MCS College Council
Minutes for meeting of Tuesday, October 21, 1997

1.  PROPOSED BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES COURSE 03-245: INTEGRATED CELLULAR AND
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY LABORATORY (W. Brown)

This 12-unit course was designed in response to increased student demand
for cell biology training.  The lab space for the course was built using
money from the Howard Hughes grant.  Biology majors are required to take
two biology labs - this course will provide them with a third option.

COLLEGE COUNCIL ACTION: The course was approved.


2.  CANCELLATION OF 33-108 PHYSICS OF BUILDING SCIENCE (R. Swendsen)

This course was originally created for and required of students in
Architecture.  Now Architecture has said that they are using the space
in their curriculum for another requirement, and they will no longer
send students to 33-108.  

COLLEGE COUNCIL ACTION: Cancellation of the course was approved.


3.  PROPOSED PHYSICS COURSE 33-786 ASTRONOMICAL TECHNIQUES (R. Swendsen)

This new graduate-level course will be team-taught with faculty from the
University of Pittsburgh.  It will carry a Carnegie Mellon course number
for our students and a Pitt number for their students.  

College Council discussed what prerequisites this course might have. 
Physics does not want to list any prerequisites explicitly.  It's mainly
meant for second year graduate students; everyone else should be by
permission of the instructor.  As a technical note with the new On-Line
Registration system, Physics should reserve all spaces in the course for
physics graduate students, forcing all others to come to the department
for special permission.

COLLEGE COUNCIL ACTION: The course was approved.


4.  EVENING/MORNING EXAM POLICY (E. Grotzinger)

Over the last ten years, several large introductory science courses have
held exams outside of class - either in the early morning or in the
evening.  During these "off hours" instructors can often get larger
lecture halls like the McConomy Auditorium so that they can give all
students the same exam at the same time while still having enough seats
available for students to spread out.  Many faculty members also offer
students more time to complete the exam since they are not constrained
by the 50-minute class period.

A concern arose this year about whether faculty who offer exams outside
of class must then "return" a class period to the students by canceling
a lecture or recitation during the same week.  Some faculty think that a
policy exists saying that this return of class time is mandatory;
however, none of the College Council members have seen such a document.

The members proposed the following:
1. David Owen and Eric Grotzinger should look through the College
Council records to try to find an existing policy.
2. Eric should review this policy (if it exists) with the MCS Dean's
Student Advisory Council to get student input on this issue.
3. In the meantime, convey to faculty what traditionally has been done
as a guideline for current action.

COLLEGE COUNCIL ACTION: The proposal was approved.


5.  POLICY FOR INCREASING COURSE CONTACT HOURS (E. Grotzinger)

Some courses have added registrar-scheduled recitation sections without
College Council approval.  For instance, in fall 1995, 03-240 Cell
Biology began offering an optional help session that appeared in the
schedule of courses.  This session has since evolved into a required
class period in which quizzes are given.  Similarly, 09-144 Physical
Chemistry has scheduled an "optional" section through the registrar to
begin spring 1998. 

The College Council discussed several concerns about this kind of
"creep" in class contact hours.  For instance, although more in-class
hours are required of students (and presumably the out-of-class hours
have not decreased), the units earned for these courses are not
changing.  These extra sessions may also encroach on a student's ability
to take, say, H&SS courses, since they effectively block another hour
out of the student's schedule even when considered optional.

Members also discussed whether extra class hours are really necessary
given the chronically poor student attendance at office hours for
faculty and TAs.  The cost of providing additional classroom hours is
also a factor that has to be considered.

The members proposed that instructors considering an increase in contact
hours need to produce a proposal for College Council.  This proposal
should justify an amendment to the course structure.  Before spring
1998, the instructor for 09-144 needs to provide College Council with
this proposal.  Similarly the instructor for 03-240 needs to do the same
before fall 1998.  The proposals will first be discussed by the advisory
group/curriculum committee chaired by Eric Grotzinger.

COLLEGE COUNCIL ACTION: The proposal was approved.


6.  STANDARDIZING COURSE NUMBERS (E. Grotzinger)

The Associate Deans Council is going to discuss a standard system for
course numbering across the university.  In preparation for this
discussion, College Council members were asked to confirm the current
practice in MCS.  Members agreed that the following scheme is typical:

100-500  undergraduate level
600      both undergraduate and graduate level
700-800  graduate level
900      university course designation

COLLEGE COUNCIL ACTION: No action needed.