The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
THE EDUCATIONAL POLICY COMMITTEE
Minutes
May 1, 2008
Attending: S. Birrell, H. Dettmer (Chair), M. Gilbert, K. Hall (committee staff), R. Honey, R. Ketterer, P. Kutzko, J. Menninger, M. Niño-Murcia, D. Redlawsk, and A. Segre
Excused Absence: J. Kimberley
Guests: Professor Diane Jeske, Philosophy, Coordinator of the PEOPLE Certificate Program, and Professor Richard Fumerton, Philosophy
- EPC discussed and approved the minutes from April 24.
- Professors D. Jeske and R. Fumerton reviewed the proposal to convert the PEOPLE certificate to a major named Law, Ethics, and Society. After discussion, EPC recommended that the proposal be redrafted to emphasize a well-defined intellectual purpose for the major with particular sensitivity paid to the use of the word “law.” The word has strong connotations for students, especially since the proposal refers to the program as an ideal pre-law major, leaving room for misunderstanding. EPC also suggested the inclusion of a clearer rationale for why the certificate is no longer meeting the needs of students. EPC recommended that an affirmation by the College of Law on the use of its courses and on the context and the type of those courses would be helpful. Some members expressed concern over the program’s proposed administrative structure, noting that students profit from belonging to an intellectual community provided by membership within a particular department; others noted the success of current interdisciplinary programs and the number of successful ways used to create community. The departments participating in the new major will meet over the summer. EPC anticipates discussing the proposal again in early fall.
- EPC examined proposed revisions to the Educational Policy Committee section of the CLAS Manual of Procedure, which has not been updated for many years. EPC suggested a number of additional changes. The draft will be revised and discussed again at the May 8 meeting.
- The committee said farewell to Professor Philip Kutzko who served this semester for Professor Mark Reagan. M. Reagan will rejoin EPC in the fall.
Respectfully submitted,
EPC Secretary
Robert Ketterer