CAA approves bylaw revisions

Corryn Brock, Associate News Editor

The Council on Academic Affairs approved bylaw revisions and heard a presentation from Eastern Provost Jay Gatrell during its Thursday meeting.

CAA bylaw article three, A, two currently says, “Eight members (with voting privileges), one from each academic college (Arts & Humanities, Education and Professional Studies, Lumpkin College of Business and Applied Sciences and Sciences) elected by the faculty of the respective colleges, and four elected from the faculty at large. The council members will serve three-year, overlapping terms. Elections are conducted by the Faculty Senate, and newly elected members shall take office at the first meeting of the Fall Semester after the election.”

The line “members representing colleges shall be elected by the faculty from their respective colleges” will be added to ensure those working in their college elect representatives.

Changes were also made to the wording for how the colleges will be represented.

Gatrell spoke to the council on the General Education Program Coordinator.

“I want to make sure we hire a person who is committed to our (general education) program and understands it, who has taught it extensively and preferably at multiple levels,” Gatrell said. “Hopefully someone who is truly dedicated to the General Education Program is recognized by their peers (to take the position).”

Changes to the General Studies degree program were approved.

BGS 2985: Adults in Transition will now be an elective course rather than a required course.

BGS director James Howley said the class should not be required because of changes in how students are coming to programs.

“As we’ve noticed, in general our populations have been changing. More adult learners are starting at community college as adults and then they’re coming to us,” Howley said. “To require them to take an ‘Adults in Transition’ course is, first of all, a little insulting, and also it’s insulting to our community college partners where we often recruit.”

The B.S. Health Promotion: Emergency Management & Disaster Preparedness option revisions to make it more online-student friendly were approved.

Health promotion chair Julie Dietz said the changes to the program are “uniquely well-positioned.”

“It’s still in compliance with FEMA accreditation regulations and can serve a population that would never be able to come to campus,” Dietz said. “We have the potential to bring a whole new spectrum of students to our virtual campus.”

Three items, SPE 4980: Non-Licensure Programming and Services for Individuals with Disabilities (19-015), SPE 4981: Internship (19-016) and Proposed Special Education B.S. in Ed (19-017) were tabled for the next meeting.

The next CAA meeting will be in the Edgar Room of Booth Library at 2 p.m. Feb. 21.

Corryn Brock can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].