Agenda - January 17, 2006

Curriculum and Program Review Committee
Report to Academic Council
January 2006
For Action

1. Changes to Thesis and Directed Studies Courses (Faculty of Science)

The Curriculum and Program Review Committee recommends:

that Academic Council approve the standardization of the final year project options for Biology, Chemistry and Physics, as follows:

Directed Studies Option: Open to all students enrolled in a one semester course who have completed a minimum of 90 credit hours towards their Honours Program.

Thesis Project Option: Available by application only to those students enrolled in a two semester course who have completed a minimum of 90 credit hours towards their Honours Program and who possess the appropriate academic qualifications.

Rationale:

As new programs and program specializations within the BSc Honours Programs have been developed, a final year project requirement has been included in all courses. The Faculty is seeking to standardize the final year project requirements in Biology, Chemistry and Physics to ensure consistency across all BSc Honours Programs. These changes will take effect for all currently-enrolled and future students in the 2006-07 academic year.

2. Changes to Elective and Breadth Requirements (Faculty of Science)

The Curriculum and Program Review Committee recommends:

that Academic Council approve the replacement of the current elective and breadth requirements for all Faculty of Science undergraduate honours programs, as outlined below.

Rationale:

The current elective requirements for the Science programs are unnecessarily restrictive and make it difficult for students to complete minors and to achieve the breadth requirements as established by the Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board (PEQAB), specifically:

"… no more than 80 percent of the program hours are in courses in the professional or main field of study (all required elements in theory, practice and corollary disciplines) … at least 20 percent of the program hours [or credits] in degree-level courses are outside of the professional or main field of study, of which some are free electives, to ensure that students are aware (a) of the distinctive assumptions and modes of analysis of at least one discipline outside of their main field of study, and (b) of the society and culture in which they live and work … any course specified as a program requirement in a baccalaureate program may not be used to satisfy the breadth requirement …"

The intent of these changes is broader student choice while respecting PEQAB guidelines. The changes will also provide greater consistency across the Faculty. Currently-enrolled students will be allowed to choose whether to proceed under the existing rules or the new ones.

BSc (HONOURS) SCIENCE PROGRAMS
Current	Proposed
Applied and Industrial Mathematics
15 credit hours in science electives and 18 credit hours in liberal studies electives, including BUSI2000U	At least 15 credit hours in science electives; no more than 12 credit hours in mathematics courses; at least 12 credit hours in courses outside of Faculty of Science, including BUSI2000U. Total of 36 mandatory elective credit hours.
Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
12 credit hours in science electives and 21 credit hours in liberal studies electives, including BUSI2000U.	At least 12 credit hours in science electives; no more than 9 credit hours in biology courses; at least 12 credit hours in courses outside of Faculty of Science, including BUSI2000U. Total of 33 mandatory elective credit hours.
Environmental Technology
12 credit hours in science electives and 21 credit hours in liberal studies electives, including BUSI2000U.	At least 12 credit hours in science electives; no more than 9 credit hours in biology courses; at least 12 credit hours in courses outside of Faculty of Science, including BUSI2000U. Total of 33 mandatory elective credit hours.
Life Science
18 credit hours in science electives, including at least 6 credit hours in biology, and 18 credit hours in liberal studies electives, including BUSI2000U.	At least 18 credit hours in science electives, including 6 credit hours in biology courses; no more than 12 credit hours in biology courses; at least 12 credit hours in courses outside of Faculty of Science, including BUSI2000U. Total of 36 mandatory elective credit hours.
Chemistry
12 credit hours in science electives, including the senior science elective and 24 credit hours in liberal studies electives, including BUSI2000U.	At least 15 credit hours in science electives, including the senior science elective; no more than 15 credit hours in chemistry courses; at least 12 credit hours in courses outside of Faculty of Science, including BUSI2000U. Total of 39 mandatory elective credit hours.
Biological Chemistry
12 credit hours in science electives, including the senior science elective and 18 credit hours in liberal studies electives, including BUSI2000U.	At least 15 credit hours in science electives; at least 12 credit hours must be in courses outside of Faculty of Science, including BUSI2000U. Total of 30 mandatory elective credit hours.
Pharmaceutical Chemistry
9 credit hours in science electives, including senior science elective and 18 credit hours in liberal studies electives, including BUSI2000U.	At least 9 credit hours in science electives; at least 12 credit hours must be in courses outside Faculty of Science, including BUSI2000U. Total of 27 mandatory elective credit hours.
Computing Science
12 credit hours in science electives, including computing science and 21 credit hours in liberal studies electives, including BUSI2000U.	At least 12 credit hours in science electives, including computing science elective; no more than 9 credit hours in computing science courses; at least 12 credit hours in courses outside of Faculty of Science, including BUSI2000U. Total of 33 mandatory elective credit hours.
Energy and the Environment (Chemistry Specialization)
9 credit hours in science electives, including senior science elective and 18 credit hours in liberal studies electives, including BUSI2000U.	At least 9 credit hours in science electives, including senior science elective; at least 12 credit hours in courses outside of Faculty of Science, including BUSI2000U. Total of 27 mandatory elective credit hours.
Energy and the Environment (Physics Specialization)
12 credit hours in science electives and 18 credit hours in liberal studies electives, including BUSI2000U.	At least 12 credit hours in science electives; at least 12 credit hours in courses outside of Faculty of Science, including BUSI2000U. Total of 30 mandatory elective credit hours.
Forensic Science
12 credit hours in science electives and 9 credit hours in liberal studies electives, including BUSI2000U.	At least 12 credit hours in science electives; and 9 credit hours in courses outside of Faculty of Science, including BUSI2000U. Total of 30 mandatory elective credit hours.
Physics
15 credit hours in science electives, including senior physics electives and 24 credit hours in liberal studies electives, including BUSI2000U.	At least 15 credit hours in science electives, including senior physics electives; no more than 15 credit hours in physics courses; at least 12 credit hours in courses outside of Faculty of Science, including BUSI2000U. Total of 39 mandatory elective credit hours.
Medical Physics
9 15 credit hours in science electives, including senior physics electives and 21 24 credit hours in liberal studies electives, including BSUI2000U.	At least 9 credit hours in science electives, including senior science elective; at least 21 12 credit hours in course outside of Faculty of Science, including BUSI2000U. Total of 30 27 mandatory elective credit hours.

BSc (HONOURS)/Bed CONCURRENT SCIENCE AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Current	Proposed
Applied and Industrial Mathematics/Mathematics
12 credit hours in liberal studies electives.	12 liberal studies elective credit hours; all of these courses must be outside of the Faculty of Science.
Biological Science/Biology
18 credit hours in liberal studies elective.	18 liberal studies elective credit hours; 12 of these credit hours must be in courses outside of Faculty of Science.
Chemistry/Chemistry
18 credit hours in liberal studies elective.	18 liberal studies elective credit hours; 12 of these credit hours must be in courses outside of Faculty of Science.
Computing Science/Computer Studies
12 credit hours in liberal studies elective.	12 liberal studies elective credit hours; all of these credit hours must be in courses outside of Faculty of Science.
Physics/Physics
15 credit hours in liberal studies electives.	15 liberal studies elective credit hours; 12 of these credit hours must be in courses outside of Faculty of Science.