Curriculum Committee Minutes, 2019 September 11

Attending

Jont Allen, Ujjal Bhowmik, Subhonmesh Bose, Zuofu Cheng, Eric Chitambar, Peter Dragic, Mark Hasegawa-Johnson, Erhan Kudeki, Steve Lumetta, Umberto Ravaioli, Chris Schmitz, Yang Zhao

New Business

ECE 298AB: Solar Car

1. Proposed: that we request a permanent course number for ECE 298AB. Banner New Course Outline _Solar Car.docx, syllabus_2019.doc.  Motion seconded and approved unanimously.
2. Proposed: that ECE 298AB be approved as a temporary course for spring 2020. 298AB_third_edition_Solar_Car_with_attachments.pdf.  Motion seconded and approved unanimously.

Open Discussion

1. Linear algebra.  Options that have been informally suggested include adding Math 415 as one of the 3-of-5 options; creating a course called ECE 130 that would be, to Data Science, what 110 is to EE, and 120 is to CE; scaling up ECE 298CLA.
2. Senior thesis: 3.25 GPA limit has been very strictly enforced, with the idea that students with GPA below 3.25 need the experience of a team project course.  Many students request exceptions, and all are routinely denied.  Should there be exceptions?  Opinion of the committee: rarely if ever.  Perhaps if the GPA is very close to 3.25, and the instructor gives consent, an exception can be made.  The committee generally agrees with the current policy, however.