THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE FACULTY SENATE Senate Document Number 2597S Date of Senate Approval 3/20/97 Statement of Faculty Senate Action: APC Document 21: Catalog Changes in International Studies and Study Abroad Effective Date: Fall, 1997 Add: After "Requirements" section on p. 143, 171-6, 271-6, 371-6, 471-6 Special Topics in International Studies (1-6) Courses with significant international content which do not fall within the traditional subject matter of one academic department but for which there may be special needs. May be repeated for credit as often as permitted and as subject matter changes. Impact Statement: The addition of Special Topics in International Studies will potentially increase the number of electives students may take to fulfill the International Studies minor. They will also provide UNCA equivalencies for interdisciplinary courses that students may take as part of UNCA-approved study abroad programs. As the Special Topics courses are not required, their addition will not change current staffing needs. Rationale: The primary rationale for adding these Special Topics courses is to provide UNCA equivalencies for interdisciplinary courses that students may take as a part of UNCA-approved study abroad programs. They will also allow for the development of interdisciplinary, internationally focused courses. Delete: INTERNATIONAL STUDIES (p. 142) Add: INTERNATIONAL STUDIES (INTS) Impact Statement: No impact. Rationale: Add a course prefix for use with International Studies courses. Add: On p. 214, after Statistics and before Women's Studies, STUDY ABROAD (SABR) Associate Professor Kelley (Director of International Programs) All UNCA students with a minimum G.P.A. of 2.0 and who are classified as sophomores and have completed at least 12 hours at UNCA are eligible to participate in study abroad programs. UNCA offers summer programs in Oxford and Cambridge; a semester program in Santander, Spain; and semester or academic year exchanges in Chester, England, Heidelberg, Germany, and Cuenca, Ecuador. In addition, a wide variety of study abroad programs are offered through the North Carolina Consortium for Study Abroad. UNCA students are also eligible to participate in numerous other programs; see the Director of International Programs for information on qualifying programs. The following instructions apply to all UNCA-approved study abroad programs except the Oxford and Cambridge programs, for which students will follow regular registration procedures. Before participating in a study abroad program, a student must complete a Permission to Study Abroad form. This form is available from the Director of International Programs and the Registrar. Permission must be obtained from the student's advisor and major department, the Foreign Language department (if foreign languages courses are to be taken), the Office of International Programs and the Registrar. The study abroad program must be approved by UNCA and must meet accreditation guidelines. At the completion of the study abroad program, it is the student's responsibility to see that an official transcript is mailed directly to the UNCA Registrar's Office. 171-6, 271-6, 371-6, 471-6 Study Abroad Course numbers and titles are to be assigned based on the subject matter and the course level designated by the study abroad program. Grading is S/U. Impact Statement: This catalog addition will make the administration of and granting of credit for study abroad programs more efficient for the Office of International Programs and the Registrar's Office. It will also distinguish, on a student's transcript, credits earned through study abroad. As the proposed changes refer strictly to study abroad programs, there will be no impact on UNCA staffing needs or course offerings. Rationale: The inclusion of a Study Abroad description and course prefix and numbers in the catalog is being made at the request of the Registrar's Office and is based on a new procedure for handling the registration of students participating in study abroad programs that has been developed jointly by the Registrar's Office, the Office of International Programs, the Financial Aid Office, and Enrollment Services. When a student's transcript for a completed study abroad program has been received by the Registrar's Office and approved by the Director of International Programs, the above course prefix and numbers will be used to load the approved courses onto the student's transcript. The first digit of the course number will indicate the level of the course and the final digit will denote the number of credits earned. The course title of the study abroad program (in English) will be used. A transcript note will be added, at the end of the term in which the courses were taken, that will read: "coursework completed through as part of UNCA's Study Abroad Program."