To: Grace Kirchner, Faculty Senate
From: Betsy Kirkpatrick (Chair), Academic Standards Committee
Re: Year-end Report, Academic Year 1996-1997
This report outlines (1) Senate's charges to Academic Standards Committee for the 1996-1997 academic year, (2) actions taken by ASC, and (3) committee recommendations for 1996-1997 agenda items. Relevant documents are attached.
Actions taken by ASC on charges during 1996-1997
1. Petitions. The subcommittee heard more than 200 petitions this year, a summary of which may be obtained from Mary Morgan, Associate Registrar.
2. Computerized Records and Registration. ASC surveyed faculty, staff, and ASUPS about the planned computerized records and registration system. The main issue on which the responses seemed divided was whether electronic advisor and instructor "signatures" for
ADD/DROP should be required and, if so, how they would be implemented. In that the move to the electronic environment is not intended to change policy, ASC decided that the policy will remain status quo. Implementation proposals will be brought to the committee by Associate Registrar Morgan fall, 1997. The results of the survey are available upon request and details of discussions are contained in the minutes of Feb 14.
3. Transfer of college credits earned during high school.
ASC examined several issues raised by the increase in the number of Puget Sound freshmen entering with credit from community college courses taken during high school (e.g., Running Start programs). Central to these issues is the fundamental question of when high school ends and college begins.
Puget Sound has a conservative transfer policy which, after lengthy discussion at several meetings, the committee decided not to change. Vice President Mills reported that UPS is not presently at a significant recruiting disadvantage based on its policy, and that students requesting transfer credit for Running Start programs are usually interested in using it to enhance their opportunities for additional experiences such as overseas study. Details of discussions are available in the minutes of Oct. 24, Nov. 7, and Nov. 21.
4. Response to Plagiarism policy . ASC changed the text of the Logger in three respects. The revised "Response to Instances of Plagiarism" policy is attached and details of discussions are available in the minutes of Nov. 21, Dec. 5, and Jan. 30.
1) The responsibility to receive, log and track academic dishonesty incidents is now handled through the Office of the Registrar rather than the Dean of Students Office.
Dean Kay supported this change because Academic Dishonesty files were the only academic records kept by the Dean of Students.
2) An Academic Dishonesty file has never been maintained as part of a student's permanent academic record, and a language change clarified that.

3) The term "Academic Dishonesty" was substituted for "Plagiarism" and text changes clarified sequential procedures for faculty responses to suspected cases of academic dishonesty.
5. Class Attendance policy . The main issue considered was whether not attending any classes should be administratively withdrawn from school. ASC will meet in early May to continue this discussion. (The Dean of Students Office has begun work on an involuntary
"Administrative Withdrawal" policy directed at non-attendees who are also disruptive elsewhere on campus, so that problem is being addressed separately.)
6. Academic Honesty Policy/Integrity Code.
Integrating the Academic Honesty Policy and the Integrity Code, as had been recommended by ASC in 1995-1996, was revisited after
Dean Kay identified procedural issues concerning the integration. No further action was taken (see minutes of Dec. 5), and the Committee may want to consider this issue again next year.
7. Review of Medical Withdrawal Policy . Two important issues have emerged during the three years since the Medical Withdrawal policy was first created. First, most of the petitions for medical withdrawal are based on emotional/psychological problems. Second, some students have withdrawn late in one term and returned the next (perhaps being gone less than a month). Moreover, because Medical Withdrawal has carried with it a full tuition refund, there is serious potential for abuse of the system. ASC, in joint counsel with representatives from the Controller's office, the Dean of Students Office, the Counseling,
Health, and Wellness Center, and Academic and Career Advising, discussed many issues at length and made several changes to the Medical Withdrawal Policy. The revised policy is attached and details of discussions are available in the minutes of Feb. 14, Feb. 28, Mar. 14, and Mar. 28. The major change is that re-enrollment following medical withdrawal requires that the student submit a personal statement and written materials from an approved health care professional documenting the condition for which treatment was sought, the course of treatment, specific progress or symptom reduction, an assessment of the student's readiness to return, and a description of any on-going treatment needed or prescribed. The Associate
Registrar will have final approval of the student's re-enrollment on behalf of the ASC.
Documentation must be submitted to the Dean of Students no later than three weeks prior to the beginning of classes of the term of re-enrollment.
ASC also took the following actions
8. Determined that the print version of the Bulletin is the official version (see minutes of Oct.
10.)
9. Revision to Study Abroad Policy Kris Bartanen and Jannie Meisberger requested faculty approval through the ASC for revisions to the application requirements for Study Abroad because 1) increasing numbers of students are seeking international study experiences, and
2) the Higher Education Act may compel UPS to allow students to apply federal and state financial aid for non-UPS-sponsored study abroad programs. Both to allow careful planning for the student to finish in four years and to allow for non-UPS-sponsored programs to be evaluated for approval and a consortial agreement, a longer time is necessary between a

student's application and departure. Students need to apply by September 25 for spring semester programs and by February 15 for fall and full year programs. In addition, the application procedure includes advisor signature to ensure a consultation with the academic advisor. For non-UPS-sponsored programs, the student is responsible for presenting the case for adding the program to the approved list. To use federal/state aid for an approved program, the student must complete the process for implementation of a consortial agreement. Students must complete an evaluation of their experiences to be allowed to register for the second (or any subsequent) term following their study abroad term. Details of discussion are available in the minutes of April 11.
Recommendations for the 1997-1998 ASC agenda
1. Review of the Academic Honesty Policy and Integrity Code initiative
2. Minimum GPA for an overload to be approved by the Petitions subcommittee

Response to Instances of Plagiarism and Other Acts of Academic Dishonesty
Introduction. Faculty are urged to review the definition of plagiarism with their classes, noting the specific steps that will be taken by the faculty member if an instance of plagiarism or other act of academic dishonesty is observed. (Throughout the remainder of this section the term
“academic dishonesty” will be used to include plagiarism and other acts of academic dishonesty).
1. If a faculty member has reason to suspect academic dishonesty, the following actions should be taken: a. The faculty member should notify the student that she or he suspects an instance of academic dishonesty and that an appropriate response will be made. b. The faculty member should meet with the student as a part of the process of determining if an instance of academic dishonesty has occurred. This meeting can happen by phone or mail if the semester has ended or for other reasons the student is not available on campus.
If the student is unreachable, then the faculty member may proceed to determine responsibility based on the available evidence. c. If the faculty member has determined that an instance of academic dishonesty has occurred, he or she should submit to the Registrar an Academic Dishonesty Incident
Report (available from the Office of the Registrar), including reasonable documentation and the recommended penalties to be imposed. The faculty member must provide a copy of the form to the student. The Registrar will inform the faculty member if this is the student’s first offense or not. d. If there has been no prior reported instance of academic dishonesty, the penalties imposed by the faculty member conclude the case unless either the student or the faculty member asks for a Hearing Board (see below).
2. When step 1c is reached and if a previous act of academic dishonesty has been reported to the
Office of the Registrar, the following actions will be taken: a. The Registrar will notify the faculty member that at least one previous case has been reported. b. The Registrar will ask that the Hearing Board be convened to consider the case and to apply appropriate sanctions (see Step 3 of the Hearing Board Procedures listed in the next section). The faculty member’s proposed sanctions will be forwarded to the board; however, depending on the gravity of the offense, the board may impose any of the sanctions described in Step 6 of the Hearing Board procedures listed below.
3. The Academic Dishonesty Incident Report forms are retained in a confidential file maintained by the Registrar only during the time of the student’s enrollment at the University.
Their purpose is to provide a record of instances of academic dishonesty in the event that any subsequent such reports are submitted. Contents of the Academic Dishonesty Report Forms and subsequent Hearing Board actions will be revealed only with the written consent of the student, unless otherwise permitted or required by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy

Act. No entry will be made on the student’s permanent academic record of an instance of academic dishonesty, unless so directed by a Hearing Board.

Medical Withdrawal
A medical withdrawal from the University is an acknowledgment by both student and the
University that there is a significant physical or mental health condition that prevents the student from completing the term. Required forms may be obtained from the Associate Dean of
Students . The Academic Standards Committee may permit medical withdrawal when the following steps are taken:
1. The student must withdraw from all courses . Withdrawal must be initiated on or before the last day of classes of the current term.
2. The student must submit to the Associate Dean of Students a personal statement, along with documentation from an approved health care professional, that a compelling medical condition exists which prevents a student from completing the semester’s work.
3. After consultation with the student, the Associate Dean of Students will make a recommendation to the Associate Registrar, who will respond on behalf of the Academic
Standards Committee.
4. If the medical withdrawal is approved, the student will receive grades of “W” (passing withdrawal) in all courses, and a pro rata refund of tuition based on the official date of withdrawal, as determined by the Associate Registrar.
Re-enrollment Following Medical Withdrawal
Because a medical withdrawal is granted only when a student’s health is significantly compromised, the usual expectation is that the student will not return in the semester immediately following the withdrawal, except in unusual circumstances. The expectation is that treatment for the physical or mental condition leading to medical withdrawal will be pursued during the student’s recuperative period away from the University.
Because of the demands that academic rigor and independent living present, the University seeks to ensure that the student does not return to this environment prior to demonstrating the likelihood of being able to do so successfully. Thus, we not only expect that treatment be pursued, but also require that there be documentation from an approved health care professional that the student is able to return to school and to respond to these demands without jeopardizing his or her own wellness or that of others.
Therefore, in order to re-enroll at the University after a medical withdrawal, the student must submit to the Associate Dean of Students a personal statement indicating intent to return to the university, and which discusses readiness to do so. In addition, the student must submit written materials from an approved health care professional documenting, (1) the condition for which the treatment was sought; (2) the course of treatment; (3) specific therapeutic progress or symptom reduction noted; (4) an assessment of the student’s readiness to return and function effectively in the university setting, and (5) a description of any on-going treatment needed or prescribed.
In determining the student’s readiness to return to the University, a University health care professional will be asked to assess these materials and forward a recommendation to the
Associate Dean of Students. A determination by the Associate Dean of Students will be

communicated to the Associate Registrar, who will have final approval of the student’s reenrollment on behalf of the Academic Standards Committee.
Students on Medical Leave of Absence will be extended the privilege to pre-register. However, all documentation needed prior to the return to campus must be submitted to the Associate Dean of Students no later than three weeks prior to the beginning of classes. Classes will be dropped for students who do not meet this deadline.