The Council of Academic Affairs will meet in subcommittees to discuss the University Learning goals prior its regular meeting today.

These meetings begin at 2 p.m. then the general meeting will start at 3 p.m.

“All Learning Goals committees are progressing well,” said Christopher Mitchell, chair of the CAA. ” The ‘speaking’ goal committee is currently reviewing literature on ‘best practices’ for application across the curriculum and looking at ‘model institutions” for guidance.”

The “speaking” goal is just one of the four goals being addressed by the Learning Goal Committee subcommittees.

The other goals are for undergraduates to be able to speak and write effectively, think critically and function as responsible global citizens Mitchell said.

Each of the CAA members is assigned to one of these subcommittees where they discuss and evaluate the goals and the effectiveness on Eastern’s campus.

Along with the continued discussion of the University Learning Goals, the council also continues to discuss revisions to the Course Proposal Form.

“The next revision of the course proposal form is in development in the Executive Committee at the moment,” Mitchell said. “We hope to have the revisions ready to present to the council around mid-semester.”

In new business the council has four courses up for approval, two senior seminars, a journalism and communication course and possible new English Language Mastery Requirements through the admissions requirement.

James Tidwell, chair of the Journalism Department is scheduled to present the Journalism/Communication 3953, “Perspectives on Sports and the Media”, and the EIU 4165G, “Journalistic Media in Society,” courses while Glenn Hild, the chair of the art department, is scheduled to present the EIU 4171G, “History of Graphic Narratives,” course.

Mitchell said that while these people are on the agenda, they are not necessarily the ones who will present it, instead it might be a different person from their department.

“In practice, the person we are told will present isn’t necessarily always the one to present at the meeting,” Mitchell said. “It all depends on schedules, who’s free, etc. and sometimes there are substitutions.”

Marilyn Thomas, Admissions Specialist, is scheduled to present the English language mastery requirements changes.

The proposal offers international students an additional way to complete their English mastery requirement, a necessity to be admitted to the university.

The changes would accept the completion of the program at the Center for English as a Second Language (CESL) at Southern Illinois University Carbondale as completion of the requirement.

The CAA meets in room 4440 in Booth Library.

Amy Wywialowski can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].