Significant curricular additions and revisions to CLAS undergraduate programs and policies approved during the 2016-2017 academic year are summarized in this memo.  An earlier version was sent in June, with several updates now added.

• These additions and changes are now effective, unless otherwise noted.  
• Please refer to the General Catalog 2017-2018 for the specific requirements for any new programs of study.
• Thank you for updating any websites or other materials that might refer to these related changes.  Keep in mind that the degree audit is based on the Catalog; make sure your website lists only the official Catalog requirements as approved by the College so that your website remains aligned with the degree audit.  Discrepancies between a departmental website and the Catalog/degree audit cause confusion for students, staff, and others.
• If you are considering the addition of a new major, minor, or certificate in the next several years, please let me know as soon as possible so that we can create a reasonable timeline for the project.

Designated Conferee of Degree Changed: Elementary Education
At the request of the Office of the Provost and the College of Education, and with the strong support of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the BA in Elementary Education will be conferred by the College of Education rather than by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.  This change will begin for degrees conferred in Fall 2017 and onward. CLAS will continue to maintain the Elementary Education Interest designation for students not directly admitted to the College of Education.

New Majors
On September 8, 2016, the Board of Regents approved a major in Social Justice (BA).  The program of study is administered by the Department of Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies and encourages students to explore issues related to social justice through interdisciplinary avenues, including the arts, political science, and history.  A minor in Social Justice has also been approved.

On June 7, 2017, the Board of Regents approved a major in Neuroscience (BS).  The program of study is administered by the Department of Biology with the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences as an interdisciplinary partner.  Required coursework is offered by both departments; professional advisors in both units will also advise students in this major.  No BA or minor are offered.

Changes to Existing Majors
A new publishing track has been approved for the English major and for the English and Creative Writing major.  This track is open to any student with a declared major in English or in English and Creative Writing.

The American Studies major will no longer require a focus area of 12 s.h., effective for students declaring the major during the Fall 2017 semester or after.  Instead of completing a focus area, a student in the American Studies major will be encouraged to meet with an advisor to select five American Studies courses which address the student’s interests.

The Russian Program within the Department of Asian and Slavic Languages and Literature is in the process of changing its course subject acronym.  Effective for Fall 2018, SLAV courses will be offered using RUSS as the course signifier, and students registering in April for Fall 2018 will find courses for the Russian major under the RUSS acronym.

Certificates and Minors: New Offerings or Revisions
A new certificate in Geographic Information Science provides training in geospatial technologies, including related foundational theories and application of techniques and best practices.  The certificate is administered by the Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences and will also be offered online.

The Certificate in Political Risk Analysis, offered by Political Science, helps to prepare students to work in security, analyzing risks that institutions and businesses may face while in other countries.  The certificate may be of interest to students in business as well as to veterans who have worked previously in the area of security.

The name of the Aging Studies program has been changed to Aging and Longevity Studies, with the minor and certificate also renamed as the Aging and Longevity Studies minor and as the Certificate in Aging and Longevity Studies.  There have been no changes to the requirements of either of these programs of study.

Updates on the General Education Program
New Name for GE Program
The CLAS General Education Program is in the process of being renamed the CLAS Core.

During the 2017-2018 year, the program will be referred to as the GE CLAS Core or as the General Education CLAS Core; at some point in the future, the shorter name of CLAS Core will be used without “General Education.”  Please visit the new GE home page.

Reminder of new GE Requirements
CLAS students entering UI Summer 2017 and after are held to the new CLAS GE requirements, with these students completing 3 s.h. in each of the new GE areas of Diversity and Inclusion and of Values and Culture.

These two requirements replace the former area of Values, Society, and Diversity.  Continuing students will complete the GE requirements as listed on the degree audit and will not complete the new requirements.  ACE questions for the new GE areas are on this page.

Call for GE Proposals in Diversity and Inclusion
Proposals for courses with GE status in the new Diversity and Inclusion area are welcomed and encouraged by the College; for more information about the requirements for a proposal, see this page.

CLAS also welcomes proposals from instructors wishing to further develop student engagement within a GE course, with a small amount of funding available for those interested.                                                                                                              

Undergraduate Policy Revisions

• Honors in the Major.  CLAS is now requiring that all CLAS departments drop membership in UI Honors as a requirement for pursuing Honors in the Major; any student who wishes to earn both may still do so.  The Honors in the Major thesis or other project will continue to be accepted by UI Honors for the 12 s.h. of experiential learning required for graduating with UI Honors.  CLAS departments may continue to set GPA expectations and other standards and requirements for Honors in the Major, with a minimum UI cumulative GPA of 3.33 suggested.  Please check your departmental website to make sure the Honors in the Major page has been updated.

• Textbook Ordering Deadlines.  Starting with Fall 2017, there are new UI textbook ordering deadlines.  Instructors, regardless of college, will be asked to order textbooks each semester before the start of Early Registration for the following semester so that UI complies with the HEO Act.  The law does allow for some exceptions.  If placing the textbooks online is “impractical,” the tag of “To be determined” may be added to the course schedule instead.  However, the law also indicates that institutions (rather than each individual) defines more specifically what is considered “impractical” and when “To be determined” may be used.   At the University of Iowa, “To be determined” may be used in these circumstances:
  • If an instructor has not yet been hired
  • If the instructor has not yet been assigned to a course
  • If the course is new and still under development
  • If the textbook is new and still under development

Departments should use these exceptions judiciously and should submit the bulk of orders by the deadline.  Additional information about textbook changes will be forthcoming.

• CLAS Grading Guidelines.  The CLAS grading guidelines for undergraduate courses have been modified to better reflect actual grading practices by CLAS instructors.  Please see this web page for the revised undergraduate grading guidelines.
• Syllabus Addition.  There is now an additional statement required on the CLAS syllabus concerning nondiscrimination in the classroom.  This statement has also been included on the CLAS syllabus insert at this web page, a useful template of all required statements that may be attached the syllabus.

Nondiscrimination in the Classroom
The University of Iowa is committed to making the classroom a respectful and inclusive space for all people irrespective of their gender, sexual, racial, religious or other identities.  Toward this goal, students are invited to optionally share their preferred names and pronouns with their instructors and classmates.  The University of Iowa prohibits discrimination and harassment against individuals on the basis of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, and other identity categories set forth in the University’s Human Rights policy.  For more information, contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, diversity@uiowa.edu, or visit diversity.uiowa.edu.

Online Offerings of Majors and Certificates: Related Policy and Procedures
The following majors (with the stated degree) and certificates are now offered online by CLAS, with information on the programs of study available through this page.

• Sport and Recreation Management (BS)
• Enterprise Leadership (BA)
• Political Science major (BA)
• Certificate in Aging and Longevity Studies
• Certificate for Interscholastic Athletics/Activities Director
• Certificate in Museum Studies (effective Fall 2017)
• Certificate in Geographic Information Science (effective Fall 2017)
• Certificate in Museum Studies (effective Fall 2017)
• Certificate in Writing (without the choice of the Literary Publishing track)

Related Online/Learning Center Policies and Procedures

• CLAS policy requires that all online or learning center credentials have the same name, requirements, and standards as the on-campus counterpart.  However, the menu of courses or the availability of tracks may be fewer in an online or a learning center program.
• Before proposing that a certificate or major is added as an online or learning center offering, CLAS units must discuss the matter with the College.  The College also must approve this addition before the credential may be offered in the additional mode.
• Both distance learners, learning center students, and on-campus students may earn a certificate without earning or having a degree.
• Off-campus students earning a degree or certificate online must declare the program of study with the “online qualifier.”  This qualifier allows distance learners to be identified and for related data to be collected.  Departments and programs must have CLAS approval before an online or other learning center qualifier is added to any program of study.

CLAS Online Program Admission Policies: Majors and Certificates
In order to earn a CLAS major and degree or a certificate online, all distance learners must apply and be admitted to CLAS.

Admission for an Online Major and Degree
Students applying for admission to an online major and degree program in CLAS should be admitted to UI and CLAS following the existing standards used by the Division of Continuing Education (DCE) to admit students into the Bachelor of Liberal Studies (BLS) program.

• Students must have completed a high-school degree at least three years before admission and have at least 24 semester hours of graded college-level transfer credit with a GPA of 2.00 or higher.
  OR
• Students must have earned an Associate of Applied Science (AAS), Associate of Science (AS), or Associate of Arts (AA) with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or above for all college-level transfer credit.
• International students must meet UI admissions standards for international students with the appropriate TOEFL score for the Internet-based test (iBT) of 80 with no subscore lower than 17 or for the paper-based test (PBT) of 530. One of the acceptable alternatives to the TOEFL may also be used.

NOTE: Any student may also enter UI to take individual courses as a non-degree seeking student. Those standards are below.

Admission for an Online Certificate without a Degree
Distance learners wishing to earn an online undergraduate certificate and who are not also seeking a degree are admitted to UI and CLAS according to the existing standards for non-degree seeking students:

• Students still in high school who wish to apply to the university as a non-degree student must have a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.50 or higher.
• Students who have taken course work at another college must present a cumulative grade-point average of 2.50 or higher.
• International students must meet UI admissions standards for international students with the appropriate TOEFL score for the Internet-based test (iBT) of 80 with no subscore lower than 17 or for the paper-based test (PBT) of 530. One of the acceptable alternatives to the TOEFL may also be used.
• Students may earn a certificate without also earning a degree.
• See this page for more information.

Online Tuition
The online tuition and fees paid by undergraduate students who are admitted to CLAS with the purpose of pursuing a program of study online (and thus are flagged with the online qualifier), such as the BA in Political Science or the Certificate in Writing, are charged tuition according to the Liberal Arts and Sciences Resident tuition rate with the technology fee added.  The other fees are not charged.  An undergraduate distance learner, for example, admitted to CLAS for Fall 2017 who enrolls in one online course for 3 s.h. will pay $936.00 in tuition plus the $124.25 technology fee.  The tuition and fees are the same for both resident and non-resident students.

Please update any websites about online programs of study as needed.