Academic Council Task Forces
2002-2003
Bylaws
The By-laws task force has been working on clarifying the composition,
service term and procedures governing the work of Academic Senate
Committees. The major goal of this group is to present to the
Academic Council a document that understands the work of each
committee within a broadly contemporary context rather than the
unique circumstances that may have existed at the time of the
committee's formation. The revised
by-laws, when approved by Academic Council will be reviewed
by Rules and Jurisdiction and then placed on the agenda of the
Academic Assembly in late May.
Members: George Blumenthal (UCSC), Chair;
Gayle Binion (Academic Senate); Jean Olson (UCR&J); Peter Berck
(Parliamentarian); Maria Bertero-Barcelo (Executive Director)
Course Descriptions
At the request of President Atkinson, and in response to concerns
raised about a course taught at UC Berkeley in Fall Semester 2002,
the Academic Senate is looking at the processes of reviewing course
descriptions on the campuses. The task force has three charges:
to review the experience of the Berkeley English R 1A ("The Politics
and Poetics of Palestinian Resistance"); to review how (non-standard)
sources, such as "umbrella," "single-offer," or "varying subject"
are reviewed for content; and finally to review the operant norms
for faculty with respect to how they describe their courses. The
report
of the Berkeley English R 1A course section and the Report
of the Course Descriptions Task Force has been completed and
submitted to President Dynes.
Members: Carole Goldberg (UCLA), Chair;
Randolph Bergstrom (UCSB); William Davis (UCD); David Goodblatt
(UCSD); Mel Heyman (UCSF); Catherine Koshland (UCB); Robert Post
(UCB); Michael Rose (UCI); Karen Rowe (UCLA); Kimberly Peterson
(Committee Analyst)
Honors/AP
An issue that has been before the Academic Senate for five years,
and is still unresolved, is the appropriate role of Honors/AP/IB
and community college courses with respect to admissions to UC.
In the case of AP courses, there are also questions with respect
to the principles governing the credit given at UC campuses. Because
of the dual but interrelated nature of these questions, the a
task force including the Academic Senate Chair, the Chairs and
Vice Chairs of BOARS and UCEP, as well as an additional specialist
in the area, will review the wealth of data that UC has amassed
on the subject(s). The group will also review the various perspectives
on these matters in an attempt to formulate recommendations to
the Senate and the Regents on policy in this arena.
Members: Gayle Binion (Academic Senate),
Chair; Barbara Sawrey (BOARS); Michael Brown (BOARS); Kenneth
Burch (BOARS, student); Andrew Grosovsky (UCEP); Lisa Alvarez-Cohen
(UCEP); Merit Mikhail (UCEP, student); Richard Brown (UCI); Louisa
Tapley-Van Pelt (Committee Analyst)
Graduate/Professional Entrance Examinations
During 2001-02, the Academic Senate adopted "properties and purposes"
for the use of entrance exams for undergraduate admissions. The
Senate, via this task force, will now address the question of
whethera set of principles could be developed for the proper use
of entrance exams in the admissions processes in UC's graduate
and professional programs. This review is of a very different
nature given that there are more than 600 such programs at UC,
each with a significant degree of autonomy in its decision making
with respect to admissions. But the task force will consider whether
it is possible to frame a set of criteria for the various departments,
schools and programs to consider in determining proper reliance
on GRE, MCAT, LSAT or GMAT. This task force includes members from
a wide variety of academic disciplines, CCGA, law, medicine, veterinary
medicine, and business.
Members: Lawrence Pitts, (Academic Senate),
Chair; David Atwood (UCB); Michael Bernstein (UCSD); Richard Church
(CCGA); Robert Goldstein (UCLA); Bruce Madewell (UCD); Vickie
Mays (UCLA); David Mowery (UCB); Samuel Otter (UCB); Henry Ralston
(UCSF); Marjorie Shapiro (UCB); Emily Hung (Committee Analyst)
Professorial Steps
Concerns have been raised over recent years about the rationale
behind the step system at the Professor level. Two specific issues
have had preliminary review in the recent past but without resolution.
These are: whether triennial merit review involves a too-frequent
application of the "quality-control" system for full professors,
and whether the Step VI "barrier" is an appropriate form of review.
With respect to the latter, the task force will be considering
whether a step with uniquely high standards should be maintained,
and, if so, whether Step VI is the right point in a professorial
career to place a review of that nature.
Members: Richard Watts (UCSB), Chair;
Faye Crosby (UCSC); Robert May (UCI); Debroah Nolan (UCB); Ramon
Gutierrez (UCSD); Joel Dimsdale (UCSD); Michael LaBriola (Committee
Analyst)
