THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE

FACULTY SENATE

Senate Document Number 6610S

Date of Senate Approval 04/08/10

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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:

APC Document 53: Change in the requirements for the Minor in AFST

Effective Date: Fall 2010

1. Delete: On page 62, under Minor in Africana Studies:

21 hours distributed as follows: AFST 130, 330, 430; and 12 hours selected from the Africana Studies electives listed below.

Add: On page 62, in place of deleted entry:

21 hours distributed as follows: AFST 130; and 18 hours selected from the Africana Studies electives listed below.

Impact:

There will be little impact on resources and staffing as a result of this change. No new courses or space will be needed. Student enrollments in AFST-related electives are strong. Simplifying the minor in AFST by eliminating the Practicum and the Senior Colloquium will not likely change these already strong enrollments in departmental courses; rather, it will increase the number of students who will pursue the AFST minor and who will then also participate in AFST programming. In the event that increased student interest causes the need to offer AFST 130 more frequently, this should be easily accommodated with the new AFST director and faculty position that has been approved by the Provost. Because there is a possibility that the elimination of AFST 330 and AFST 430 as requirements for the minor may cause increased enrollments in one or more of the 22 electives, concurrence has been received from affected departments.

Rationale:

Our goal is to increase the numbers of students declaring a minor in African Studies. By eliminating the Practicum and Senior Colloquium as requirements, this proposal lowers barriers to students interested in an AFST minor. Students at UNC Asheville are already taking project-based or practicum courses, and senior capstones, in many majors. There is little need to add duplicative experiences for students who wish to minor in AFST. Moreover, while most majors require some sort of project and a capstone experience for students to graduate in that field, many minors, by contrast, do not. This proposal, therefore, aligns AFST with common curricular practice at UNC Asheville. A simplified minor will also allow AFST faculty to concentrate on student recruitment, retention, programming and other activities necessary to strengthen this important, yet under-served interdisciplinary program.