THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE

FACULTY SENATE

Senate Document Number 7709S

Date of Senate Approval 04/09/09

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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:

APC Document 62: Change Advanced Placement Equivalencies for POLS 220 and 281

Effective Date: Fall 2009

1. Delete: On page 39, under Government and Politics:

Comparative 3, 4, 5 3 POLS 281

United States 3, 4, 5 3 POLS 220

Add: On page 39, in place of deleted entry:

Comparative 3, 4, 5 3 Individually evaluated

United States 3, 4, 5 3 Individually evaluated

Impact:

This change won't have a major substantive impact. Students earning a minimum score of 3 on the AP exam will still receive transfer credit, but there won't necessarily be a specific Political Science course equivalency assigned.

Rationale:

Students receiving either Advanced Placement or transfer credit from two-year institutions for POLS 220 and POLS 281 are having an increasingly difficult time in the Department’s upper level courses. Discussions with students and senior exit interviews indicate the problem lies in the students’ basic knowledge. Our POLS 220 class, for example, is substantially more than an overview of political institutions in the United States. Its broader focus on the empirical theories of the purpose, function, and nature of politics, is significantly different from what is covered in high school courses, those offered at two-year schools, and even many universities.

The problem is even more serious for 281. In many places this course is an introduction to comparative government, not an introduction to the substantially different field of international relations. Individuals majoring in our department must know the principles developed in 281, which are not the same as those covered in comparative government courses.

Altering the advanced placement equivalencies allows us to assess, on a case-by-case basis, a student’s ability to proceed with the major without jeopardizing their transfer credit. Students will get appropriate general course credit when they transfer in this course, but it will not automatically be counted as POLS 220 or 281. This will only affect students interested in majoring in Political Science as others will still get general credit.