The Council of Academic Affairs discussed different concerns regarding approved revisions to make three family and consumer science courses online only.

On Dec. 3, the CAA unanimously approved revisions for three FCS courses (4752, 4755, and 4756) to be exclusively online. This calls for concern because FCS 4755, Nutrition for Physical Performance, is a required course for kinesiology and sports studies majors. The other two courses are electives.

Debra Reid, a history professor and member of the CAA, said she does not believe courses should only be offered online.

“I’m just concerned about why a course should only be offered online,” Reid said. “It is one thing for a course to be face-to-face or online and you can do either. But this eliminates all face-to-face interaction.”

Blair Lord, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, said Eastern will be moving to more online courses.

“Kinesiology students are particularly suited to effective learning in kinesthetic learning,” Reid said. “That is not what you get in an online course usually.”

However, Lord said at various times all majors will have courses where students take them online.

Reid teaches online courses and feels certain classes taught through a computer work better than others.

Reid also said students need to be more self-directed and confident when dealing with online courses. She said she hopes the department monitors student performances and respond accordingly if any negative impact is influenced by these changes.

Stephen Simpson, the student vice president of academic affairs, said he has concerns about how online course would work for students who had not taken an online course before.

“I’ve never taken an online course because I’m just worried about how that would go. I just don’t feel it would be beneficial to me as a student,” Simpson said.

The members agreed that not all online classes are as effective as others. Many members feel this is why the CAA informs faculty and department chairs to make sure they are aware that courses like these are online.

The other CAA members also said they felt that if a department knows a course is less effective online, then they could have it changed.

It was also reported that Jill D. Owen, the chair of the kinesiology and sports studies department, supports the change in the FCS class.

The revisions made to all three FCS courses will come in effect during the summer 2016 semester.

The CAA will meet again next Thursday at 2 p.m. in Room 4440 in Booth Library.

Jeff Coy can be reached at 581-2812 or jrcoy@eiu.edu