Minutes of the University Committee
February 27, 2001

The meeting was called to order at 2:07 PM by Prof Laura Gellott, Chair. Present in addition were Profs Frances Kavenik, Gregory Mayer and Walter Feldt, members. Profs Carol Lee Saffioti-Hughes and John Buenker were excused. Secretary of the Faculty Duetsch was off campus.

Late Adds and Drops

Prof Gellott said that she had been working with Registrar Richard Lott, Advising Director Mary Power and Secretary of the Faculty Larry Duetsch on a draft to correct a few perceived weaknesses in the policy on late adds and drops. Suggested revisions will be brought to the Academic Policies Committee for its consideration. Current policy allows unrestricted drops during the first two weeks, drops with withdrawal notation through the eighth week and withdrawals from all classes through the twelfth week, with all time restrictions based on semester long courses. For modules, drop deadlines are proportional. For late adds, instructor permission is required after two weeks. Consideration was being given to making the drop and withdrawal deadlines coincide at eight weeks and to make it more difficult to add a course late. In the former case, it was thought that some students were abusing the intent of the withdrawal option and using it as an opportunity to drop quite late without penalty. In the latter case, students who were admitted (by Admissions) late, were falsely assuming that this meant they were entitled to enter classes at that point thus putting pressure on instructors to make late admits, an administratively separate process.

Credit for Experience-Based Learning

The Committee on Academic Planning (CAP), in May 2000, had forwarded a draft proposal for a policy on experience-based learning to the Academic Policies Committee (APC). Prof Kavenik had worked on the development of this draft. The proposal involves a fairly strict portfolio system, with the student submitting documentation to the academic department involved in granting the credit. That documentation might involve work experience, learning environments other than "accredited" institutions, online learning, or simply self-taught learning. Prof Gellott indicated that she would try to expedite APC action on the proposal.

Internship Program

Career Center Director Jo-Ann Goodyear had been working with the Academic Policies Committee on a campuswide internship policy. The Committee discussed a document, submitted by Ms Goodyear, that was not clearly either catalog copy or an academic policy draft. The Committee agreed that the current catalog copy should remain as is, but that Ms Goodyear's draft should be shared with those involved administratively with internships with comments invited.

Advisory Merit Ratings for Secretary of the Faculty and University Committee Chair

The Committee agreed to forward advisory merit ratings and commentary for the Secretary of the Faculty Larry Duetsch to Prof Gellott and similar advice for the University Committee Chair, Prof Gellott, to Prof Kavenik. The recipients will attempt to form composite advice and will share it with appropriate administrators.

Election of Chair for 2001-02 Committee Year

It was agreed to ask Prof Duetsch to find a time when the 2001-02 University Committee could meet briefly in order to elect a chair. This is customarily done as early as possible because of release-time arrangements that need be done.

The meeting adjourned at 2:40 PM.

Respectfully submitted,
Walter T. Feldt, Secretary Pro Tem
Secretary of the Faculty, Emeritus