Academic Policies Committee
Annual Report 2003-2004

 

The Academic Policies Committee for the 2003-2004 academic year was made up of the following individuals:

Laura Gellott, Chair,
Faculty: Fay Akindes, Norman Cloutier, Michael Gurtman, Pirooz Mohazzabi, Sue Norton.
Academic Staff: Bryan Lewis
Administration: Jerry Greenfield
Ex Officio: Richard Lott, Registrar; Mary Power, Director of Advising
Student: Doug Sawyer

The committee met 6 times during the academic year.

The following actions were brought by APC to University Committee and the Faculty Senate:

A revision of the Academic Forgiveness Policy. This item had been brought to the Senate by the 2003-03 APC committee, and had been held over as old business by the Senate for the first meeting of the 2003-04 academic year. Approved by the Senate: October 14, 2003.

Requiring the inclusion of a member of the teaching academic staff on grade appeals committees where the grade under appeal was assigned by a member of the teaching academic staff. Approved by the Senate: March 23, 2004.

Putting a stop date on change of grade forms submitted by faculty members, thereby ending the situation wherein grade changes are being made years after the grade was originally assigned. New policy reads: "The Registrar's Office will not change any grade or implement any change of grade requests after the last day of instruction in the semester (excluding summer) following the semester in which the grade was originally assigned." Approved by the Senate: March 23, 2004

Removing from the Incomplete grade policy the provision whereby an instructor can originate an Incomplete grade request on behalf of a student. In other words, all such requests require student initiative. Approved by the Senate: April 20, 2004

The “FN” – failure/not attending class grade. The Financial Aid Office requested this grade as a way of tracking students who collect financial aid but do not attend class, or who unofficially withdraw. The FN grade would allow for this tracking. This grade would be for internal use only -- it would show up as an "F" on student transcripts.
Information Item to the Senate, no action required: April 20, 2004.

Establishment of a “Provost’s List.” Such a list, similar to those in existence at other institutions, would recognize students with a semester-by-semester record of exceptional academic achievement. It would differ from the Dean’s List in having a higher GPA requirement, and in excluding those courses which do not carry graduation credit (e.g. English 090, Math 015.) Requirements for the Provost’s List would be as follows: Semester GPA of 3.8 or better; based on a minimum of 9 credits per semester; exclusion of courses which do not carry graduation credit. Approved by the Senate: April 20, 2004.

Tabled by the Senate until the 2004-05 year:
Satisfactory completion of the Computational Skills requirement (Math 102 or Math 111, with a grade of C- or better), completion of the Reading and Writing Skills requirement (English 101, with a grade of C- or better), and completion of the Information Literacy requirement is a prerequisite to enrollment in 300 and 400 level courses.

Unfinished committee business:

Making completion of ENGL 101 and MATH 101 or 102 a prerequisite for enrollment in any upper division courses.

Academic Calendar. Finding a way to avoid finals week right up to December 23, as well as accomodating the goal of lengthening Winterim.

The following actions were handled by the Committee:

A request from Mary Power, Director of Advising, for a ruling on whether students who take an AP course in high school, and or pass the AP exam, can then get college credit by retaking an equivalent course. APC decided that our current policy should remain in effect: students will not receive credit towards graduation for AP work/testing if they have already taken the designated equivalent course. No further action is required on our part.

Forwarded a concern to the Registrar’s Office that cases have turned up (e.g. the Incomplete Grade policy) where the wording of policies in the print catalog and/or the on-line catalog, do not always match the wording of the policy adopted by the faculty senate. The attempt to state policies in a more “reader-friendly” way needs to be handled carefully, lest the meaning or requirements of the policy by inadvertently changed.

Exemptions/exceptions to a "surcharge" on tuition for students with an excess of 165 credits.