MINUTES
ACADEMIC STANDARDS COMMITTEE
November 2, 1995
Present: Sarah Moore, Jeanette DiScala, Ron Van Enkevort, Tanya Stambuk, John Finney, Mary
Morgan, Inger Brodey, Martin Linauts, Jack Roundy
1. Minutes: The minutes of the October 19 meeting were approved as written.
2. Announcements: Martin Linauts is a new member of ASC. There will likely be no further
additions to the committee.
3. Petitions: Morgan submitted a report for the October 17 meeting of the Petitions
Subcommittee, adding only that three medical withdrawals have been received recently. When
questioned, Morgan replied that we have not had an unusually high incidence of medical
withdrawals this term:
Date
10/19/95
YTD
Approved
Denied
No Action
2
0
0
54
14
0
4. Honor Code/Integrity Code: Brodey reported that Ekes has put together some good
exercises on plagiarism for use in Prelude. Brodey has also discussed using Ekes' exercises in
peer advisor training with Ann Willcockson, who is receptive. Brodey discussed adding an
honor code presentation to student housing staff training with Julie Hall, who is also receptive.
DiScala has discussed with Dean Kay the question of whether the combined honor
code/academic honesty policy needs to be reviewed by the Board of Trustees. Dean Kay thought
not, as there is likely to be minimal substantive change at this point. Brodey and DiScala
offered to keep the committee informed as these initiatives go forward.
5. Computerized, Decentralized Academic Records and Registration System: Moore began
the discussion by asking us to discuss adding and dropping classes by computer. Van Enkevort
said he thought that the system should require students to discuss their plans with instructors for
adds and drops, since in many cases instructors can persuade students to reconsider hasty
decisions. Finney asked us to distinguish adds and drops before the first day of classes from
those coming later; in our current system instructors are not involved in the former, but must be
in the latter (particularly adds). Finney argued that the computerized system should certainly be
able to handle all adding and dropping before classes begin without instructor involvement, and
Van Enkevort agreed.
Moore, also agreeing, said she wouldn't oppose computerized add/drops after classes began, so
long as the instructor could be involved. She thought that computer "codes" could be used in
place of signatures for these transactions, as they would be for registrations. Van Enkevort
wondered how a computerized system would work, especially in light of the differences between
drops and adds.
Finney suggested that for adding classes, some institutions have systems in which instructors are
given code numbers for adding students. Whenever an instructor agrees to an add, he or she
hands a number to the student, who must then enter that number into the computer to add the
class. As for drops, Finney suggested that students could be given the freedom to drop whatever
they wanted, whenever they wanted, up to the end of the "drop without record" period. Allowing
the computerized system to handle all adds and drops in this way would greatly reduce the
registrar's paper-handling.
Roundy worried about important discussions that would not happen between students and
instructors (and perhaps also advisors) in such a system. How would they learn some of the
significant consequences of their decisions (course sequencing, prerequisites, course loads,
progress toward the degree)? Brodey suggested that the computer could be programmed to issue
necessary warnings about the consequences of add/drop transactions (particularly drops). Finney
thought this was a good idea, and added that the computer could require acknowledgment of the
warning before the transaction was processed.
Brodey worried that the codes or numbers issued by instructors for adds might become
"commodities" if there were no way to connect the permission with the student to whom it was
given. DiScala argued that the programmers designing the system could certainly find a way to
prevent the problem Brodey identified.
Moore wondered how instructors could keep track of class numbers if adding and dropping were
going on electronically. Linauts suggested that each transaction might generate an e-mail
message to the instructor, to keep him or her apprised. Others noted that the electronic system
would certainly allow instructors to view up-to-date class lists whenever they liked.
Finney argued for eliminating the requirement of instructor approval for drops in the new system
(our current system requires the instructor's signature). He pointed out that even now, while adds
require "permission," drops do not. Van Enkevort said he could accept free drops, so long as
we clearly warned students that they should discuss drops with instructors before taking that
action.
Roundy pointed out that we hadn't considered how advisor signatures would be replaced, if at
all, in the electronic add/drop system. Brodey suggested that advisor codes could be used, just as
they would be used for registrations. Finney suggested that the "conservative" approach to
developing the system would be to replicate our current procedures in an electronic environment,
and Van Enkevort supported that approach. Moore also supported a conservative model.
Finney added that advisor "oversight" could replace "consent," with proposed student add/drop
transactions being flashed on advisor screens -- advisors could void them if necessary, with the
expectation that students would come to see them in those cases; otherwise the transactions
would go through.
Brodey asked us to think about the consequences of making adding and dropping too electronic
and too easy; we might enourage the "consumer" mentality already too disturbingly present
among our students. We need to be sure that important conversations about the demands,
expectations and commitment required in our intellectual community are taking place between
students and faculty.
At this point, as 9 AM arrived, we adjourned. Moore set the next meeting for November 16 at
the same time.
Respectfully submitted by the ASC amanuensis,
Jack Roundy