Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) :: Architecture ...



Faculty Senate Curriculum Committee

Minutes from the November 23, 2005 Meeting

Present:

Nancy Campbell Dick Smith

Amir Hirsa, chair Dave Spooner

Mike Hanna Sam Wait

Prabhat Hajela Ken Warriner

Sharon Kunkel Jeff Durgee

Lee Odell John Schroeder

Wally Morris

Guests:

Mark Mistur Langdon Winner

David Hess Daniel Walczyk

Sharon Anderson-Gold Ron Eglash

Mark Steiner

1) The minutes from the meeting of November 9, 2005 were approved with the following minor revisions: 1) Michael Wozny should be added to the list of attendees 2) pg 2, item 5, “Jim Watt presented an overview” 3) pg 2, item 5, bullet 3, “ensure the broad background” and “What is the management”.

2) The minutes from the special meeting held November 16th will be approved after the Committee reviews the revised wording in the minutes related to the proposed BS degree program in Games and Simulation Arts.

3) School of Architecture (SoA) - Mark Mistur distributed a revised proposal for the Built Ecologies concentration which includes 2 sample curricula in response to the FSCC’s recommendations The SoA is already receiving inquiries although no advertising has been done. The SoA has developed some new courses but they would prefer to list them the first year as topics courses so they can fine-tune them. M. Mistur indicated that if the Committee prefers they will submit them now for approval to include them in the catalog. M. Mistur presented an overview of the new courses and how they would fit into the concentration. He indicated that they have the buy-in for the concentration from other departments. A number of faculty from the other departments are working with the SoA faculty including Michael Jensen, MANE, Achille Messac, MANE, Jim Napolitano from Physics, John Gowdy from Economics and the Civil Engineering department.

Committee members had a number of questions about the proposal. The following summarizes the issues raised:

▪ Is it the School’s intent to have the topics courses approved as regular catalog offerings? M. Mistur indicated that was the intent of the SoA.

▪ Several courses listed have pre-requisites that students would not have taken. For example, would a mechanical engineering major from RPI be able to take one of the new courses, Advanced Topics in Ecological Design?

▪ ARCH 6420- There is a typo. The text says also offered at the 6000 level but it should read at the 4000 level.

▪ MANE 6540 is listed as an option but it’s only been offered once in the past 10 years

▪ MANE 6720 is also listed but most students would not have the pre-requisites. A better choice is MANE 4110 Advanced Fluid Mechanics

▪ M. Mistur promised that the SoA will carefully review the courses listed as options in the proposal to make sure the courses are current as well as looking carefully at the pre-requisites.

▪ A close review of the MGMT and the STS courses listed is also recommended. It’s important that the courses listed are current.

▪ J. Schroeder stressed the importance of basic preparation in mathematics. The Plan of Study will be key to outlining a successful program.

▪ M. Mistur indicated that there are job opportunities for the students. It’s a “hot” area.

A motion to approve the curriculum for the Built Ecologies concentration was approved unanimously subject to the changes discussed today. M. Mistur will incorporate the changes into the proposal and send the revised version to A. Hirsa and S. Kunkel.

4) School of Humanities and Social Science (SoH&SS) - David Hess provided an overview of a new BS degree program to be offered by the Science and Technology Studies Department called Design, Innovation and Society. This new degree will be a stand alone major and will replace the current STS major as a dual major in the Product Design and Innovation (PDI) program. The existing PDI program is not a degree program, but offers students the opportunity to complete the requirements for a dual degree in STS and either Mechanical Engineering, Building Sciences, Management or ITEC. In the new proposal, the templates for a dual degree in Building Sciences and ITEC will be phased out.

D. Hess addressed the key issues in the proposal:

▪ Basic concept of the degree is to emphasize technical, social and design skills

▪ There are jobs available in this area

▪ There are no comparable programs

▪ Design is a key component of the requirements

▪ The program is already at capacity with an estimated steady state of 25-30 students each year

▪ Projects are the basis of the studio work required. The students will build a portfolio as part of their course work. There are both team and individual projects. The faculty will consult and guide the student projects. The projects will combine and integrate sociological methods, focus on society and manufacturing, life cycle design, domains of knowledge, sociological sides of a design, and a variety of ways of thinking about design.

The FSCC offered several suggestions:

▪ Add Intro to Biology to the degree template instead of using the more generic Science Core Elective

▪ NYS must approve a stand alone degree program first so the department should focus on those requirements in the proposal rather than the dual programs

▪ Pg 29 in the handout, there’s a typo, MANE 4020 Thermal and Fluids Engr II should be 4010 not 4020

▪ Sociology is included in the Introductory course STSH 13XX

▪ Pg 28 Physics I and Physics II- update to reflect the current titles

▪ Pg 28 It should be Chemistry 1300 not Engr 1300

D. Hess will update the proposal to reflect these changes.

Students decide which is the “first named” major in a dual program. The diploma shows both the first named and second named major.

Only 1-2 students per year completed a dual major with STS and Building Sciences. No students have graduated with a dual major in STS and ITEC.

The motion to approve the stand alone BS degree in Design, Innovation and Society with the changes recommended was approved unanimously 10-0.

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