Florida International University

Curriculum Committee Bulletin

Curriculum Committee Bulletin #6 April 27, 2004

The following curriculum information is presented to the University Community for its consideration.  In accordance with the procedures of the University Curriculum Committee, objections to all proposed new courses, programs, or program/course modifications should be communicated, in writing, within two weeks of the publication date of this bulletin, to Professor Rosalie Hallbauer (Curriculum Committee), College of Business, Professor Leonard Bliss (Graduate Council), College of Education or TBA (Undergraduate Council).

UNDERGRADUATE HEARING ON FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2004

NAME:                        SPECIALTY TRACK IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
COLLEGE:                 Education
DEPARTMENT:        Curriculum and Instruction
DATE:                         Friday, June 4, 2004
TIME:                          10:00 am
PLACE:                       PC 225 University Park, ACI-306 Biscayne Bay Campus
FACULTY CONTACT:    Charles Bleiker                        Joint Hearing, Undergraduate Council and Curriculum Committee

PROGRAM CHANGES

COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES - DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
Faculty Contact:  Asher Millbauer

 ENGLISH/CREATIVE WRITING:  M.F.A TIME LIMITS TO GRADUATION
Faculty Contact:  Les Standiford

Rationale:
To reflect more accurately the nature of the work required for the MFA and to set guidelines which are more realistic in practice.

In the American academy, the MFA is generally recognized as a terminal degree for the practicing artist, lying somewhere between the Ph.D. and the typical M.A. in stature and rigor.

In specific, the Creative Writing MFA at Florida International University requires 48 semester hours of coursework plus the completion of a book-length manuscript in the chosen genre (novel, collection of stories or poems, full length non-fiction) not approved until adjudged of publishable quality by the candidate's examining committee.  The latter is no empty exhortation:  New York Times best-selling authors Dennis Lehane and Barbara Parker are among those whose novel-length MFA manuscripts have been published by major presses, and the list includes many others, including Vicki Hendricks, Marjorie Klein, Steven Benz, Christine Kling, Preston Allen, Richard Blanco and many others with theses ultimately published and distributed nationwide.

Yet, the writing and revision of the book-length thesis is the stage at which some students have found themselves simply needing more time.   And it is not a matter of simple procrastination.  The conception and the execution of the full-length creative project is difficult enough; the process of revisions required by the committee are often equally rigorous.  The list of writers who had to labor long and hard on a manuscript before finally bringing it to fruition is at least as long as that of those whose early drafts found favor.  Connie Mae Fowler worked for years to bring her first book into publishable form (she had it rejected more than eighty times), as have many others, Ralph Ellison and Joseph Heller among them. 

Given the significant number of credit hours and the substantive thesis project required, it seems only reasonable that the time frame allotted for completion of such work be greater than that for programs that might typically require 30 to 36 credit hours and a minimal thesis requirement, if any. 

 SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM/BROADCASTING:  CHANGE IN REQUIREMENTS:
Faculty Contact:  A. Richards

JOURNALISM

 SJMC REQUIREMENTS        (9 CREDIT HOURS)                        CREDIT
MMC 3003            Mass Communication Orientation                                            0
MMC 3104            Writing Strategies (prereq:  Language-skills test score of 65)      3
MMC 3602            Mass Media and Society                                                            3
MMC 4200            Mass Communication Law & Ethics                           3
TRACK REQUIREMENTS    (28/29 CR. HOURS)
JOU 3003               Introduction to Journalism                                                           3
VIC 3002                Visual Design for Media                                                              3
JOU 3113L             News Workshop (prereq:  MMC 3104C & JOU 3003)                6
JOU 3121               Database and Public Records Reporting (prereq:  MMC 3104C, JOU 3003)    3
JOU 3188               Reporting in a Multi-ethnic Community (prereq:  MMC 3104C, JOU 3003)    1
JOU 3117               News Reporting (prereq:  JOU 3113L, Language skills test score of 80, & FULL ADMISSION INTO UPPER DIVISION PROGRAM)                                                     3
RTV 3301               Broadcast News Reporting (prereq:  JOU 3113L, & FULL ADMISSION INTO UPPER DIVISION PROGRAM)                                                             3
RTV 3201               Videography Basics (BROADCAST TRACK ONLY)               1
JOU 4946               Journalism Internship (prereq:  JOU 3113L)                                0 

OR 

RATIONALE:  Learning objectives of JOU 3200 consolidated into JOU 4341

PROPOSALS FROM THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS TO ESTABLISH UNIT-SPECIFIC GRADUATE ADMISSIONS STANDARDS:
EXECUTIVE MBA:
Faculty Contact:  C. Wheatley

New Admission Criteria for the Executive MBA Program at the Chapman School

Applicants to the Executive MBA program must: 

• Have an earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution;
• Have a GPA of 3.0 or better in all upper division course work;

·         Have a minimum of 8 years of work experience, of which 5 or more years should involve a managerial position with 
responsibility for managing people, projects or budgets;

• Obtain two letters of recommendation from either faculty members at their undergraduate institution, professional supervisors or business associates;
• Complete a personal interview with one of the faculty advisors and the director of the EMBA program; and
• Demonstrate graduate level writing competency by submitting a 2-3 page essay on their motivation to attend the program, including personal and career goals and contributions they may bring to their colleagues and fellow students.
• If an applicant is an international student whose native language is not English, he/she must have a minimum score of 550 on the paper-based TOEFL, 213 on the computer-based TOEFL, or an equivalent score on a comparable examination. 

 Old Admission Criteria

To be eligible for admission to a Master’s degree program in the Chapman School, students must:

1. Meet the general University requirements for admission to a graduate degree program;
2. Hold a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university;
3. Show high promise of success in graduate studies as determined by the faculty based upon a combination of the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score or the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score and the upper-division grade point average (GPA);
4. If an applicant is an international student whose native language is not English, he/she must have a minimum score of 550 on the paper-based TOEFL, 213 on the computer-based TOEFL, or an equivalent score on a comparable examination.  [Students should study the “General Admission” requirements for foreign students in the “Admissions” section of this catalog];
5. Be in good standing with all previously-attended colleges and universities.

 The above are general requirements for admission to the Chapman Graduate School. No specific admission requirements for the Executive MBA Program are listed.  We have, however, used the following guidelines in addition to the above:

• Have a GPA of 3.0 or better in all upper division course work;

·         Have a minimum of 8 years of work experience, of which 5 or more years should involve a managerial position with 
responsibility for managing people, projects or budgets;

• Obtain two letters of recommendation from either faculty members at their undergraduate institution, professional supervisors or business associates;
• Complete a personal interview with one of the faculty advisors and the director of the EMBA program; and
• If the 3.0 GPA requirement and all other factors are met, we process a GMAT waiver on behalf of the student.  If the 3.0 GPA requirement is not met, the applicant must obtain a score of 500 or greater on the GMAT.

Rationale

The new criteria are intended to clarify a policy that had already been in effect for some time for this program.  In essence, the Executive MBA program is aimed at an audience that is considerably more experienced and older than the average Masters’ student in the Chapman Graduate School of Business.  Therefore, we place considerably more emphasis on the candidate’s experience, maturity and managerial potential in our selection process.  The elimination of the GRE or GMAT requirement is consistent with policies adopted by all other universities in South Florida and is based on the following:

·         these tests are not universally employed in the admissions criteria of comparable programs at other universities;

·         the Chapman School has found that the tests are not reliable predictors of academic success in this program;

·         the Chapman School has found that work experience and managerial success, coupled with a solid undergraduate education, are the most significant predictors of success in this program;

·         continuation of the GRE/GMAT requirement puts us at a competitive disadvantage vis-a-vis other Executive MBA programs in the region and thus may harm the reputation of FIU and the Chapman School.

 Exceptions

Any applicant who fails to meet one or more of the above criteria, or who feels that their earned GPA is not indicative of their potential for success in a graduate degree program, is encouraged to submit additional documentation to augment their application portfolio.  The Admissions Committee will consider, for example, a Masters degree in another discipline, a law degree, a professional certification such as the CPA, CFA, SHRM, etc., scores from standardized tests such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT), specialized leadership experience or training, documentation that the applicant is in a “fast track” or “high potential” management group at their organization, or other similar evidence of special qualities as additional factors in evaluating the candidate’s application.

Under exceptional circumstances students may be admitted conditionally, provided they have a GPA of 2.5 or higher in all their upper division course work and extraordinary credentials in all other aspects of the admissions criteria.  In such cases, students must complete the first 12 graduate credits with a GPA of 3.25 or higher in order to qualify for full admission to the Executive MBA program

 NEW ADMISSION CRITERIA FOR THE MSM - HR TRACK PROGRAM AT THE CHAPMAN SCHOOL
Faculty Contact:  Juan Sanchez

Statement:
The following proposal is submitted for your review and approval for the revision of the admissions criteria for the Masters of Science in Management in Human Resources Management Track. 

Rationale
The MSM-HR track is a new program, launched for the first time in the Fall of 2002.  These criteria are intended to bring the admission requirements for the program in line with its objectives to serve “professionals and executives in the field of human resource management.”  As a result, we intend to place considerable more emphasis on the candidate’s experience, maturity and managerial potential in our selection process, particularly in terms of his/her HR experience.  The elimination of the GRE or GMAT requirement is consistent with policies adopted by other universities in South Florida and is based on the following facts:

·        these tests are not used in comparable programs across the country;

·        the Chapman School has found that the tests are not reliable predictors of academic success for applicants to this program;

·        at this point in the development of the program at FIU we have found that work experience, particularly in the HR field, coupled with a solid undergraduate education, are better predictors of success in the program;

·        continuation of the GRE/GMAT requirement will place us in an uncompetitive position against other programs in the region and harm the reputation of FIU and the Chapman School.

Exceptions
Any applicant who fails to meet one or more of the above criteria, or that feels that their earned GPA is not indicative of his or her ability to be successful in a graduate degree program, is encouraged to submit additional documentation to augment their application portfolio.  The Admissions Committee will consider, for example, a Masters degree in another discipline, a law degree, a professional certification such as the CPA, CFA, SHRM, etc., scores from standardized tests such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT), specialized leadership experience or training, or other similar evidence of special qualities as additional factors in evaluating the candidate’s application.

Under exceptional circumstances students may be admitted conditionally, provided they have a GPA of 2.5 or higher in all their upper division course work and extraordinary credentials in all other aspects of the admissions criteria.  In such cases, students must complete the first 12 graduate credits with a GPA of 3.25 or higher in order to qualify for full admission to the Masters of Science in Management with a Human Resources Track program.

 REQUEST TO CHANGE THE REAL ESTATE MAJOR TO INCLUDE TWO CONSTRUCTION COURSES AS ELECTIVES IN THE PROGRAM
Faculty Contact:  John Zdanowicz

COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES – NEW COURSE REQUESTS, LISTED BY DEPARTMENTS:
ART & ART HISTORY:
ARH 2XXX     Exploring Art                                                                                           3 credits
Offers an introductory, non-chronological approach to the understanding and appreciation of art.

ART 3XXXC   Digital Media Foundation                                                                        3 credits
A dynamic, inter-disciplinary approach to the creation of video and interactive media work.

ART 3XXXC   Video Installation                                                                                     3 credit
                        Explores concepts, history, and methods fro production of video artworks.

CHEMISTRY:
CHS 5XXXC   Forensic Glass Examinations                                                                   2 credit
Forensic glass examinations and comparison including lectures and hands-on laboratory exercises in a workshop format.

CHS 5XXXC   Forensic Paint Examinations                                                                    2 credit
Forensic paint examinations and comparison including lectures and hands-on laboratory exercises in a workshop format.

CHS 5XXXC   Forensic Textile Fiber Examinations                                                                2 credits
Forensic textile fiber examination and comparison including lectures and hands-on laboratory exercises in a workshop format.

COMPUTER SCIENCE:
COP 5XXX      Principles of Data Mining                                                                         3 credits
Introduction to data mining concepts, knowledge, representations, and algorithms and techniques including decision trees, association rules, classification rules, clustering, etc.

EARTH SCIENCES:
GLY 5XXX      Topics in Paleobiology                                                                                   1-3 credits
Various concepts in paleobiology are reviewed and discussed, based on readings of the literature, including journal articles and books.

ENGLISH:
ENL 4XXX      Anglo-Jewish Literature:  19^th Century to the Present                                    3 credits
Fiction, essays, and poetry of Jewish writers in Britain and Ireland from 1800 to the present day.  Authors may include Aguilar, Levy, Zangwill, Sinclair, Gershon, and others.

LIT 3XXX       Literature of the Jewish Immigration Experience                                 3 credits
Fiction, essays, poetry, and drama of Jewish immigrants to English-speaking countries.  Course may focus on the great wave, 1880-1920, or other periods.  Authors may include Antin, Cahan, Lazarus, Yezierska, Zangwill and others.

LIT 3XXX       Migrant Stories:  Literature of the Immigration Experience                            3 credits
Fiction, essays, poetry, and drama of immigrants to England and America.  Course may focus on Jewish, Caribbean, or other groups, or comparative studies.

HISTORY:
HIS 5XXX       History of Social Thought                                                                        3 credits
Examines the evolution of major currents in Western social thought from the nineteenth century to the present, emphasizing how these ideas have influenced historians’ work.

HUMANITIES:
HUM 4XXX    The World Of Sante and Giotto                                                               3 credits
Examines the culture of medieval Italy, with emphasis on the writings of Dante Alighieri and the paintings of Giotto di Bondone.

INTERDISCIPLINARY:
ASN 5XXX      Survey of Modern Asia                                                                           3 credits
Focus on modernization, or the transition from pre-modern (classical and medieval) to elements of the modern, including westernization, industrialization, and the roles of capitalism, communism, imperialism, and colonialism, as well as the impact of postcolonial and postmodern society in Asia.

SSI 4XXX        Sustainable Communities Seminar                                                         3 credits
Explores theories and aspects of sustainable communities, and considers the concepts in comparative-historical, local-global, and critical perspective.

SSI 5XXX        Sustainable Communities Seminar                                                         3 credits
Explores theories and aspects of sustainable communities and considers the concepts in comparative-historical, local-global, and critical perspective.

PHYSICS:
PHY 3XXX      Nanoscience and Nanotechnology                                                         3 credits
Introduction to the emerging nanoscience and nanotechnology, physical/chemical understanding of nanomaterials and nanostructures, basic skills and techniques for nanofabrication and characterization.

RELIGIOUS STUDIES:
REL 6XXX      Indian Judaism                                                                                       3 credits
The stories, rituals, interactions and identities of four Indian Jewish communities and their implications for Indo-Israeli relations and contemporary American Judaism.

REL 6XXX      Seminar on Pali Buddhism                                                                     3 credits
The “Original” teachings of the Buddha as preserved in the Pali Tipitaka and its commentaries readings in translations.  Students knowing Pali will work with instructor.

REL 6XXX      Seminar on Tibetan Buddhism                                                               3 credits
                        Study of Influential Tibetan texts in their historical contexts.

COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES – COURSE CHANGE/DELETION REQUESTS, LISTED BY DEPARTMENTS:
ART & ART HISTORY:
ART 1201C    Delete

ART 2301C    ART 3XXXC
Designed for the students who has acquired basic drawing skills.  It strengthens technical and conceptual skills while introducing more experimental approaches.  Modes of personal expressions are also developed.

ART 3760C    Delete

ART 4151       Delete

ART 4320C    Delete

ART 4332C    Delete

ART 4402C    Delete

ART 4703C    Delete

COMPUTER SCIENCE:
CIS 7980         1-20 credits

COP 4540       Logical aspects of database including Relational, Entity-Relationship, and Object-Oriented data models, database design, SQL relational algebra, tuple calculus, domain calculus, and physical database organization.
                        New Prerequisites:  COP 3530

PHILOSOPHY:
IDS 6972         1-3 credits

SCHOOL OF MUSIC:
MUS 4XXX     3 credits

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION – NEW COURSE REQUSTS, LISTED BY DEPARTMENTS:
CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION:
EEC 3XXX      Communities, Families and Young Children                                         3 credits
This course will focus on the varying cultural contexts of young children and the influences these environmental elements have on child development.

EEC 3XXX      Family Literacy and the Young Child                                                     3 credits
This course will provide an understanding of family literacy within the context of language and culture and introduce students to school and home based literacy methods.

MAE 3XXX     Modeling in Mathematics and Science                                                               3 credits
This course emphasizes the application of mathematics and science to real-world problems.  It uses graphical, numerical, symbolic, and verbal techniques to describe and explore real-world data phenomena.

MAE 6XXX     Modeling Approach in Mathematics Education Curriculum                  3 credits
Modeling Approach in Mathematics Education Curriculum.  Curriculum implementation and evaluations.  Designed to provide experienced student in modeling deeper understandings, new techniques, curriculum, and materials related to NCTM standards.

EDUCATION LEADERSHIP POLICY STUDIES:
ADE 5XXX      Individual Learning and Adult Education                                                3 credits
Students differentiate learning theories related to teaching adults, contrast characteristics of adults relative to youth, and evaluate the implications of thee relative adult learning situations.

ADE 5XXX      Organizational Learning & Human Resource Development                             3 credits
Developing rationale and philosophy of human resource development and understanding theories of workplace and organizational learning.  Understanding and applying models of organizational learning.

ADE 6XXX      Adult Teaching Methods                                                                        3 credits
Students explore adult teaching philosophy and methods and prepare to teach in a variety of adult learning environments such as higher education, community education, ABE, TESOL and adult literacy.

ADE 6XXX      Teaching Practicum                                                                                 3 credits
With faculty supervision, students deliver instruction to acquire teaching experience in an adult education environment such as higher education, community education, ABE, TESOL or adult literacy.

ADE 6XXX      Writing for Publication in Adult Education & Human
                           Resource Development                                                                            3 credits
Students develop an understanding of the scholarly writing process and produce scholarly work for submission.  Topics include topic selection and manuscript organization, preparation, and review.

EDUCATIONAL & PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES:
EDP 3505        Child Development                                                                                  3 credits
                        Examination of child growth and development from conception to age of 8.

EDP 4505        Early Social and Emotional Development                                               3 credits
                        Personality, social and emotional development in early childhood.

EDP 4506        Assessment, Evaluation, and Diagnosis of the Young Child                 3 credits
                        Intellectual,  emotional and personality assessment of young children.

EEX 5XXXC   Assistive and Instructional Technology and Alternative Augmentative Systems for Students with                                      Autism                                                                                        3 credits
                        Students will develop skills in strategies used in integrating instructional and assistive technology in the classroom for students with autism and the use of appropriate AAS system.                       

EEX 5XXXC   Nature and Needs of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders          3 credits
Students will develop knowledge and skills related to the nature and needs of students with autism including characteristics, learning goals, teaching approaches, and environmental arrangements.

EEX 5XXXC   Working with Families & Communities of Young
                            Children with Disabilities                                                                             3 credits
This course includes strategies for effective communication and collaboration with families of young children with disabilities and related agencies.

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING – NEW COURSE REQUESTS, LISTED BY DEPARTMENTS:
CIVIL/ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING:
CGN 4XXX     Introduction to the Design of Highway Bridges                                      3 credits
The course covers the different types of modern highway bridges, and systematically analyzes all the components of the superstructures.  Design procedures are based on AASHTO codes and specialized software.

CGN 4XXX     Introduction to the Design of Tall Buildings                                          3 credits
The course reviews the different modern high-rise structural systems, a simple analysis of wind and seismic loading to efficiently design very tall buildings.

INDUSTRIAL AND SYSTEMS ENGINEERING:
EIN 2XXX       Introduction to Industrial and System Engineering                              3 credits
A historic review of ISE origins, definition of role, functions and contributions of the IE in industry.  Professional development opportunities.  Practice communication skill.  Seminars.

MECHANICAL & MATERIALS ENGINEERING:
EMA 5XXX     Ceramic Processing                                                                               3 credits
Introduction to the science of ceramic processing, with emphasis on theoretical fundamentals and current state-of-the-art processing.

EMA 5XXX     Fundamentals of Materials Processing                                                              3 credits
Extraction of materials from the minerals using pyro, hydro and electro techniques.  Fundamentals of solidification process.

EMA 5XXX     Nanoparticle Technology                                                                        3 credits
An interdisciplinary overview of the nanoparticle engineering.  Synthesis of nanoparticles, nanoparticle growth and transport, characterization methods, and applications.

EMA 6XXX     Electronic Properties of Ceramic Materials                                           3 credits
The defect solid state and its relation to electrical properties of ceramics.  Solid electrolytes.  Theory of electron transport in metallic, semiconducting and insulating ceramics.

EMA 6XXX     Mechanical Properties of Polymers                                                        3 credits
Advanced concepts of solid mechanics and mechanical behavior of polymers; stress-strain relationships, stress transformation, beam bending, elasticity, plasticity and fracture.

EMA 6XXX     Polymer Processing and Engineering                                                                 3 credits
Standard and advanced processing methods, characterization of morphology, and reaction processing.  An industry-based case study analysis integrates heat and mass transport, and fluid flow during materials processing, and the economics of materials processing and recycling.

EMA 6XXX     Transmission Electron Microscopy                                                        3 credits
Kinematic & dynamic theories of diffraction contrast and electron interaction in materials.  Diffraction analysis for structural and compositional determination.  Specimen preparation techniques.

SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM & MASS COMMUNICATIONS – COURSE CHANGE/DELETION REQUESTS, LISTED BY DEPARTMENTS:
ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS:
PUR 4100C     Introduction to the content, format and style of multiple public relations tools including newsletters, magazines, brochures and digital media.  Emphasis on news releases, AP style, and media relations.           

PUR 4106C     Emphasis on the strategic aspects of public relations writing and preparation of more complex vehicles, such as annual reports, policy speeches, position papers, and complex press releases/press kits.

JOURNALISM/BROADCASTING:

JOU 3200       Delete

JOU 4341       Conceptualizing and producing an on-line publications with major emphasis on editing capy for language, logic and content.  Production also includes working on layout, photography, and streaming video and audio.
                        New Prerequisite:  language skills test score of 85, JOU 3117 & RTV 3301

RTV 4320       New Prerequisite:  RTV 3201, Coreq or Prereq RTV 3301, JOU 3117 and full admission into upper division program.