THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE FACULTY SENATE Senate Document Number 1690S  Date of Senate Approval 2/8/90  Signature of Senate Chair _______________________ Date __________ Action of Vice Chancellor: Approval _______________________ Date ______________ Denied _______________________ Date ______________ Reasons for denial and suggested modifications: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Statement of Faculty Senate Action: APC Document #12: Catalog Changes in Economics At a department meeting, November 1, 1989 the Faculty of the Economics Department approved the following changes in its catalog entry, pp 112 - 117 1989 - 90 catalog. Effective Date: Fall, 1990 I. Add: ECONOMICS 314: Economic Development (3) An examination and study of the models, policies and problems of economic growth and development; the study of international agencies and their coordinated efforts in the economic development process. Prerequisite: Economics 200 or 201 RATIONALE: This course was offered during the 1970's and was dropped because of insufficient instructional resources to offer the course on a regular basis. Dr. Kofi Apraku who joined the department three years ago has the requisite training to teach the course and has offered the course as a special topic since joining the faculty. This course will make a significant contribution to the range of electives available to Economics Majors; International Relations Majors; and other students interested in problems confronting non-industrialized nations of the Page 2 world. A course of this type is a standard offering in Departments of Economics. Additionally this course is consistent with the expressed institutional intent to increase the degree of internationalization of the curriculum and learning experience of our students. IMPACT: More options for students. Broadening of curriculum. Efficient utilization of Dr. Apraku's area of expertise which is based in his training; his current and ongoing research; and his cultural background. There will be no impact on graduation requirements of any students; no significant opportunity costs on faculty resources, budgets, or other offerings within the department. II. DROP: ECONOMICS 491 Directed Research (1 Credit) RATIONALE: No longer offered or required of majors. Economics 490 and the Research Offerings listed on page 207 of the 1989 - 90 catalog will be sufficient to allow the department to offer students significant experience in Economic Research and participation in Undergraduate Research. IMPACT: None other than space in the catalog! III. DROP The program description including title for: A MAJOR IN ECONOMICS WITH SECONDARY CERTIFICATION found on p 113 of the 1989 - 90 catalog. RATIONALE: There are no students currently enrolled in this program. Enrollments in this program over the past 10 years has been 3 - 4 at most. As currently structured the program does not require 34 hours in Economics nor is Economics 365 or Stat. 125 or 185 required. This is viewed as a weak "major" by some members of the department, particularly for someone who takes the program for the express purpose of teaching economics. Administrative costs resulting from a steady sequence of accreditation reviews has become burdensome, particularly for a program which does not enroll any students. There are other ways to provide an academically significant option for certification students who may wish to teach Economics in the secondary or elementary schools (see IV below) which resolve many of the expressed reservations with this approach. IMPACT: Elimination of an option titled Secondary Certification for Economics majors. If historical experience is any guide this will impact 3 - 5 students before the end of the Twentieth Century, and IV below offers an alternative for those students. No student will necessarily have a career option permanently eliminated. There is no significant demand for graduates of this program; even though there is substantial economic ignorance in the general public who do not attend post secondary educational institutions (for those who do, economic ignorance is rampant - but that is another issue requiring alternative strategies). The Chairman of Education has been requested to provide an impact statement. Last year Dr. Reed informed Dr. Larson that dropping the program would have no negative impact. Two weeks ago Dr Reed asked me to retain the program to provide an option for students. Both Page 3 comments were reported to the economics department. This proposal is the result of the deliberations of the entire Economics Faculty. It is the judgement of this faculty that IV below will adequately and more appropriately serve the needs of students and society than the current arrangement. IV. ADD: On page 113 1989 - 90 catalog after the entry for PROGRAM IN POLITICAL ECONOMY Teacher Certification in Social Studies is available by majoring in Economics and choosing any of the programs in the Economics Department. See description of Education program requirements for specific certification requirements. RATIONALE: This approach is taken by other departments in Social Science, e.g., Political Science and Sociology. This allows a student to acquire both a major in Economics and certification. Remaining programs are stronger than the deleted program (III above). A student selecting this option would normally be advised to follow the requirements for PROGRAM IN ECONOMICS found on page 112 of the 1989 - 90 catalog. This approach should reduce the administrative costs noted above in III. Quality is greater; costs are lower; students are better served with no increase in resource requirements. IMPACT: Provides a strategy for those very few students who may wish to gain certification to teach and major in Economics. No increase in resource demand is anticipated. Students selecting this option compared to the one dropped in III above will take 6 more hours in Economics and 4 more hours in Statistics, but no more total hours in the major (34) and only 4 additional hours in required courses outside the department (Stat. 125 or 185). Total requirements will be 34 hours in the major and 7 - 11 (based on the departments curriculum change approved earlier this academic year) hours outside the department (well within university guidelines of max 36 & 24) plus the certification requirements in the Education Department. Therefore impact is positive in a qualitative manner and minimal in a quantitative measure. V. DELETE: Page 112 1989 - 90 catalog second paragraph of program description beginning with: The student may select ... and ending with ...Secondary Certification. Insert in this space a new statement which reads as follows: The student may select one of three programs: Economics; Monetary Economics and Finance; Political Economy. RATIONALE: To reflect changes in IV above. IMPACT: Accuracy of catalog statement assuming passage of IV above.