AC-05-69 FACULTY OF SCIENCE ACADEMIC COMMITTEE Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday, January 31, 2006, at 3:00 p.m. in Arts Council Room, Arts 160. PRESENT: Dean Grant (Chair), Associate Dean Hendren (Vice-Chair), Associate Dean Leighton; Professors Andrews, Baines, Chmura, Cline, Drury, Fabry, Kemme, Levine, Mandato, Shultz, Wechsler, Yau; E. Gibb; T. Ebanks, J. Zhai; J. D’Amico. REGRETS: Professors Martin, Silvius; Associate Dean Hendershot; L. Das, J. Gale, M. Lagodich, Y. Lu, J. Pasternak. DOCUMENTS: AC-05-32N,O AC-05-64 to AC-05-68 Dean Grant called the meeting to order at 3:03 p.m. He welcomed the two new members of the Academic Committee — Prof. Bettina Kemme (Computer Science) and Prof. Robert Levine (Biology) — and also welcomed the returning members to the new term. (1) ADOPTION OF AGENDA - Two items to be considered under Other Business, Item #10: (i) Mathematics & Statistics Program Title Changes (Document # AC-05-68) (ii) Discussion on changes to the B.A. & Sc. Freshman Program Prof. Cline moved, seconded by Prof. Shultz, that the amended Agenda be approved. The motion carried. (2) MINUTES OF DECEMBER 13, 2005 AC-05-64 Prof. Yau moved, seconded by Prof. Drury, that the Minutes be approved. The motion carried. (3) BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES 503.1 Dean Grant informed members that SCTP had approved all 15 Undergraduate Research Project courses. (4) REPORT ON MINOR COURSE CHANGES AC-05-65 (for information) 504.1 Associate Dean Hendren pointed out the table listing the old and new numbers for Biology project courses. She said that Biology had done an excellent job of renumbering and re-titling its courses to make it clear which were research and which were reading courses. She hoped that other units would do the same for their courses so that the Dean's Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research List could be updated. (5) UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH COURSES (3 Credits) 505.1 Due to time constraints, the following two courses had been pre-approved by the Academic Committee and by Faculty. Having now been approved by SCTP, these courses were presented to the Academic Committee for information only. New Courses: PSYC 396 (Psychology) AC-05-32N NSCI 396 (Neuroscience) AC-05-32O Secretary's Note: PHGY 396 had been pre-approved by the Academic Committee and by Faculty, and was approved by SCTP. COGS 396 will soon be submitted. (6) PSYCHOLOGY B.Sc. Program Changes: - Major in Psychology AC-05-66 - Honours in Psychology AC-05-67 Prof. Shultz moved, seconded by Prof. Mandato, that the program changes be approved. The motion carried. Secretary's Note: The forms should be revised to identify courses that have been deleted from the program. B.A. Program Changes (For Information Only): - Honours in Psychology (7) RESTRICTIONS ON ELECTIVE COURSES 507.1 Associate Dean Hendren explained that currently B.Sc. and B.A. & Sc. students could take only two of the four 100-level World of Chemistry courses. This was the only restriction on elective Science courses. The issue was whether this restriction should be lifted, or whether restrictions should be placed on other Science courses chosen as electives. Associate Dean Hendren asked for members' comments. 507.2 There was a wide variety of opinion regarding restrictions on Science electives: that there should be no restrictions at all on Science electives, to allow students to broaden themselves in any way they choose; that students should be restricted on the number of credits of general-interest courses they can take, either in total or in any one unit; that Honours students should be restricted in the number of low-level electives they can take, but that students in other programs should not be restricted; and that students should be restricted in taking low-level electives in their final year but not in earlier years. 507.3 Dean Grant proposed striking a subcommittee to report back at an upcoming Academic Committee meeting. Secretary's Note: The proposed membership of the subcommittee is: Associate Dean (Academic) Hendren, Associate Dean (Student Affairs) Leighton, Prof. Robert Levine (Biology), and Ms. Marina Lagodich (student member). This membership is to be confirmed at the next Academic Committee meeting. (8) LIMITS ON RESEARCH CREDITS ALLOWABLE IN PROGRAMS 508.1 Associate Dean Hendren said that the Department of Biology had included a note in the 2006-2007 Calendar that limited the number of research credits Biology students could take. She said that if units had been depending on the recently repealed Faculty regulation limiting research credits, the units could now introduce their own limitations on research credits by adding a note in the Calendar. Secretary's Note: Such restrictions on research credits require only departmental approval. (9) INTERNSHIP YEAR IN ENGINEERING & SCIENCE (IYES) 509.1 Associate Dean Hendren briefly described the IYES program. She said that in order for this program to appear on a student's transcript, the student's unit must have formally opted into the IYES program. Currently in the Faculty of Science, only four units (Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences, Computer Science, Mathematics & Statistics, and Physics) were officially part of the IYES program. She urged members to encourage their units to officially join the IYES program. On the suggestion of a member, Associate Dean Hendren moved, seconded by Prof. Drury, that a memorandum be sent to SCTP requesting that all programs in the Faculty of Science be considered official participants in the IYES program. The motion carried. 509.2 Associate Dean Hendren said that while IYES involved a minimum of eight months, many students preferred to do a four-month internship over the summer. The Faculty of Engineering had created a zero-credit course which allowed students to do this four-month internship. The course was acknowledged on students' transcripts. Associate Dean Hendren suggested that the Faculty of Science create an analogous course, called Industrial Apprenticeship. 509.3 In response to questions, Associate Dean Hendren said that the course could involve an apprenticeship in a governmental or non-governmental organization, and that it would not be restricted to the summer term. She said that the course would be a Faculty of Science course, and would be administered by the IYES Office. (10) OTHER BUSINESS (i) Mathematics & Statistics Graduate Program Title Changes AC-05-68 Prof. Drury moved, seconded by Prof. Cline, that the graduate program title changes be approved. The motion carried. (ii) B.A. & Sc. Changes to Freshman Program 510.1 Associate Dean Hendren said that the Freshman program in the B.A. & Sc. was rather heavy in Math and Science courses, and students were expected to balance this out with Arts electives in later years. This has turned out to be impractical. Associate Dean Hendren said she was therefore proposing some changes to the Freshman program, and that she would like units to let her know precisely which courses were necessary as prerequisites for each unit's Major Concentration in the B.A. & Sc. 510.2 Associate Dean Hendren said she would send an e-mail to units with a formal request. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 3:50 p.m. 3 ACMinutesJanuary31.doc