University Senate approves additional summer term option

The University Senate approved at its meeting Monday (Nov. 19) a measure that allows more calendar options for summer courses.

The measure adds flexibility to the summer calendar by permitting courses to be taught as part of two six-week calendars, in addition to the current arrangement of summer courses during periods of four or eight weeks. Passed unanimously, the proposal was a revision of a document originally put forth two months ago.

Additionally, the measure formalizes the ongoing practice of allowing variable-calendar course offerings during the summer as long as the course meets the requirements of its credit value.

Teri Reed-Rhoads, chair of the Senate's Educational Policy Committee, said the new calendar options are an attempt to recognize that the pedagogical needs of certain summer classes may require different calendars. One benefit of operating two six-week summer terms, she said, is that doing so will allow more students to matriculate full-time during the summers -- and thereby meet certain financial aid requirements.

Before the proposal was adopted, a friendly amendment reinserted most of a section that was previously discarded from an earlier version. That section states that regular work offered in summer sessions will be equivalent in method, content and credit value to work done during fall and spring semesters.

The adopted measure can be found online at www.purdue.edu/senate/meetings.cfm, under the documents listed for the Nov. 19 meeting.

In other business, Teresa Taber Doughty, co-chair of the Undergraduate Curriculum Council, updated Senate members about the process of choosing core courses for fall 2013.

More than 160 courses have been approved for the fall's core offerings as of last week, Taber Doughty said. Additionally, 59 nominated courses are pending committee review.

Taber Doughty said all fall 2013 core curriculum courses will be decided upon and submitted to the Registrar's Office by Dec. 7.

The Senate also approved its annual reapportionment during the meeting.

It will have one more senator from the College of Pharmacy, and one less senator from the College of Liberal Arts. Representation among all other schools and colleges did not change.

The number of senators representing each area is based on the number of faculty members within each unit. University Senate is composed of 102 members.

Additionally, at the meeting Gerry McCartney, vice president for information technology and Olga Oesterle England Professor of Information Technology, outlined the current situation with Blackboard Learn and answered questions regarding faculty difficulties with the current environment.

In another presentation, Beverly Davenport Sypher, vice provost for faculty affairs, presented an overview of the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) survey of West Lafayette campus faculty.

Writer: Amanda Hamon, 49-61325, ahamon@purdue.edu