May 29, 2013
To:
Steve Senger, Chair, Faculty Senate
From: Walter Elder, Chair, Committee on Academic Policies and Standards (CAPS)
Re:
2012-2013 Final Report
The following final report is a summary of the activities of the 2012-2013
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:
There were no special charges from the Faculty Senate to the committee this year.
Activities:
1. Electronic Overrides follow-up:
The following was a recommendation from the 2011-2012 CAPS final report:
The 2012-2013 CAPS should request updates from the Registrar’s Office (and perhaps
the appropriate departments) on the electronic override pilot programs, and
determine whether the process respects the current policy, or whether it constitutes a
change in policy.
After receiving an update from the Office of the Registrar and in consultation with
the Deans’ offices, the Committee of Academic Appeals of Policies and Standards
(CAPS) is in unanimous agreement with the office of Records and Registration and
the Deans’ offices that the implementation of electronic overrides does not
constitute a change in academic policies but is rather a change in the
implementation of current policies. All indications are that the change to electronic
overrides is going well.
2. Dual Degree: Mayo School of Health Sciences/UW-La Crosse: Clinical
Laboratory Science and Nuclear Medicine Technology:
CAPS unanimously approved a request to waive the "last 24 credits earned at UWL”
policy requirement for students in Clinical Lab Science (CLI/CLS) and Nuclear
Medicine Technology (NMT) who are placed at Mayo School of Health Sciences for
their clinical internship. This is a permanent change to UWL policy for these
students. The reasoning being that Mayo now requires the students to be registered
at Mayo rather than UWL for their clinical internship. Approval of the waiver of this
policy would also allow us to call the students "Dual Degree" students, whereby they
earn their degree from UWL as well as their Certificate of Completion from Mayo.
All courses are direct equivalencies and there were no academic or pedagogical
complaints from the SAH. The SAH embraces the change and highly values the
instruction students receive at Mayo and their relationship with the institution. The
committee, however, felt “over a barrel” in that any denial of the request would
result in negative impacts on our students, the programs, and their relationship with
Mayo and that there was no real alternative.
3. Summer Session Start Date Appeals:
CAPS approved summer session start date appeals for the following courses:
EDS 308/508: Foundations of Literacy: for one year
EDS 303: Foundations in Public Education: for one year
To follow up on a Faculty Senate Charge to the 2011-2012 CAPS which requested:
Review the current policy on summer course start date appeals. Consider
allowing college offices to handle the majority of such appeals. If appropriate
develop a committee policy for Senate approval.
Last years CAPS voted unanimously to keep the current policy, reasoning that
coming before CAPS discourages these appeals and keeps their numbers small.
While the 2010-2011 CAPS fielded twelve Summer Session Start Date Appeals, last
year CAPS heard one and this year only two. The reasoning appears to be sound and
this does not seem to be a pressing issue.
4. Student Appeals:
SEMESTER
Type of Appeal
Fall 2012
Readmission
Number of
Appeals
8
Number Approved
Spring 2013
Readmission
11
2
Waiver of requirement
that last 24 credits applied
to a degree must be
earned in residence
Waiver of transfer policy
regarding 300/400 level
coursework
1
1
1
0
3
Recommendations
We have no recommendations for the 2013-2014 CAPS.
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 for the excellent information
and support that she provided throughout the year. I would also like to thank the
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,
Walter Elder
Department of Theatre Arts