Program Proposals

• College of Arts & Letters
• College of Business Administration
• College of Education
• College of Engineering & Computer Science
• College of Health & Human Services
• College of Natural Sciences & Mathematics
• College of Social Sciences & Interdisciplinary Studies

SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE

Art History Concentration

Justification:

A course change/new course proposal has been submitted to divide the existing course, ART 3, into two separate courses, ART 3A and 3B (see the two Form A’s in this packet, which include a justification for the restructuring of the course). Form B is needed to insert the two courses into the appropriate lower division part of the Art History concentration.

Note: The attached document with the comparison of the old/new versions of the Art History concentration also includes changes that were approved previously at all levels but which were not entered into the on-line catalog. ART 115 and 116, two seminars that were approved last year, needed to be inserted into the concentration also. Accordingly, they and the two new lower-division courses, ART 3A and 3B, appear in the “new” column but not in the “old” one.

SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES

Communication Studies

Justification:

This course adds COMS 164 Visual Communication as an alternative research methods course in several of our options and concentrations. This course does focus on research methodology and would relieve enrollment pressure on the other qualitative research methods courses.

NEW PROGRAM

Film

Justification:

The Pilot Program in Film creates an academic major that will offer two options: Film Studies and Film/Video Production. The notion of a Pilot Program in Film was approved by the administration of Sacramento State in the Spring of 2006, and following a year-long series of discussions and by-weekly meetings, the Film Studies Faculty Committee, in concert with a strong support system from students desiring to major in Film, respectfully requests your approval of this Pilot Program. Following a series of conversations with the Dean of the College of Arts and Letters, Dr. Jeffrey Mason, the Pilot Program in Film will not rely on internal funding from the College of Arts and Letters. The Pilot Program in Film will be housed in the College of Arts and Letters, with advising and clerical responsibilities to derive from the Film Studies Faculty Committee.

NON SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE

MA in Spanish

Justification:

Spanish faculty, by consensus, voted in 2006 to raise the current GPA for all MA program applicants from 2.5 to 3.0 in the last 60 attempted semester units. This was done to raise the overall caliber of our new students, further ensure their success once in our program, and bring our MA program more into line with its peer programs within CSUS and the CSU system.

SUBSTANTIVE CHANGEs

Master of Arts, Public History

Justification:

The Department of History wishes to make the following changes in its Master of Arts in Public History program. These changes in the required course offerings are designed to achieve two purposes: 1) To allow the Public History program to accommodate new course offerings in the Standard Program, where the course offerings for the two programs overlap, and 2) to create a new and explicitly theoretical grounding for the Public History curriculum. Justifications for individual courses are included in the relevant course change forms. This revamped Public History program would be a non-substantive change because it would not increase or decrease the required units for the History M.A., it carries no supplemental funding request, and it has no identified fiscal or programmatic impact on another unit’s offerings.

Proposed changes:

1. Cease to require Hist 201, the European historiography seminar (this course is being terminated, as explained in the plan for our new Standard History program).

2. Require students to take one of two new theoretical seminars: either HIST 200 “History and Theory” or HIST 282F “History and Memory”

3. Rename existing History 202 from “Seminar in American Historiography” to “Interpreting U.S. History” to better reflect contemporary practice (also being changed for the Standard History program).

Master of Arts, Standard Program (Comprehensive Option)

Justification:

The Department of History wishes to make the following changes in its standard MA program—now to be called the standard program (comprehensive option)—in order to better meet the needs of our student population. These changes will give students in the standard program a more well-rounded and contemporary training in teaching, writing, and research that will allow them to teach US and world history at the high school or community college level or further broad-based training before applying to a Ph.D. program. Justifications for individual courses are included in the relevant course change forms. This “specialized option” would be a non-substantive change because it would not increase or decrease the required units for the History M.A., it carries no supplemental funding request, and it has no identified fiscal or programmatic impact on another unit’s offerings. It is expected that 80 to 90 percent of history graduate student will follow this new standard program.

Proposed changes:

1. Add a new course to required core seminars: HIST 200 (History and Theory)

2. Replace an existing elective course with one of the required core seminars: HIST 400 (The Teaching of History)

3. Rename existing History 201 and 202 to better reflect contemporary practice

4. Renumber existing History 200A, 200B, 200C to 209A, 209B, 209C to differentiate from the new History 200.

5. Reduce the number of required electives from 9 to 6 units.

6. Reduce the number of required graduate reading seminars from 9 to 6 units.

NON-SUBSTANTIVE CHANGEs

Master of Arts, Standard Program (Specialized Option)

Justification:

The Department of History believes that it is important to make give history students a “specialized option” that will allow them to create a more individualized program than is possible in the history MA standard program (comprehensive option). Students who want to focus on a specific area of study for Ph.D. preparation or non-academic work are currently forced to take courses that prepare students for community college teaching and are not as relevant to an individualized course of study. While the standard program is a more structured program designed to train high school and community college teachers, this “specialized” option would provide the small number who need more focused training the ability to build an individualized program. This “specialized option” would be a non-substantive change because it would not increase or decrease the required units for the History M.A., it carries no supplemental funding request, and it has no identified fiscal or programmatic impact on another unit’s offerings. The “specialized option” would simply allow greater flexibility for students who otherwise would enroll in the standard program. It is anticipated that 10-20 percent of existing students might chose this option; students who intend to teach community college would be discouraged from following the “specialized option.”

Proposed changes:

1. Accept new courses, renaming, and renumbering as proposed new standard program (comprehensive option).

2. Allow students to take History 201 (Interpreting World History) OR History 202 (Interpreting US History)) instead of requiring both seminars.

3. Remove requirements that students take BOTH HIST 280 (reading seminars in US history) AND HIST 281 (reading seminars in European and world history) in equal numbers, allowing students instead to take any combination of reading seminars, focusing on their area of interest.

Master of Arts, History/Humanities

Justification:

The Department of History and the Department of Humanities and Religious Studies wish to make the following changes in its Master of Arts in History/Humanities. These changes are designed to achieve three goals: 1) to bring the History/Humanities program in line with the proposed changes to the standard history program, where the two overlap; 2) to strengthen the core seminar curriculum in order to provide History/Humanities students with a stronger theoretical and interdisciplinary background; and 3) to provide students some flexibility in their seminars depending on the geographic focus of their interests.

Justifications for individual courses are included in the relevant course change forms, submitted with the proposed changes to the M.A. in History Standard Program. This revamped History/Humanities program would be a non-substantive change because it would not increase or decrease the required units for the History M.A., it carries no supplemental funding request, and it has no identified fiscal or programmatic impact on another unit’s offerings.

Proposed changes:

1. Cease to require Hist 201, the seminar in European historiography (this course is being terminated, as explained in the plan for our new Standard History program).

2. Require students to take a new theoretical courses: HIST 200 “History and Theory”

3. Allow students to choose between two new courses, HIST 201 “Interpreting World History” and HIST 202, “Interpreting U.S. History”

4. Reduce the number of elective courses from 9 units to 6 units.

5. Change description of admission requirements slightly to make it clear that students can hold a bachelor’s degree outside the fields of History, Humanities, or Religious Studies and be admitted, with permission from the Director of Humanities and Religious Studies

SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE

Theatre

Justification:

This change consolidates our current Theatre program by eliminating the number of course options available to our major, particularly in the are of history and literature. This change promotes an expected increase in our FTE's and a better utilization of our current faculty. The Program change also presents our course offerings in a more efficient manner that is very accessible to the students, regardless of their area of emphasis. We have added the option of a Musical Theatre Minor. Units for the major have been increased by 1 unit.

NON-SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE

Minor - Management of Human Resources and Organizational Behavior

Justification:

The main purpose for redesigning the minor is to keep it consistent with the changes made to the HR/OB concentration. The concentration as redesigned based on the rationale detailed in the following paragraphs

Summary of changes:

Required courses (5); The same four required courses as the HR/OB concentration plus HROB 101.

Elective courses (1); Choice of courses from same list of HR/OB concentration.

Name: Change to same name as concentration.

SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES

Master of Arts in Education-Multicultural Educators in Non-Traditional Settings

Justification:

Our proposal is to drop one course requirement from our existing Master’s program, changing the total unit requirement from 31-37* to 30-36

*(please note that currently, the catalogue erroneously lists this program as “31-34” units).

EDBM 200: Pro-seminar in Bilingual and Multicultural Education (1 unit)

The justification for dropping EDBM 200 is primarily fiscal. Our program is designed so that candidates enroll in 6 units a semester, except for the first semester when the seminar is offered. The extra unit required students to pay increased fees and student feedback indicated this was a financial hardship.

Master of Arts in Education-Teacher Leadership in Multicultural Education

Justification:

Our proposal is to drop two course requirements from our existing Master’s program, changing the total unit requirement from 34-37 to 30-36. In addition, we would like to switch EDBM 240 to elective status:

EDBM 200: Pro-seminar in Bilingual and Multicultural Education (1 unit)
EDBM 240: Advanced Seminar in Teaching Strategies for Multicultural Schools (3 units)

The justification for dropping EDBM 200 is primarily fiscal. Our program is designed so that candidates enroll in 6 units a semester, except for the first semester when the seminar is offered. The extra unit required students to pay increased fees and student feedback indicated this was a financial hardship. The justification for dropping EDBM 240 as a required course and listing it instead as an elective is based on low enrollment numbers. The result of low enrollment in both BMED Master’s pathways has resulted in combining students in required classes. EDBM 240 is open to teachers only and thus more appropriate as an elective than as a required course.

SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES

MA, Child Development, Emphasis in Theory and Research

Justification:

Briefly describe the program proposal (new or change) and provide a justification. This proposal contains two primary changes: 1) Change the emphasis to a concentration. The original intent of our bifurcated MA program was to provide students with evidence (on their diplomas) of their focus. We have only recently learned that calling it an “emphasis” will not do so. We thus proposed changing the emphasis to a concentration so students’ diplomas will read MA, Child Development, Theory and Research. 2) We are proposing adding a new option for the culminating experience (i.e., exam). Because of our growing program and changing student needs, it would benefit from such an option. The examination option will permit our faculty to serve a greater number of students. Furthermore, this option will permit our students the opportunity for more in-depth reading and practice responding to questions relevant to depth and breadth of understanding child development theory and research. We anticipate this culminating experience will be as challenging and transforming, but in different ways, as the currently approved options for culminating experience. Because our current students take two courses to fulfill their culminating experience requirement, students choosing the examination option will be required to take an additional elective related to their interests in theory and research (chosen in consultation with an advisor) in lieu of CHDV 290 and to enroll in CHDV 505: Culminating experience in Child Development: Examination option. This course will provide in-depth preparation for the examination and will include the examination itself, toward the end of the semester. The examination will consist of 4 essay-response questions, and each will be graded by two faculty members. Students must pass all 4 questions to pass the exam and fulfill their culminating requirement. Students may take the exam twice, and a third time through petition, if approved by the department. For those semesters following taking 505 but preceding a “pass” on the exam, students must enroll in continuous enrollment through CCE or they have the option of taking 505 again for credit.

MA, Child Development, Emphasis in Applied Settings

Justification:

Briefly describe the program proposal (new or change) and provide a justification. This proposal contains two primary changes: 1) Change the emphasis to a concentration. The original intent of our bifurcated MA program was to provide students with evidence (on their diplomas) of their focus. We have only recently learned that calling it an “emphasis” will not do so. We thus propose changing the emphasis to a “concentration” so students’ diplomas will read MA, Child Development, Applied Settings. 2) We are proposing adding a new option for the culminating experience (i.e., exam). Because of our growing program and changing student needs, it would benefit from such an option. The examination option will permit our faculty to serve a greater number of students. Furthermore, this option will permit our students the opportunity for more in-depth reading and practice responding to questions relevant to child development broadly and specifically to their careers in applied settings. We anticipate this culminating experience will be as challenging and transforming, but in different ways, as the currently approved options for culminating experience. Because our current students take two courses to fulfill their culminating experience requirement, students choosing the examination option will be required to take an additional elective relating to their emphasis in applied settings (chosen in consultation with an advisor) in lieu of CHDV 290 and to enroll in CHDV 505: Culminating experience in Child Development: Examination option. This course will provide in-depth preparation for the examination and will include the examination itself, toward the end of the semester. The examination will consist of 4 essay-response questions, and each will be graded by two faculty members. Students must pass all 4 questions to pass the exam and fulfill their culminating requirement. Students may take the exam twice, and a third time through petition, if approved by the department. For those semesters following taking 505 but preceding a “pass” on the exam, students must enroll in continuous enrollment through CCE or they have the option of taking 505 again for credit.

NON-SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES

Minor in Child Development

Justification:

With the creation of a new CHDV research methods course (CHDV 123), we propose adding this course as an alternative to the CHDV 133 in the Child Development minor.

PROGRAM DELETION

Minor in Education

Justification:

We propose deletion of the Child Development Department’s Minor in Education. It has become apparent through application of the program over the last year that the minor does not offer a significant improvement to our already existing minor, and could be better served by a minor in education offered by other departments in the College of Education.

NON-SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE

Master of Education with Curriculum and Instruction Emphasis (Online Option)

Justification:

Our Current MA in Education with C & I Emphasis Program is a popular program that serves the needs of people throughout our service region. Now we hope to extend our reach beyond the immediate region by offering this program online. This option has been designed to meet the needs of students who require a rigorous and yet flexible way to attain their degrees.

The program will meet 25% face-to-face and 75% online. During the face-to-face sessions students will be part of experiences that will emphasize community development, which will allow participants to get to know their peers and instructors and allow them to learn the online tools that will be used for instructional delivery.

Three new courses have been developed especially for this option (see attached form A’s). These courses would (at least initially) fill the 12 unit elective slot in the C & I program. Given the special nature of this program, students would enroll as a cohort and proceed through the program in the following sequence:

Summer: EDTE 226 and EDTE 251
Fall: EDTE 227, EDTE 250 and EDTE 237
Spring: EDTE 238 and EDTE 239
Summer: EDTE 290 and EDTE 505

NON-SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES

Certificate in Computer Networks and Communications

Justification:

1. Make CSC 255 (Computer Networks) required instead of optional;
2. Add CSC 254 (Network Security) to the list of options for six additional units.

Justification:Security has become an important part of any useful computer network because networks has to be protected in order to be useful. In particular there is a need to defend computer networks against attacts such as scam, fraud, espionage, etc. In general, computer network administrators and computer system administrators oversee network security as part of their jobs. Thus including network security in the certificate program enhances the certificate in computer networks and communications.

NON-SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES

EEE Masters Program

Justification:

1. Students will no longer be required to have a GPA greater than 3.5, or to have industrial experience, in order to qualify for the comprehensive examination option.
2. They will have to be approved for the Plan C option by one of the elective area faculty advisors and the graduate coordinator.
3. The comprehensive examination will be only in written form, with no oral component.

1. Our major competitor in the CSU system for EEE graduate students is San Jose State University. In line with what appears to be a national trend in the discipline, it now has a culminating experience comprehensive examination option for the MS degree, which requires no industrial experience qualification and has no oral component. Other campuses in the CSU system with electrical engineering masters programs are gradually following suit, in order to remain competitive.
2. The change in the eligibility requirements is justified by the current high demand by industry for entry-level MS electrical engineers, and their common use of internships to provide those students with relevant industry experience.
3. There is a very high student demand and a very limited support budget for both the faculty workload and technical facilities required by culminating experience plan B. The program cannot support the current percentage of students, who are attempting to graduate under plan B. The proposed plan C changes will make that plan much more attractive to students and reduce the heavy demand for plan B.

NON-SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES

Major in Criminal Justice

Justification

1. Remove CrJ 163 from the core requirement for the major and increase the total number of electives to 24. CrJ 163 will remain in catalog as an elective, total units for major will remain at 60.
2. Revise requirement that students majoring in criminal justice must receive a grade of “C-“ in each upper division course applied to the major and a GPA of at least 2.0 for all upper division required courses to read as follows:

SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES

Undergraduate Nursing Program

Justification:

The Division of Nursing is requesting to combine the courses in first and second semesters (see below) into the first semester of the nursing program. This change will result in program completion in five semesters rather than the current six.

1. Students entering the program often have completed all of the "co-requisites" required plus a pharmacology class. Consequently, these students carry only 6 nursing units in their first semester and 8 nursing units in their second semester of the major. Combining the first and second semesters' nursing units will allow students with no remaining co-requisites to complete the nursing program in five instead of six semesters. If they avail themselves of summer sessions for non-nursing requirements, graduation could occur in five instead of six semesters.


2. The gerontology course can be taken during any semester of the program. Situating it in the second instead of first semester will be more in compliance with Board of Registered Nursing suggestions that students care for elders in the clinical setting during the same semester in which they complete their didactic gerontology course.


3. The research course can, at present, be taken during any of the last four semesters of the program. Its relocation in the curriculum poses no change. It will still be able to be taken during any of the last four semesters of the program, although it is anticipated that more students will take it later in their program.


4. There is no programmatic or fiscal impact to other academic units.


5. Fiscal analysis of the proposed changes:


1. N11 will not be offered for one semester, for a savings of 3 WTUs.
2. N14 is an online course offered for other majors, as well. It will be offered as usual.
3. N17 will not be offered for two semesters, for a savings of 4 WTUs.

Undergraduate Program in Nursing

Justification:

The Division of Nursing proposes to decrease the number of units withing the undergraduate nursing major by deleting one one-unit course, and N155 Senior Forum. Currently units for the major are 100 for the generic student; a deletion of one unit seminar in the sixth and final semester of the nursing program (N156) would bring the major units required for graduation to 99 for the generic students. The content of N155 Senior Form will be incorporated into two other required major courses: N143 Leadership and Management in Nursing, a 6 unit course and N156 Selected Senior Practicum in Nursing, a 3 unit course. The current N155 course has been streamlined for placement on WebCT thereby enhancing the ability to incorporate the concepts and content of the course into content and learning experiences in N143 and N156 with similar theoretical underpinnings e.g., groups, change, communication.

The propose deletion of one unit in the nursing major also conforms to the CSU system mandate to reduce BSN program total units.

Master of Science in Nursing with a Higher Education Focus

Justification:

The education track in the Masters in Nursing Program is being revised to include Educational Technology courses offered through the School of Education. Specifically we are requesting to add EDTE 282 Strategies for Application & Presentation and EDTE 284 Problem Solving & Project Development to an Education Track. In the past, the education focus was considered a functional area with emphasis on the clinical area (see attached). As we have eliminated the term functional from the graduate program, we essentially lost education as a separate focus. The Education Track is an important course of study due to the increased need for nursing faculty, and the increased demand for the Education Track by students.

The justification for the addition of the technology courses is due to the changing environment associated with higher education. The need for graduates to be both technologically competent and creative is apparent. Clearly, our graduates must have educational technology knowledge and skills that enable them to teach on the web and utilize technology to enhance the global learning environment. The addition of these two courses will enable our graduate students to develop the needed abilities to be highly functional nurse educators in both nursing education in the clinical setting and the college and university setting.

In the current program the focus was on the clinical skills and in the Education Track the focus is on the skills related to the teaching of nursing. The students are experienced registered nurses and it is felt that they do not need the practicum (Nurs 293A or B) or the associated physical assessment skills (Nurs 232A or B). It also brings into alignment the number of practicum courses required (the other graduate tracks in nursing have one required practicum and this one had two).

There will be little to no impact on the other tracks in the Master’s program and no economic impact to the College. The following courses listed in the current program will continue to be offered for the Clinical Expert Track (Nurs 213 A, Nurs 213 B, Nurs 293A, Nurs 293B, Nurs 232A, and Nurs 232B) This articulation with the Teacher Education Department is supported by faculty and the Chair, Robert Pritchard.

SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE

Bachelor of Sciences: Recreation Administration Concentration: Therapeutic Recreation

Justification:

Description RLS 124, RLS 125 and RLS 126 have been eliminated and replaced by two new classes, RPTA 117 and RPTA 118. TR classes have been renumbered to sequence classes in an order that students need to take them. The sequence is as follows: RPTA 116 (a required class that remains the same as the current RLS 116); RPTA 117 (a new required class that takes on the “number” of TR Services and Systems which will become RPTA 119); RPTA 118 (a new required class); RPTA 119 (the capstone required class, previously RLS 117, and taking on the “number” of Introduction to Leisure Education which will become RPTA 120); RPTA 120 (an elective that can be taken at any time; previously RLS 119).

Justification: The National Council on Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) has changed the requirements for classes students must take to be eligible to sit for certification. The two new classes that replace three other classes reflect these requirements. Changing the numbering of the classes in the therapeutic recreation area to reflect the order in which they should be taken will eliminate confusion that students have experienced as a result of an “ad hoc” numbering system. There will be no gain in the number of units required to graduate.

SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE

Speech Pathology and Audiology

Justification:

The proposed change is to eliminate the audiology emphasis at the undergraduate level.  Currently, the entry-level degree for audiologists nationwide is the clinical doctorate, a degree not offered at CSUS.  The SPHP Department does not offer a MS in audiology either, hence the proposed change.

NON-SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE

Graduate Speech Pathology and Audiology

Justification:

We are proposing a change in the policy for students taking clinical practicum courses. We are requiring a background check using the same policies and procedures as the nursing department currently uses.

NON-SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES

Forensic Biology Concentration (B.S. Biological Sciences)

Justification:

This proposed change corrects an error in the catalog description we submitted for our recently approved Forensic Biology Concentration (first offered Fall, 2007). In the catalog copy we submitted BIO 149A is listed as a required course. It was our intention to include 149A among the list of electives of which students are to select courses that total seven units rather than among the required courses. The units indicated for the program do not change as the totals are correct with Bio 149A removed from the list of required courses.

SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES

Geography Bachelor of Arts Degree (B.A.)

Justification:

Description:
The proposed change would add an additional concentration to those currently available to students pursuing the Geography B.A. degree.

As part of the major requirements Geography students must complete 15 units of course work in one of three existing concentrations within the major: General Geography, Physical Geography, or Cartography, Geographic Information Systems, and Planning. The proposed change would add a fourth concentration to those from which students could choose: Human Geography. Requirements for the concentration would be as follows:

“Students must take TWO additional courses from the Human Geography course listings (GEOG 141, GEOG 145, GEOG 147, GEOG 148, GEOG 149, and GEOG 163), TWO additional courses from the Regional course listings (GEOG 121, GEOG 122B, GEOG 125, GEOG 127, GEOG 128, GEOG 131), and ONE additional Techniques course from among the following: GEOG 105, GEOG 107, GEOG 109, GEOG 110, GEOG 163, GEOG 181, GEOG 182, and the GEOG 193 series. The technique cannot be a field course (GEOG 193 A,B,C) if a field course was taken for the core.

Justification:
The existing concentrations were introduced in the major in 2002 as a response to longstanding student requests for an opportunity to specialize within the major. At the time, the three currently existing concentrations were established. Since then, there have been numerous student requests for development of an additional concentration in Human Geography as a counterpart to the current Physical Geography concentration. Establishment of the new concentration is justified not only by the student requests, but also by the fact that Human Geography is one of the major subfields within the discipline of Geography.

Resources:
No additional courses or course sections will need to be offered to allow students to fulfill the new concentration requirements, since all of the courses necessary are currently offered in Geography Department’s regular course rotation. Given the range of courses available in each category of the concentration, it is not expected that undue enrollment demand will be placed on any particular course. As a result, the new concentration will create no additional resource demands for the department, college, or university.

Geography Bachelor of Arts Degree (B.A.)

Justification:

Four changes are proposed to the Geography B.A. degree requirements:

1. Allow transferred lower-division courses in World Regional Geography (CAN 14) to satisfy the GEOG 002 requirement in the major. Catalog copy to read:

2. Add GEOG 003: Introduction to Maps and Geographic Technologies (3 units) to major requirements

3. Delete GEOG 103: Map and Air Photo Interpretation (2 units) from major requirements

4. Add GEOG 148: Urban and Regional Planning to the list of courses acceptable for the Cartography, Geographic Information Systems, and Planning concentration

NEW PROGRAM

B.A. in Earth Science

Justification:

The Earth Science Major is a new B.A. degree program in the Geology Department. This program is needed due to changes in the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing subject matter preparation standards. Previously, earth science teachers were expected to complete a traditional geology major as preparation for a Single Subject Credential. Under the new standards, earth science teachers must be proficient in meteorology, oceanography and astronomy, subjects not typically included in a Geology major, and not included in the Sacramento State Geology major. The Earth Science major is designed to prepare students for the California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET) in Earth and Planetary Science. It is also appropriate preparation for a career as an interpretive park ranger, a science writer, or an environmental lawyer. The major is not intended as preparation for a career as a geoscientist.

SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES

BA in Mathematics & Applied Computing

Justification:

The Mathematics Department is changing the name of its current Double Major - Mathematics and Computer Science (BA) degree program and making some changes in the degree requirements. We are making these changes in consultation with the Computer Science Department because they are no longer offering some of the courses in the current major. They also wanted to eliminate the senior project because they felt that most of the projects they got were not appropriate for the students in this program. The mathematics requirements are changing only slightly. This modified program has been approved by the Computer Science Department as well as the Mathematics Department.

Minor - Statistics

Justification:

The Mathematics Department would like to add Stat 103 (Intermediate Statistics) (3 units) to the Statistics Minor. Our current Statistics Minor requires only Stat 115A (Intro. to Probability Theory) (3 units) and Stat 115B (Intro. to Mathematical Statistics) (3 units), a total of 6 units, as upper division course requirements. Our other minor programs require either 8 or 9 units of upper division courses. This change would bring the Statistics Minor in line with our other minor programs. It would also give our minor students an applied statistics course which would make them more attractive to prospective employers.

NON-SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES

Physics BA degree

Justification:

Adding to the elective course menu a reformulated Physics 156 course (see current Course Change Proposal). The course change proposed provides more in-depth treatment of Hamiltonian/Lagrangian dynamics and Statistical Mechanics. There will be no fiscal impact on other departments and a negligible impact on the Physics department. No unit changes are mandated for the program as a whole or for any subcategories.

Physics BS degree

Justification:

Deleting of an elective course from the current BS degree requirements and replacing it with an additional upper division required course, a reformulated Physics 156 course (see current Course Change Proposal). The course change proposed provides more in-depth treatment of Hamiltonian/Lagrangian dynamics and Statistical Mechanics. There will be no fiscal impact on other departments and a negligible impact on the Physics department. The total number of units for the program remains the same, but 3 upper division elective units are shifted to section B – Required Upper Division Requirements which will increase to 35 units.

Astronomy Minor

Justification:

A broader menu of courses will be permitted in place of the existing required courses PHSC 107 and GEOL 170 to fulfill the requirements of the minor. In recent years both of these course have been offered infrequently and this has necessitated increasing intervention by the Chair to approve course substitutions to allow timely matriculation by our students.

SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES

Anthopology Major/Graduate Program

Justification:

The proposed program change is intended to revise course requirements of the major and the graduate program in a manner that allows students greater choice in electives, while also increasing the exposure of undergraduates to the field of linguistic anthropology. Further the proposed program change will allow an offering of at least one class in each undergraduate major requirement category each semester, greatly facilitating the ability of students to satisfy graduation requirements in a timely manner.