UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION POLICY COMMITTEE
ATTACHMENT B

Resolution to Approve a University-Wide Information Technology Minor

WHEREAS basic literacy with technology tools has become almost as important as skills in analysis, critical thinking, and clear oral and written communication from university graduates; and basic skills with computers, electronic information sources, and networks are now assumed in a growing number of academic disciplines; and

WHEREAS this university-wide Information Technology minor for undergraduates will assure that SIUC graduates, regardless of discipline, will have the opportunity to move into the work force with state-of-the-art information technology skills; and

WHEREAS this minor addresses one of the Illinois Board of Higher Education's immediate priorities which includes "expanding the supply of well-educated and trained information technology graduates"; and

WHEREAS the campus, through the Office of Academic Affairs, has secured all necessary funding to develop, initiate, and offer the minor on a recurring basis, and whereas this committed funding includes all necessary monies to provide any additional instructional staff required to deliver the requisite courses and minor, as well as to provide for the hardware and software requirements to support the minor; and

WHEREAS the minor will not in any way entail a base budget reduction nor internal reallocation from any unit on campus; and

WHEREAS this minor will not duplicate any existing degree programs which offer programming tangentially related, and will draw expertise from them to offer a systematic inventory of skills which has not been offered at this university in the past; and

WHEREAS the deans and relevant faculty from the Colleges of Applied Sciences and Arts, Business and Administration, Mass Communication and Media Arts, and Science have participated in the development of this proposal and support its objectives;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Faculty Senate approve and recommend to the appropriate administrative bodies this request to establish a university-wide minor in Information Technology; and that the 2003-2004 SIUC Undergraduate Catalog be edited in all instances appropriate to reflect this change: effective immediately.

Return to November 13, 2001, Agenda