Academic Standards and Calendar Committee

Report #2000-01-3

April 2001

The Academic Standards and Calendar Committee met on 29 March 2001 and considered the following matters. Part A requires confirmation by the Faculty Senate; part B is informational.

A. Amend section 8.22.40 to read as follows effective for May 2001 Commencement (changes are in red):

8.22.40 Those who attain a cumulative quality point average at the time of graduation of at least 3.30 shall be recognized as graduating "cum laude." Those who achieve a quality point average of 3.50 shall graduate "magna cum laude," and those who attain a quality point average of at least 3.70 "summa cum laude." Participation in an honors program shall not be a condition for graduating "cum laude," "magna cum laude" or "summa cum laude."

Background: This change to using the Latin for identifying those graduating with distinction. was proposed by the student member of the committee, who said: "This change will make our graduating seniors with distinctions consistent and comparable with other schools and be more recognized by businesses and internationally." The Student Senate had passed a resolution in support of the change. The Enrollment Services office assured the committee that this could be done for May 2001 graduates.

B. The following actions are presented to the Faculty Senate for information at this time:

1. The Academic Standards and Calendar Committee reviewed the Test Support Program proposal at the request of the Executive Committee. Pamela Rohland, Frances Cohen and Gail Lepkowski responded to questions and participated in the discussion. The committee recommended that the Office of Student Life/Disability Services for Students pilot their proposal for a year and, after received input from various groups, revise the proposal before formally presenting it.

2. The committee agreed to insert editorially "(see also 8.51.17)" after the first sentence in section 8.56.10 to clarify the relationship between the two sections.

3. The committee returned to its discussion of the final exam calendar. As advised by the committee, the Scheduling Officer attempted to poll faculty, via department chairs, about their needs for 2-hour or 3-hour exam blocks. She reported that the information she received was generally inadequate. Because the Manual allows final exams to be a minimum of 2 hours and a maximum of 3 hours, the committee advised the Scheduling Officer to redraft a Fall 2001 exam schedule assigning 2-hour blocks to everyone, with the proviso that faculty must request a 3-hour block.

Members of the Academic Standards and Calendar Committee for 2000-01:

*Leo Carroll, SOC/APG

Barbara Luebke, JOR, Chair

Henry Oppenheimer, CBA

*Vincent Rose, CHE

Robert Strobel, ex officio

Andrew Coles, undergraduate student

*Senator