Undergraduate Academic Council
Meeting Date:
Wednesday, November 29, 2006, 1:45 PM to 2:41 PM.
Present:
J. Philippe Abraham, Jeanette Altarriba, Scott Barclay, Maria Brown, Richard Collier, Sue
Faerman, Chris Faugere, Susanna Fessler, Anne Hildreth, Carolyn MacDonald, Nikki Kotary;
Dan Smith; Brian Tregerman, Dan Truchan, Rui Zhao. Guest: Sue Phillips
Chair Announcements:
- Since John Monfasani is unable to serve as UAC Chair today, Carolyn MacDonald will assume
the responsibility.
- Carolyn questioned whether the updated proposal to revise membership of the Honors College
governing board was available for presentation at the next Senate meeting on Monday, 12/4/06.
Dick Collier will follow up with Carolyn.
Minutes:
Minutes from the November 15, 2006 meeting were reviewed and corrections acknowledged.
Those minutes, with required updates, were approved
Proposal to Refer the Transfer Credit to the Curriculum and Honors Committee:
The Curriculum and Honors Committee will meet tomorrow morning, and those departments
showing concern for post-matriculation transfer credits will be in attendance. The Committee
will present results to the Council in a future meeting.
CAAS’s Review of the School of Business Proposal Revising Admission Standards:
There are minimal changes after a review by the Committee on Admissions and Academic
Standing. Council members were urged to review the proposal. Proposed changes are in a boldface text while italicized text translates to sections with no changes.
The proposal shows two sections, one for freshmen and the other for transfer students. A
freshman must meet School of Business’ retention standards which requires a B (3.00) overall
average and at least a B- (2.70) average for designated admission core course classes completed
at Albany. By the end of the freshman’s third and fourth semesters, a 3.10 overall GPA must
have been achieved along with a 2.85 GPA for designated School of Business core course
classes. Students falling below the retention standards receive a warning letter. Once a student is
removed from the business major, a new declared major is required or the student may opt to
wait and apply again to the School of Business.
Paul Leonard’s letter was discussed. The School of Business is well aware that raising the GPA
would have an impact on enrollment. If raising the GPA requirement does not decrease
enrollment amounts, another increase for GPA requirements would be visited at a later date. If
the GPA was increased too high, there would not be enough enrollments, which is why they are
taking this gradual approach. If the Council wishes to delay a vote, perhaps Dean Paul Leonard
should be invited to a future UAC meeting to discuss the proposed changes.
UAC Minutes, 11/29/06
Page 2 of 3
A member requested the Council be provided with both the original and revised proposal for
comparison purposes.
Acting Chair MacDonald will e-mail Dean Leonard with the following questions: (1) is the
proposal’s intention to decrease direct admits?, (2) if so, will that defeat recruiting purposes?,
and (3) will implementation be for Fall 2007 or Fall 2008? The Council will continue discussions
at a future meeting.
Request from Governance Council to Review U Uni 150 Course Procedures:
The Council discussed a letter sent to the Chair from Governance Council Chair Reed Hoyt
regarding the U Uni 150 Course Implementation.
It was noted that within the last few years a strong effort was made to maintain Group 1 freshmen
retention. Many students attend UAlbany, perform well, and then transfer elsewhere. Last year the
retention committee met to propose the U Uni 150 course, “Selected Interdisciplinary Topics”.
This 1-4 credit course is utilized as a transition course for students at risk in need of support to
establish solid study skills. The Undergraduate Bulletin describes this course as “Experimental
class, the subject varying with instructors and the term offered. Course is designed to present
a large body of information without expecting a mastery of detail (e.g., as in a surv ey course)
or to present general theoretical or methodological approaches (e.g., as in a foundations
course). See special announcements of courses to be offered under this heading. May be
repeated when content differs. Prerequisite(s): Topic must be approved by the Vice Provost
of Undergraduate Education; permission of instructor to register for the class.” U Uni 150 is
an intensive introduction to the University.
It was pointed out that from its inception Uni 150 and 350 required approval by the
Interdisciplinary Studies Committee, the courses functioning the same as a department’s
topics course. When the office of Dean of Undergraduate Studies was brought back, it was
added that the Dean’s approval is also needed. It was suggested that the course descript ions
should make this clearer.
U Uni 100, “The Freshman Year Experience” is another course offered for freshmen students. This
is a three credit course that introduces students to the university. The Undergraduate Bulletin
describes this course as “The purpose of this course is to help you become a more effective student.
During the course of the semester, you will learn about the college experience—experiences
unique to first year students, transitional stages that you may undergo, and coping strategies that
can help you pass through this phase of college life. You will learn how to use and locate important
campus resources,. You will learn about who you are and how that information helps you choose a
major and a career. Finally, you will learn how to increase your chances of succeeding at the
University at Albany as your transition through this most critical first year.”
Vice Provost Faerman mentioned that this past February she and Sheila Mahan attended a
freshmen year experience conference. Many institutions across the country are now assisting
students with transitioning from high school to college. The course provides in-depth instructing
on a variety of topics. One week covers the assets of our library via a tour, how to access the
library, available resources, etc. Another week’s topic assists students on the ins and outs of a
UAC Minutes, 11/29/06
Page 3 of 3
decision for declaring a major. During the course approximately nine papers are written. In
actuality, a 2.5 credit course is squeezed into one credit. A total of 28 sections are available. The
course also deals with issues of plagiarism and academic integrity.
The Governance Council’s letter questioned whether a student that has successfully completed
the U Uni 150 course in Fall 2006 should be allowed to take for full credit either U Uni 100 or
E Cpy 120 in the future. For those students taking U Uni 150 as a service course, E Cpy 120 also
may be taken for another credit.
Students are previously informed of the U Uni 150 course since advisors determine which
student would be appropriate for what section. In order to provide more advisement time,
advisors manually register students for the course. Once students are given a schedule, they have
the option of dropping the course.
It was suggested that the Committee on Academic Standing be informed of the possibility that
students may wish to drop the U Uni 150 course while also having the “W” removed from their
record.
Vice Provost Faerman suggested that only knowledgeable individuals provide future
presentations on the freshmen year experience. She volunteered to e-mail freshmen year
experience information to Council members.
It was noted that a Fall 2007 implementation is planned.
Next Meeting:
The next Undergraduate Academic Council meeting will be held Wednesday, 12/06/06, 1:45 PM, LC-31.
Minutes Taken:
Notes taken by Joanne Baronner, Undergraduate Education.