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DOCUMENTS OF THE GENERAL FACULTY

CHANGES IN REQUIREMENTS FOR THE BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE WITH A MAJOR IN PSYCHOLOGY IN THE COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS CHAPTER OF THE UNDERGRADUATE CATALOG, 1998-2000, OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN

Richard W. Lariviere, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, filed with the Secretary of the Faculty Council the proposal below for changes in requirements for the bachelor of arts degree with a major in psychology in the College of Liberal Arts chapter of The Undergraduate Catalog, 1998-2000. The faculty and the dean of the College of Liberal Arts approved the changes on November 3, 1999. The edited proposal was received from the Office of Official Publications on February 17, 2000. The secretary has classified this proposal as legislation of exclusive application and primary interest to a single college or school.

If no objection is filed with the Office of the General Faculty by the date specified below, the legislation will be held to have been approved by the Faculty Council. If objection is filed within the prescribed period, the legislation will be presented to the Faculty Council at its next meeting. The objection, with reasons, must be signed by a member of the Faculty Council.

To be counted, a protest must be received in the Office of the General Faculty by April 4, 2000.

<signed>

John R. Durbin, Secretary
The Faculty Council

This legislation was posted on the Faculty Council web site (http://www.utexas.edu/faculty/council/) on March 24, 2000. Paper copies are available on request from the Office of the General Faculty, FAC 22, F9500.

392

CHANGES IN REQUIREMENTS FOR THE BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE WITH A MAJOR IN PSYCHOLOGY IN THE COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS CHAPTER OF THE UNDERGRADUATE CATALOG, 1998-2000, OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN

On page 239, in the College of Liberal Arts chapter of The Undergraduate Catalog, 1998-2000, in the section "ADMISSION AND REGISTRATION," insert the following after the subsection "ADMISSION":

Admission to the Major in Psychology

To declare a major in psychology, the student must have completed at least twelve semester hours of coursework in residence and must have a University grade point average of at least 2.50.

On page 258, in the College of Liberal Arts chapter of The Undergraduate Catalog, 1998-2000, in the section, "BACHELOR OF ARTS, PLAN I," subsection "MAJORS AND MINORS," make the following changes:

Psychology

Major: Twenty-eight semester hours of psychology, including Psychology 301 and 418 and at least eighteen semester hours of upper-division coursework. Also included in these twenty-eight semester hours must be at least two three-semester-hour courses in area I, biological/human experimental psychology, and at least two three-semester-hour courses in area II, social/personality psychology; a list of the courses in each area is available in the Department of Psychology Undergraduate Office.

Psychology majors must earn a grade of at least C in Psychology 418 to register for upper-division psychology courses.

Minor for psychology majors: Twelve semester hours, including at least nine hours of upper-division coursework, in any one other field of study in the University. Six of the twelve hours must be taken in residence. No more than three of the twelve hours may also be counted toward any area requirement for the degree.

To declare a major in psychology, the student must have completed at least twelve semester hours of coursework in residence and must have a University grade point average of at least 2.50. He or she must maintain a University grade point average of at least 2.50 to remain in the major. Students with a University grade point average of less than 3.00 may not take more than two organized psychology courses in a semester.

Rationale:
To lower student-faculty ratios in psychology. There are currently approximately 2,100 psychology majors and double majors, including 1,600 with grade point averages at the University that are higher than 2.50 overall. A minimum grade point average requirement to declare and to remain in psychology will encourage students to carefully consider their choice of major and to establish a record of success at the University before undertaking psychology degree requirements. Students with lower grade point averages who attempt more than two psychology courses in a semester do not perform as well in them as when they take only one or two. Limiting the number of psychology courses that students may take in one semester will reduce enrollment pressures on psychology classes.