MINUTES OF THE ACADEMIC COUNCIL
TENNESSEE TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
October 7, 1998

    The Academic Council met at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, October 7, 1998, in the Deans' Conference Room of Derryberry Hall. Dr. John Harris, Chairperson, presided at the meeting.

The following members of the Council were present:

Dr. Jack Armistead			Dr. Mark Stephens
Dr. Donald Elkins                  	Dr. Norman Williams	
Prof. Rebecca Tolbert               	Dr. Ed Griggs	
Dr. Winston Walden			Dr. Joseph Anderson	
Ms. Sammie Young			Prof. Ken Hunter
Dr. Marvin Barker     			Dr. Gretta Stanger
Dr. Ken Purdy				Dr. Andrzej Gutek
Mr. Joseph Raymond			Dr. Edward Lisic
Mr. Casey Schewe			Dr. Linda Null
Ms. Joy McCown				Dr. Orville Crowell
Mr. Mark Orr				Dr. Brian O'Connor
Dr. Jeffery Roberts			Dr. Corinne Darvennes
DR. John Harris				

Also attending as resource persons were Prof. Deanna Nipp and Dr. Leo McGee.

The following members of the Council were absent:

Dr. Rebecca Quattlebaum			Prof. John Dodson
Dr. Robert Bell				Dr. Harry Smith
Dr. Reed Cripps				Dr. Mary Kornguth		
Dr. Jane Reagor				Prof. Darlene Franklin

SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS

1. Approved the agenda with additions.

2. Approved the minutes of the September 2 meeting.

3. Discussed and then tabled the motion to change the minimum University requirements for a baccalaureate degree from 132 to 120 semester hours.

4. Approved revisions in the Procedures of the Instructional Improvement and Faculty Development Committee.

5. Received additional information about authorized student leaves for reconsideration at the November meeting.

6. Discussed an advising issue relative to loads for scholarship students.

PROCEEDINGS

Approval of the Agenda

    Professor Hunter MOVED approval of the agenda, and Dr. Barker SECONDED the motion. Dr. Harris said that Dr. Barker would have an announcement about authorized student leaves and that Dr. Lisic would bring up an advising issue for students on financial aid under "Such Other Matters." The agenda was APPROVED with these additions.

Approval of the Minutes of the September 2 Meeting

    Dr. Lisic MOVED to approve the minutes of the September 2 meeting, and Dr. Barker SECONDED the motion. The minutes were APPROVED, and Dr. Harris noted that the approved minutes would be placed on the Web.

Change in University Requirements for a Baccalaureate Degree

    Professor Tolbert reported that in December 1997 TBR approved reducing the minimum number of semester hours required for a baccalaureate degree from 128 to 120. The general education requirement has not changed--only the number of hours for a degree. In light of the TBR change, at its September 10 meeting the University Curriculum Committee approved a catalog change, reducing the TTU minimum number of hours required for a baccalaureate degree from 132 to 120 hours. Professor Tolbert emphasized that this change is not a mandate, but units would be allowed to reduce the hours required for a degree if they choose to do so.

    Dr. Barker MOVED adoption of this proposed change, and Professor Hunter SECONDED the motion.

    Dr. O'Connor MOVED TO AMEND the motion to 128 hours as a first step in changing our requirements. Mr. Raymond SECONDED the motion.

    Dr. Barker said that externally this change is a political issue, but internally we view it as a quality issue. He stressed that a curriculum and the quality of the academic program are always the responsibility of the department.

    Professor Tolbert reported to the Council that in October the Curriculum Committee will receive a proposal for a new BFA degree with 126 hours. The reason for choosing 126 hours is that their accrediting body requires a certain percentage of hours in each area of the curriculum, and they more easily meet these requirements with 126 hours.

    The Council discussed at length the issue of reducing the minimum number of credit hours required for a baccalaureate degree as it relates primarily to quality and political repercussions, but also regarding pressure from accrediting bodies, competition with other institutions, formula funding, and the number of course offerings.

    The amendment to the original motion FAILED.

    There being no deadline for making this change, Dr. O'Connor MOVED TO TABLE the original motion, and Dr. Lisic SECONDED the motion. The motion to table CARRIED by a substantial margin. It was pointed out that any TTU policy statement that is approved will go into the catalog. Dr. O'Connor noted that his motion to table was to postpone indefinitely, and Dr. Harris clarified that a motion to table stays on the table until someone who voted for the motion moves to take it off the table.

Revision of Procedures of the Instructional Improvement and Faculty Development Committee

    Prof. Deanna Nipp, a member of the Instructional Improvement and Faculty Development Committee, made the request for approval of changes in the Procedures, noting that all the changes were housekeeping changes except for deleting the requirement for a secret ballot (IV,A) and changing a two-thirds majority to a simple majority (V,C). Dr. Walden MOVED approval, Dr. Purdy SECONDED the motion, and the Procedures were APPROVED. The Procedures will be sent to the Administrative Council for final approval.

Such Other Matters

    Dr. Barker reported that he had received additional information about time lines regarding authorized leave for students and at the next meeting he would ask the Council to either reaffirm or reject the statement that was approved by the Council in September as an addition to the financial aid form. If reaffirmed, the recommendation would then go to the Administrative Council.

    Dr. Lisic introduced the question of advisement of students on scholarships so that they will be aware that their scholarships could be lost if they drop below the minimum number of hours. He said that perhaps students could be advised to take more hours should they need to drop a course. Dr. Barker agreed that this is an advising issue and should be part of student orientation. Dr. Harris suggested a statement could be put into the Advisor's Handbook. Dr. Harris asked Council members to think about this issue and, if anyone would like, to bring a proposal to a future Council meeting as an agenda item.

    Dr. Null asked if the proposal for a 126-hour BFA program would go to the Curriculum Committee on October 22. Professor Tolbert said that the plan is to send it to the Committee. If approved, the proposal would come to the Academic Council, where it could be approved as an exception if the Council has not acted to reduce the minimum number of hours required for a baccalaureate degree.

    Dr. O'Connor asked for any feedback on faculty responses to the Freshman Progress reports this semester, and it appears that the number of faculty reporting is about the same or a little better than last year.

    Professor Tolbert clarified that the Department of Music and Art was in the process of reconfiguring the BFA curriculum at the time that the TBR change in minimum hours came about.

Adjournment

    The meeting was adjourned at 4:20 p.m.

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