MINUTES
ACADEMIC STANDARDS COMMITTEE
September 7, 2006
Present: Bryan Smith, Ken Clark, Gary McCall, Kevin David, Seth Weinberger, Brad
Tomhave, Mike Spivey, Danya Clevenger, Ben Bradley, Debbie Chee, Mark Martin,
Melissa Bass, Alison Tracy Hale, John Finney, Chris Kline, Wade Hands, Robert
Taylor, Greta Austin, Pepa Lago-Grana, Jack Roundy
1. Minutes: The minutes of the May 3rd meeting were not discussed.
2. Introductions: All members introduced themselves.
3. Announcements: Finney announced that the Faculty Senate’s ASC liaison, David
Sousa, was unable to attend today but sent his greetings. He asked Finney to begin
the committee’s business in his absence. Finney distributed print versions of the
Academic Handbook, the academic policy contents of the Logger, the full text of which
is now online only.
4. Elect Chair and Secretary: Finney invited nominations for committee chair.
Kline volunteered and was unanimously approved. Kline asked for nominations for
secretary, and Finney nominated Roundy. That nomination was approved with one
dissenting vote.
5. Confirm Permanent Meeting Time: Finney explained that options for full
committee meeting times and places were limited this year by our size and unusual
constraints in available meeting locations. Knowing the constraints, he had already
assumed a Thursday 8 am time and reserved rooms on the appropriate dates. The full
committee affirmed his actions after brief discussion.
6. Petitions Committee (PC) Actions, Selection of Members and Meeting Times:
Tomhave provided the following report of PC actions since our last meeting. Note that
“2005-2006” below denotes the period 9/3/2005 -9/1/2006:
Date
5/3/06
5/11/06
5/30/06
6/7/06
6/21/06
7/5/06
7/19/06
8/16/06
8/24/06
9/1/06
Approved
6 (4 PPT + 1 R)
4 (1 PPT)
7 (1 R)
6 (1 PPT)
6
4
7 (1 R)
1
3
5 (2 R)
2005-2006 197 (70 PPT + 33 R)
Denied
3
6
2
1
0
1
1
1
4
2
53
No Action
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
2
Total
9
10
9
7
6
5
8
3
7
7
252
Tomhave then sought committee authorization for the Petition Preview Team (PPTFinney, Roundy, Tomhave) and Registrar to handle approvals of routine petitions
under guidelines identical to those used in 2005-2006 (attached). This approval was
granted unanimously.
Tomhave then sought faculty volunteers for the fall term Petitions Subcommittee (PC),
with the understanding that faculty who do not serve in the fall do so in the spring. In
addition to permanent PC members Finney (academic dean’s representative), Tomhave,
Chee (dean of students representative), Clevenger and Bradley (student
representatives), the following faculty volunteered for fall term: Spivey, David, Smith,
Bass, Tracy Hale, Taylor, Lago-Grana. A weekly PC meeting time was set for 9 am on
Thursday mornings.
7. Review Withdrawal Grade Submission Form: Finney invited us to review the form
created by Tomhave to be used by faculty in submitting W grades between the 7th and
12th week of term in accordance with our new course withdrawal policy (attached).
The new policy provides (1) drop without record for withdrawal during the first two
weeks of term; (2) automatic W for withdrawal during the third through sixth weeks of
term; (3) WF for withdrawal during or after the seventh week through the eleventh
week of term (provided faculty certify either that the student is passing and that there
have been circumstances beyond the student’s control necessitating withdrawal or
that withdrawal has been necessitated by exceptional circumstances that have
prevented the student from completing work of passing quality); (4) WF for withdrawal
after the twelfth week except when the Academic Standards Committee permits a W to
be assigned in response to a student petition detailing exceptional circumstances.
Tomhave’s form was designed specifically for cases falling under (3) above.
David asked whether students seeking W grades after the 12th week would be required
to submit petitions before the end of term. If petitions were to be accepted later, would
faculty submit WF grades or wait until the PC decided a case? Tomhave replied that
students would be expected to submit petitions by the end of the final exam period,
and supposed that a decision would be rendered in time to meet the grading deadline.
Finney elaborated that explanation by reminding us that the default grade for
withdrawal after the 12th week will be WF, and a PC decision permitting the W won’t
require the instructor to submit a revised grade.
Weinberger wondered whether students subject to grade penalties for plagiarism
would be able to withdraw from a course with the automatic W in the third through
sixth weeks, thereby evading the consequences of their actions. Finney replied that
the vehicle of the Hearing Board (which can be invoked either by a student or by a
member of the faculty in a plagiarism case) should permit us to head off a student
using the automatic W as a way out.
Finney detailed the full calendar of the new withdrawal policy, and Hands inquired
what problem the new policy was designed to solve. Finney deferred answering this
question, suggesting instead that the new policy is likely to be an agenda item for this
year’s ASC precisely because several faculty are unsure that the model we have chosen
will satisfactorily address the problem of differential withdrawal grading, the impetus
behind the withdrawal policy work of the 2005-2006 ASC.
David said that the feature of our new policy he most strongly favored was obliging
students to petition the ASC for W grades after the 12th week of term. He believed that
invoking the petition process would relieve faculty (particularly junior faculty) of the
pressure to grant W grades to keep students happy (the withdrawal grade
subcommittee in 2005-06 were dismayed by the number of W grades awarded in the
last two weeks of term). The only thing a faculty member must certify after the 12th
week is the quality of a student’s academic work. Hands said he felt ambivalent about
this analysis, given that faculty responsibility for such grading decisions late in term
might be viewed either as a burden or as a right. The new policy sets aside faculty
prerogative to make the tough grading decision.
Weinberger wondered why we have the WF grade at all if it counts as an F in the GPA.
Finney pointed out the distinction between a failing grade that is earned (F) and one
that indicates both failing work and abandonment of the course (WF). Hands pointed
out that the WF can be claimed by a student as a grade earned in a course where early
performance was poor, but unusual circumstances necessitated withdrawal rather
than allowing the opportunity for academic recovery. In such cases, Weinberger
thought, the WF should not count in the GPA, as at many institutions it does not.
Finney suggested the WF typically indicates that a student simply “walked away” from
the course. Tomhave also pointed out that the WF is a useful way for the institution
to denote “walk away” behavior, as when we assign that grade to students who simply
abandon courses without taking any action in their own behalf.
8. Discuss ASC Agenda Items for 2006-07: As they hour was growing late, Finney
briefly pointed out that our primary charges as a committee will come down from the
Faculty Senate soon. He thought it would also be useful for committee members to
propose possible additions to the agenda, a task slated for today’s meeting that could
be deferred to the next.
With this, we adjourned at 8:56.
Respectfully submitted by the ASC amanuensis,
Jack Roundy
ACADEMIC STANDARDS COMMITTEE
AUTHORITY DELEGATED TO THE OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR
Fall 2006 – Summer 2007
1.
PETITION PREVIEW TEAM.
The Associate Registrar may convene a “Petition Preview Team” asking
the Director of Academic Advising and the Associate Dean to join him in
previewing petitions to the Academic Standards Committee. If the
Preview Team unanimously finds that it is reasonable to expect that the
Petitions Sub-Committee would approve the petition in question and that
Sub-Committee would prefer that the Preview Team do so, then the
Preview Team may approve that petition. (While the Preview Team should
relieve the Petitions Sub-Committee of work on ordinary issues for
which the Sub-Committee has a history of action, the Preview Team
should not divert petitions, such as readmission petitions, that have
individual qualities best considered by the Sub-Committee.)
In delegating the authority to approve, the Academic Standards
Committee reserves the authority to deny a petition.
2.
MINIMUM GRADE POINT AVERAGE FOR INDEPENDENT STUDY.
The Associate Registrar may approve petitions for the waiver of the
minimum grade point average required for an independent study provided:
The independent study will be supervised by the student’s major
department as indicated by department code for the independent study
and by the supervising instructor’s department affiliation.
The student’s cumulative grade point average is 2.67 or higher.
The student has maintained good academic standing.
The student’s major grade point average is 3.00 or higher.
The student has instructor and advisor support.
The independent study instructor had another class with the student
in which the student earned a grade of ‘B’ or higher.
The Independent Study Contract and all required supporting documents
complete the requirements described in the Independent Study Policy
section of the Logger.
3.
LATE ADD.
The Registration Staff may extend a grace period up to the end of the
2nd week of the Fall or Spring semester to allow a student to register
for a course without completing a Late Add Petition provided:
The student made arrangements to do so with the staff on or before
the last day to add.
The student has been attending the class in question since either
its first or second meeting.
In the judgment of the staff, the student has a good reason for not
having registered on time.
Following the 2nd week of class, a student may only register with an
approved Late Add Petition. The Associate/Assistant Registrar may
approve such a petition provided:
The student has no prior Late Add Petition.
The student presents a reasonable explanation for not having
registered on time.
And, the student is either:
Changing sections of a previously registered class.
Changing levels within a Mathematics or Foreign Language
sequence.*
Registering for a course required for graduation in the current
or subsequent term.
Registering to fulfill scholarship requirements.
Registering for a co-op or internship provided the coordinator
verifies that because of the process for placement, earlier
registration could not be accomplished. (It is not always
possible for the calendar at the placement site to correspond to
the University’s academic calendar.)
*NOTE: The “drop-back” period in Mathematics, Computer Science, and
Foreign Language courses is 1 month to allow students and faculty time
to properly assess each student’s placement. No petition is required
within this period.
4.
REGISTRATION FOR COURSES HAVING A TIME CONFLICT.
The Associate Registrar may approve petitions to register for courses
having time conflicts in the following combinations:
Lecture class and a day of another lecture class provided the
student avoids the conflict by attending another section of that
class taught by the same instructor.
Lecture class and a portion of a lab class provided the lecture is
fully attended and the missed lab is made-up at another time.
Lecture class and a portion of a Music performance group provided
the lecture is fully attended and the performance is made-up with
another group, attended late, or missed on only one day.
Lecture class and a portion of a PE activity provided the lecture is
fully attended and the missed PE activity will be made-up at another
specific time.
Lecture class and a portion of a studio Art class provided the
lecture is fully attended and the missed studio is made-up at
another time.
Lecture class and a portion of a Business Leadership Seminar
provided the lecture is fully attended and the missed Seminar is
made-up at another time.
Two studio Art classes provided one is fully attended and the missed
portion of the other is made-up at another time.
Lab class and a PE or Music activity provided the lab is fully
attended and the activity will accommodate the lab.
Lecture class and an audited class provided the lecture is fully
attended and no more than 1 hour of the audit is missed and the
student can compensate for that missed hour.
Note: CRDV 203 Career Awareness is an activity course but is to be
considered a lecture course in this context.
The Associate Registrar may also approve a petition for courses having
time conflicts to help a student who is a victim of circumstance
resulting from a faculty-initiated course schedule change.
The Academic Standards Committee reserves the authority to deny any
time conflict petition and to approve petitions for the following
combinations:
Two conflicting lecture classes (unless one is to be audited with no
more than an hour missed). The Registration Staff should advise the
student that these petitions are sometimes approved under
exceptional and compelling circumstances with overwhelming support
from both instructors and the advisor.
Lecture class and a full lab. Exceptional circumstances with
overwhelming support, particularly from the lab instructor, must be
presented. This is to overcome the Committee’s natural reluctance
to approve this petition because it results in the lab instructor
having to teach an additional lab and in the student being deprived
of a full laboratory experience.
Any course combination for consideration by the Registrar’s Office
that does not meet the guidelines for Registrar’s approval.
Faculty Fall 2006 Withdrawal Grade Submission Form
Instructor: ___________________________________________________________________
Department, Course Number, Section: ____________________________________________
Provided a student completes official course withdrawal procedures, faculty policy provides:
•
Drop without record on the permanent academic record during the first two weeks of
the semester (August 28, 2006 through September 11, 2006).
•
An automatic “W” (Withdrawal Passing) during the third through sixth weeks of the
semester (September 12, 2006 through October 9, 2006).
•
A “WF” (Withdrawal Failing) for withdrawal during or after the seventh week of the
semester (October 9, 2006 and later).
However, an instructor may grant a “W” grade during the seventh through twelfth weeks
(October 9, 2006 through November 20, 2006) if all the following conditions are met:
1. Student completes official withdrawal procedures;
2. There have been exceptional circumstances beyond the student’s control, in which case
the student must demonstrate in writing to the satisfaction of the instructor that
exceptional circumstances exist; and
3. Either the student’s work has been of passing quality or the exceptional circumstances
have prevented the student from completing work of passing quality.
After the twelfth week (November 21, 2006 and later), a student who withdraws from a course
receives a “WF” (Withdrawal Failing) grade from the instructor. The Academic Standards
Committee may permit a “W” to be assigned in response to a petition from the student
supporting a claim of exceptional circumstances. Such a petition must include a statement by
the instructor on the quality of the student’s work in the course.
I certify that there have been circumstances beyond the student’s control necessitating this
withdrawal and that the student’s work has been of passing quality or that the exceptional
circumstances have prevented the student from completing work of passing quality.
Student: ___________________________________ Withdrawal Date: __________________
Instructor’s Signature: _________________________________ Date: __________________