Minutes of the University Committee
for February 11, 2003

Call to Order - The meeting was called to order at 2:08 PM by Prof John Buenker, Vice Chair. Present in addition were Profs James Kinchen, Don Kummings, Greg Mayer, and Gary Wood, members, and Prof Walter Feldt, Secretary of the Faculty. Also attending for the first part of the meeting were Theron Snell and Mary Power. Committee Chair, Prof Peggy James, was excused.

Business - The Role of Non-Academic Issues in Academic Actions

The Committee had a discussion with Mary Power, Director of Advising, and Theron Snell, Adviser, concerning the role of student non-academic misconduct when determining academic actions, such as suspension.

Ms Power and Dr Snell said that students often provide non-academic information when appealing academic actions.

Ms Power said that time management and job-related issues were the most frequent reasons offered by students who are being considered for academic suspension.

A student who receives a notice of academic suspension is considered suspended, but the student may appeal for immediate readmittance. If this is a first suspension, Dr Snell, as Academic Actions Officer, hears these appeals. Dr Snell reported that a very high percentage of these appeals are successful. For second and later academic suspensions, the Academic Actions Committee must approve immediate readmittance. Such appeals are granted much less often.

Non-academic issues related to Residence Life would be referred to that office, Dr Snell continued. For example, there were situations where a reduction of academic load was recommended. This sometimes resulted in a student falling below full-time status (12 cr) and thus becoming ineligible to remain in student housing. It was stated that a list of students on academic suspension was circulated to Student Life.

It was agreed to ask Dean of Students Steve McLaughlin to join in further discussions on this matter.

Implementation of Course Drop Policy

The discussion turned to the manner in which the Course Drop Policy (PSF 25/00-01) was being implemented.

The policy provides as follows:
"A student may drop any course during the first half of the semester. The Registrar's Office will determine comparable deadlines for courses less than a semester in length. After the deadline, a student may request permission to drop a course only for extraordinary non-academic reasons. Before requesting permission to drop, the student should discuss his/her circumstances with the instructor. Any such request must be submitted to the Advising Center no later than the last day of instruction. The request must include a written explanation of the circumstances leading to the request. Requests will be reviewed periodically by the Academic Actions Committee. Granting of requests by the Academic Actions Committee (AAC) is not automatic. A student should not assume that his/her request will be granted."

Ms Power reported that if a student obtained the signatures of the instructor, department chair and dean on the old drop form, the student was allowed a late drop. If a student could not obtain the signatures, the Advising Center would act on behalf of the Academic Actions Committee. If the Advising Center staff deemed the reasons for a late drop to be adequate, it was granted. If the case was not clear-cut, the matter was subjected to further analysis including possible action by the AAC.

The Committee offered that the intent of the policy was to create some consistency. Members felt that some instructors readily signed late drop forms while others created significant barriers. The implementation process does not seem to create this consistency since students are still allowed to use the old procedure, in effect.

A far-reaching discussion of the drop policy ensued. Ms Power reported that the number of late drops was quite high. About 250
students per semester filed the forms and another 130 students did not. Many of the latter had good reasons and were allowed to drop. About ten of them required further analysis.

Were the students who were allowed to use the form process forced to follow the new procedure, the load on her office and on the Academic Actions Committee would be very significant, Ms Power said.

It was agreed that this issue needs to be revisited and that faculty members from the Academic Actions Committee need to be involved.

University Committee Election

Acting in its role as nominating committee, the University Committee prepared a slate of nominees for election to the University Committee. After these potential nominees accept nomination, the list will be circulated along with a call for nominations-at-large.

Role of the Temporary Coordinator for General Education on Faculty Committees

Prof Larry Duetsch had been Director of General Education. With his retirement in December, Prof Jerry Greenfield has been assigned to coordinate general education activities for spring 2003.

There is a seat for the Director of General Education on the Committee on Advising and on the General Education Committee (GEC). The Committee agreed that Prof Greenfield would not assume these seats. However, Prof Greenfield is the Provost's designee on the GEC and is thus a member.

Adjournment - The meeting adjourned at 3:45 PM

Respectfully Submitted,
Walter T Feldt
Secretary of the Faculty