Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1986 [PAGE 246]

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1985]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

235

T h e purpose of the Department of Statistics, now a division within the Department of Mathematics, is to provide a clear focus and visibility for statistics as a separate discipline. T h e need for this focus is recognized by most major academic institutions. With resources now in the Division of Statistics and those committed by the college, the department would provide a more vigorous program by augmenting graduate enrollment in statistics and developing cross-disciplinary programs and research. T h e statistics faculty will consist of those statisticians now in the Department of Mathematics and fractional commitments from faculty in the Mathematics Department and statisticians in other departments on campus. T h e Statistics Department would be responsible for the existing bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs in statistics (now in the Mathematics D e p a r t m e n t ) ; for maintaining an appropriate level of statistics service teaching for students in other programs; for overseeing the operation of the Mathematical and Statistical Consulting Committee; and for encouraging research in theoretical and applied statistics both within the department and in cooperation with other researchers on campus. T h e University Senates Conference has indicated that no other senate jurisdiction is involved. T h e chancellor at Urbana-Champaign and the vice president for academic affairs concur. I recommend approval, subject to further action by the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

On motion of Mr. Howard, this recommendation was approved.

President's Report on Actions of the Senates Elimination of the Foreign Language Requirement, Doctor of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry, Chicago (16) T h e Chicago Senate has approved a proposal by the Department of Chemistry to eliminate the foreign language requirement for both the Doctor of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. The proposal to eliminate the foreign language requirement was prompted by several considerations. First, after World War II, English began to be accepted as the world's principal scientific language. Second, other kinds of background knowledge, such as computer usage, electronics, biology, and physics, have gained in importance and put an increasing demand on graduate students' time. In order to reduce that pressure and give the students more flexibility to pursue their individual programs of study, the foreign language requirement was abolished. Finally, the department is following a nationwide trend set by other leading Ph.D. programs in chemistry at M I T , Cornell, Berkeley, and Cal Tech to eliminate foreign language requirements. Revision of the Major in Communication and Theater, Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Chicago T h e Chicago Senate has approved a reduction of total hours required for the major in Communication and Theater from 58-60 to 48 and has revised course requirements for the three specializations. T h e changes include the elimination of the requirement for ComTh 125, Visual Aesthetics in Theater and Television, which is no longer offered, and modification of the oral performance requirement in all three specializations. T h e reduction in the total number of hours required for the major (accomplished through the reduction in all specializations of the number of elective hours) was proposed and approved in order to bring the requirement more in line with other majors in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.