Minutes of the Academic Policies Committee
for September 18, 1997

Present: J. Elmore, W. Feldt, S. Johnson, W. Moy, J. Ostheimer, R. Gundersen, L. Gellott (chair pro tem)

Excused: M. Gurtman, E. Zepp.

1. Gellott distributed copies of the annual report of APC for the 96/97 academic year and copies of minutes from May 5, 1997 meeting.

2. Old Business:

a. APC will continue to be involved in formulating guidelines for non-conventional program offerings (weekend degree, condensed formats, etc.) Jack Elmore suggested that design of such programs should be turned over to departments, which presumably could be relied upon to guard the academic integrity of their offerings. Departments would need to report back to APC within a set period of time on the success or lack thereof of these offerings. John Ostheimer raised the issue of outcomes-based offerings, if the desired outcome of the course can be demonstrated to have been achieved, then the format becomes less important. Others raised the practical considerations and constraints under which we must still function: workload issues, System reporting requirements, etc. Discussion will continue at next meeting.
2. Committee reviewed a draft agreement between UW-P and Marquette University Dental School, concluded according to APC's directive of last year that articulation agreements with professional schools in the health fields shoud be pursued. Under this agreement, a student who took the three-year, 90 credit pre-dental program at UW-P, AND who met the MUSD admissions criteria, would be accepted into MUSD. Upon completion of the professional curriculum at MUSD, a student would receive a DDS degree from Marquette and a Bachelor of Science degree from UW-P. While expressing satisfation that the university is proceeding in this direction, the committee raised the question as to what the major would be for the B.S. degree. We will get clarification from Alma Renish. 3. New Business:

a. request from Athletic Board for a waiver of the 30 credit rule (no more than 30 credits of P.E. courses can count toward graduation) in the case of student athletes who are purusing one of the new certificate programs in the P.E. area. The committee decided that there are already mechanisms in place to seek waivers to university-wide requirements: i.e. a student should make such a request to the Academic Actions Committee (that committee has the right to delegate categories of requests to the director of advising for his determination). APC thought that use of existing mechanisms was preferable to creating another avenue of appeal and bureaucratic mechanism. Students who request the waiver and who don't complete the certificate program will be "caught" at degree audit time, and the maximum of 30 credits toward graduation will apply.

b. election of new chair. Gellott stated that she could not chair APC for a third year because she is co-chairing the search for the Arts and Sciences dean. A chair will be elected at the next meeting.

Gellott will e-mail the committee to find a time for our next meeting.

Agenda for next meeting:

1. Practical ("nitty-gritty") issues re certificate programs. Elmore and Johnson.

2. Individually planned major. Johnson.

3. Credit for language courses when student has prior work in that language. Zepp.

Submitted by: L. Gellott