Committee on Academic Policies and Standards (CAPS)
Minutes for April 12, 2012
Members present: R. Ragan, J. Dziak, W. Elder, A. Kelm, R. Gillis, D. Annino, G. Iguchi,
E. Strauss, and P. Miller, and N. Bezier
Members excused: J. Boyle
Consultants: J. Von Ruden, G. Herling
Guests: J. Palmer, B. Hoar,
Guests: B. Gander, A. Epstein, B. Morgan, and L. Stuhr
1. R. Ragan called the meeting to order at 2:15 p.m.
2. Motion to approve minutes. Minutes approved from 2/24/2012.
3. Change of medical withdrawal from the university policy, including graduate
policy: Request to change current policy: …”The emergency medical withdrawal
is intended for use only when totally withdrawing from the university”.
Rationale for change: There are situations for which a student must, for
documented medical reasons, be off campus for some portion of time. Depending
upon when this situation occurs, the current Emergency Medical Withdrawal
policy may require the student to withdraw from all courses. There are, however,
situations in which students may not need to drop all courses. Below are a few
examples:
If a student has a contagious, but not debilitating illness, he/she may be
(essentially) banned from campus, but able to continue in online courses.
A student may suddenly require regular medical treatments (e.g. dialyses) during
a fixed portion of the day, conflicting with one or more courses, but perhaps not
all.
Depending on the timing and length of time that the student will be off campus,
some faculty may be interested in granting an incomplete.
Committee recommended changes:
Medical Withdrawal Policy Proposal
Current policy with proposed changes: (blue is addition to existing policy, strike-through
is proposed removal)
Emergency medical withdrawal may be initiated by the student or an authorized agent at
any time. It must be supported by a letter from a healthcare provider which is first
processed by the Student Health Center to verify its authenticity. After such verification, the
Student Health Center will immediately notify the Student Life Office, which will notify the
Records and Registration Office, the Cashier’s Office, the appropriate academic dean, and all
of the student’s appropriate instructors. When the withdrawal is completed, the Records
and Registration Office will notify instructors if a grade is required. The emergency medical
withdrawal is intended for use only when totally withdrawing from the university.
If accommodations are not possible in a particular course, The the permanent academic
record may show that no credits were earned, but the status of the student’s grades at the
time of the withdrawal will be posted. The record will show one of the following grades
submitted by the instructor: “EP” (emergency withdrawal passing), or “EF” (emergency
withdrawal failing). Such grades will not be included in the computation of the term or
cumulative grade point average.
Any exceptions to the policies of the emergency medical withdrawal must be appealed to
the university’s Committee on Academic Policies and Standards (CAPS).
4. Motion to approve changes. Second made. R. Ragan tabled topic until Assistant Dean’s
are present for consultation.
5. Motion to keep current policy for summer appeals (10-0-0) Motion approved
6. Update on pilot programs of electronic overrides: Pilot studies are going well.
Future plans: If pilot study goes well the pilot will expand to different departments.
The implementation of electronic overrides does not constitute a policy change. Only
the implementation of policy.
7. Meeting adjourned at 3:33 p.m.
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