Undergraduate Academic Council
Meeting : UAC Meeting Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 12:30-1:30pm
Room: Terrace Lounge, Campus Center.
Members Present : Maria Brown, Yu-Hui Chen, Steven Doellefeld (staff), Sue
Faerman, Tim Groves, Bob Keesee, Jane Kessler, Maria Moon, Sue Phillips
(guest), Joan Savitt (Chair), Greg Stevens (guest), and Dan White.
Review of the minutes : Minutes from Feb. 4 th
meeting were approved.
Report from the Chair:
1) The UAC has received resignations from two members (Withington,
Berkowitz); the Chair has requested that the Senate identify replacements from the teaching faculty.
2) The Chair sent the two bills approved by the UAC on Feb 4 th
to the
Senate Executive Committee and to the GAC. GAC’s subcommittee has already studied the tuition questions. She is not sure what the status of the
2 nd
Bachelor Degree proposal is with GAC at the moment. Neither bill will come to the floor of the Senate until GAC has also voted them.
Old business : On Dec 18 th the Chair meet with the Vice Provost for
Undergraduate Education, Senate Chair John Delano and others regarding the urgent need to establish an appeal process for students whose courses are not allowed to transfer to UA or to meet UA requirements. The Vice Provost brought the matter for discussion to the Council. She also submitted a draft of the new
Transfer Credit Appeal Form, which will be used by students whose petitions have been denied. SUNY Central Administration wants the transition for transfer students to be a good experience; they have also mandated that resolution of student appeals be completed within ten business days when classes are in session, and fifteen business days when classes are not in session. The Vice
Provost has requested clarification of several points from SUNY System
Administration, and will keep UAC apprised of further developments. Her office is currently working on an explanation sheet to be given to students whose petitions have been denied. The Council motioned to allow the Vice Provost’s office to handle the Transfer Credit Appeal process. The Vice Provost will report the appeal proceedings to the council at the end of each semester. This motion was passed.
The Council also reviewed and approved the Criminal Justice proposal for Honors in the Major. While the council agreed that there were a few specific points that needed to be addressed, UAC agreed with the general tenor of the proposal, and voted to approve it, pending the noted changes.
The Council in addition reviewed the proposed changes to the Women’s Studies
Major, and approved it, subject to the department agreeing to minor wording changes. The questions that the Council had will not affect the main concept of the changes to the Women’s Studies Major.
UAC will not be meeting next week, Feb 18 th. Meetings will resume February
25 th
at the Lecture Center 31J.
Meeting adjourned at 1:30pm