May 29, 2014
To: Anne Galbraith, Chair, Faculty Senate
From: Bradley Butterfield, Chair, Committee on Academic Policies and Standards
Re: 2013-2014 Final Report
The following final report is a summary of the activities of the 2013-2014 CAPS in
accordance with its standard committee duties and any special charges:
CAPS standard committee duties and responsibilities:
According to Faculty Senate Bylaw II. B. The Academic Policies and Standards Committee, the duties
and responsibilities of the committee shall include:
1. Formulating and reviewing local policies and standards concerning admissions, advising,
retention, advanced standing, probation, dismissal, readmission, the grading system, and
graduation honors for undergraduate students.
2. Ensuring equitable application of standards by the undergraduate schools and colleges.
3. Supervising the administration of these standards and formulating procedures for hearing
student appeals and petitions on academic matters not resolved by administrative offices of
the university.
Special Charges
1. The current policies for Commencement Honors and Graduation Honors exclude Associates
Degree candidates from being recognized for their exemplary academic performances. Please
review these two policies and make a recommendation to Senate.
The Committee recommended that the wording for Commencement Honors and Graduation Honors
be amended as follows:
COMMENCEMENT HONORS
Commencement honors determine which students may wear an honor cord (foragers)
during commencement exercises. Commencement honors are noted beside students' names
in commencement programs. Calculations for commencement honors and highest honors
are based on grade point averages earned at the end of the last term in residence prior to
the term of graduation. To be eligible as a baccalaureate candidate, you must have earned
no fewer than 45 semester credits in residence at UW-L prior to the beginning date of the
term in which you intend to graduate and 30 credits as an associate candidate. You must
have a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 to wear the honor cord or at least 3.75 to
wear the cord designating highest honors. Only resident credits are used in the GPA
calculation. Commencement honors are calculated for baccalaureate and associate degree
candidates only. Graduate degree candidates (remove)and associate degree candidates are
not eligible.
GRADUATION HONORS
Graduation honors are posted on permanent academic records if students have earned no
fewer than 60 semester credits in residence for a baccalaureate degree and 30 credits in
residence for an associate degree at UWL. You must have a cumulative grade point average
of 3.50 for graduation with honors or at least 3.75 for graduation with highest honors at the
end of your last term in residence. Only resident credits are used in the GPA calculation.
Graduation honors are calculated for baccalaureate and associate degree candidates only.
Graduate degree candidates and associate degree candidates are not eligible.
2. In the past, we have had students wishing to have a completed minor added to their
transcript (after graduation). Records and Registration has used the Second Major policy to
accommodate this request but would like to have the minor added to that policy if CAPS makes
that recommendation to Senate.
Committee discussed changing language in the catalog to include students wishing to add a minor
to their transcript. The following revised text was recommended:
A graduate who has earned one baccalaureate degree at UW-L, who wishes to complete the
requirements for another major and/or minor, must meet all professional and major/minor
requirements. A notation will be made on the student’s transcript that an additional
major/minor has been completed. Students with demonstrated evidence of a previously
earned baccalaureate degree from another regionally accredited institution, who wish to
complete the requirements for another major/minor at UW-L, must enroll as a special nondegree student and fulfill all professional and major/minor requirements. If all required
courses are earned in residence, a notation will be made on the student’s transcript
indicating an additional major/minor has been completed.
3. The Undergraduate Residence Requirement policy includes the Records and Registration
Office and the academic dean in approving a request for permission to take the last 10 credits
off-campus. This should really be changed to just the academic dean as the RRO only monitors
the policy. Make a recommendation to Senate regarding deleting the reference to RRO.
Committee agreed to remove “the Records and Registration Office” from the approval from the
Undergraduate Residence Requirement exceptions. The following revised text was recommended:
A minimum of 30 semester credits in residence at UW-L is required for graduation. The last
24 credits to be applied toward a degree must be earned as resident credits. The Records
and Registration Office and The appropriate academic dean may give permission for seniors
to earn not more than the last ten credits at another institution. A request to earn more than
the last ten credits at another institution must be submitted to and approved by the faculty
through an appeal by petition to the Committee on Academic Policies and Standards
4. Review the current credit cap for credit by exam for incoming students, which is woefully
outdated and constantly being waived to accommodate students with more than the 32 credit
cap. Recommend any changes to Senate.
Committee agreed to amend the credit by examination policy to read “no limit.” The amendments
are proposed as such:
CREDIT BY EXAMINATION AND RETROACTIVE CREDIT POLICY
All credits earned by examination or through retroactive credit will have full academic
value, i.e., they will count toward the total required for graduation and, if applicable, fulfill
prerequisite requirements for advanced courses, General Education requirements, college
core requirements and/or major/minor requirements.
B. Credit will be entered but no grade will be recorded on the permanent academic record.
C. Credits earned in this manner will not be counted in determining the grade point
average. D. Credits earned by examination will not be counted as part of a student's course load.
E. A maximum of 32 semester credits earned in this manner at other accredited
institutions will be accepted as transfer credits. F. Restrictions: 1. The maximum credits one may earn by examination is 32 credits; 16 for an associate
degree. 2. No student will be permitted to attempt to receive credit by examination for a particular
course more than once. 3. A student may earn credits by examination only after
admission to and enrollment at UW-L. A student will be regarded as 'regularly admitted and
enrolled' after attending on a full-time or part-time basis and paying the appropriate fees in
a regular semester or summer term. 4. No one who has received a final grade in a course
or an 'incomplete' may earn credit by examination for the same course. 5. A student may
not receive credit by examination or retroactive credit for a course they are auditing or
have audited at UW-L.
6. No student who has withdrawn from a UW-L course after the
first four weeks may earn credit for the course by examination. See
www.uwlax.edu/admissaions/html/creditbyexam.htm for specific types of credit by
examination and retroactive credits policies and procedures.
5. Review the most recent final exam policy (11-12-09 minutes Senate; item #6) and determine
if any modifications need to be made.
Committee voted to approve the following wording regarding instructor initiated final exam
changes:
Any instructor-initiated changes must be approved by the Provost & Vice Chancellor
for Academic Affairs and will only be granted under extraordinary circumstances.
Instructors may send requests to change an examination time to the Provost
at provost@uwlax.edu.
6. Lastly, all committees are being charged with considering their size and configuration to see
if the committee membership is appropriate for the workload, and to report back by early
February 2014.
The Committee considered the size and configuration of the committee and its appropriateness for
the workload. The Committee feels that the current size and configuration is more than adequate
for the workload. They wish it to be noted, that although they were open to and actively sought out
student representation on this year’s committee, no student representatives attended. It is the
Committee’s hope that future recruit of student representative could stress that these students
could find the process extremely valuable, especially to those interested in the area of Student
Affairs.
Other Activities
1. Appeal: ECO 110 – 3 credits. Request to start June 9th, 2014 running over Summer Sessions
I/II. Justification for appeal: To allow students who need ECO 110 as a prerequisite for
courses to be taken in Summer Session III. Also Instructor will be presenting at an
international conference. The Committee voted to approve the appeal of the start date.
Motion to accept waiver. Motion accepted. (7-0-0)
2. Appeal: BIO 313 – 4 credits. Request to start July 7th, 2014 running over Summer Sessions
II/III. Justification for appeal: BIO 313 is a very high demand course with an unfilled wait
list nearly every semester. This start date would allow students to take the complete
sequence of BIO 312 and BIO 313 in the summer. The Committee voted to approve the
appeal of the start date. Motion to accept as a permanent waiver. Motion accepted. (7-0-0)
3. Appeal: PSY 241, 212, 305, 318, 334, 391, 717 (3 credits each). Request to start July 7th,
2014 (changed from 7/1/14 due to typo) running over Summer Sessions II/III.
Justification for appeal: Departmental policy recommending that online courses last six
weeks for pedagogical reasons. Also, summer offerings provide for introductory courses
and courses that serve as requirements to be offered in the first 6-week session, which
allows for two 6-week sessions for course sequencing. The Committee voted to approve the
appeal of the start date. Motion to accept waiver. Motion accepted. (6-0-1)
4. Student Appeals
Fall 2013:
A. Appeals of academic ineligibility: 7 (2 approved, 5 denied)
B. Appeal of repeat course taken at another institution: 1 (approved)
C. Appeal from the CBA to allow student to take his final twelve credits at another intuition:
1 (approved)
Spring 2014:
A. Appeals of academic ineligibility: 16 (7 approved, 9 denied)
B. Appeal of course repeat policy: 2 (1 approved, 1 denied)
Recommendations
We would like to suggest that the committee consider requiring students who are on probation, or
whose appeals for reinstatement to the university are approved by the committee, to have a
registration restriction (negative service indicator) placed on them so that they must meet with
their/advisors before they enroll in a new term.
On behalf of the committee, I would like to specifically thank Janna Dziak for serving as the
secretary of the committee as well as Sibbie Weathers, Amelia Dittman, Jan Von Ruden, Sandra
Keller and Carla Burkhardt for the excellent information and support that they provided
throughout the year. I would also like to thank the other consultants from each of the colleges and
university offices as well as the committee members for their involvement in making this a
productive year for the committee.
Please let me know if you have any questions concerning this report.
Respectfully submitted,
Bradley Butterfield
Department of English