November 22, 2019

Anthropology, Economics and Geography Department meeting

Friday, November 22, 2019

HLC Room 2404

10:00am-12:00pm

The Anthropology, Economics and Geography Department met Friday, November 22, 2019 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Highland Learning Campus in Room 2404. The following faculty members were in attendance: Luke Armstrong, Jason Briggeman, Stuart Greenfield, Francis Hattoh, Steve Howard, Lei Ji, Don Jonsson, Mehmet Karaaslan, Livingstone Kumassah, Tony Lee, Paul Lehman, Mohammed Partapurwala, Lizzie Pintar, Carleen Sanchez, James Sondgeroth, and Daniel Waktola.

Agenda

Discuss and take action items:

1- Dual-credit and ECHS ECON issues (textbooks, MEL, overreach of principals, MOUs, etc.): Lizzie -https://www.austincc.edu/offices/college-and-high-school-relations/memorandums-of-understanding-mous). At this link, see: 2018-2019 ISD Dual Credit -> Manor ISD MOU for 2018-2019 -> see Appendix C, page 9 for info regarding the use of textbooks (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Cjhx38K7ZL_w6v86y01g5khRvMTlhOAp/view)

2- Add ANTH 2101 to the Core Curriculum: Carleen

(https://catalog.austincc.edu/academic-planning/core-curriculum-general-education/core-curriculum-course-list/ ). Every course in a particular Component Area of the Core must address certain competencies, as given in the Gen Ed Competencies by Area document. One of the key issues that caused some courses to be dropped or rejected by the THECB from the Core Curriculum was that the reviewers at the Board did not see how the course's curriculum addressed the Core objectives (i.e., the Gen Ed competencies). Please be sure to explicitly identify ways in which these competencies are embedded in the course curriculum. A useful tool to see Core courses at other institutions is available at: http://board.thecb.state.tx.us/apps/TCC/

Request form at: https://www.austincc.edu/offices/academic-outcomes-assessment/general-education-and-core-curriculum/core-curriculum-change-request. Send Ron a master syllabus and the request form by Wednesday, November 27, 2019.

3- Request from the Evaluations department to award credit for international pre-university exams. These Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) exams are close to AP and IB credit, and A-level exams. In our case, there’s an ECON subject exam.

Subject exams: https://www.cxc.org/subject/economics-cape-caribbean-examinations-council/

Grading: https://www.cxc.org/examinations/cape/

Each 1 unit CAPE course represents completion of one undergraduate freshman level course in the United States. Credit may be awarded for academic subjects on a course-by-course basis (each 2 unit CAPE course represents completion of the introductory sequence of that subject in the United States).

CAPE 1 unit courses are comparable to 3 semester hours of advanced standing credit in the United States (foreign language and science with laboratory courses warrant 4-5 semester hours of advanced standing credit, depending upon institutional policy).

CAPE 2 unit courses are comparable to a two-semester introductory sequence in that subject in the United States, i.e., 6 semester hours of advanced standing credit for two 3 semester hour courses (8-10 semester hours for two 4-5 semester hour courses in foreign languages and science with laboratory courses, depending upon institutional policy).

4- Taking students to a conference in Dallas in April.: Lei Ji.

5- Daniel Waktola to propose new ZTC/OER for Geog 1303.

6- Discuss dual enrollment spring 2020 pending and additional request

Informational:

7- Portfolios are due December 1, 2019. New way of evaluating them and giving feedback.

8- New ECON position is open until 1-10-2020.

9- DAC: due the week that grades are due, remind faculty to get their assessments done.

10- QM: training completion needs to be done by Spring if you want to teach ONL Fall.

11- Economics Instructional Program Review (IPR).

12- We will celebrate Dr. Geoffrey Andron’s retirement immediately following our first Spring meeting. More information to follow at a later date.

1. Approve agenda

Agenda approved.

2. Approve the minutes of last meeting https://sites.google.com/austincc.edu/aegdepartment/home/aeg-task-force-minutes

Discussion: Minutes are subject to edit for grammar and clarity.

Action: Minutes approved.

3. Dual-credit and ECHS ECON issues (textbooks, MEL, overreach of principals, MOUs, etc.): Lizzie -https://www.austincc.edu/offices/college-and-high-school-relations/memorandums-of-understanding-mous). At this link, see: 2018-2019 ISD Dual Credit -> Manor ISD MOU for 2018-2019 -> see Appendix C, page 9 for info regarding the use of textbooks (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Cjhx38K7ZL_w6v86y01g5khRvMTlhOAp/view)

Discussion regarding high school principals contacting instructors to change textbooks or discontinue use of LMS requirements. Discussion regarding unannounced, unauthorized course observations of ECHS students on ACC Campus and on high school campus. Discussion that all ECHS and Dual Econ sections will use MyEconLab or other LMS but otherwise faculty are encouraged to structure the course as they see fit.

No unauthorized and unannounced visitors will be allowed to observe class regardless of the location of the class. Only the Department Chair, or DC designee, or mentor for new instructors, is allowed to observe class. All others will be asked to leave and report to Department Chair with any issue. If high schools will be observing on campus and or high schools it should be reflected in that MOU with that school and announced in advance to both the Chair and the instructor.

Action: Department Chair will add this information to the welcome memo sent to faculty at the beginning of the semester. Please report any issue on high school or college campus ECHS class to Department Chair for assistance.

4. Discuss and take action on proposal to Add ANTH 2101 to the Core Curriculum: Carleen

(https://catalog.austincc.edu/academic-planning/core-curriculum-general-education/core-curriculum-course-list/ ). A useful tool to see Core courses at other institutions is available at: http://board.thecb.state.tx.us/apps/TCC/

Action: Motion was made and approved to add Anth 2101 to Core Curriculum. Carleen and Lizzie will submit forms to Ron Johns by deadline.

5. Request from the Evaluations department to award credit for international pre-university exams. These Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) exams are close to AP and IB credit, and A-level exams. In our case, there’s an ECON subject exam.

Subject exams: https://www.cxc.org/subject/economics-cape-caribbean-examinations-council/

Grading: https://www.cxc.org/examinations/cape/

Discussion:The Task Force inquired as to how many requests were received of this nature. The Task Force decided there was not enough information provided by the requestor in order to unilaterally approve these exams for credit.

Action: Item benched for now until more information is provided by Admissions and or requestor of credit.

6. Taking students to a conference in Dallas in April.: Lei Ji.

Goal: Bringing students to Dallas Fed student conference

(https://www.dallasfed.org/outreach/events/2020/20esp.aspx)

14th Annual Undergraduate Research Conference is a collaborative effort between Austin College and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. It provides the opportunity for undergraduates in Economics and Finance major to present their research findings.

Although the ACC students might not have enough background to conduct any research, they could gain more knowledge about the career potential for economics major, and do some net working with the students from 4 year colleges.

It is free and open to all college students. It covers the reception dinner on March 26th, breakfast and lunch on March 27th.

Date: March 26th (Thur) to March 27th (Fri), 2020 Where: Dallas Fed Budget: Select 10 good students to attend the conference. The expenses will be the one night accommodation and transportation. Sheraton Dallas Hotel (400 N. Olive St., Dallas, TX, 75201) has the conference rate: $161 per night. Assume 2 students sharing one room for one night. The total cost will be $805 + faculty accommodation (depended on how many faculty members are going).

We could encourage the students and faculty members to carpool on their own expenses.

Action: The Task Force approved the effort of Professor Lei Ji to receive funding to take up to 10 students to this conference. It was suggested that Lei email the Dean for financial resources.

7. Daniel Waktola to propose new ZTC/OER for Geog 1303.

Daniel proposed a new Zero Textbook Cost/ Open Education Resource to be used in Geography 1303 World Regional Geography. Daniel will provide Rachel the name of the online text.

Action: Task Force approved ZTC to be added to approved textbook list.

8. Discuss dual enrollment spring 2020 pending and additional request.

Discussion: Several instructors requested that these additional sections be considered IF the Economics Department could find qualified instructors to teach these sections. Department Chair hired new adjunct faculty based upon the requests received, and then approved by TF, at our last meeting.

Action: Department Chair to review staffing for Spring and check for instructor availability. If no instructor available, these sections will be denied.

9. Updates:

Portfolios are due December 1, 2019. New way of evaluating them and giving feedback. Request by Chair and evaluator to follow submission format to reduce time spent looking for required items. Reminder to add Department Chair to Blackboard if teaching distance learning section. Please take close look at Evaluation Standards on Portfolio Process form.
New ECON position is open until 1-10-2020. Clarification that one full time faculty position was approved. All Econ Hiring Committee Members will need to attend additional hiring training.
DAC: due the week that grades are due, remind faculty to get their assessments done. Lizzie reminded instructors that DAC participation is very important and added that it is now only required once per year, rather than every semester.
QM: training completion needs to be done by Spring if you want to teach ONL Fall. If you need any assistance completing your QM training please contact Carleen Sanchez at csanche1@austincc.edu. Carleen mentioned that for those that were not able to attend QM training there may be online options now available.
Economics Instructional Program Review (IPR). Lizzie states that no information has been provided to the Chair as of this date regarding the Economics Program Review. More information will follow as it is received.
Reminder that emails sent using ACC email address are not private. Remind to read all emails and attachments sent from administration.

10. Adjourn