Mary Ann Rankin, Dean of the College of Natural Sciences, filed with the Secretary of the Faculty Council the proposal below to add College Academic Programs to the General Information section in the College of Natural Sciences chapter of The Undergraduate Catalog, 1998-2000. The changes were approved by the faculty and the dean of the College of Natural Sciences. The edited proposal was received from the Office of Official Publications on February 14, 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 March 24, 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 8, 2000. Paper copies are available on request from the Office of the General Faculty, FAC 22, F9500.

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The changes set forth below are proposed for the College of Natural Sciences in The Undergraduate Catalog, 2000-2002, of The University of Texas at Austin.

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On page 376, in the section "GENERAL INFORMATION," before the subsection "FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE COLLEGE OF NATURAL SCIENCES," add the following:


COLLEGE ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

The College of Natural Sciences offers the following programs to supplement the degree plans described on pages 381-416. Additional information about these programs is given at http://www.utexas.edu/cons/student.

EMERGING SCHOLARS PROGRAM

The Emerging Scholars Program (ESP), sponsored by the faculty of the Department of Mathematics and the College of Natural Sciences, is a nationally recognized program in which freshman calculus students also take a supplemental problem-solving course. Students who have strong academic credentials and a history of achievement in mathematics and sciences are invited to participate. The program allows highly motivated mathematics, science, and engineering majors to work closely with faculty members and other high-achieving students. Students in the program have the chance not only to excel in calculus but also to learn calculus in a more thorough, more satisfying way.

PARTNERSHIP FOR EXCELLENCE IN NATURAL SCIENCES

Partnership for Excellence in Natural Sciences (PENS) is a freshman-year program designed to give cohorts of fifty students the advantages of a small-college learning environment. Students are selected from backgrounds that are not typically represented at the University. The program includes a year-long sequence of the core mathematics and science courses appropriate to the student’s degree program or career choice. Extensive mentoring and a group approach to study-skills development are used to promote students' success.

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

One advantage that the University offers undergraduates is the opportunity to participate in state-of-the-art research with some of the world’s most respected scientists. Each department in the College of Natural Sciences supports undergraduate research programs in which students may earn University credit. Students may also earn special departmental honors for exceptional research. The college holds an annual Undergraduate Poster Session to recognize and reward students who participate in research. Additional opportunities vary from department to department. Information is available in the Academic Advising Center for the student's major.