THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE

FACULTY SENATE

Senate Document Number 10311S

Date of Senate Approval 04/28/11

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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:

APC Document 89: Change the Number of Topical Clusters in which ENVR 130 can be Included (Revision of SD1704S)

Effective Date: Fall 2011

1. Delete: On page 19 of Senate Document Number 1704S in paragraph 2,

If justified, a section of a course may be included in more than one Topical Cluster, but may not appear in more than three.

Add: On page 19, in place of deleted entry:

If justified, a section of a course may be included in more than one Topical Cluster but may not appear in more than three. The exception is ENVR 130, which will appear in four clusters.

Impact:

There will be little impact on the resources and staffing of the Environmental Studies department due to this change. No new equipment or space will be needed since multiple sections of ENVR 130 are currently offered with space typically remaining in each section. This change may impact the overall load of the faculty teaching the course, as a representative for the course faculty will be expected to participate in Topical Cluster meetings, assessment, and other activities for all Topical Clusters in which the course is included.

Rationale:
The issues presented in ENVR 130 lend themselves naturally to many of the Topical Cluster themes. Therefore, the inclusion of this course in more than three Topical Clusters allows for broader interdisciplinary connections to be made with other courses within those Topical Clusters. Also, a limited number of natural science courses without prerequisites exist for inclusion in Topical Clusters. Thus, allowing this course to be counted in four Topical Clusters further affords students the opportunity to participate in each Topical Cluster, and leads to a more direct fulfillment of the UNC-Asheville Strategic Plan Goal related to Environmental Sustainability.