Vol. 18, No. 30	May 6, 1999

Faculty Senate accepts proposal to revamp undergraduate education

At its final meeting of the year, the University Faculty Senate Monday accepted a proposal to revamp UD's undergraduate education, approved a new Ph.D. program in entomology and applied ecology and rewrote a range of policy statements.

Pointing out that the U.S. Constitution was written in one summer, whereas the senate's ad hoc committee on general education took more than two years, Chairperson Carol Hoffecker submitted a 10-page report that calls for interdisciplinary, thematic courses for first-year students and a capstone course for seniors. The report also calls for a discovery learning component in which students can apply their knowledge through research, study abroad or service projects.

The senate's Undergraduate Studies Committee now will consider the report, which can be found in full on the senate's web site at <www.udel.edu/ facsen/reports/GenEdRpt.html>.

In other business, the senate provisionally established for four years a doctor of philosophy degree in entomology and applied ecology and gave permanent status to four majors in the College of Business and Economics–finance, management, operations management and marketing. Senators also agreed to disestablish the human development and family processes major in the Department of Individual and Family Studies, replacing it with a concentration.

Senators also addressed such policy issues as class attendance, academic residency requirements and optional exams on Reading Day. The Student Handbook and the Faculty Handbook were revised allowing National Guard members and active reservists to be excused from classes for short-term military duty. To accommodate returning students, academic residency requirements for the baccalaureate degree also were changed to "completion of either 90 of the first 100 credits or 30 credits of the last 36 credits, full or part-time." Although no required examinations, tests or quizzes may be given on Reading Day--the 24-hour break before the beginning of finals, senators agreed that make-up tests or other optional examinations may be given.

Senators voted to revise the language of the sexual assault section of the Student Code of Conduct to conform with federal laws and, according to Dean of Students Tim Brooks, "make it easier to take appropriate judicial action." The senate also passed an addition to the University's policy statement on students with learning disabilities. The policy now sets up an appeal system should a faculty member question the need for accommodation on the part of a student diagnosed with a learning disability.

Judith Van Name, consumer studies, was chosen president elect and Karen Stein, consumer studies, was elected secretary for next year's senate. Mark Huddleston, political science, will serve as president.

Speaking before the meeting, Provost Mel Schiavelli told the senators that 3,250 student deposits have been received, making next year's freshman class 10 percent smaller, in keeping with admission goals. "This should be the finest freshman class yet," Schiavelli said, because it has twice the number of students with SATs over 1400 and twice the number of DuPont Scholars as last year.

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