The Academic Affairs Committee
October 11, 2005 - 2:00-3:30 p.m.
Newcomb Hall, Room 187
Present: Reginald Garrett, Daniel Bluestone, Amy Bouton, Daniel Hallahan, Elizabeth Meyer, Janet Herman, Peter Beling, Linda Waggoner-Fountain, David Maloney, Houston Wood
Guests: Carl Zeithaml, Dean, McIntire School of Commerce & Ryan Nelson, Academic Program Director, McIntire School of Commerce
Reginald Garrett, Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee, called the meeting to order. Mr. Garrett welcomed everyone to the meeting and introductions were made.
Reginald Garrett said the primary agenda for the meeting was to review and discuss a proposed new section of the existing M.S. in the Management of Information Technology Program currently offered by the McIntire School of Commerce. This section would be offered in Singapore in conjunction with Universitas 21 Global (U21G). U21G is an on-line university established by a consortium of 16 leading global universities, including the University of Virginia, Peking University, and McGill University. Thomson Learning, a major educational publisher, is also a partner.
Professor Garrett gave the Committee members an overview of the proposal and an overview of the Committee's involvement in the program review process. Professor Garrett introduced Dean Carl Zeithaml and Ryan Nelson, from the McIntire School of Commerce, to give the Committee a more detailed overview of the proposed new section of the Management of Information Technology Program.
\The McIntire School of Commerce currently offers two sections of the Management of Information Technology Program, one section completely on Grounds and the Other section primarily in Northern Virginia. The proposed new section will be offered to students in Asia, based on an innovative combination of e-learning and face-to-face instruction that the McIntire School is developing in conjunction with Universitas 21 Global. This new section of the MS-MIT program will be targeted to reach executive graduate students in Asia Pacific, beginning with an initial cohort of 30 to 40 students based in Singapore. The curriculum and course content will be equivalent to McIntire's existing MS-MIT program, with similar readings, lectures, cases, individual and group assignments, and student assessments.
Dean Zeithaml and Professor Nelson took questions from the committee members. On behalf of the Committee, Professor Garret thanked Dean Zeithaml and Professor Nelson for attending the meeting.
On behalf of the Academic Affairs Committee, Professor Garrett will meet with Provost Gene Block to discuss this new program and some of the issues raised by the committee members.
Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics
Professor Garrett reported that the Faculty Senate has a standing invitation to join the Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics (COIA). The Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics is an alliance of faculty senates at schools that belong to the NCAA's Division 1A. COIA was formed in 2002 as a way to link representative faculty governance on many campuses and articulate a faculty voice on athletics reform on the national level. Currently, 50 of the 115 Division 1A faculty senates have joined, and CIOA has become a partner with the NCAA, the Division 1A Faculty Athletics representatives Association, the AAUP, the Association of Governing Boards, and other national groups in searching for ways to address problems in intercollegiate athletics and help college sports achieve their full potential as educational enhancements for athletics and compuses.
Kenneth Schwartz, Chair-Elect of the Faculty Senate, is a member of the University's Athletic Advisory Committee, a group that has reviewed the invitation to join the COIA.
The Academic Affairs Committee agreed to gather additional information before speaking for or against the University joining the COIA.
The meeting adjourned at 3:30 p.m.