The Council on Academic Affairs met Thursday afternoon to vote on six action items. All of the items were approved by the council.

The first item, presented by chair of the music department Shellie Gregorich, was a change to the music major that would specify ensemble requirements for students. Currently, every possible ensemble is listed on degree audits which Gregorich said makes things more complicated for students.

The second item, also presented by Gregorich, was a proposal for a new class in the music department. The course is MUS 4156 Advanced Band Repertoire and Score Study, and the rationale for the proposal read:

“This course draws on experiences and skills students gained in music theory, music history, instrumental conducting and literature, instrumental methods, and performing ensembles. It provides aspiring band directors an opportunity to assimilate, reframe, and apply concepts and procedures learned in these classes to their primary teaching medium — the band.”

The next two proposals on the agenda were actually heard last. They were presented by CAA Chair Claudia Janssen Danyi, and they were moved so the council’s guest presenter would not have to wait longer.

That guest presenter was psychology professor Anne Walk, and she read two proposals to the council.

The first was a new course, PSY 3905 Neuroscience Research Methods. The course description said the course would be an “Examination of research methodology in neuroscience with emphasis on general experimental principles and research techniques that are specific to the study of brain.”

The second proposal read by Walk was a change to the major to make PSY 3905 the required research methods course for neuroscience majors and adjust the credit hours of the program to accommodate the course.

Danyi read her two proposals to close out the meeting.

The first was the introduction of a capstone course for the public relations program, CMN 4460 Public Relations Capstone. The capstone will allow students to build a professional portfolio, among other things.

The final proposal was a change to the public relations major to include the capstone course and to give students the opportunity to pursue a more specialized area within public relations. This would be achieved by letting students participate in elective clusters from other departments, such as student taking law classes if they are interested in legal public relations.

The next meeting for CAA will be held on March 11 at 2 p.m.

Adam Tumino can be reached at 581-2812 or ajtumino@eiu.edu