Subject: Crosslisting of COP-2210 and COP-2250
From: Prabakar <prabakar@cis.fiu.edu>
Date: 4/19/2020, 9:53 AM

Hi All,

I understand that it would be ideal to teach both COP-2210 & COP-2250 with the same course content and projects.  This would be suitable particularly for remote teaching as well as  for on-line degree programs.

Note the difference in catalog descriptions of these courses (see in the forwarded email below).

I am copying to all UGC members, Mark, Jai and Joselyn. As we are in the final exam week, all of us are busy now.

Please share your opinion when time permits.


There are several concerns in unifying these two courses:

   - ABET accreditation requirements

   - Problem solving skills requirement for CS majors

   - IT major graduation rate (minimize attrition)

   - Preparation for the next level programming course (COP-3337 vs COP-3804)

   - Credits discrepancy (students switch majors to save 1-credit additional payment)

   - Allocating TAs for the 1cr Lab sessions

   - No discrepancy for instructor teaching load (COP-2210 vs COP-2250)

     since both have Lecture 3credits, and the 1cr Lab is supported by TA.

     The purpose of the lab is to enhance the problem solving skills for students


We had relaxed prereq for COP-2210 many times over several years:

    - Discrete Math was a Prereq for COP-2210

    - Discrete Math was a Coreq for COP-2210

    - Current status::

        COP-2210: Prereq MAC-1140 or MAC-1147 or MAC-2233 or MAC-2311

        COP-2250: Prereq None


Possible alternatives:

   A) Introduce 1-credit lab for COP-2250:

        Can SCIS support/fund TA support for all sections?

        Merge all lab sections through a pool of common lab sections

        Increase in credit requirement for non-CS majors


   B) Remove the 1cr Lab for COP-2210

        Will there be any deficiency in programming competency for COP-3337 students?

           (COP-3337 instructors and advisors can provide this feedback)


   C) Replace both COP-2210 & COP-2250 with a 3-credit Python course

        that meets ABET CS program requirements

         Need to redesign COP-3337 for CS majors and COP-3804 for non-CS majors


Summary:

   - There is no magic solution or a quick patch for resolving this issue.

   - Changes to these two entry courses require a lot of deliberations among instructors who teach these courses, UGC review, and one or two faculty meetings.

   - Following the faculty decision, the implementation of proposed changes can be submitted in curriculum proposals in Fall'20 to be effective from Fall'21.

   - Meanwhile, COP-2210 needs to be taught more rigorously with increased programming complexity than COP-2250.

Regards
--Prabu

>
>     COP2210: A first course in computer science that uses a structured programming language to study programming and problem solving on the computer. Includes the design, construction and analysis of programs.  Student participation in a closed instructional lab is required.  This course will have additional fees.
>     COP 2250: A first course in programming for IT majors.  Syntax and semantics of Java.  Classes and Objects.  Object oriented program development.  Not acceptable for credit for Computer Science majors.  This course will have additional fees.
>
> If the courses are indeed “the same” – I would recommend rectifying this issue through curriculum committee and correcting the number of credits offered for one of the sections so in future terms this is not an problem.
>
> I have copied Dean Weiss on this note as I believe we are getting into a grey area with accreditation if a decision is made to crosslist these two different classes with non-matching credit hours and non-matching catalog descriptions.
>
>
> Best,
> Nico
>
> Nico Rose
> Associate Director, Academic Unit Relations & Program Management
> Instructor, Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management
> Florida International University