panangaden has been the
coach of the McGill ACM (Association for Computer
Machinery) programming contest team the past two years.
This is a worldwide contest and the most prestigious of
its type, involving over 1200 universities. In 1998,
the team went to the finals and placed 17th, ahead of
Dartmouth, MIT, Caltech and Stanford. Training the team
is an act of devotion to students and subject. For
Prakash squeezes this activity into his schedule
despite his prolific and internationally recognized
research and his long list of graduate students.
"There is little one can say about Professor Panangaden
that has not been said by his former and current
students and two successive chairs of the School of
Computer Science. His role as explainer, inspirer,
advisor, innovator, listener, and student friend places
him in that small group of educators who truly make a
difference in the lives of their students."
801.7 Prof. Wolfson suggested that all nominations submitted
should be returned to departments to assist them should
they wish to re-nominate the same candidate in the
future and said that new information may be added to
the old application. Prof. Wolfson said that this would
allow departments to improve old submissions. He said
that it should not be the responsibility of the Leo
Yaffe Award Committee to seek out repeat nominations.
Prof. Wolfson's second suggestion was that there
should be broad guidelines sent out with the call for
nominations, concerning what criteria should be taken
into account in preparing nominations.
801.8 On behalf of the Academic Committee, Dean Shaver
congratulated Prof. Panangaden.
801.9 Dean Shaver thanked Prof. Wolfson and the Committee for
having done such thorough work. He said the
recommendations would be taken under consideration.
Dean Shaver mentioned that a congratulatory letter had
been sent last year to all nominees and that this would
be done again.
(2) GEOGRAPHY - PROF. N. ROULET
New Course:
183-501A/B Modelling Environmental Systems AC-98-89(Revised 2)
3 credits
802.1 Prof. Roulet explained the changes in the course
proposal.
802.2 After a short discussion, Prof. Lapointe moved,
seconded by Prof. Paquette, that the course be adopted,
provided that the type of course (item #7, AC-98-89
[Revised 2]) and the number of hours per week (item
#8) be reconciled with the activities described on page
2. This should be done in consultation with the
Associate Dean.
The motion carried.
(3) MINUTES OF MARCH 23, 1999 AC-98-114
Prof. Panangaden moved, seconded by Prof. Damha, that
the minutes be approved.
The motion carried.
(4) BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
- Minute 705.1, Science for Teachers AC-98-115
804.1 Dean Shaver noted that Prof. Harris, Department of
Physics, had responded to the Academic Committee's
suggestion concerning equivalent courses in the Science
for Teachers program.
- Minutes 706.1-4, Limitations for MSE Students on Courses
Outside Arts and Science
804.2 Associate Dean Mendelson said that at the Faculty of
Science meeting of April 6, 1999, the first proposal
had been approved, but that in the second proposal the
word "mathematics" had been removed. The second
proposal had been modified to read:
"Students in the B.Sc. Major in Environment may take
required statistics courses outside of the Faculties of
Arts and Science necessary to satisfy their program
requirements and to permit them to study at the McGill
campus of their choice."
- Minute 703.1, Procedures for Minor Program Changes
804.3 Associate Dean Mendelson said that minor program
changes would continue to be processed by the current
procedures, since programs are complicated; this
would be beneficial to all members.
(5) CHEMISTRY
Program Changes:
Program Changes Tabled to the Next Academic Committee Meeting
- B.Sc. Honours in Chemistry - Environmental Option AC-98-116
Prof. GrÅtter moved, seconded by Prof. Damha, that the
program changes be approved.
805.1 Following a discussion concerning the lack of a
consultation report from the McGill School of
Environment, the appropriateness of the program name
(would Atmospheric Chemistry Option be more apt?), and
the possibility of including MSE courses in the option,
Dean Shaver suggested that the proposal be postponed to
a future meeting.
805.2 Associate Dean Mendelson asked that the university
standard course nomenclature be used. The course
nomenclatures are: required, complementary and
elective. Also, different program proposals should be
independently complete, and not intermingled.
805.3 Prof. Baines further moved, seconded by Prof.
Rasmussen, that the above program proposal be tabled
until the next Academic Committee meeting.
The second motion carried.
Program Changes Tabled to the Next Academic Committee Meeting
- B.Sc. Major in Chemistry - Environmental Option AC-98-117
805.4 Prof. Damha moved, seconded by Prof. Lapointe, that the
program changes be tabled until the next Academic
Committee meeting, since the issues raised concerning
document AC-98-116 also related to this program.
The motion carried.
(6) MCGILL SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT
New Course:
170-400A,B Environmental Thought AC-98-107(Revised)
3 credits
NB This course was submitted to the Academic Committee
meeting of March 23, 1999, as 170-401A,B. At that
meeting, it was tabled to the next Academic Committee
meeting.
Following a short discussion concerning the integration
of the two sections of the course, Prof. Rasmussen
moved, seconded by Associate Dean Norris, that the
course be adopted.
The motion carried.
Course Already Approved at the Academic Committee Meeting, March
23, 1999
New Course:
170-401A,B Environmental Research AC-98-106(Revised)
3 credits
NB This course was submitted to the Academic Committee
meeting of March 23, 1999, as 170-400A,B. At that
meeting, it was approved by the Academic Committee,
provided that certain issues were resolved (see Minutes
of March 23,1999).
Although the above course had already been approved,
Prof. Pasztor moved, seconded by Prof. Damha, that the
last sentence in the course description (item #13) be
removed.
The motion carried.
(8) GUIDELINES FOR UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH COURSES AC-98-119 to 131
808.1 Associate Dean Mendelson said that it was informative
for all units to read one another's Undergraduate
Research Guidelines (URGs). He said that different
departments have different needs, and that therefore a
single set of Faculty URGs was not appropriate. He
said departments may want to consider what other units
do and to adopt the best practices from other units'
URGs. He asked that units go through the Associate
Dean's Guidelines (ADGs) for production of URGs and
make sure that all issues specified in the ADGs have
been addressed.
808.2 Dean Shaver suggested that the Associate Dean provide a
checklist covering all the issues specified in document
AC-98-119, and that each department go through its URGs
in relation to the checklist. If there are issues that
departments have not addressed, they should be
explained. He said that after this process, the
guidelines would be re-examined.
808.3 After some discussion concerning the academic content
of undergraduate research courses, Dean Shaver
suggested that this issue could be addressed at a
future Academic Committee meeting. He said that the
Academic Committee is open to suggestions: the issue
could be raised for general discussion or as a separate
item of business at a future meeting. Members could
inform the Dean or the Associate Dean of their
preferences. If there was a meeting or workshop, he
would bring the issue up for general discussion to the
Faculty of Science.
(7) CREDIT FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION COURSES AC-98-118
807.1 Associate Dean Mendelson said that the Faculty of
Science does not have a regulation concerning distance
education courses. The Faculty of Arts prohibits
students from taking these courses. The only mention
of these courses on an official document was on the
instruction side of the Study Away Form, AC-98-118,
used jointly by students in the Faculties of Arts and
Science. Associate Dean Mendelson said that, in 1994,
the Academic Committee had recognized, for purposes of
admission, correspondence courses, if they were from
recognized CEGEPs, high schools or universities. He
said he would like to have a general discussion on the
issue of credit for distance education courses.
807.2 After a brief discussion concerning distance education
courses, Dean Shaver suggested that Associate Dean
Mendelson distribute some information on the matter,
and he encouraged members to raise the issue within
their departments.
(9) ISSUES ARISING FROM THE ROUND-TABLE DISCUSSION ON ACADEMIC
INTEGRITY
809.1 Associate Dean Mendelson said that a round-table
discussion on academic integrity had been attended by
professors and students from the Faculty of Science.
He said that a number of issues had been raised and
that he had committed himself to raise some of these
for discussion at an Academic Committee meeting. He
said he would outline them briefly and, if necessary,
raise them for further discussion at future Academic
Committee meetings.
(a) Credit Weight and Workload
809.2 Associate Dean Mendelson said that when students are in
situations that are unduly demanding, they often resort
to dishonest measures. For example, a three-credit
course that demands as much work as a six-credit course
increases the likelihood that some students will take
shortcuts. The opinion had been expressed that the
credit weight was somewhat artificial. Overall a
student should be planning his/her schedule in such a
way that there is a doable amount of work. However,
certain combinations of courses that must be taken at
certain times may involve more work than appropriate.
809.3 During the discussion, it was suggested that professors
and chairs monitor responses to questions regarding
workload on course evaluations. Interventions may be
necessary if particular courses are routinely
identified as requiring an undue amount of work.
(b) Evening Mid-term Examinations
809.4 Associate Dean Mendelson said that the issue of evening
midterm examinations had been raised. The advantages
of these are that students can be given more time to
write the examination and that the examination can be
administered in a way that prevents cheating. The
arguments against evening midterm examinations are
that professors demanded more work from students, that
they interfere with students' other duties, that
midterm examinations are concentrated in the weeks
before and after study break, and that there is little
control on how much work a student is facing, which
then leads to dishonesty.
809.5 During the discussion, some members spoke in favour of
evening midterm examinations, while some members spoke
against having them.
(c) Curving Grades
809.6 Associate Dean Mendelson said that there were two ways
to curve grades. One way is to shift an entire class
up or down. Grades are adjusted to produce what is
considered an appropriate mean. The other way to
curve grades is to adjust the shape of the distribution
to achieve what a professor decides is an appropriate
number of 'A's and 'F's. Students felt that grades
were curved on courses and pointed out that this
fosters intense competition. This was seen as a
situation that would very likely breed dishonesty.
809.7 During the discussion, a member suggested that the
Faculty include a note in the Science section of the
Calendar stating that the Faculty does not have a
policy concerning the numbers of each type of grade
(i.e. A, B, C, D, F) that may be given out for any
course.
(10) OTHER BUSINESS
- SCTP REGULATIONS AC-98-132
810.1 Dean Shaver drew members' attention to the SCTP policy
of returning to faculties reports requiring revisions.
The meeting adjourned at 5:40 p.m.
josie\academic\acmn1998af.doc