Senate Document Number   1101F

Date of Senate Approval   12/06/01

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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:

APC Document 7:   IST: Addition of 490, and 495 to course listings

Effective Date: Fall, 2002

ADD on page 130, the following

IST 490 Senior Research (2)
A research seminar on interdisciplinary topics for students enrolled in individual degree programs. Fall.

IST 495 Interdisciplinary Colloquium (1)
Students formally present and discuss their research findings, creative work, and/or field experiences. Students are required to orally demonstrate mastery of their projects and the significance and implications of their work. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. May be repeated once for credit. Spring.

INSERT on page 130 under the heading "Interdisciplinary Studies: Individual Degree Concentration," In the section marked with Roman Numeral I, after the second sentence, the following:

Included in the list must be IST 490 or an equivalent departmental course and IST 495.

Impact:
None anticipated. The IST director will teach the 495 seminar as part of his or her responsibilities.

Rationale:
Currently students in individual degree programs satisfy competency with research seminars in the various disciplines. Sometimes this is suitable for their work, sometimes it isn't. The 490 course will provide a mechanism for those students whose work requires sponsorship outside other research courses. The 495 course has three purposes. First, it formalizes how the oral competency requirement can be satisfied for Individual degree students. Second it allows the director an opportunity to evaluate the success of students selecting the individual degree option and thus enhances program assessment opportunities. Third, the course provides a forum for increased interdisciplinary dialog by bringing students involved in the enterprise together. Allowing the course to be taken more than once increases that opportunity by allowing sophomores and juniors to present work in its early stages and to see what completed efforts might look like.