MSU
The issues of creating academic minors and placing students' additional majors on a single diploma were among the items brought before the Executive Committee of Academic Council at its meeting Tuesday.
Academic minors, or a set of courses in a specific field of study, are offered at every Big Ten university except MSU, but teaching minors are available for students preparing for teacher certification.
Instead, some colleges offer specializations or cognates in certain subject areas.
This proposal for MSU to establish minors — which was raised by the University Committee on Academic Policy at the meeting — came after several years of recommendations from ASMSU's Academic Assembly.
ASMSU is MSU's undergraduate student government.
Under the proposal, each academic department would decide whether to offer a minor and what requirements should be necessary for a student to earn the minor.
The issue was referred to the University Committee on Curriculum and the University Committee on Student Affairs for further consideration before any new action can be taken.
The academic policy committee also recommended not to include a student's multiple majors on a single diploma — another request that originated in ASMSU's Academic Assembly.
MSU's student diplomas list the individual college granting the degree and the major attained by the student.
This already is more than most other universities because majors aren't usually listed on a diploma, academic policy committee chairperson Ralph Putnam said.
Based on long-standing practices and input received from the University Registrar, the academic policy committee recommended that the diploma should state only the overall academic achievement, such as the degree granted.
The transcript can list any additional majors, cognates and specializations a student pursued, the academic policy committee recommended.
Although Academic Assembly Chairperson Robert Murphy reiterated the students' rationale for wanting additional majors listed on a diploma, he supported the recommendation with the rest of the executive committee.
Also at the meeting, Provost Kim Wilcox said the accreditation site team from the North Central Association's Higher Learning Commission will give a brief exit interview before they leave campus today.
An accredited status for the university potentially can lead to further federal financial aid funding, and the site team visited with faculty members and administrators Monday and Tuesday to discuss the progress and future of the university.
The team's feedback so far has been "almost exclusively positive," Wilcox said.
A final report from the site team will be issued to the university in the next couple of months, and the university's reaccreditation status will be determined in August.
