1. Call to Order - The chair, Kent Redding, called the meeting to order at 9:04 a.m. in Holton Hall 241.
   
   
2. Procedural Matters
1. Minutes #2 (October 31, 2003) were approved unanimously.
   
   
3. Old Business
1. Discussion of Committee Members' Reports (Copies of all reports are attached to the file copy of these minutes.) - Sara Hoot handed out copies of a draft mission statement, presented as long and short versions. Members commended Sara for the wonderful job she did on preparing the statement. The Committee discussed what makes a mission statement unique to each university. Some suggestions for changes were made. Sara agreed to revise the statement and send a copy via email to members before the next meeting.

   Josepha Lanters gave a brief summary of the English writing requirement. She expressed her view that students need their major departments to offer more courses in which writing is required. Members agreed that the preliminary report to the Course and Curriculum Committee would outline the difficulties in implementing a desirable requirement.

   Jay Beder summarized the math requirement. He explained that the majority of the faculty who responded to the survey felt the math degree requirements should be stronger; that more courses should be required. There seemed to be support for requiring two semesters of calculus for a B.S. Sara Hoot will poll her colleagues for their reactions to this suggestion.

   Genevieve McBride explained that very few departments have approved seminars in their major. She noted that transfer students find it difficult to complete this requirement. Members discussed the difference between a capstone requirement and a seminar requirement and agreed that they need to be more clearly defined and distinguished from one another. No consensus was reached on the seminar requirement.

   Madeleine Velguth gave a brief summary of her review of the language requirements. She expressed disappointment that most faculty members who responded to the survey felt that the language requirement is fine as is. She stated that students need exposure to the languages because they live in a more globalized world. She also noted that the faculty had passed a motion that the language requirement be reviewed with the goal of bringing it in line with the requirements at other research institutions. Madeleine suggested that a C average be required to satisfy the language requirement instead of a C in each course. Members agreed to continue the discussion of degree requirements at the next meeting.

4. New Business
1. Next Steps - The Committee will continue to meet during the spring semester to complete its review of the degree requirements. Kent Redding will send a report to Dean Meadows and the Course and Curriculum Committee at the end of the semester.
   
   
5. Adjournment - Members agreed to meet in a couple of weeks. The meeting adjourned at 10:35.
   
   
   

Respectfully submitted,

Denise Mueller
PA II, L&S Administration

Distribution: Dean G. Richard Meadows
Associate Deans Harris, Miller, Schuster

Minutes #3, 2003-2004 Degree Req Review comm