Rosemary Owen said as the Dean's Council ended, several departments determined they already had capstone courses and with very little change could adapt them to a general studies course. Betty Dandridge Johnson said there was some discussion regarding the idea of capstone. Marsha Smith explained from the Business College's perspective there was not much flexibility in having a capstone course. She said some of the business programs only have so much room for 300 and 400 level courses. She indicated that if students were going to go into the masters level, they would be expected to have all the required 300 and 400 level courses.
Students only have room for one elective.
She thought in order to have an upper level general studies course students would have to take something out of their major or the courses would have to change to lower level. Montemayor said capstone or interdisciplinary courses were standard across the country and a number of universities have adopted these changes. He thought it was important for the Committee to see how these universities have set up their programs. Smith indicated the Business College does not know what the guidelines are for the upper level courses. She was concerned that when the Committee make-up changes that the guidelines might change.