Faculty Council Demands Restoration of Gen. Ed. 4 Hour Science Lab Courses

The following Resolution Passed the Brooklyn College Faculty Senate on Tuesday by a vote of 80-1. After the vote, the Provost thanked the faculty, saying that he had fought and lost to keep the science labs, and that the administration supports the return to the 4 hour science courses.

BROOKLYN COLLEGE

OF THE

CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK

FACULTY COUNCIL

March 11, 2014

Special Resolution on General Education

Steering Committee

Whereas, according to the Governance Plan of Brooklyn College (Article II), the faculty “shall be responsible for the formulation of policy relating to the admission and retention of students, including health and scholarship standards; student attendance, including leaves of absence; curriculum; awarding of college credit; granting of degrees”; and

Whereas, Faculty Council is “the legislative body of the Faculty and shall have all the responsibilities of a faculty”;  and

Whereas, Faculty Council, at its meeting of April 3, 2012, voted not to “implement a [CUNY] Pathways curriculum under the current guidelines,” and again, at its meeting of May 8, 2012, reaffirmed that stand, and since that time has not approved any Pathways-related curricular changes; and 

Whereas, Faculty Council, at its meeting of November 12, 2013, directed the College administration to correct the changes to the general education requirements in the 2013-2014 Undergraduate Bulletin it made without approval by Faculty Council; and

Whereas, the College administration has not corrected the Undergraduate Bulletin; and,

Whereas, Interim Chancellor William P. Kelly announced on February 13, 2014, that the 3 credit limit on general education courses has been removed, beginning in fall 2014,

Be it therefore resolved that the Faculty Council of Brooklyn College directs the College administration to restore the four hour, three credit lower tier lab science courses to the Undergraduate Bulletin and allow departments to schedule them in the fall 2014 semester and beyond until such time as Faculty Council approves any revisions of the general education curriculum,

And further be it resolved that the chairs of the lab science departments should only offer the four hour, three credit lower tier general education courses, and that the administration should provide the resources necessary for departments to do so.