Curriculum Committee
Annual Report for 2018-19
Committee Members
Tina Bayer, Nursing
Todd Holden, Physics – Chair
Isabella Lizzul, Health, Physical Education & Dance
Jean Murley, English
James Nichols, History
Joan Petersen, Biological Sciences & Geology
Edward Volchok, Business
Patrick Wallach, Mathematics & Computer Science (2015-2021) – Secretary
Richard Yuster, Engineering Technology
Student Representatives
Xinghui Qiu
Evens Esperance
Liaisons
Richard Yuster, Engineering Technology, COC Liaison
Richard Mako, Library, Steering Committee Designee
Michael Pullin, Provost, Office of Academic Affairs, President's Liaison
Acknowledgements:
The Committee wishes to thank Interim President Dr. Timothy Lynch and the President’s Liaison, Michael Pullin, Associate Dean for Academics for a number of ways in which they have supported the work of the Committee on Curriculum this year, including matters regarding reassigned time for the Chair of the Committee. Gratitude is due to Arthur Corradetti, Dean for Institutional Effectiveness, Sandra Palmer, Acting Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Karen Steele, Former Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Patricia Canale, Registrar. Particular gratitude goes Michael Pullin, Associate Dean for Academics, for his thoroughness in all matters and for guidance and planning to make the curricular revision process efficient.
Many faculty leaders’ guidance is also appreciated, including from Philip Pecorino, Chair of the Faculty Executive Committee and the Academic Senate Steering Committee (Joel Kuszai, Chair, Steven Dahlke, Vice-Chair, and Jannette Urciuoli, Secretary). The Chair of the Committee thanks the Committee members listed above, for their dedication and hard work during this academic year, including their useful review, critiques, and constructive recommendations in considering over 90 curricular items. Gratitude goes to Director of Web Services, David Moretti, for his extensive help in making our reports ADA compliant as well as work toward better automating the curricular process. Many thanks to Patrick Wallach, who has done an exceptional job as the secretary of the Committee on Curriculum for several years. Finally, special gratitude is due to Richard Yuster, whose vigilant eye and experience has facilitated my work again as chair during this past year.
Todd Holden
Chair, Committee on Curriculum
Meetings:
The Committee on Curriculum met on Tuesday afternoons, from 2:10 to 4:00 P.M. in H205. The committee met 15 times during the 2018-2019 academic year. Meetings in 2018 took place on September 4 and 25; October 2, 16, 23, and 30; November 20 and 27. Meetings in 2019 took place in January 29; February 26; March 19 and 26; April 16 and 30; May 7.
Recommendations:
To avoid unnecessary delays or misunderstandings, members of the Committee on Curriculum recommend that proposing departments consult and discuss with other department chair(s) prior to submitting new courses with similar interests. Representatives of the proposing departments should also be available to attend meetings to clarify questions of the Committee on Curriculum members when their submissions are being discussed. Curriculum revisions are updated to CUNY-first twice a year, two weeks prior to the start of the fall and spring registration periods, following the posting of Chancellor’s Reports (and the several other steps before that). It is important, therefore, that the departments plan curricular changes well in advance of the semester to allow sufficient time.
All new programs and significant changes to a program's degree requirements will become effective in the fall semester of an academic calendar year. If there is a change in course number or prefix, or assignment of a new course number or prefix, before submitting the proposal to the Committee on Curriculum, departments should confirm with the Registrar's office that the number and/or prefix is available for use.
The Committee on Curriculum members recommended in June 2017 that the Chairperson of the committee receive 4 hours of release time in the spring and 4 hours of release time in the fall, starting with the Fall-2017 semester. The chair of the Steering committee forwarded this recommendation to the Office of Academic Affairs. As a result, the release time to compensate for the work of the Committee on Curriculum Chairperson was increased from 3 credits a year to 3 credits release time a semester starting Fall 2017. The members of the Committee on Curriculum find the current reassigned load (3 credits per semester, 6 credits per year) adequate to support the Chairperson in her/his extensive committee duties. They strongly recommend that this reassigned load should continue to be granted to the Chairperson of the Committee on Curriculum.
Committee Members for the Academic Year 2019-2020
Tina Bayer, Nursing
Florence Farrat, Registrar
Tirandai Hemraj-Benny, Chemistry
Todd Holden, Physics - Chair
Isabella Lizzul, Health, Physical Education & Dance
James Nichols, History Department
Edward Volchok, Business
Patrick Wallach, Mathematics & Computer Science – Secretary
Richard Yuster, Engineering Technology
Actions of the Committee
The committee took the following curricular actions during the 2018-2019 academic year.
69 course revisions + 1 experimental course revision
13 program revisions
4 new courses + 1 experimental courses
1 new program
1 deletion
COURSES REVISIONS
Sixty-nine course revisions and one experimental course revision are listed below by department. The date committee approval is indicated in parentheses. Further information can be found in the Curriculum Committee minutes for that date and the monthly curriculum committee report sent to the following academic senate meeting.
Department of Biological Sciences and Geology
BI-357 Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (11/20/2018)
BI-340 Assisting in the Medical Office: Clinical Testing Procedures (3/26/2019)
BI-341 Assisting in the Medical Office: Medical Assisting Procedures (3/26/2019)
BI-451 Phlebotomy Technology (3/26/2019)
BI-961 Phlebotomy Practice (3/26/2019)
Department of Business
BU-111 Computer Applications in Accounting (3/26/2019)
Department of Engineering Technology
ET-232 Wireless Mobile Communications (10/2/2018)
ET-506 Introduction to UNIX (LINUX) (10/2/2018)
ET-580 Object Oriented Programming (10/2/2018)
ARCH-111 Architectural Design I (10/2/2018)
ARCH-113 Building Technology I (10/2/2018)
ARCH-121 Architectural Design II (10/2/2018)
ARCH-123 Building Technology II (10/2/2018)
ARCH-125 Surveying and Site Planning (10/2/2018)
ARCH-129 Visualization II (10/2/2018)
ARCH-231 Architectural Design III (10/2/2018)
ARCH-237 Environmental Systems (10/2/2018)
ARCH-248 Structures I (10/2/2018)
Department of English
ENGL-102 English Composition II: Introduction to Literature (4/16/2019)
ENGL-103 Writing for New Media (4/16/2019)
ENGL-202 Readings in Poetry (4/16/2019)
ENGL-203 Readings in Drama (4/16/2019)
ENGL-204 Readings in Prose Fiction (4/16/2019)
ENGL-211 English Literature I: Anglo-Saxon Period through the Eighteenth Century (4/16/2019)
ENGL-212 English Literature II: Nineteenth Century to Present (4/16/2019)
ENGL-213 World Literature I: Ancient through Renaissance (4/16/2019)
ENGL-214 World Literature II: Masterpieces from the Eighteenth to the Twentieth Centuries (4/16/2019)
ENGL-215 American Literature I: Colonial Period to American Renaissance (4/16/2019)
ENGL-216 American Literature II: Civil War to Present (4/16/2019)
ENGL-217 Contemporary Literature in English (4/16/2019)
ENGL-220 Introduction to Creative Writing (4/30/2019)
ENGL-221 Creative Writing: Fiction (4/30/2019)
ENGL-222 Creative Writing: Poetry (4/30/2019)
ENGL-231/232 Special Topics in Writing Studies (4/30/2019)
ENGL-241 Introduction to Journalism; Editing Principles and Practices (4/30/2019)
ENGL-242 Documentary Film: The New Journalism (4/30/2019)
ENGL-252 Film and Literature (4/30/2019)
ENGL-262 New York (4/30/2019)
ENGL-311 Journalism II: Feature and Magazine Article Writing (4/16/2019)
ENGL-501 The Novel (4/30/2019)
ENGL-502 Modern Drama (4/30/2019)
ENGL-503 Shakespeare in Elizabethan Drama (4/30/2019)
ENGL-504 The Bible as Literature (4/30/2019)
ENGL-505 Children’s Literature (4/30/2019)
ENGL-591,592 Special Topics in Literature (4/30/2019)
Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures
LS-112 Elementary Spanish II (11/20/2018)
LS-161 Spanish for Medical Personnel I (11/20/2018)
Department of Health, Physical Education, and Dance
HE-110 Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (11/27/2018)
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
CS-100 Introduction to Computers and Programming (4/16/2019)
MA-010 ALP Elementary Algebra (4/16/2019)
MA-010 Elementary Algebra (4/16/2019)
MA-114 College Algebra and Trigonometry for Technical Students (4/16/2019)
MA-119 College Algebra (11/27/2018)
MA-119 College Algebra (4/16/2019)
MA-121 Elementary Trigonometry (4/30/2019)
MA-128 Calculus for Technical and Business Students (4/16/2019)
MA-301 Mathematics for the Liberal Arts (4/30/2019)
MA-321 Mathematics in Contemporary Society (11/27/2018)
MA-321 Mathematics in Contemporary Society (4/16/2019)
Department of Physics
PH-101 Principles of Physics (1/29/2019)
PH-450 Introduction to Physics Research (9/4/2018)
PH-422 General Calculus Physics B (2/26/2019)
Department of Social Sciences
CRIM-102 (changing to CRIM-205) Criminology (1/29/2019)
CRIM-201 Policing (1/29/2019)
CRIM-202 Corrections and Sentencing (1/29/2019)
CRIM-203 Criminal Law (1/29/2019)
CRIM-204 Crime and Justice in the Urban Community (1/29/2019)
Department of Speech Communication and Theater Arts
SP-212 Interpersonal Communication (3/19/2019)
REVISION OF EXPERIMENTAL COURSE – (FOR INFORMATION ONLY)
Department of English
BE-102 Developing Competence in College Reading, Writing, and Study Skills (10/2/2018)
PROGRAM REVISIONS (13 program revisions)
Thirteen program revisions are listed below by department. The date committee approval is indicated in parentheses. Further information can be found in the Curriculum Committee minutes for that date and the monthly curriculum committee report sent to the following academic senate meeting.
Department of Art and Design
A.S. in Art (10/2/2018)
ARTH 128, 225, and 150 have been added to the “six credits from” group of ARTH classes
Students would need to take a minimum of 16 credits of ARTS classes.
Both of these groups would fall under the “Requirements for the major” as they had before.
ARTS-130/131 course names have been updated.
ARTS-272 has been added to the list of ARTS concentration courses
ARTH-202 has been added to Flexible Core C with a footnote.
Rationale:
Originally there was one degree in Art and Design. With accreditation that degree was split into two concentrations: Art History and Art and Design. As such there is an issue in the ARTH credit choices in the AS degree in Art and Design. Currently students can effectively overload on ARTH credits and take minimal studio classes while still having a concentration in Art and Design.
To clarify the concentration and preclude that option we have modified it as follows:
Some of the ARTH elective courses have been copied to the (SIX-6- CREDIT) Art History section
A minimum number of required ARTS credits has been established
Some course names have been revised
A.S. in Digital Art and Design (10/30/2018)
The wording for REQUIRED CORE 1C: was switched from requiring CH-106 to recommending it.
Department of Biological Sciences and Geology
A.S. in Environmental Science (11/20/2018)
The degree program now allows students who do not place into MA-440 to count the prerequisites for the course (MA-119 and MA-121) as advised major electives.
Rationale:
Only a small percentage of students (2%) place into MA-440 upon arrival at QCC. Previously, students who placed at a lower level needed to take additional credit-bearing math courses (MA-119 and MA-121) beyond the 60 credits of degree requirements to graduate. Those additional math courses can be viewed as “hidden pre-requisites.” The changes indicated below allow students to count those additional math courses toward the degree as Advised Major Electives, eliminating the hidden prerequisites.
Departments of Biological Sciences and Geology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Computer Science, and Physics
A.S. in Liberal Arts & Sciences (Mathematics & Science) (11/27/2018)
The program has been changed to include the “hidden” prerequisites to MA-440 within the degree plan. To avoid reducing the number of credits available for Major Requirements, SP-211 has been moved to the common core. Additionally, the choices in the Major Requirements have been updated to include more choices and to provide guidance in course choice for the various concentrations.
Rationale:
CUNY Central and the NYSED are requiring that this degree program start with MA-119. They have pointed out that by starting the degree program with MA-440, we have created hidden prerequisites (MA-119 and MA-121) for students who did not place into MA-440 upon arrival at QCC that would need to be taken outside the 60 credits required for the A.S. degree.
Department of Business
A.A.S. in Accounting (11/27/2018)
The math course required for the degree has been changed from MA-128 or MA-260 or MA-440 to MA-114 or MA-119 or MA-128 or MA-260 or MA-440.
Additional changes were made to clarify the core requirements.
Rationale:
Most students do not place into precalculus or calculus upon arrival at QCC. Previously, students who placed at a lower math level needed to take additional math courses (MA-114 or MA-119 and MA-121) beyond the 60 credits of degree requirements to graduate. Those additional math courses can be viewed as “hidden pre-requisites.” The changes indicated below allow students to count those math courses toward Required Core 1B. That change will eliminate the problem of hidden prerequisites.
A.A.S. in Management (3/26/2019)
For Common Core requirements, students can take either MA 321 Mathematics in Contemporary Society or MA 119 College Algebra. MA 119 may be more easily transfer to a senior college as a major course than MA 321 and therefore may be more beneficial to those students who are interested in transferring.
Rationale:
Many students enrolled in the A.A.S. Degree program in Management – Marketing Concentration, transfer to a senior college. In general, MA 321 does not transfer towards the major. MA 119 may transfer towards the major more easily to a senior college.
Department of Chemistry
A.S. in Science for Forensics (10/23/2018)
PH-401 and PH-402 were renumbered to PH-421 and PH-422.
Rationale:
PH-401 and PH-402 are being renumbered to PH-421 and PH-422 to avoid a numbering conflict with a previous course also numbered PH-402. This change updates this program to reflect the numbering change. The course content has not changed.
Department of Health, Physical Education, and Dance
A.S. in Dance (10/30/2018)
The main changes include making DAN-111 and SP-211 required in the common core to meet NASD Standards and an increase in dance major requirements from 21-23 credits to 27-28 credits to meet NASD Standards.
Rationale:
Since the curricular changes to the A.S. degree program in Dance in 2015, the program has become much stronger in preparing our students for professional careers in dance as well as for transferring to strong BFA dance programs. Since the latest revision in the curriculum, we have had students transfer to Rutgers University (BFA), Marymount Manhattan College (BFA), SUNY Brockport (BFA), Hofstra University (BA in Dance Education), Queens College (BA), Montclair State University (BFA), and Long Island University/Brooklyn Campus (BFA). The curriculum changes have meant that more of our students have transferred to strong dance programs than ever before. Furthermore, the dance program has continued to grow in popularity at the college.
As a means of further strengthening our program, we are pursuing accreditation with the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD). In Spring of 2017, we completed a comprehensive self-study for NASD accreditation. In April 2017, the program hosted two NASD site visitors, whose report read, “The stated and published purpose of the dance program is not only viable, but it guides curriculum, instruction, resource allocation, and opportunities for dance majors. Students are very directed and motivated by the program purpose and studying dance at QCC is a holistic experience. Out of class time is in addition to teaching loads and positively benefits majors and their growth.” Further, the report stated, “Development of Competencies – The institution seems successful in outlining, assessing and developing the competencies of majors. While students typically only have two years of study at QCC, their growth is significant. This can be attributed to clear expectations for levels and standards for progression through the levels of technical study, as well as semesterly assessment of performance that relies on established rubrics and criteria. There is a strong correlation between what is stated in syllabi and what students are expected to master. The dance program should be commended for its attention to this area of their curriculum development.”
In the fall of 2017, we were deferred accreditation. We were asked to address several issues for which we are not meeting the NASD standards. Below are the relevant points from the NASD Commission decision for which we were deferred accreditation. These proposed curricular revisions address these issues.
While NASD acknowledges that we meet the technical training standards for students transferring into BA programs in dance, we are required to show that we also meet the requirements for transfer into BFA programs since most of our students are transferring into BFA programs.
The Commission acknowledges the information provided in the institution’s Optional Response regarding student preparation to transfer to a professional baccalaureate degree and notes the innovative ways in which students with this goal receive customized advising that assists them to make curricular choices that supplements their required dance course work. However, it is not clear that the published requirements and expected learning outcomes for the two-year liberal arts degree provide sufficient time on task and the development of a common body of knowledge and skills equivalent to the first two years of a professional baccalaureate degree, or how such a course of study serves to “ease the transfer” into professional dance degrees (see Self-study, p. 9).
Department of Physics
A.S. in Engineering Science (10/23/2018)
PH-401 and PH-402 were renumbered to PH-421 and PH-422.
Rationale:
PH-401 and PH-402 are being renumbered to PH-421 and PH-422 to avoid a numbering conflict with a previous course also numbered PH-402. This change updates this program to reflect the numbering change. The course content has not changed.
A.S. in Liberal Arts & Sciences (Mathematics & Science) (10/23/2018)
PH-401 and PH-402 are being renumbered to PH-421 and PH-422.
The range of credits for the two upper sequence courses under requirements for the major section are corrected to read 8-10 instead of 8-11.
Rationale:
PH-401 and PH-402 are being renumbered to PH-421 and PH-422 to avoid a numbering conflict with a previous course also numbered PH-402. This change updates this program to reflect the numbering change. The course content has not changed. Numbers of credits in the requirements for the major section were corrected to show the range of credits possible for the courses listed.
Department of Social Sciences
Dual-Joint A.S./B.S. Degree in Criminal Justice with John Jay College of Criminal Justice (4/16/2019)
CRIM102 will be converted to CRIM205 with pre-requisites of CRIM101 and CRIM106. The other 200-level major course requirements – CRIM201, CRIM202, CRIM203, CRIM204 – will have their pre-requisites revised to CRIM101 and CRIM106.
Rationale:
A major course requirement in this program, CRIM102 Criminology, is being converted to a 200-level course, CRIM205. Currently, the 200-level courses (CRIM201, 202, 203, 204) have as pre-requisites CRIM101, CRIM102 and CRIM106. In the interest of programmatic consistency all current 200-level courses and the proposed CRIM205 will have the same pre-requisites of CRIM101 and CRIM106.
A.A. Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences (3/19/2019)
The Psychology Concentration was deleted.
Rationale:
Effective Spring 2019 the college launched a new degree program, A.S. Psychology, that will replace the Liberal Arts and Sciences A.A. Psychology Concentration. As of the start of Spring 2019, the Psychology concentration will be deactivated, so no more students will be admitted into the program. The new A.S. degree is a more rigorous program that will better prepare students to transfer into their junior year at a four year institution. Consequently, the Psychology Concentration is no longer a necessary option.
A.A. Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences – Education Concentration (4/16/2019)
The major requirement of PSYC215 Child Development (3 hr/3 cr) is replaced by EDUC230 Childhood Learning and Development in Cultural Context (3 hr/3 cr).
Rationale:
Effective Fall 2018 the Dual/Joint A.A./B.A. Degree in Childhood Education with Queens College was revised to replace the required major course PSYC215 Child Development with a new course, EDUC230 Childhood Learning and Development in Cultural Context. For the sake of consistency we are proposing changing the major requirements for the LA1 Education Concentration by replacing PSYC215 with EDUC230.
NEW COURSES (4 new courses and 1 experimental course)
Four new courses and one new experimental course are listed below by department. The date committee approval is indicated in parentheses. Further information can be found in the Curriculum Committee minutes for that date and the monthly curriculum committee report sent to the following academic senate meeting.
Department of Biological Sciences and Geology
BI-203 Cell Biology (2/26/2019)
Department of Engineering Technology
ET-574 Programming and Applications with Python (9/4/2018)
Department of English
BE-102 Developing Competence in College Reading, Writing, and Study Skills (2/26/2019)
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
CS-105 Topics in Computer Science (11/27/2018)
EXPERIMENTAL COURSE – FOR INFORMATION ONLY
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
MA - 335 Statistics with Basic Algebra (5/7/2019)
NEW PROGRAM
One new program was approved on April 30, 2019. Further information can be found in the Curriculum Committee minutes for that date and the monthly curriculum committee report sent to the following academic senate meeting.
Department of Biological Sciences and Geology
Degree proposal for an A.S. in Biology. (4/30/2019)
COURSE DELETION
(This course deletion was tabled at the May 2018 senate. It is included in the May 2018 Committee on Curriculum Monthly Report for the September 2018.)
Business Department
BU-802 Typewriting/Keyboarding II (5/15/2018)
For Information Only:
The Committee on Curriculum adopted a flowchart largely developed by Michael Pullin detailing the curriculum change process. This flowchart details the many steps in the curriculum change process and is recommended for anyone who needs to understand the curriculum change process and timeline. The Committee on Curriculum revised the submission forms (Form01, Form02, Form03, Form04, Form05) to aid in creating ADA compliant reports to post on the QCC website. The updated forms as well as the updated Committee on Curriculum Guide are available at the Committee on Curriculum website.
Form01: New Course Proposal
Form02: Program Revision proposal
Form03: Course Revision proposal
Form04: Syllabus
Form05: Program Discontinuation / Course Deletion
Committee on Curriculum Guide
