Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1972 [PAGE 545]

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1972]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

535

. . . When, through the disciplinary process, a student is found to have knowingly engaged in a disruptive or coercive action, as above defined, the penalty will be dismissal or, upon a finding that substantial mitigating circumstances exist, suspended dismissal or other sanctions deemed just and appropriate. The Chancellors, in consultation with the President, are expected to institute and implement the necessary procedures for referral of appropriate cases to the disciplinary processes. The change is consistent with recommendations made to the administration and to the Board of Trustees by the Senate Committees on Student Discipline at the Chicago Circle and Urbana-Champaign campuses.

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

REDUCTION IN THE UNIVERSITY RHETORIC REQUIREMENT

(13) The Urbana-Champaign Senate has approved a recommendation from its Committee on Student English that the University rhetoric requirement be reduced from two semesters to one four-hour course. The proposal is intended to establish a minimum requirement (applicable both to quarter- and semester-hour systems). Any campus or college which prefers to maintain or establish a higher level requirement would be free to do so. The Freshman Rhetoric Division of the English Department at Urbana, which developed the proposal, has indicated several reasons for the recommendation. Of primary importance is the fact that entering freshmen are now better prepared and have greater academic ability than their predecessors. A recent survey has indicated that eight per cent of American universities have eliminated the rhetoric requirement and that another thirty-three per cent have reduced it. Faculty members at Urbana who are experienced in teaching rhetoric courses under the present requirement have indicated that the first semester course is regularly more effective than the second. Their experience is confirmed by research data which indicate that there is no significant gain in test scores between one semester of rhetoric and two semesters. The Chancellor at the Urbana-Champaign campus and the Executive Vice President and Provost concur in this recommendation. The University Senates Conference has indicated that no further Senate jurisdiction is involved. I recommend approval.

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

REVISION OF T H E CURRICULUM IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING. URBANA

(14) The Urbana-Champaign Senate has recommended a revision of the Curriculum in Electrical Engineering. The principle changes in the curriculum are: 1) to reduce the total number of hours required for graduation from 136 to 126 (plus required physical education); 2) to increase the flexibility for the student by reducing the number of specifically required courses. The revisions are designed to make the student knowledgeable about the broad field of electrical engineering and competent in one or more areas within it. To accomplish this, the proposed curriculum designates only 61 hours as specifically required (the present requirement is 90) and describes an adequate background in the areas of: 1) general physics and chemistry, 2) calculus and differential equations, 3) computer programming, and 4) electrical science including electromagnetic fields, electrical circuits, electronics and information processing. Further depth in selected areas of electrical engineering is ensured by the requirement that four courses be selected from a specified group of seven courses. A 1965 study of electrical engineering graduates showed that only oneeighth graduated in eight semesters or less; almost one-half required ten semesters or more. The proposed revision should result in as many as one-half of those graduating to do so in eight semesters or less. The Chancellor at the Urbana-Champaign campus and the Executive Vice