document. Students will choose their preferred of two tracks after they take the general courses in the program.

  • Moffett asked, why do the courses have different prefixes? Jones replied that in order for teacher certification, the classes have to be coded in a standard way.
  • A Senator asked, what do students have to do to exit the program? Jones replied that they have to complete the coursework.

VOTE: voice vote: unanimous yes with no abstentions.

10 minutes were added to the Curriculum Committee discussion.

  • FSCC 18-19-15 New Course HON 200: This is a new course in Whitney Young Honors College, which is being revamped. This course would be a three-credit-hour course that would get students involved in projects. Guest Erik Brooks, Dean of the School of Humanities and Performing Arts, explained that students would be examining great ideas that changed human society. This is an exploratory course. The way it's set up is that at the end of the semester, there will be a "shark tank" experience where students must defend their ideas to a panel of experts.
  • Moffett noted that it would be good real world experience for students to have such a "shark tank" inquisition.

VOTE: voice vote: unanimous yes with no abstentions

  • FSCC 18-19-16 Program Change Honors: These are programmatic changes. Brooks explained, in looking at the core curriculum, it seemed that the honors core curriculum was out of sync with national trends for honors colleges. Those trends are moving toward a core set of lower-level honors courses, and after that, students will move into their majors. There will be 12 credit hours as part of the new honors core. Then, there will be three levels of distinction: general honors if students do the core, departmental honors if they take the honors versions of their major department courses, and university honors if they do both. The other goal is that we want to set some eligibility standards. Those in this proposal are typical of standards nationwide. But we also want to open access to honors for students at different points in their academic career.
  • Moffett stated that he admired this idea of opportunity.
  • A Senator asked, did every department submit courses to be included in the departmental honors coursework? Can a department choose not to? Brooks replied, of course departments can refuse, though why would they want to? He continued: for a couple of departments, it was difficult for them to participate in the old honors curriculum – this change will now give departments a chance to participate and develop honors-versions of their upper-level courses.
  • A Senator noted that it says on the proposed curriculum ladder that HON 103 is one credit hour, but the course description says 3. Brooks replied that this was a clerical error that would be corrected.
  • A Senator asked, how would students get in if they didn't start with honors? Brooks replied that if a student earns a 3.4 after the first semester, he/she will be invited by letter to join the program. He is hoping to double the number of honors students at KSU.

VOTE: voice vote: unanimous yes with no abstentions

7. Professional Concerns Committee – Caroline Gibson: As Gibson was absent, committee member Debbra Tate gave the report:

  • The committee has invited the campus chief of police to their January 14th meeting to address the parking issue. If senators have any other concerns that should be raised with the chief, please contact Gibson.