Agendas and Minutes, 1981 April 13

Online content

Fullscreen
-~-~---"----~-_ ....... -------------~---__.__-·--~·~--------------···-----------·---·-... ----......-..------··-~,.__,_ .... ~-----~·------·--""-''' _______ __..._.. .. ._.. ... -.. .. -.-~-·---'-\ 
---·---------------·------------·---···----·-· ----· ---·-------------
-- -·.- ---~ --·-·-- ~ ~··--- .. ---~- ~ 
·-·~--------- .... ---·-·--·----·---------....-------------------
-------·----~----~-------------------·------~----~-
--------~--~----__......--... ---------·""------~,------... ----
-------··-----------·-----------··----------------.... ---~------~~--·-----
---- ----·---~---------· 
"t ..... 
--~-· .. --~--.,_,..___,__::__"=•o: .. ....--~---·-~----·_:-,_~--~:..:._~~~,,:_: __ ~_-_, ___ ~~---,..,~.--.. r~-··~----.,.,_~--~':"'"""''~'~-•·"•~----·~-~-~"'''-'--":"'"-'--'-•-"'-~-·~----·~":".'~-·-•:-::--•.,...•-~.~~---------:-;~""-
•.::_~_...._....._r~•___,._.,,_. ___ _.~,~--•••--"-~ .. •-"'-----•-• ............. --~......,--..,_·~~~-•--•••---·--•.,.,_~-•.,._.•._,.,...,_,,_,.._'"""""' _____ ..... _,, ____ ~~~ ~---~ 
--......,•~- -·---~--·---··--·- -~-u~-.......... '"'"""-
-----·-·~·------..-..;;,.--:;--··-~··--· 
"'"~'"':"~-·~~·-,----:--.-.-, 
-~....,.__-:<~-··--~•-:--..._,_~......,.,.,.._,__.,..,~""':"-:--.. --,_... • ..--------~~---~---.,w-.,.,_.~-••~•--•-•~"':~~~----·-•-u•':"-;'"':'~,_. --·--......- ;:::'' ·~--•••~- ~--·-.--~- --.--
~~-·--·-·--4-~,._-~-------..._ _______ ,_,,A "'----~._,_...._..._...._......._, _____ 
..,~ ....... _,.,~-~----------~-~ .... •------~--..-- ----~--..---_.. ·------ --~-- op ·-- ~-
•• -, -, 
-.-_------.·--·--
UNIVERSITY SENATE 
TO: 
FRQr.1: 
DATE: 
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT ALBANY 
1400 Washington Avenue 
Albany, New York 12222 
M E M 0 R A N D U M 
Members of the University Senate 
Eugene Garber, Chairman 
April 8, 1981 
The University Senate will hold a special 
meeting on Monday, April 13, to consider the proposal 
from the Undergraduate Academic Council for reinstituting 
distribution requirements for undergraduate students. 
The meeting will begin at 3:30 p.m. and will 
be held in the Campus center Assembly Hall. 
UNIVERSITY SENATE 
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT ALBANY 
1400 Washington Avenue 
Albany, New York 12222 
Mintttes of April 13, 1981 
The meeting was called to order by the Chairman-Elect, Harold Cannon, 
at 3:40p.m. in the Campus Center Assembly Hall. 
Senator Cannon noted that he 
would be chairing the meeting since the Chairman wished to participate in the 
debate on the proposed resolution. 
1. Distribution Requirements Proposal 
Senator Snow, Chairman of the Undergraduate Academic Council, moved approval 
of the resolution regarding distribution requirements; the motion was 
seconded. 
Senator Snow gave some background information regarding the numerous 
committees and proposals which resulted in the proposed requirements. 
Helen Desfosses, Dean of Undergraduate Studies, answered several questions 
regarding the LEAP program. 
There were several questions as to the affect 
this proposal would have on transfer students. 
After additional discussion, it was moved and seconded to delete section 
C-2 of the proposal. 
The motion to delete was defeated. 
It was moved and seconded that a provision be added to set up a separate 
committee of the UAC to develop the proposals for the courses and the 
curriculum. It was noted that if the proposed recommendations are approved 
by the Senate the Curriculum Committee of the UAC must report back to the 
Senate in the spring of 1982 for final approval. 
The proposal was defeated. 
It was moved and seconded to close debate. 
The motion to close debate was 
approved. 
The main motion was approved by majority vote. 
2. 
Rockefeller College and Institli!! 
President O'Leary reported to the Senate that the Long-Range Planning 
Committee of the Council on Educational Policy and the Council had both 
approved the formation of the Rockefeller College of Public SeiYice and 
the Institute of Government. 
The meeting was adjourned at 4:55p.m. 
UNIVERSITY SENATE 
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT ALBANY 
Revision of Requirements for the 
B.A. and B.S. Degrees 
INTRODUCED BY: 
Undergraduate Academic Council 
April 13, 1981 
IT IS HEREBY PROPOSED THAT TilE FOLLOWING BE ADOPTED: 
I, That the current requirements for the B.A. and B.S. degrees be amended by 
addition of the following: 
A. 
The completion of a distribution requirement consisting of a minimum 
of six graduation credits of approved courses in each of the follow-
ing six categories: · (1) Symbolics, (Z) Natural Sciences, (3) Social 
Sciences, (4) Literature and the Fine Arts, (5) World Cultures, and 
(6) Values. 
A maximum of twelve credits with the same course prefix 
(e.g., A Eco, S Ssw, etc.) may be applied toward completion of the 
distribution requirement. 
B. 
The completion of a writing requirement to be satisfied in one of 
the following ways: 
1. 
Students may complete an approved writing course in the Depart-· 
ment of English with a grade of "C" or better, or "S. '' Approved 
writing courses are courses listed tmder the rubric "courses in 
writing" by the Department of English, except for any _such 
courses which are specifically disapproved by the Curriculum 
CoJmlittee of the Undergraduate Academic Council. 
2. 
Students may complete with a grade of "C" or better, or "S," 
one course approved by the Curriculum Corrnnittee of the Under-
graduate Academic Council as having an appropriate writing 
component. 
3. 
Students may be exempted from taking a specific writing course 
through procedures set forth by the Curriculum Committee of the 
Undergraduate Academic Council in consultation with the Depart-
ment of English. 
Exemptions may be based on such factors as 
AP credits, CLEP credits, RCT and Regents examination scores, etc. 
II. That this distribution and writing requirement be implemented in accordance 
with the attached guidelines. 
III. That the above requirements become effective for all students graduating in 
May 1986 and thereafter. 
li.t-t" ::~r.hments (3 ') 
'~ 
•' 
Guidelines 
Proposed Distribution and Writing Requirements 
I. Distribution Requirement 
A. 
Students will fulfill a 36-credit distribution requirement consisting of 
a minimum of 6 graduation credits of approved courses in each of the 
following six slightly modified LEAP categories: 
Syrnbolics, Natural 
Sciences, Social Sciences, Literature and the Fine Arts, World Cultures, 
and Values. 
B. 
The LEAP definitions of categories, except for "Cultures of the Past" 
which has been redefined as "World Cultures," will be utilized. 
1. 
Symbolics 
In the study of symbolics students should first understand two basic 
features of human symbol systems: their internal structure and logic, 
and their ability to give pattern and meaning to experience. 
Building 
upon these basic understandings, students should proceed to the more 
specific examination of verbal or mathematics symbol systems, as 
exemplified by (but not limited to) such studies as linguistics, foreign 
languages, communications, philosophy of lan~1age, logic, mathematics, 
and computer science. 
2. 
Natural Sciences 
In the study of natural sciences students should, while grasping 
the super-eminent role of the experiment in the scientific enterprise, 
also understand the following closely related fundamentals: 
(1) con-
cepts--as defined in verbal and operational statements; (2) natural 
laws- -as formulations of experiences; (3) theories- -as they relate to 
natural laws, experiment, and prediction; (4) epistemological strategies--
as the development m1d organization of information based on deduction, 
induction, and rationalization; and (5) the mathematics of science--as 
forming, with (4) above, the basis for prediction, judgment, and 
decision-making. 
After mastery of these basics students will then apply 
them to a specific science. 
3. 
Social Sciences 
In the study of the social sciences students should learn how ideas 
and institutions relate to behavior--individual and collective, historical 
and contemporary. 
Students should learn the diverse concepts, theoTies, 
and methodologies ·which will enhance their understanding of individual 
and collective behavior in different societies. 
Students should also 
have the opportunity to Telate these matters to particular practical 
concerns, e.g. , the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of 
specific public policy options, 
-- -r-·---
----.~-- -···-.---
Page 2 
4. 
Literature and the Fine ATts 
In the study of liteTature and the fine aTts students should have the 
opportunity to study seveTal significant woTks of aTt in several major 
media and genres. 
TI1ey should gain a basic tmderstanding of the histori-
cal changes in artistic modes and of the relationships between art and 
culture. 
TI1en, more specifically, they should work with several critical 
paradigms for classifying, inte11weting, and evaluating works in a single 
mode. 
And they should have the opportWlity to experience the creative 
process. 
5. 
World Cultures 
In the study of world cultures students should expand their knowledge 
and understanding of their cultural experiences and form new perspectives 
on their m~ cultural assumptions and traditions for application in our 
multi-cultural, heterogeneous world. 
Courses will provide exposure to 
the essential and distinctive features of world cultures, whether western 
or non-western. 
From either a historical or contemporary perspective, 
these courses provide the student with an awareness of another culture's 
distinctive patterns of thought, belief, and action, and a basic under-
standing of social systems, intellectual trends, religious and ethical 
values, and literary and artistic achievements. 
This aim may be achieved 
through appropriate courses in a variety of disciplines or through special 
courses that may be developed. 
6. Values 
In the study of values students should learn how human beliefs and 
choices derive from conscious or w1conscious models of knowledge and 
systems of ethics. 
From these basics students should proceed to the 
analysis of a perennial issue (political power, distributive justice, 
religious tolerance, the responsible application of_scientific discov-
ery, etc.). They should study how models of the past were applied to 
these issues and with what results. They should clarify their own values 
by testing them against the systems of knowing and choosing offered by 
contemporary society. 
C. 
TI1e Curriculum Committee of the Undergraduate Academic Council shall 
establish a list of approved courses in each of the six distribution 
categories. These courses shall be proposed by the academic units in 
which they are taught, and ap9roved by the Curriculum Committee. 
Academic 
illlits, in proposing courses, and the Curriculum Committee, in approving 
them, should bear in mind the following guidelines: 
1. 
Acceptable courses may be fundamental to a discipline or be a 
representative sampling of the way professionals proceed within a 
discipline. 
TI1ey may also relate a discipline to societal needs 
and concerns. 
They should not be narrowly focused or highly spe-
cialized, and should not require significant prerequisites. They 
may teach a basic skill, such as a foreign language or expository 
writing. 
They may be required for a major or pre-major in a field 
Proposed Requirements--contd. 
Page 3 
and teach basic vocabularies and methodologies, and at the same 
time, be tailored for non-majors. 
2. 
Some courses may be acceptable only in two-course sequences (such 
as two semesters of a foreign language). 
3. 
\~ere the academic unit and the Curriculum Committee agree, ways 
may be provided for students to substitute advanced courses for 
the listed options. 
4. 
Class size should be small '~1en practical, especially when course 
objectives are best achiev;ed through small class sizes. 
5. 
Instruction should be provided wherever possible by permanent 
faculty, including some senior faculty. 
Faculty should grade 
essays in required papers and exaJninations \vhen practical. 
Every effort should be made to insure the highest standards of 
instruction, regarding both selection of instructors and selec-
tion of TA's for discussion ru1d laboratory sections. 
6, 
The academic units should provide accurate course titles and 
course descriptions for the courses they propose. 
They should 
also provide names of probable instructors. 
TI1e academic units 
should provide reading lists, course outlines, examinations, and 
student course evaluations for courses which have been taught 
previously, 
D. 
The distribution requirement 1vill not be required of students who com-
plete the Liberal Education Advancement Program (LEAP). 
I I. Writing Requirement 
A. 
In addition to fulfilling the distribution requirement, students must 
demonstrate proficiency in ~iting in one of the following ways: 
1. 
Students may complete an approved writing course in the Department 
of English with a grade of "C" or better, or "S." Approved ~iting 
courses are courses listed w1der the rubric "courses in writing" by 
the Department of English, except for·any such courses which are 
specifically disapproved by the Curriculum Committee of the Under-
graduate Academic Council. 
2. 
Students may complete, with a grade of "C" or better, or "S," an 
approved course v.ri th an appropriate writing component. 
Guidelines 
for these courses are to be developed by the Curriculum Committee 
of the Undergraduate Academic Council in consultation with the 
Department of English. 
Following establishment of the guidelines, 
courses shall be proposed in the academic units in which they are 
taught, and approved by the Curriculum Committee. 
These courses 
should also conform to Guidelines 4, 5, and 6 in Section I-C. 
Proposed Requirements--contd. 
Page 4 
3. 
Students may be exempted from taking a specific 'vriting course 
through procedures set forth by the Curriculum Committee of the 
Undergraduate Academic Council in consultation with the Depart-
ment of English. 
Exemptions may be based on such factors as AP 
credits, CLEP credits, RCT and Regents examinations scores, etc. 
B. 
Courses which satisfy the ·writing requirement also count toward satisfy-
ing the distribution requirement if they have been approved for both 
requirements. 
III. Evaluation 
Each course that has been approved· for either the distribution requirement or 
the writing requirement must participate in a university-wide student evalua· 
tion each time the course is taught. This mandatory student evaluation shall 
be administered, published, and made available to the student body through 
the normal processes used in the publication of the ACT, or shall be the 
evaluation that emerges from the current pilot testing progrrun under the 
direction of the Council on Educational Policy. 
IV. 
Additions and Deletions of Approved Courses 
Additional courses for either the distribution requirement or the writing 
requirement may be approved at any time. 
Courses which have been approved 
for either the distribution requirement or the writing requirement will be 
reviewed by the Curriculum Committee of the Undergraduate Academic Council 
after every third year. 
Courses which no longer conform to the guidelines 
will be dropped from the list of approved courses. 
The Curriculum Committee 
may review and withdraw approval of any course at any time. 
V. 
Additional Considerations for Curriculum Committee 
A. 
TI1e Undergraduate Academic Council stipulates that the Curriculum 
Committee, insofar as possible, incorporate the recommendations of 
the Committee of Cultural Diversity. 
B. 
In 1981-1982, the Curriculum Committee will work with the School of 
Business to determine the maximum possible satisfaction of the distri-
bution requirement by students majoring in accounting, taking A~CSB 
and state requirements into account. It is expected that the accounting 
curriculum will be modified somewhat. 
C. 
TI1e Curriculum Committee will establish appropriate guidelines for the 
articulation of transfer students in meeting the distribution requirements. 
VI . Timetable 
In 1.980-1981 approval o[ this proposal by the University Senate 1s sought. 
Proposed Requirements--contd. 
Page 5. 
In 1981-1982 the Curriculum Comnittee should establish a list of approved 
courses for each of the six categories. 
The proposal would then be imple-
mented for students who matriculate as freshmen in the fall of 1982 and 
would apply to all students who graduate in May 1986 and thereafter, If 
necessary because of resource limitations, the writing requirement may be 
implemented at a later date. 
DISCUSSION 
Over the last several years the campus has moved in the direction of a 
liberal education requirement. 
The Liberal Education Advancement Program (LEAP), 
ari.experimental progrrum, is the major tangible result from discussions to date. 
More recently, the faculties of the College of Science and Mathematics and the 
Cpllege of Social and Behavioral Sciences have developed independent proposals 
for distribution requirements and recommended their adoption by large majorities. 
. Strong support for some kind of a liberal education or distribution 
requirement exists in many units on the campus. 
Respondents .to a recent student 
poll also favored a distribution require (see Appendix I). 
The strongest senti-
ment for distribution requirements was voiced by seniors, many of whom regretted 
not having taken a more broadly based curriculum in their first two years at 
SUNY -Albany. Distribution or general education requirements exist on many SUNY 
campuses (see Appendix II), and Albany is the only University Center without any 
kind of distribution requirement, 
A Special Committee on Distribution Requirements was appointed by the 
deans of the schools and colleges, and charged with developing a proposal for a 
campus-wide distribution requirement, 
The committee was composed of two members 
from each of·the three arts and sciences colleges, one member from each of the 
s.chools, the Dean and Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies, and two student 
·representatives appointed after consultation with the Student Association. 
That committee strongly believed that its work, or any legislation arising 
from its considerations, should not be of such a nature as to adversely affect the 
LEAP program. 
Formal evaluation of the experimental LEAP program will begin in 
fall 1982, and recommendations resulting from the LEAP evaluation could be imple-
mented as soon as fall 1984. 
It is uncertain that the LEAP experiment can be 
.extended to the entire student body because of the large demands it makes on 
faculty resources. 
The committee drafted a proposal which draws upon many of 
tl1e ideas of LEAP, but is easier to implement. 
Implementation of this proposal 
1vould not detract from the forthcoming LEAP evaluation. 
Since the proposal is 
simple and related to the LEAP prog1'am, it should be easy for the campus to imple-
ment a more extensive proposal in 1984, if indeed such a proposal should materialize. 
The report of the Special Committee on Distribution Requirements forms the 
basic stn1cture for the distribution and writing requirements proposed by the 
Undergraduate Academic Council. 
Suggestions from the Liberal Education Advance-
ment Program Committee and the Committee on Cultural Diversity were incorporated 
into the UAC 1 s final proposal as presented for the establishment of a distribu-
tion requirement and a writing requi1'ement. 
I 
I 
! 
i. 
r: 
I 
I 
I i 
I 
Proposed Requirements--contd. 
Page 6 
A degree at SUNY-Albany requires completion of a program of intensive 
study in a specific discipline. 
But be)rond this, a university degree should 
indicate a breadth of intellectual experience and the acquistion of certain 
skills, such as the ability to ·write and the ability to reason critically and 
analytically. 
Currently, a degree at SUNY-Albany does not necessarily imply 
either breadth of intellectual experience or the acquisition of basic skills. 
For example, it is possible for an individual to graduate with a B.S. degree 
in any department of the College of Science and Hathematics without ever taking 
a cot1rse outside the college. This concern is not allayed by the observation 
that most individuals do take courses outside their special fields of study, 
for the question is one-of standards, and whether a student should be allowed 
to receive a university degree after completing a narrowly conceived course of 
study. 
Furthermore, many students currently do not acquire an adequate breadth 
of intellectual experience; and many do not learn basic skills, such as the 
ability to write an English sentence. · This proposal specifies a mininn.nn standard 
in terms of breadth of experience and the acquisition of basic skills. 
There is not one but many ways to define breadth of experience in terms 
___ __,of specific subject matter. 
The campus has just completed an exhaustive discus-
sion of this definition, leading to the acloptton-of-the-si-x--LEAP-eategeEi..€ls, ---
The Undergraduate Academic Council felt that the category "Cultures of the Past" 
was too narrowly defined, and redefined the category as "World Cultures." 
Although some modification of the categories may prove desirable at some point, 
the UAC felt the)r provided a sound fow1dation on which the Curriculum Committee 
could build its classification of courses. 
Distribution requirements have been separated from the writing require-
ment. 
Many courses which will satisfy the distribution requirement will not 
have a writing component. 
Not only would resource limitations make it imprac-
tical to require writing in all courses, but also some courses do not lend 
themselves to a writing component, such as courses teaching basic mathematical 
skills. 
TI1ose in favor of distribution requirements contend that a student's 
academic freedom of choice is relative, and not absolute. 
The specific require-
ments in a major bring about a considerable surrender of "academic freedom of 
choice," and yet such requirements are universally accepted. 
The further limita-
tion of this "academic freedom of choice" by the imposition of distribution 
requirements is a quantitative change in the degree of "freedom of choice," and 
not the violation of a fundamental principle. 
The overriding need, proponents 
would argtie, is to insure that students receive the breadth of intellectual 
experience and acquire the basic skills that should be part of any W1iversity 
education. 
Proponents of the breadth requirement acknowledge that the quality of 
instrt1ction on this campus often leaves much to be desired. 
But they see this 
proposal as a means for improving instructional quality. The campus-wide 
Curriculun1 Committee of the Undergraduate Academic Collllcil would have the 
power to approve and disapprove specific courses for the distribution require-
ment. 
TI1e Curriculum Committee is explicitly charged with evaluating the 
content and quality of courses which the various academic units propose for 
satisfaction of the breadth requirement. 
Proposed Requirements--contd. 
Page 7 
The proponents of this proposal do not believe that it will have a major 
effect on class size. 
Some classes, such as foreign languages, are traditionally 
taught in small classes, and should continue to be taught that way. 
But there 
is no reason why some materials cannot be communicated effectively in large 
classes. Proponents believe that student dissatisfaction with large classes is 
most frequently directed at the quality of teaching, and not class size per se. 
As argued in the preceding paragraph, proponents believe that this proposal will 
have a positive effect on the quality of teaching. 
Proponents of the breadth requirement also agree that academic advising 
could be greatly improved. 
Many professors are insufficiently conversant with 
the programs in their own departments·, and have even less knowledge of appropriate 
courses in other schools and colleges. 
And even under the assumption that this 
situation could be corrected, that is, even if all professors were well informed 
of other programs and conscientiously carried out their advising duties, there 
is no guarantee that students would follow their advice. 
The proposal for a 
breadth requirement, by selecting the specific courses which are most suited 
for study outside of a major, greatly reduces the demands made upon the academic 
advising system. A student choosing from a relatively small pre-selected list 
of appropriate courses cannot go too far wrong. 
The Undergraduate Academic Council believes U1at six credits constitute 
a minimally sufficent exposure to each of the six distribution categories. A 
single three-credit course in most cases would not give adequate exposure to a 
distribution category. Many students will fulfill 12 credits automatically in 
satisfying requirements for their major, so that the "real" requirement would 
be approximately 24 credits, or eight 3-credit courses. This would average 
out to one course each semester during a student's four years of study, which 
the UAC feels is a reasonable requirement. 
Such a program provides the greatest 
possibility for a true liberal education while· still leaving considerable oppor-
tunity for students to specialize. A 36-credit requirement would be no more 
demanding than distribution requirements at other SUNY campus.es, most of which 
exclude major courses from counting in the credit totals required (se~ Appendix II). 
The 36-credit requirement would also have various secondary benefits. It 
would encourage the utilization or development of two-semester sequences in some 
distribution categories. This might be particularly important in some areas such 
as the foreign languages, where a one-semester exposure is little better than 
none at all. In addition, since the 36-credit requirement would result in an 
increased exposure to different intellectual endeavors~ this version would lead 
to a more informed choice of major for the undecided student. 
Attachments: Appendix I 
Appendix II 
April 13, 1981 
- ---~-- ---~~---------~- --
Yost dtudents Want Distribution Requireme,-4-ts 
P>-brk Hsdtclti 
The ASP randvmly surveyed 253 
:dergraduates 1tnd 33 teachers last 
:ek w find the reaction of the 
JNYA academic body regarding 
e imposition of distribtl!ion re-
lircments here, a proposal now 
ing investigated by special com-
iHee. 
Overall, 67 percent of SUNY A 
udents favored distribution re-
ilircments. An average of 19.9 re-
t!ircd credits was suggested. 
!though only a small sample or 
lt:achcrs wa~ tak..:n, those surveyed 
were highly in lavor; 88 percent 
supported 
distribution 
rc-
qiJiremcnls. Teacher~ suggested an 
average of 23_9 required credits. 
Only 38 p.:rcent of freshmen 
surveyed favored requirements, and 
freshmen preferred as few man-
datory credits as possible. 
The percenl in favor increased 
steadily with class year, as did the 
amount of required credits sug-
gested. 
Upperclassmen generally 
Distribution 
Re<Juired 
Requirements 
Credih 
OJoin 
Std. 
St~denlS' . 
Yes 
No 
Favor 
Av!. 
Dev. 
Freshman (21) 
8 
13 
380Jo 
18.5 
1.5 
Sophomore (54) 
30 
24 
'560Jo 
19.3 
2.8 
' 
Junior (liO) 
78 
32 
71 fl/o 
20.2 
5.2 
' 
Senior (68} 
54 
14 
79o/o 
20.0 
3.9 
' 
Total (253) 
170 
83 
,67f1Jo 
19.9 
4.4 
MAjcrs 
I 
Sd~ncc a~d 
' 
I 
Ma~h (34) 
21 
13 
'62°/o 
2LO 
5.2 
i 
' 
.Jusincs~ (42) 
29 
13 
f>')OJII 
20.2 
4.3 
rioc. Sd. (67) 
47 
20 
, 70°/o 
IX.O 
5.2 
• hmumiHes ami 
l<'ine Art~ {64) 
43 
21 
67°/o 
19.9 
4.6 
stated that as they allvance in their 
.,:ducation they appreciate more, 
and thus beller understand the 
necessity for a well-rounded cur-
riculum. 
Seniors supponed re-
quirements the most. Many said 
they regret not having taken a 
broader curriculum, while others 
who fell they had. taken a wide 
range_ of courses are glad ·they did. 
Freshmen, however, staled greater 
c.)ncern in finding a major than in 
.b.-:coming well-rounded. 
Of those who have decided on a 
Weir 1-tounded 
Yes 
No 
0/o Yes 
13 
8 
620Jo 
45 
9 
830Jo 
91 
19 
83fr!o 
51 
17 
750Jo 
200 
.53 
79fi/o 
.. 
21.! 
6 
82 "'o 
24 
8 
X lllfo r 
5H 
9 
87% 
53 
9 
85 1lf.t 
major, the Social Science majors 
f~vorcd requirements ami _ con- I 
stdered themselves more thvo:rse 
than other ~tudents did. Scio:nce 
and math students least favored 
distribution requirements, but the 
disparity among majors was not 
greaL 
The ASP survey read as follows: 
"There is presently a commillec on 
distribution rcquirem..:nts which 
proposes that, to graduate, SUNY A 
student~ would have to complete 
one or two courses in each of the 
following categories: Other 
Cultures, 
Social 
Sciences, 
Literature, and Fine Arts, Natural 
Sciences, and Symbolics. 
"Required courses .would 
amount to a minimum of 18. credits 
and a maximum of 36, depending 
on how the final pwposal is devis-
ed. 
"Pro: A person who graduates 
with a ·degree should have been ex-
posed co certain kinds of k tii)Wicdgc 
bask to an educated person, to 
prepare him not only for a job, but 
ror anything he might c:ncoumer in 
life. 
>-
"Con: A student is limited in 
academic freedom. 
Required 
courses may not be within his in-
ten:sts.'' 
The person's class, major, age, 
and sex, were asked, as wdl as the 
following questions: ··Arc you in 
favor of distribution requirement~? 
Why or why not? Whether in favor 
or not, how many credib wou!J be 
a fair amount to require (18 to 36)'! 
With or without such requirements 
have you, in your opinion, taken a 
wide range of courses?" 
Students and faculty who favored 
distribution requirements generally 
agreed that a college education 
means more than just completing a 
major, while those against did nol 
1 like "being told what to do." 
Distribution 
Required 
Requirements 
Credits 
OJo in 
Std. 
Teachers 
Yes 
No 
f'avor Avg. 
Dcv. 
-
Science and 
-
Matb (13) 
l2 
l 
926/o 
23.4 
10.6 
Business (5) 
5 
0 
·99% 
24.0 
7.0 
~oc. Sd. (6) 
5 
I 
83°/o 
28.2 
il.9 
flumaniHcs and 
Jt'ine Arts (9) 
7 
•l 
78°/o 
21.6 
3.0 
k 
I 
Total (33) 
29 
4 
88 11/o 
23.9 
7.7 
-
.. 
__ .,. 
I. 
APPENDIX II 
st.JM\1ARY OF RE(piRED GENERAL EIXJCATION CREDITS 
AT SUNY CAMPUSES 
Buffalo: 
24 credits outside of major area 
· Binghamton: 
40 credits - may include courses in major 
Stony Brook: 
36 credits - excludes courses in major 
Also requires proficiency in English composition, mathe-
matics , and foreign language 
Brockport: 
33 credits - excludes courses in major 
Cortland: 
Fredonia: 
Geneseo: 
Oneonta: 
Oswego: 
March 10, 1981 
Also requires 6 credits in communication arts and foreign 
lru1guage for B.A. 
36 credits - at least 24 must be outside major 
Also requires 3-6 credits in English composition and 
0-13 credits in foreign language 
30 credits - excludes courses in major 
English composition included within 30 credits 
30 credits - excludes courses in major 
Also requires proficiency in writing 
21 credits - excludes courses in major 
33 credits - some major courses counting 
Also requires 3-6 credits in English composition and 
3-6 credits in mathematics 
APRIL 13, 1981 
SENATE ATTENDANCE SHEET 
30. 
31. 
32. 
33. 
34. 
35. 
36. 
37. 
38. 
39. 
40. 
41. 
42. 
43. 
44. 
45. 
46. 
47. 
48. 
49. 
50. 
51. 
52. 
53. 
54. 
55. 
56. 
57. 
APRIL 13, 1981 
2 

Metadata

Containers:
Box 2, Folder 5
Resource Type:
Document
Rights:
Image for license or rights statement.
CC BY 4.0
Date Uploaded:
December 26, 2018

Using these materials

Access:
The archives are open to the public and anyone is welcome to visit and view the collections.
Collection restrictions:
Access to this record group is unrestricted.
Collection terms of access:
Records in this collection were created by the University at Albany, SUNY, and are public records.

Access options

Ask an Archivist

Ask a question or schedule an individualized meeting to discuss archival materials and potential research needs.

Schedule a Visit

Archival materials can be viewed in-person in our reading room. We recommend making an appointment to ensure materials are available when you arrive.