Approved Curriculum Proposals 2019-2020

This proposal has one main goal, which is to obtain permanent course numbers for three special topics classes (Introduction to Social Work, Sociology of Sexualities and Sociology of Gender) within the Department of Behavioral Sciences. These courses are electives within the Psychology and Sociology programs.

The intent of the proposal is to create a new minor in Data Science (Appendix A). We have specifically designed this minor to be accessible to any interested Fairmont State student. Even for students with no mathematical or computer science background, this minor will prepare students for the modern data-driven workforce. Data Science is quickly becoming one of the most important fields in today’s high-tech economy and will give our students an edge in the marketplace.

The goal of the LPN to ASN program is to expand the LPN’s knowledge and skills to that of an RN and to prepare them for success on the NCLEX-RN licensing exam. Minimal changes have occurred to the curriculum since its implementation in 2009. Changes to the curriculum are proposed to bridge the gap between LPN to RN education based on feedback from students, employers, and faculty to improve the program by streamlining course content and providing additional clinical time to allow students to assimilate into their expanded role as an RN.

The School of Business & Aviation is proposing to offer a new online adult degree completion program – Bachelor of Science in Strategic Leadership (BSSL) – through online delivery, providing an opportunity for students to obtain a bachelor’s degree who possess an associate degree from a regionally accredited institution, or who have 60 or more hours of transferable college credit at one, or more, regionally accredited institution. This degree is similar in design to the Regents Bachelor of Arts, except that it provides a specific concentration, or focus, to offer completers a credential for workplace readiness or career advancement.

The School of Business & Aviation will provide a minimum of 10 three-credit hour core online courses in strategic leadership through an eight-week format on a static rotation. This proposal requests to apply the same general education standards as the Regents Bachelor of Arts to further allow completers flexibility in attaining credits toward degree completion.

The intent of this proposal is to request a revision of the curriculum for the BS major in Information Systems Management (ISM). Changes in required courses for the ISM program curriculum include: a) deletion of three courses, including BSBA 2201, BSBA 2202, and BISM 2800 (9 credit hours will be deleted); b) add six new required courses, as described in the proposal (18 credit hours will be added); and change BISM 4300 (3 credit hours) from elective to required status.

In addition, two course numbering changes are proposed: BISM 2200 Business Information Tools will be moved from a sophomore level course to a second-semester freshman level course and will be renumbered as BISM 1500; and BISM 3200 Management Information Systems will be moved from a junior level course to a first-semester sophomore level course and will be renumbered as BISM 2000.

This curriculum proposal is being driven by the noted areas for improvement within the program as a result of the program assessment process as well as recent changes in the Accounting curriculum course offerings and changes to the general studies requirements.

The purpose of this proposal is to revise the Aviation Program at Fairmont State University by incorporating changes in the aviation course pathways to more accurately reflect industry trends. We plan to change the degree program name to B.S. in Aviation and revise the course curriculum. The major adjustments include the following:

1. Develop a strong core of courses for all students pursuing a B. S. in Aviation,
2. Develop two concentrations: (a) Aviation Management and (b) Professional Flight,
3. Terminate the Aviation Maintenance Management option from the program, and
4. Terminate the Minor in Aviation Administration.

The School of Education, Health and Human Performance proposes to revise the course content and objectives for EDUC 2200 Introduction to Education. The changes would incorporate the Pre-Admission Field Experience 1 (currently a non-credit pre-admission requirement) as a zero-credit lab and integrate student success and on-boarding skills needed for the profession.

The Department of Health and Human Performance (HHP) proposes an 18-credit hour Minor in Nutrition Science. This minor is designed to broaden the student’s knowledge of the biological sciences, with a particular emphasis on the interdisciplinary nature of nutrition. This minor would benefit those who intend to pursue careers in the food, health, and fitness industries, or those planning to enter health and exercise science, nursing, physical or occupational therapy, nutrition research, and nutrition communication. In addition, a minor in Nutrition Science could also assist in providing a strong knowledge base for students planning to attend graduate or medical school.

The intent of this proposal is to implement the current special topics course (known as EDUC 1199 College Success) as a permanent course in the Fairmont State curriculum. This course will complement SOAR 1100 to address the needs of students with autism. EDUC 1103 will provide students with the academic, daily living, and social skills support needed to be successful at the college level and develop a sense of belonging at Fairmont State by facilitating connections with other students, faculty, and staff.

The purpose of this proposal is to accomplish the following changes to the history course offerings:

• Divide HIST 3318 (Gilded Age to the Great Crash) and HIST 3319 (Recent America) into three courses in order to allow for greater depth of coverage. The new courses will include HIST 3320 (Gilded Age and Progressive Era), HIST 3322 (Modern America from 1920-1960), and HIST 3324 (Recent America from 1960 to the Present).
• To create HIST 3314 (History of the American Revolution) – a new course focusing explicitly on the American Revolution.
• Divide HIST 4420 (History of Latin America) into two courses in order to allow for greater depth of coverage within the designated time periods. HIST 4420 will become HIST 4421 and HIST 4422.

The BSN Curriculum Committee maintains and revises the nursing curriculum based on several national standards which guide current trends in nursing education. The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (AACN, 2019) are an important part of our national accreditation through the Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education. These guidelines are a required component of the BSN Curriculum. After a review of the newly revised BSN Essentials (AACN, 2019), the BSN curriculum committee modified the current curriculum to better align with these new guidelines. The BSN curriculum committee is proposing changes to five current courses in the BSN Program. These changes include either title, credit hour, or course number in the current curriculum.

The BSN Curriculum Committee maintains and revises the nursing curriculum based on several national standards, which guide current trends in nursing education. The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice serve as an important framework for the BSN Nursing Curriculum and our national accreditation through the Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education. After a review of the newly revised BSN Essentials (AACN, 2019), the BSN curriculum committee modified the current curriculum to better align with these new guidelines. The BSN curriculum committee is proposing two new courses to replace two of the current courses in the curriculum.

The purpose of this proposal is to make the following alterations to the B.S. in Mathematics and B.A. Education, Specialization in Mathematics Grades 5 – Adult program curricula

1. Remove “Mathematical Logic” (MATH 2510) as a required course for these majors and allow a Group A or Group B elective to take its place.
2. Place MATH 2510 in the list of Group B electives.
3. Allow COMP 1110 to serve the programming requirement for the mathematics major.
4. Introduce tiered special topics courses so that the course number better reflects the content of such courses.
5. Add the new courses to the “Group B” electives.

This proposal will bring the Honors curriculum in line with the new Core Curriculum. Honors students will be asked to take a minimum of thirty hours; this includes six hours of the Honors senior project and Honors sections of courses in the Core Curriculum or eletive Honors courses listed here. Because so many student in the Honors Program matriculate with AP and other credits for college courses, this proposal establishes the Director’s discretion in substituting elective Honors course for Core Curriculum Honors courses. The proposal also establishes HONR 3350, Honors Seminar in Special Topics, as an upper-level interdisciplinary course for Honors students.

The Physics Program proposes to add a new elective course to the course catalog that has previously been offered and taught as Special Topics courses numbered 1099-002, Introduction to Physics for Aviation. This new course meets the requirements of the FAA's Advisory Circular AC 61-139, Section 9. Academic Areas, part (2) Aerodynamics and Aircraft Performance, whereas PHYS 1101 and 1105 do not. Laboratory experiments, homework problems and
lectures apply the concepts and quantitative principles of kinematics and dynamics to aerodynamic flight (including rotary flight), rocket propulsion and buoyant (lighter-than-air) flight.

The elimination of BSBA 2201 and BSBA 2202 from the business core courses and substitution of BSBA 25XX "Fundamentals of Accounting," provides an opportunity to expand the Fairmont State School of Business and Aviation undergraduate healthcare management curriculum with an additional course. Currently the curriculum has seven (7) specific healthcare courses including a capstone course. This proposal is to add an additional 3 hour course that addresses management and strategy of the post-acute care continuum to round out the curriculum. Post-acute care ranges from specialty hospitals, skilled/intermediate facilities, hospice, home-based and medical-home models, assisted living and rehabilitative services.

The School of Business and Aviation (SBA) proposes a 21 credit hour Minor in Healthcare Management designed for non-healthcare management majors. This minor is designed for those students seeking a business orientation to enhance their health services professional training (nursing, community health, counseling, etc.) especially if they plan administrative or management roles in their respective career or clinical paths. Moreover, a healthcare management minor is advantageous to current SBA students in accounting, finance, information systems management or marketing if they desire an understanding of the healthcare environment or plan to seek careers in this field.

The purpose of this proposal is to establish a course in Medical Terminology for students interested in the health care professions at Fairmont State. There are several majors that will find this 3-credit course beneficial. These include: Exercise Science, Nursing, Pre-Medical, Pre-Dental, Pre-Pharmacy, and Pre-Physical Therapy. While this will be a new course listing for the current catalog, there is a history of this course being offered at Fairmont State as HLCA 1100, a 3-credit course.

Brief abstract:
1. Assigning the CHEP prefix courses to the Community Health program (major and minor).
2. The Area of Emphasis is being removed. Instead students will complete a minor or the minor
3. requirement is waived if they have an associate degree/are double majoring.
4. Update the Community Health minor (Appendix C).
5. Update the program information in the course catalog.

Brief abstract:
Creating the Community Health Prefix to correspond to the program’s new position in the College of Liberal Arts, Department of Behavioral Sciences.
CHEP 4450 will be designated as the Writing Intensive course for the Community Health program. Additional information is included in Appendix A (page 16).

The intent of this proposal is to implement the current First-Year Seminar special topics course (known as SOAR 1199) as a permanent course in the Fairmont State curriculum. This course will provide incoming students with academic tools needed to be successful at the college level and develop a sense of belonging at Fairmont State by introducing them to campus resources and facilitating connections with University faculty, staff and other returning and incoming students.

The purpose of this proposal is to revise the Accounting Program at Fairmont State University. It includes the following items:

• Changing introductory accounting to a user perspective including managerial components,
• Including accounting research and communication skills in the curriculum,
• Changing information technology skills to a tested, skills-based approach,
• Emphasizing the Accounting Capstone course, and
• Updating various items such as course numbers and course descriptions.

We wish to change the title of the Women's Studies Program to Women's & Gender Studies. Subsequently, we request the prefix and titles for program courses INTR 1150 (Women's Studies Colloquium), INTR 2201 (Intro to Women's Studies), and INTR 4402 (Women's Studies Capstone) be changed to WGST and Women's & Gender Studies....For example, INTR 4402 Women's Studies Capstone would become WGST 4402 Women's & Gender Studies Capstone.

This proposal deletes FOLK 4400 Folklore Directed Study (3 cr) and creates an elective category in the Folklore Studies Minro called “Folklore Directed Study Electives” in its place. Students will be required to select 3 hours from this list of electives.

A new course, BSBA1100 Business OnBoarding, is proposed as a 3 credit hour introductory course for allbusiness students to complete. This course is designed to help students make the transition into college learning while discovering the diverse business environments. Students in this course will develop a mindset to successfully complete college while developing the skills needed to do so.

If approved, this course will fulfill Category 1: First Year Seminar of the core curriculum required for the Bachelor’s degree. It has been designed to align with the SOAR First Year Seminar course.

This course will be an elective course until such time as it is added to the Business Core and/or is approved forthe general studies core noted above.