Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1970 [PAGE 10]

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10

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

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The date proposed for the beginning of the new curriculum is September, 1969. However, it is intended that the necessary changes in curricula, staff, and space will be spread over a period of approximately six years. The Chancellor at the Urbana-Champaign campus, the Dean of the Graduate College, and the Executive Vice President and Provost concur in this recommendation. T h e Senate Coordinating Council has indicated that no further Senate jurisdiction in involved. I recommend approval. O n m o t i o n of M r . H a h n , t h i s r e c o m m e n d a t i o n w a s a p p r o v e d .

FOREIGN LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT FOR THE PH.D. DEGREE. URBANA

(18) T h e Urbana-Champaign Senate has approved a recommendation for change in the foreign language requirement for the Ph.D. degree as follows: Any foreign language requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy shall be determined by the individual department, division, or faculty jointly administering a program. Departments, divisions, and faculty jointly administering a program shall report changes in the language requirement to the Graduate College, Changes will be effective for students taking preliminary examinations after final approval by the Board of Trustees and report of the change to the Graduate College. The Chancellor, the Dean of the Graduate College, and the Executive Vice President and Provost concur in this recommendation. The Senate Coordinating Council has indicated that no other Senate jurisdiction is involved. I recommend approval. O n m o t i o n of M r . H u g h e s , t h i s r e c o m m e n d a t i o n w a s a p p r o v e d . RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING COURSE AND CURRICULUM MODIFICATION AND PROFICIENCY EXAMINATION, URBANA (19) The Urbana-Champaign Senate has adopted two proposals of its Committee on Educational Policy which are reported to the Board as a matter of record. They consist, in part, of recommendations designed to promote flexibility and responsiveness on the part of colleges and departments in meeting students' special requirements. Course and Curriculum Modification Discussions between faculty members and students, especially in the areas of increased freedom of choice for students in curriculum management and increased flexibility to meet special needs of students, have led to the following proposals: 1. The faculty of each department is urged to establish a special course for independent study, for experimentation, or for seminar on topics not treated by regularly scheduled courses. Requests for initiation of the course and suggestions for areas of study may be made by students; the course may also be initiated by faculty members. It may be offered with approval of the faculty member involved and the department head. 2. The colleges are urged to treat formal curriculum requirements with sufficient latitude to permit the development of individualized programs while maintaining those aspects of the curriculum which are indispensable to the area of specialization being pursued. No prior approval of the Senate shall be required for such modifications. Faculties may establish a modified curriculum for special groups of students or a student may initiate a request for curriculum modification. Proficiency E x a m i n a t i o n s After study of the present use of proficiency examinations and consideration of extension of their use, the Committee found that such examinations, under proper safeguards, are a valid and desirable part of the total educational program of a university, that the present program for entering freshmen appears sound and adequate, and that present problems with the program stem from inconsistent and uneven execution. However, since the Committee feels that the wide variance in opportunity for use of proficiency examinations make it important that administra-