Social Sciences Subcommittee
	MINUTES
	April 22, 2009
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
WPH 400

I.	MARSHALL SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
A.	Add a New Program							Eff. Term:  Fall 2009
M.S.	Business Research (33 units)
Terminal Masters degree for students in PhD in Business Research.  Students cannot be admitted directly into the program.
•	APPROVED as 33-unit program.  Program as proposed was 30 units, which seemed on the low end, especially compared to peer institutions.  Subcommittee members also thought that the methods training was lacking, but Sue Hunt, the representative from the School of Business, clarified that more methods are required than the proposal originally detailed. She thanked the subcommittee for the feedback and further clarified that faculty don't intend to apply any transfer courses toward this degree program.  Subcommittee recommends it consist of 30 course units plus 3 capstone units, and provide explicit language stating that students cannot transfer in units for the degree program, and asks that the department propose alternate language concerning the PhD students opting for the M.S. that is less stigmatizing. 

II.	ANNENBERG SCHOOL FOR COMMUNICATION
A.	Four New Courses							Eff. Term: Fall 2009
The titles and catalogue descriptions for the following proposed four new courses seemed similar enough to four existing 300-level COMM courses that the curriculum office requested and received the syllabi for the seemingly similar 300-level courses so they could be compared to that of the proposed new courses.  
											
	1.  COMM-413 Propaganda, Ideology and Public Controversy (4)
Seminar examining the relationship between propaganda, ideology, critical thinking and rhetoric; application to contemporary controversies, both domestic and global; role of public argument. Duplicates credit in COMM 370.
•	APPROVED.  Concern was expressed that this course was very similar to existing COMM 370, The Rhetoric of Ideas: Ideology and Propaganda.  Professor Colleen Keough from the School for Communication, attended the meeting to respond to the subcommittee's concerns.  She stated that COMM 370 evolved over the years, and has been offered more frequently since the Public Diplomacy Master's program was approved.  Proposed COMM 413 has more readings, is somewhat more demanding, but there is sufficient overlap, at least 50%, so they should duplicate credit in one another.  This course is appropriate for the Public Diplomacy master's degree, especially for those undergraduates who opt to pair the PUBD Master's with their undergraduate degrees.  Colleen Keough said they don’t expect students to who take 370 to take 413, and vice versa.  

	2.  COMM-460 Collaboration and Group Decision Making (4)			
Advanced seminar examining the theoretical, empirical and practical aspects of human and technological communication in group processes; experiential and/or field experiences in group observation.
•	APPROVED, Concern was expressed that this course was very similar to the existing COMM 320, Small Group and Team Communication.  A second, more detailed version of this syllabus was provided by the department and it was determined that the two courses are distinct enough from one another that COMM 460 can be approved without stating that it duplicates credit in COMM 320.

	3.  COMM-470 Information and Communication Technologies Strategic Analysis (4) 
Frameworks for strategically analyzing information and communication technologies; issues of regulation, control and social impacts of evolving ICTs; original research project of ICT strategy. Duplicates credit in COMM 345.
•	APPROVED, Concern was expressed that this course was very similar to the existing COMM 345, Social and Economic Implications of Communication Technologies.  The syllabus for 345 was so similar to that of 470 that the subcommittee requests that the syllabi be made more distinct.  

	4.  COMM-488 Communication Research in Organizations (4)			
Seminar in application of communication research tools; diagnosis and analysis of communication problems; current topics in organizational communication scholarship; students complete original research projects.  Recommended preparation, COMM 385.
•	APPROVED, Concern was expressed that this course was very similar to the existing COMM 385, Survey of Organizational Communication. The new syllabus for this course appeared to reflect more differences between that of COMM 385, and the proposed new COMM 488, and comparing the two syllabi bore that out.  The original form did not include 'Recommended preparation, COMM 385' but it was added at the SSS meeting.

III.	ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

A.	Discussion Item: Contact Hours for Courses
											Eff. Term: Fall 2009
	1.  Should EDUC courses (specifically, EDUC 718, 719, 720, 721) be approved if they meet for fewer than the number of contact hours required for a 3 unit course? 

DISCUSSION: The syllabi that were originally submitted for these courses reflected less contact time in class than the established minimum 37.5 60-minute hours.  Resubmitted syllabi that were provided a couple of days prior to the meeting reflected exactly the minimum, but in a schedule that seemed impractical and pedagogically undesirable. They are designed to be offered in a 6-week summer session, once a week, for 6 hours 15 minutes straight with no breaks. Also, the syllabi seem less substantial in terms of the assignments and readings, than other graduate courses.  Kathy Stowe from the School of Education attended the meeting to address the subcommittee's concerns.  She thanked the subcommittee for the feedback and the opportunity to address the concerns.  She stated that more work is being done outside the classroom that is not reflected on the syllabi.  Juliet Musso is sufficiently concerned about the contact hours that she intends to raise the issue at the May 5 UCOC meeting.  While the length of class time is at the department's discretion, it seems that serious pedagogical tradeoffs must be made. EDUC 720 seemed especially problematic as  60% of  the grade consists of Powerpoint; the  depth doesn’t seem consistent with doctoral level coursework. Professor Stowe responded that each week they integrate research into the Powerpoint, and  readings and assignments are incorporated into it, and 5-10 slides are included per Poweroint.  Professor Stowe was asked to be sure that the syllabi are revised to reflect that. The subcommittee is very concerned about the structure of the one 6-hour 15-minutes courses.  It seemed that the School of Education’s Summer program is rigidly in place--and not subject to revision--and that the courses are designed to fill the structure of the summer program.
•	The subcommittee recommends approving the courses with statements explaining their serious concerns that students will not be able to sit through six hours fifteen minutes  of contact time without a break, and suggests they reconsider the planned once-a-week schedule.  They recognize it is unworkable for a subcommittee to monitor and count each and every minute for all the courses under review, but indicated that the syllabi for these proposed new courses resemble syllabi from less demanding institutions, which in turn discredits USC.

Members present		Members absent			Guests

Diane Badame			K.C. Cole				Sue Hunt (BUS)	
Lynne Casper			Elizabeth Garrett (ex-officio)		Colleen Keough
David Eggenschweiler 		Etta Hollins				(COMM)
(from AHS)			Tony Jercinovich (student)			Kathy Stowe (EDUC)
Frances Fitzgerald (staff)		Julena Lind (ex-officio)		
Franklin Manis (co-chair)		Robin Romans (ex-officio)
Juliet Musso (co-chair)		Margaret Salazar (student)	
Kenneth Servis (ex-officio)	Mary Elise Sarotte
Beverly Wood (from HPS)

	Social Sciences Subcommittee
	REPORT
APRIL 2009

DECISIONS MADE BY CHAIR OR CHAIR-PLUS-ONE:

I.	ANNENBERG SCHOOL FOR COMMUNICATION	
Add six new courses 					Effective Fall 2009

A.	COMMUNICATION
1. COMM-400	Seminar in Communication (4, max 12)
Advanced  readings in communication theory and research (broadly defined); specialized interest areas of individual faculty on the frontiers of knowledge; seminar topics change each semester.
>	Approved

2. COMM-451	Visual Communication and Social Change (4)
Analysis of photography’s evolution; new strategies for the photographic image, photo documentary work and global social issues; analysis of images on blogs and web sites.
>	Approved

3. COMM-454	Media, Money, and Society (4)
Money as communication; social scientific analysis of money and financial markets; money and popular culture; the business press; representations of Wall Street in Hollywood cinema.
>	Approved

4. COMM-475	Environmental Communication	(4)
Communication about environmental controversies in the public sphere: history of environmentalism; forms of citizen participation; media coverage; advocacy campaigns and movements; scientific and industrial discourses.
>	Approved

5. COMM-578	New Media Literacies	(4)
Examines intersection of education and participatory culture, literacy and media change, the participation gap, informal learning and knowledge communities, emerging social skills and cultural competencies.
>	Approved

6. COMM-616	Health Communication for Prevention (4)
Examination of health communication efforts for the prevention of diseases or other adverse physical or mental health outcomes by the promotion of behavior change.
>	Approved

II. MARSHALL SCHOOL OF BUSINESS	
A.	Accounting
Revise two courses							Eff.  Fall 2010
1.	ACCT-580T Tax Accounting Methods (3)
NEW: Tax Accounting Methods:  Concepts governing timing of recognition of income and deductions for income tax purposes. Covers differences between GAAP and income tax accounting for all taxpayers.  Recommended preparation: introductory tax course.
CURRENT: Accounting Methods:  An analysis of Subchapter E and related provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and of the relationships between tax and financial accounting.  Prerequisite:  ACCT 550T; ACCT 560T or LAW 600. Open only to ACCT, TT, JDBT
>	Approved
Remove prerequisites and registration restrictions.  Add "Tax" to title and revise catalog description.  Add recommended preparation.

2.	ACCT-583 Accounting for Income Taxes (3)
NEW: Examination of FAS 109 and roles of auditors, tax professionals and corporate financial personnel in preparing, analyzing and reviewing accrual of income taxes. Open to M.B.T., M.Acc. And M.B.A. students only.

CURRENT: Examination of the roles of auditors, tax professionals and corporate financial personnel in preparing, analyzing and reviewing the accrual of income taxes in financial statements. Prerequisites: ACCT 544 and ACCT 572)  Open to M.B.T., M.Acc. And M.B.A. students only.
>	Approved
Remove prerequisites, change catalog description.

B. Business Communication
One New Course					Eff. Term: Fall 2010
1. 	BUCO-252 The Art of Case Analysis and Presentation (2)
Develop analytical problem-solving and persuasive presentation skills to successfully analyze strategic business situations and convincingly argue your position in a competitive environment.  Duplicates credit in former BUCO 452. 
 Prerequisite BUAD 304.  Graded CR/NC.
>	Approved 
Cross-listed as MOR-252.  Replacing BUCO 452.

Terminate One Course					Eff. Term: Fall 2010
2.	BUCO-452 The Art of Case Analysis and Presentation (2, max  6)
Develop analytical problem-solving and persuasive presentation skills to successfully analyze strategic business situations and convincingly argue your position in a competitive environment.  Prerequisite BUAD 304, WRIT-340.
>	Approved 

One new course					Eff.  Fall 2009
3.  BUCO-636	Communication for Doctoral Students: Tutorial (1, max 4)
Individualized tutorial focusing on academic writing and presentation skills for dissertations, conference papers, and journal articles. Graded CR/NC. Prerequisite(s) BUCO 633 or BUCO 634 or BUCO 635.  Open only to GSBA doctoral students.
>	Approved

III. ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION	
A. Education
Add six new courses	
1. EDUC-610	Higher Education Administration in China (3)   			Eff. Summer 2009
Examination of student affairs and higher education administration practices in the People’s Republic of China. Course concludes with a trip to China.
>	Approved
Note:  Chair finds that the balance of activities in the trip still over-emphasizes touring relative to planned research activities.   While there is language encouraging students to pursue their research by taking time “to ask questions on our university visits and to meet particular students and faculty at our host universities…” this may not be practicable in a trip where students do not speak the language or have professional contacts.  In future offerings the department is encouraged to consider better structuring the trip to emphasize a planned research topic and a more significant emphasis on research and more meaningful cultural immersion activities.

2. EDUC-716  Instructional Leadership (3)            				Eff. Fall 2009
Examines the role of instructional leaders in improving student performance; current issues in curriculum design and implementation; and effective instructional leadership approaches for school improvement. Open only to doctoral students
> Approved

3. EDUC-718	Maximizing Human Resources in Education (3)      			Eff. Fall 2009
Strategically understanding the management of human capital to ensure high student performance. How to attract and retain top quality teachers. Duplicates credit In former EDPA 610.  Open only to doctoral students.
>	Approved

4. EDUC-719	The Policies and Politics of Education Governance (3)       		Eff. Fall 2009
Major issues facing educators in the 21st century. Emphasis on how educational policy can focus on incentives for schools to improve student learning. Duplicates credit in former EDPA 613.  Open only to doctoral students.
>Approved

5. EDUC-720	Leadership for Principals (3)        				Eff.  Fall 2009
The role of the principal as an instructional leader with a focus on improving student achievement. Duplicates credit In former EDPA-600. Open only to doctoral students.
>	Approved

6.  EDUC-721	Leadership for Superintendents	(3)        			Eff.  Fall 2009
The role of the superintendent in establishing a focus on student achievement and holding school sites accountable. How superintendents support student learning through leadership. Duplicates credit in former EDPA-618.  Open only to doctoral students
>	Approved

B. Educational Policy, Planning and Administration
Terminate	four courses: 					Eff. Fall 2009
1. EDPA-600	Seminar in the Principalship	(3)
Role of the principal in elementary and secondary schools.
>	Approved
Replaced by EDUC 720.

2. EDPA-610	Management of Human Resources	(3)
Issues related to the management of human resources as it relates to restructuring, forecasting, recruitment, selection, compensation, collective bargaining, negotiation models, and other contemporary movements.
>	Approved
Replaced by EDUC 718.

3. EDPA-613	The Laws and Politics of Education	(3)
Analysis of major legal and political issues in education that affect the performance of school systems, with extensive use of case studies to highlight controversies in education. Admission to doctoral program and departmental approval is required.
>	Approved
Replaced by EDUC 719

4. EDPA-618	Seminar in the Superintendency 	(3)
Administrative planning and policy making; current issues and problems in the work of the chief school executive.
>	Approved
Replaced by EDUC 721

C.  Curriculum, Teaching and Special Education
1. Terminate Course	Eff. 	Fall 2009
CTSE-688	School Leadership and Instructional Improvement (3)
Instructional leadership in the implementation of change in K-12 schools. Emphasis on research-based strategies for curriculum supervision, curriculum development and instructional improvement.
>	Approved

IV. COLLEGE OF LETTERS ARTS & SCIENCES	
A.	History
1.  Add three new courses					Effective Fall 2009
a)  HIST-511	Studies in Early Modern British History	(4)
Readings of major interpretative and historiographical studies on 16th and 17th century British history.
>	Approved

b)  HIST-608	Seminar on Premodern Europe	(4, max 8)
Directed research on topics from late antiquity to the eighteenth century. Students will work with both their faculty advisors and the course instructor.
>	Approved

c)  HIST-700	Historical Explanation and Research Design (4)
Designed for all doctoral candidates in their last year of course work, this practicum helps students define a dissertation topic and produce a prospectus. Graded CR/NC. Open only to graduate Students
>	Approved

2.  Terminate a course					Eff. Fall 2009
a.  HIST-609	Seminar in the Renaissance  (2-4, max 8)
Directed research in historical problems of 14th and 15th century European history.
>	Approved

B. International Relations
One new course					Eff.  Fall 2009
1.  IR-309 Global Governance (4)
Introduction to global governance structure and institutions. Exploration of the appropriate role for states, international organizations, civil society and individuals within the global governance structure.
>	Approved
Course will count toward the international politics and security studies field and the foreign policy analysis field.

C. Political Science
One new course					Eff.  Fall 2009
1.  POSC-270	Introduction to Environmental Law and Politics (4)
Overview of environmental policy, law and politics at the international, domestic and local levels. Social science gateway to the Environmental Studies major.  Prerequisite(s) ENST 100.  Duplicates credit in POSC 347
>	Approved
Cross-Listed as ENST 270.  Core requirement for the new BA/BS in ENST.

V.  SCHOOL OF LAW	
A.  New	Program			Eff.  Fall 2010
Master of Laws (LL.M) in Tax Laws	(24)
Master's degree program for students who hold a basic law degree (J.D. or LL.B.).  Students complete 
24 units in tax law courses.
	>	Approved

VI.  SCHOOL OF POLICY, PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT
A.  POLICY, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
One new course					Eff. Fall 2009
PPD-568	Environmental Governance and Sustainability	(2)
Introduction to leading issues of environmental governance and policy in looking toward a more sustainable future; normatively important concerns and the social, cultural, and political dimensions; thematic look from values to action
>	Approved