April 25, 2012
Faculty Senate Minutes
April 25, 2012
Present: Dick Brucher, Jack Burt, Sudarshan Chawathe, Benildo de los Reyes, Marcia Douglas, Dylan Dryer, Janet Fairman, Michael Grillo, Gordon Hamilton, Sue Hunter, Dennis King, Stuart Marrs, James McClymer, Robert Milardo, Paul Myer, Martha Novy-Broderick, Harlan Onsrud, Michael Peterson, Andrew Reeve, Bob Rice, Thomas Sanford, Michael Scott, Scott See, Kathryn Slott, Howard Segal, Philip Trostel, Shihfen Tu, Paul W. Ferguson, Susan Hunter, Stuart Marrs, Anne Pooler, Janet Waldron, Melvin Johnson,
Absent: Richard Borgman, Emmanuel Boss, Douglas Bousfield, Ian Bricknell, William Congleton, David Dvorak, Robert Gundersen, Ramesh Gupta, Duane Hanselman, Dan Harrison, Samuel Helmke, Clarissa Henry, Melvin Johnson, Deborah Killam, Steven Kimball, Kurt Klappenbach, Judy Kuhns-Hastings, Bill Livingston, Molly MacLean, David Marcincowski, Jennifer Moxley, Anthony Ortiz, Tina Passman, Ray Pelletier, Paul Rawson, Caleb Rosser, Howard Segal, Roy Turner, Chuck Wallace, Mark Wells, Vivian Wu, Robert Strong, Molly MacLea
The meeting was called to order at 3:20 pm
Announcements:
Outgoing Senate President Michael Grillo thanked everyone for their hard work during 2011-2012.
Harlan Onsrud posted on the Senate website Michael Grillo’s welcome to President Ferguson at the Inauguration. He also posted the faculty responses to Janet Fairman’s research survey.
Elections for 2012-2013
The slate of officers was voted as a single ballot and approved unanimously. President: Harlan Onsrud, Vice President: Michael Peterson, Secretary: Kathryn Slott, BOT Representative: Robert Rice.
Committee Reports
BOT Rep – Robert Rice
There is a push from UMS to have transferability between all UMS campuses and as much as possible from the community colleges.
The Strategic Plan is almost done and should be published soon.
Academic Affairs –Richard Borgman & Shihfen Tu
Two motions will be presented under New Business
Constitution &Bylaws – Harlan Onsrud
No report.
Research &Scholarship – Janet Fairman
Over 753 online surveys were sent out to faculty, and 154 responded. The purpose of the survey was to obtain an overview of full-time faculty doing research. The previous survey was done in 2008. Some of the questions asked were as follows: 1) Q: What are the constraints on doing research? A: lack of time, lack of funding, workload increases as retiring faculty are not replaced; 2) Q: What is the most important thing that supports research? A: funding for seed money, funding for TA’s, and funding for research assistants; 3) What are the needs? A: need help preparing grant applications and need more administrative staff support; 4) Q: anything else? A: need more support from colleagues and from administrators, but especially need more staff at ORSP. Junior faculty are more concerned with institutional support. CLAS faculty cited a lack of funding opportunities. Overall, the faculty wants more balanced attention to a broad range of disciplines.
Finance &Institutional Planning – James McClymer
FIPSE met yesterday and decided to postpone the motion on today’s agenda until fall.
University Environment – Mike Scott
No report.
Library Advisory –Howard Segal
No report
Service &Outreach – Deborah Killam & Claire Sullivan
No report.
Committee on Committees – Roy Turner
No report.
Roy sent a message of thanks to the committee for the hard work this year.
Program Creation& Reorganization Review – Scott See
There’s a motion under New Business. Also want to thank the committee for their work.
General Education — Thomas Sandford
There are motions under Old Business. Thank you to the committee for all their hard work.
Ad Hoc IT –Mike Scott
No report.
Committee of the Administration
No report.
Approval of Minutes
Minutes from the March 28, 2012 meeting were approved unanimously.
Questions to Administrators
Q. Regarding the Strategic Plan, when will it be ready?
A. Pres. Ferguson — The Board of Visitors will look at it and hopefully a draft will be available in May.
Q. Are you happy, disappointed? Are there any surprises?
A. Happy, everyone’s pleased. There was tremendous input and think it will be “bold and pragmatic”. The report won’t be every answer but it’s a start in a real way so very happy. It is a consensus document.
Old Business
New Business
With passage of the following motion the general education requirements become as shown at University of Maine General Education Requirements (Revised 2012)
Resolution to adopt updated General Education Student Learning Outcomes for Demonstrated Writing Competency
Original statement from the General Education Implementation Guidelines for Demonstrated Writing Competency (ratified by the Senate 1996). Students are required to write throughout their academic careers and must demonstrate competency both at the introductory level and within their majors. To fulfill this requirement, students must:
1) Complete ENG 101, College Composition with a grade of C or better, or be excused from this course on the basis of a placement exam.
2) Complete at least two writing-intensive courses, at least one of which must be within the academic major.
DEFINITIONS AND EXPLANATIONS- In a writing-intensive course:
a) students must have an opportunity to revise their writing in response to feedback from the instructor;
b) a substantial portion of the studentʼs final grade must be based upon the quality of the written work, and
c) course enrollment should normally be limited to 25 students or less.
The General Education Committee recommends that the Faculty Senate adopt and ratify the following updated and streamlined set of student learning outcomes for the Demonstrated Writing Competency general education category. This change creates student learning outcomes that are clear, assessable, and understandable by students.
Resolution to adopt updated General Education Student Learning Outcomes for Ethics
Original statement from the General Education Implementation Guidelines for Ethics (ratified by the Senate 1996). Students are required to take a course or a series of courses placing substantial emphasis on discussion of ethical issues. The ethics requirement can be satisfied by 1) a stand-alone course in which ethics constitutes a substantial focus of the course, or 2) by a well defined series of courses required in a particular curriculum, wherein the treatment of ethics in any one course may be somewhat less, but which taken together sum to a substantial emphasis on ethics.
1) Courses that satisfy the ethics requirement have one or more of the following attributes:
a) they teach methods of ethical analysis b) they deal intensively with ethical issues associated with a particular
c) discipline or profession; they engage the student in the study of ethical questions arising through the interpretation of literature or history, or social scientific analysis designed to include ethical evaluation. [In order for a course to be approved under this criterion, the treatment of ethics must be substantial rather than merely incidental. Examples: i) a course in history that focuses strongly on the ethical issues raised by a particular policy, e.g. colonialism, and the ways in which those issues were addressed or ignored, might be appropriate; ii) a course in econometrics typically would not count, but an economics course broadened to include questions of distributive justice could; iiii) a course on psychophysics might not count, but a course on moral development could.]
2) Programs that undertake to integrate the treatment of ethics throughout the required curriculum may submit to the General Education Committee (GEIC) evidence that the program overall meets the Ethics requirement. The GEIC may thus approve a program (for a fixed period of time subject to regular review) as an alternative to requiring that each studentʼs curriculum contain specifically approved courses.
Resolution to adopt updated General Education Student Learning Outcomes for Science
Original statement from the General Education Implementation Guidelines for Science (ratified by the Senate 1996). Students are required to complete two courses in the physical or biological – sciences. This may be accomplished in two ways:
. 1) By completing two courses with laboratories in the basic or applied sciences;
. 2) By completing one approved course in the applications of scientific knowledge, plus one course with a lab in the basic or applied sciences.
DEFINITIONS AND EXPLANATIONS
. 1) A laboratory course in the applied physical or biological sciences brings basic knowledge to bear on the solution of practical problems in engineering, medicine, agriculture, forestry, and other fields for which natural science forms the foundation. Normally applied science courses require one of the basic natural sciences (biology, physics, chemistry, geology) as a prerequisite, and carry at least 4 degree credits.
. 2) A course in the applications of scientific knowledge has the following attributes:
. a) it focuses on one or more basic or applied natural sciences
. b) it includes significant blending of presently accepted science with its application in common situations;
. c) it discusses both the applications and limitations of the relevant scientific methodology;
. d) it includes as a major component of the course the observation of natural phenomena coupled with the gathering of data and its quantitative analysis, and its interpretation in an expository format;
its overall focus is on guiding students towards the scientific literacy necessary for modern life rather than on training future science professionals.
The General Education Committee recommends that the Faculty Senate adopt and ratify the following updated and streamlined set of student learning outcomes for the Science general education category. This change creates student learning outcomes that are clear, assessable, and understandable by students.
Proposed student learning outcomes and preamble:
General Education Student Learning Outcomes Science
Preamble
Students are required to complete two courses in the physical or biological – sciences. This may be accomplished in two ways:
. 1) By completing two courses with laboratories in the basic or applied sciences;
. 2) By completing one approved course in the applications of scientific knowledge, plus one course with a laboratory in the basic or applied sciences.
DEFINITIONS AND EXPLANATIONS
. 1) A laboratory course in the applied physical or biological sciences brings basic knowledge to bear on the solution of practical problems in engineering, medicine, agriculture, forestry, and other fields for which natural science forms the foundation. Normally applied science courses require one of the basic natural sciences (biology, physics, chemistry, geology) as a prerequisite, and carry at least 4 degree credits.
. 2) A course in the applications of scientific knowledge has the following attributes:
. a) it focuses on one or more basic or applied natural sciences
. b) it includes significant blending of presently accepted science with its application in common situations;
. c) it discusses both the applications and limitations of the relevant scientific methodology;
. d) it includes as a major component of the course the observation of natural phenomena coupled with the gathering of data and its quantitative analysis, and its interpretation in an expository format;
its overall focus is on guiding students towards the scientific literacy necessary for modern life rather than on training future science professionals.
A science course, laboratory or applied, will have the following student outcomes embedded within the course. The outcomes are based on “The Nature of Science” as published in “Science for All Americans Online” at http://www.project2061.org/ publications/sfaa/online/chap1.htm (sponsored by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)). Retrieved February 2012.
Student Learning Outcomes Students completing the general education area of Science will be able to:
. 1) Explain what makes knowledge scientific, i.e., “…things and events in the universe occur in consistent patterns that are comprehensible through careful, systematic study.” (AAAS)
. 2) Demonstrate the appreciation that scientific knowledge is subject to change as new observations and interpretations challenge current understanding.
. 3) Recognize that valid scientific information is durable, i.e., it is continually affirmed as new observations are made.
. 4) Perform scientific inquiry including aspects of the scientific method, such as observation, hypothesis, experiment, and evaluation. Note: Covered in laboratory science courses but not necessarily in applied science courses.
Resolution to adopt updated General Education Student Learning Outcomes for Capstone Experience
Original statement from the General Education Implementation Guidelines for Capstone Experience (ratified by the Senate 1996). Every program must include an approved capstone experience. The goal is to draw together the various threads of the undergraduate program that bear directly upon the academic major in an experience that typifies the work of professionals within the discipline. Normally, the Capstone would conclude at the end of the studentʼs senior year. Students should consult closely with their academic advisor to explore the range of options available for meeting this requirement.
The capstone experience should have the following attributes:
. the experience must be of significant depth and require innovation, creativity, reflection and synthesis of prior learning;
. the experience must result in a thesis, report, presentation, or performance that demonstrates mastery of the subject matter
. faculty/student interaction should be an integral part of the experience.
. minimum student effort in the capstone should reflect the equivalent of three credits of work
Interdisciplinary experiences and opportunities for group participation in the capstone experience should be encouraged.
The General Education Committee recommends that the Faculty Senate adopt and ratify the following updated and streamlined set of student learning outcomes for the Capstone Experience general education category. This change creates student learning outcomes that are clear, assessable, and understandable by students.
Proposed student learning outcomes and preamble: General Education Student Learning Outcomes
Capstone
Preamble
Every program must include an approved capstone experience. The goal is to draw together the various threads of the undergraduate program that bear directly upon the academic major in an experience that typifies the work of professionals within the discipline. Normally, the Capstone would conclude at the end of the studentʼs senior year. Students should consult closely with their academic advisor to explore the range of options available for meeting this requirement.
The capstone experience should have the following attributes: 1. the experience must be of significant depth and require innovation, creativity,
reflection and synthesis of prior learning;
GeEd Committee Reviewed Draft 2/24/12
. the experience must result in a thesis, report, presentation, or performance that demonstrates mastery of the subject matter
. faculty/student interaction should be an integral part of the experience.
. minimum student effort in the capstone should reflect the equivalent of three credits of work
Interdisciplinary experiences and opportunities for group participation in the capstone experience should be encouraged.
Student Learning Outcomes Students completing the general education area of Capstone Experience will be able to:
. Synthesize knowledge, skills, and dispositions gained throughout the studentʼs major concentration of study.
. Demonstrate competence within the discipline through professional conduct and, as appropriate, critical reasoning, analytical ability, and creativity.
. Demonstrate effective communication skills.
Resolution to adopt updated General Education Student Learning Outcomes for Human Values and Social Contexts: Cultural Diversity and International Perspectives
Original statement from the General Education Implementation Guidelines for Cultural Diversity and International Perspectives (ratified by the Senate 1996). A course included in the Cultural Diversity and International Perspectives category satisfies one or more of the following criteria: (a) it places primary emphasis on the experiences, perspectives, and cultural work of one or more groups who are not dominant within a particular culture; (b) it has a primary goal encouraging students to become aware of the diversity of American culture and to discover their roles within that diversity; or (c) it places primary emphasis on the relationships among or within different cultures in the past or present; (d) it introduces students to a culture other than their own through an intermediate or advanced course in the language of that culture.
The General Education Committee recommends that the Faculty Senate adopt and ratify the following updated and streamlined set of student learning outcomes for the Cultural Diversity and International Perspectives general education subcategory. This change creates student learning outcomes that are clear, assessable, and understandable by students.
Proposed student learning outcomes and preamble:
General Education Student Learning Outcomes Human Values and Social Contexts: Cultural Diversity or International Perspectives
Preamble
A course included in the Cultural Diversity or International Perspectives category satisfies one or more of the following criteria: (a) it places primary emphasis on the experiences, perspectives, and cultural work of one or more groups who are not dominant within a particular culture; (b) it has a primary goal encouraging students to become aware of the diversity of American culture and to discover their roles within that diversity; or (c) it places primary emphasis on the relationships among or within different cultures in the past or present; (d) it introduces students to a culture other than their own through an intermediate or advanced course in the language of that culture.
Student Learning Outcomes Students completing the Cultural Diversity or International Perspectives general education area of will be able to do at least one of the following:
Gen Ed Committee Reviewed 2/17/12
1. Recognize the experiences, perspectives, and cultural values of one or more groups who live within a culture different than their own.
2. Describe the diversity of American culture and reflect on their personal roles within that diversity.
3. Identify and assess how different cultures have related to each other either in the past or the present.
4. Achieve intermediate or advanced mastery of a language other than English.
Resolution to adopt updated General Education Student Learning Outcomes for Human Values and Social Contexts: Population and Environment
Original statement from the General Education Implementation Guidelines for Population and Environment (ratified by the Senate 1996). Courses included in the Population and Environment sub-category help students to understand how humankind interacts with our finite physical and biological environment. This understanding will be best achieved by a highly interdisciplinary approach that brings together aspects of the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities. Although the technical solutions to environmental problems will be based upon scientific knowledge, the goals to be set and the ethical, political, economic and social dimensions of meeting them are the domain of the humanities and social sciences, which therefore must constitute a major focus of the course. Courses fulfilling this requirement should address the following:
. a) the role of both local and global environmental change on the quality of human life;
. b) the pervasive role of human population growth on environmental quality and the quality of life, both in industrial and developing countries;
. c) the influence of cultural, religious, economic, educational, and political factors on population growth and environmental quality;
. d) possible solutions to the population/environment problems, which may include the role of technological advancements, a reexamination of educational and political institutions, enlightened reassessment of traditional religious and economic conceptions, and rethinking of the contemporary Western conception of “the good life.”
The General Education Committee recommends that the Faculty Senate adopt and ratify the following updated and streamlined set of student learning outcomes for the Population and Environment general education subcategory. This change creates student learning outcomes that are clear, assessable, and understandable by students.
Resolution to adopt updated General Education Student Learning Outcomes for Human Values and Social Contexts: Artistic and Creative Expression
Original statement from the General Education Implementation Guidelines for Artistic and Creative Expression (ratified by the Senate 1996). Courses included in the Artistic and Creative Expression category engage the student in creative thinking and processes. A primary objective is to develop skills and intellectual tools required to make artistic and creative decisions, and to participate in, evaluate, or appreciate artistic and creative forms of expression.
The General Education Committee recommends that the Faculty Senate adopt and ratify the following updated and streamlined set of student learning outcomes for the Artistic and Creative Expression general education subcategory. This change creates student learning outcomes that are clear, assessable, and understandable by students.
Proposed student learning outcomes and preamble:
General Education Student Learning Outcomes Human Values and Social Contexts: Artistic and Creative Expression
Preamble
Courses included in the Artistic and Creative Expression category engage the student in creative thinking and processes. A primary objective is to develop skills and intellectual tools required to make artistic and creative decisions, and to participate in, evaluate, or appreciate artistic and creative forms of expression.
Student Learning Outcomes Students completing the general education area of Artistic and Creative Expression will be able to:
. Participate in, identify or evaluate artistic and creative forms of expression.
. Develop skills and/or intellectual tools central to the artistic and creative process or its critique.
Resolution to adopt updated General Education Student Learning Outcomes for Human Values and Social Contexts: Social Contexts and Institutions
Original statement from the General Education Implementation Guidelines for Social Contexts and Institutions (ratified by the Senate 1996). Courses included in the Social Contexts and Institutions category focus upon the ways in which social contexts shape and limit human institutions (defined broadly to include customs and relationships as well as organizations). The specific focus may be upon ways in which social contexts and institutions interact with human values, the role of institutions in expressing cultural values, or the social and ethical dimensions attendant upon particular academic disciplines.
The General Education Committee recommends that the Faculty Senate adopt and ratify the following updated and streamlined set of student learning outcomes for the Social Contexts and Institutions general education subcategory. This change creates student learning outcomes that are clear, assessable, and understandable by students.
Proposed student learning outcomes and preamble:
General Education Student Learning Outcomes Human Values and Social Contexts: Social Contexts and Institutions
Preamble
Courses included in the Social Contexts and Institutions category focus upon the ways in which social contexts shape and limit human institutions (defined broadly to include customs and relationships as well as organizations). The specific focus may be upon ways in which social contacts and institutions interact with human values, the role of institutions in expressing cultural values, or the social and ethical dimensions attendant upon particular academic disciplines.
Student Learning Outcomes Students completing the general education area of Social Context and Institutions will be able to:
. Identify, describe and analyze social contexts and human institutions
. Recognize and critically evaluate the interaction between social contexts and human institutions
Vote: Approved 21, No 0, Abstain 0
PCRRC Assessment and Recommendation
Elimination Proposal: M.S. in Accounting
April 2012
Background and Committee Process: [for Stage 2 sequence]
2009-2011: MSA Program transformed into a concentration in the MBA program
May 2011: Proposal tabled for completion in 2012-2013
3/12/12: Final Report: Program Elimination Proposal: Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) – Dean Ivan Manev, School of Business
4/4/12: PCRRC meeting to draft final recommendation to Faculty Senate
Overview of the Proposal and Current Status of the Transformation to a Concentration:
* It clearly outlines the transformation rather than the elimination of a program. With the approval of the full MBS faculty, the former MSA program has already been transformed into a concentration in the MBA program at the University of Maine.
* It makes a compelling case for the reasons why the former MSA program did not meet its original expectations after about 10 years of operation. In addition, it explains the AACSB accreditation issues that would be encountered if a MS program were to continue with the current number of accounting faculty.
* It indicates that the transformation has had minimal impact on the cost of instruction, research, and public service. Moreover, no faculty were retrenched or reassigned during the restructuring. Finally, the restructuring from a MS to a concentration does not negatively impact the mission of the University of Maine’s Business School.
PCRRC Summary Comments:
The PCRRC carefully reviewed the Program Elimination Proposal: Master of Science in Accounting (MSA). In addition it considered the transformation of the MSA program into a concentration over the past several years. It finds that, given the changing circumstances of academic requirements and expectations of graduate study leading to a Certified Public Accountant exam, the Business School has effectively and thoughtfully completed the transformation with a minimum of disruption for both students and faculty.
Recommendation
PCRRC recommends Faculty Senate approval of the elimination of the MS in Accounting.
Vote: Approved 21, No 0, Abstain 0
Academic Affairs Motion
Subject: Academic policy: grading system wording changes.
From: The Academic Affairs Committee To: Faculty Senate Date: April 25, 2012
Attached please find a revised version of the grading system wording (being proposed), and a copy showing the edits. This text will be a part of the undergraduate catalog.
Rationale, from the office of student records, is as follows: Rationale for Editorial Changes to Descriptions of Grades in the Undergraduate Catalog (F, L, LP, P, T, W, and addition to I)
New Language in “Incomplete” Policy
Changes to the Incomplete (“I”) grade description are designed to clarify arrangements in the event the instructor is not able to work with the student to evaluate outstanding work turned in by his or her deadline(s) and to coordinate with changes on the Incomplete Reporting Form. The form and the policy have always assumed that instructors understand that student’s consent and knowledge is necessary to assign this grade. But new instructors may not always understand that. Without such a provision, instructors might assign Incompletes to students called to active duty in the following semester without the student realizing he or she had an Incomplete grade. Such a student who had earned a low passing grade and was content with the credit might eventually have an “F” and no credit on the transcript, when an Incomplete of which he or she was unaware changes to an “F” after 140 days.
New Definitions for “L” and “F”
The distinction between the “L” and “F” grades is extremely significant in terms of financial aid eligibility: past inconsistency in the awarding of these two grades has meant that some students had semester financial aid revoked when others did not lose their aid, even though their behavior and achievement was the same. The changes in the definitions of these two grades are designed to make it easier for instructors to know which grade is appropriate and to align with standards of federal financial aid distribution that our Student Financial Aid Office is legally obliged to uphold. The former standard for the grade of “L” of “Never attended or stopped attending” gave no specifics about when the attendance stopped, and many instructors complained that it was hard to know what it really meant. The percentage suggested in the new language, we hope, will make it easy for faculty to know which of the two grades is most appropriate to assign.
In addition, it is important when students seek academic and/or financial adjustments due to involuntary circumstances (such as medical problems) that the grade aligns with attendance/participation in the course as accurately as possible. If not, deans’ offices have to bother faculty members to check attendance records and verify a student’s account of absences or missed work, and this is unnecessary if an “L” is given to a student who disappeared from the class early on.
Discussion:
The changes can be grouped into three areas:
. Organizational. The descriptions of L through W, currently at the bottom of the discussion, have been moved up to be with all the other grade descriptions.
. Clarification. New instructors, especially, will benefit from more detailed instructions about the assigning of incompletes.
. To conform to federal financial aid regulation. This is clearly the most important. In the past, it was not clear when an L was appropriate and when an F is appropriate for a student who fails to complete a course, and this can affect financial aid. The new wording introduces a 50% participation rule (to be determined by the instructor.) “If participation is 50% or more, the F grade is appropriate.” Less than 50% participation, then L is appropriate. This conforms to federal financial aid guidelines. The issue Financial Aid faces is in determining if a student walked away and didn’t finish a class. Apparently this is important only in the aggregate. That is, if a student got a grade in ANY class (even an F) they do not need to do any more work. The distinction between L and F doesn’t matter to them. But what they see sometimes is that a student gets 3 Fs and 2 Ls. Now they have to check and see if those Fs are Fs or should be Ls. If they walked away from everything then there are ramifications regarding financial aid.
The committee has worked extensively on this wording with Financial Aid and Academic Affairs and believes the revised text is appropriate.
The Faculty Senate approves the language following for the Undergraduate Catalog.
Vote: Approved 21, No 0, Abstain 0
Subject: Academic Policy: No Examination in the Final Week of Classes From: The Academic Affairs Committee To: Faculty Senate Date: April 25, 2012
Discussion:
Current Policy (approved on May 17, 1995 Faculty Senate Meeting):
No examination may be scheduled during the last week of classes except by permission of the appropriate associate dean or director. A final examination may be scheduled only during final exam week. If a final is not scheduled, and the instructor wishes to schedule a prelim covering the last weeks of the course, this prelim must be given during the final exam week.
The Academic Affairs Committee understands that the intent behind the policy is to reduce student stress, to allow sufficient study time prior to final exams, and to preserve full length of the semester. The Committee fully supports such intent. However, the Committee also recognizes that for pedagogical reasons, instructors may at times wish to give tests during the final week of the classes and thus request permission for an exception. For example, some laboratory courses may fall into such category. The current policy states that only an associate dean or director may grant such exceptions. In some colleges and units, associate deans or directors may not be familiar with faculty members making waiver requests or familiar with instructors’ pedagogical reasons. In such cases, the Academic Affairs Committee believes that the unit curriculum committee or faculty equivalent may be the best judge in making such decisions. However, the Committee also recognizes the importance of communicating the decision to grant a waiver to the appropriate associate dean or director to ensure implementation. The Academic Affairs Committee therefore suggests the current policy to be amended as stated in the language below.
The Faculty Senate approves the proposed “no examination in the final week of classes” policy.
A final examination may be scheduled only during final exam week. If a final exam is not scheduled, and the instructor wishes to schedule a prelim covering the last weeks of the course, this prelim must be given during the final exam week. No examination may be scheduled during the last week of classes unless permission is granted by the department, area, or unit curriculum committee or faculty equivalent. Scheduling decisions should be made within a framework that preserves the full length of the semester and considers the impact of such examinations on the students involved. For information purposes, this decision will be communicated by the unit to the college Associate Dean, whose responsibility is in turn to communicate with the Office of Student Records.
Vote: Approved 21, No 0, Abstain 0
Bob Rice thanked Michael Grillo for a great job as Faculty Senate President.
Adjourned
Respectfully submitted
Kathryn Slott