The Council on Academic Affairs will vote Thursday on a revision to the business administration minor and a new course called BUS 3050: Survey of Management Information Systems in room 4440 of Booth Library.

According to the proposed revision to the business administration minor, changes include the addition of the Survey of Management Information Systems course (which is the proposed new course that CAA will vote on Thursday) to the required course list, the addition of the Professional Sales course to the elective list, the subtraction of the Promotion Management course from the elective list and the reduction of credit hours for elective courses from nine hours to six.

The rationale for the proposed revisions is that MIS is the only area in the School of Business that is not represented in the required course list, according to the proposal.

“There are courses for the management, marketing, finance and accounting but not for the MIS. It is important to ensure our students have required classes in all five business areas to cover fundamentals of business administration,” the proposal states in the rationale.

The catalog description for BUS 3050: Survey of Management Information Systems includes “computer concepts, applications software, spreadsheets, databases, computer communications, information systems, telecommunications, and system security.”

The only item to be added to the agenda includes a change to the CAA bylaws regarding the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

According to the proposed revision, the wording under the “Procedures of the Council on Academic Affairs” section that currently states “All meetings shall adhere to the provisions of the Illinois Open Meetings Act” would be changed to “All meetings shall be scheduled and function in a fashion consistent with the spirit of the Illinois Open Meetings Act” if it is approved.

During the council’s Nov. 14 meeting, council members understood that CAA was not being compliant with the bylaws that stated the council “shall adhere to the Illinois Open Meetings Act.” 

For example, Marita Gronnvoll, council chair and communication studies professor, said CAA does not post its agenda outside of its meeting place at least 48 hours in advance of meetings as the Open Meetings Act requires. Instead, the agendas are sent to council members via D2L and to the public on Eastern’s website.

In order to follow its own bylaws and continue operating as it has, Gronnvoll said the revision would need to reflect what the council does — instead of adhering to all provisions of the Illinois Open Meetings Act, it functions “in a fashion consistent with the spirit” of it. 

The council will also hear one executive action — adding online delivery mode to EIU 4160G: Personal Financial Investments.

Logan Raschke can be reached at 581-2812 or at lrraschke@eiu.edu