AS&C_01-02-2

Faculty Senate

Academic Standards and Calendar Committee

Report#2001-02-2

April 2002

The Academic Standards and Calendar Committee considered two related issues this spring: one with regard to final examinations and scheduling of finals and the other on regulations that govern procedures for the creation and approval of the University calendar. The committee has attempted to clarify the regulations for final examinations and to minimize the rules and maximize the flexibility in building the university calendar. Because there is overlap among sections in the 8.51 series on finals and sections in the 8.70 series on the development of the university calendar, the committee recommends amendments to these sections at the same time.

A. Examinations and Grades (A strikethrough represents deletions; additions are in boldface and are underlined)

1. Amend section 8.51.16:

8.51.16 Final examinations shall be given in all courses unless an exception is made by a vote of a department. The department chairperson shall notify the Scheduling Officer of all courses in which no final examination is being given and courses in which a take-home examination is being given. All final examinations, with the exception of take-home examinations, shall be administered during the final examination period and in accordance with the final examination schedule prepared and distributed by the Office of Enrollment Services. A faculty member cannot change the date, time or place of a scheduled final examination without the approval of the Office of Enrollment Services. a specific period to be determined by the Registrar. In courses for which no final examination is to be given and in which the instructor wishes to administer any other examination during the last five days of classes, that examination shall be given instead at the time and place originally provided for a final examination. In courses where no final examination is to be administered, a faculty member cannot administer any other examination during the last five days that classes are in session; instead, he or she must administer that examination according to the final examination schedule.

RATIONALE

The first two sentences are eliminated because:

a. the method of assessing students' work is the responsibility of a faculty member and should not be dictated by the University Manual;

b. operationally, the department vote currently required would have to come before a faculty member prepares his/her syllabus; and

c. operationally, this rule is seldom adhered to.

The other changes are intended to clarify the section's intent and to reflect title changes in what is now the Office of Enrollment Services.

The REVISED section 8.51.16 will read:

8.51.16 All final examinations, with the exception of take-home examinations, shall be administered during the final examination period and in accordance with the final examination schedule prepared and distributed by the Office of Enrollment Services. A faculty member cannot change the date, time or place of a scheduled final examination without the approval of the Office of Enrollment Services. In courses where no final examination is to be administered, a faculty member cannot administer any other examination during the last five days that classes are in session; instead, he or she must administer that examination according to the final examination schedule.

2. Amend section 8.51.21:

8.51.21 No fewer than six days, exclusive of Sunday shall be allowed for each final examination period, but eight days are recommended. Whenever possible final examinations shall be scheduled at the rate of two per day based on the cycle in which each class meets during the semester. A minimum of 7 days shall be allowed for each final examination period. Exam periods shall be scheduled for a maximum of 3 hours. (See also 8.70.23)

RATIONALE

The increased number of class periods being used means that more examination periods are needed; six days no longer is sufficient. This change is also reflected in the new 8.70.23

The REVISED section 8.51.21 will read:

8.51.21 A minimum of 7 days shall be allowed for each final examination period. Exam periods shall be scheduled for a maximum of 3 hours. (See also 8.70.23)

[Note: Changes 1 and 2 will amend section 8.51.20 as follows:

8.51.20 Scheduling Final Examinations. The Scheduling Officer shall schedule the final examination in any course only. The time allowed for completion of a final examination shall be no less than two hours nor more than three hours, as decided by the individual faculty member.

RATIONALE

Sentence 1 is incorporated into 8.51.16; sentence two is incorporated into 8.51.21

The revised section 8.51.20 will read:

8.51.20 In short courses and summer session courses (see 8.32.12) the final exam shall be administered during the last regularly scheduled class session unless otherwise approved by the scheduling office. The amount of time allocated to the final exam shall be no less than one hour.]

3. Delete section 8.51.24:

8.51.24 Large classes, long essays or other unusual aspects of examinations shall be called to the attention of the respective college dean and the Registrar so appropriate arrangements can be made.

RATIONALE

Seems to go without saying, but at the least Registrar should be changed to Office of Enrollment Services.

4. Amend section 8.51.25:

8.51.25 There shall be at least one day weekday Reading Day between the last day of classes and the beginning of the final examination period. (See also 8.70.22).

RATIONALE

This change reflects the new 8.70.22

The REVISED section 8.51.25 will read:

8.51.25 There shall be at least one weekday Reading Day between the last day of classes and the beginning of the final examination period. (See also 8.70.22).

5. Delete section 8.51.28

8.51.28 The instructor shall not change the scheduled time, place or length of an announced final examination without the approval of the Scheduling Officer.

RATIONALE

This is incorporated into 8.51.16

B. The Academic Calendar The following sections come under the rubric of "rules and regulations governing procedures for the creation and approval of the academic calendar (A strikethrough represents deletions; additions are in boldface and are underlined)

The RATIONALE for all the proposed changes is to minimize "rules" and thus maximize flexibility in "building" the calendar.

1. Amend section 8.70.10 as follows and delete existing 8.70.11:

8.70.10 Preparation In accordance with sections 8.70.20-41, the Registrar shall prepare each year's calendar and submit it to the Academic Standards and Calendar Committee for review prior to the end of the preceding October. A four-year calendar shall be maintained. In accordance with sections [ ], the Office of Enrollment Services each fall shall prepare a new fourth-year calendar and submit it to the Academic Standards and Calendar Committee by the end of October. The Academic Standards and Calendar Committee shall submit the calendar to the Faculty Senate by December 1.

8.70.11 The Academic Standards and Calendar Committee shall submit the calendar to the Faculty Senate at the Senate's first meeting in December.

The REVISED section 8.70.10 will read:

8.70.10 Preparation A four-year calendar shall be maintained. In accordance with sections [ ], the Office of Enrollment Services each fall shall prepare a new fourth-year calendar and submit it to the Academic Standards and Calendar Committee by the end of October. The Academic Standards and Calendar Committee shall submit the calendar to the Faculty Senate by December 1.

2. Add new section 8.70.11 and delete section 8.70.26

8.70.11 The calendar for the Summer Session shall be developed by the Feinstein College of Continuing Education, in consultation with the Office of Enrollment Services, and submitted to the Academic Standards and Calendar Committee by March 1 of the preceding year. The Academic Standards and Calendar Committee shall submit the summer-session calendar for approval to the Faculty Senate by April 1 of the preceding year.

8.70.26 The calendar for the summer Session shall be developed by the Dean of the Feinstein College of Continuing Education.

RATIONALE

This brings the summer-school-calendar process into alignment with the academic-year-calendar process.

The NEW section 8.70.11 will read:

8.70.11 The calendar for the Summer Session shall be developed by the Feinstein College of Continuing Education, in consultation with the Office of Enrollment Services, and submitted to the Academic Standards and Calendar Committee by March 1 of the preceding year. The Academic Standards and Calendar Committee shall submit the summer-session calendar for approval to the Faculty Senate by April 1 of the preceding year.

3. Amend section 8.70.12:

8.70.12 Further adjustments Adjustments to the a proposed calendar may not be made on the floor of the Senate. without initial referral back to the Academic Standards and Calendar Committee with instructions. The Academic Standards and Calendar Committee shall make their recommendations to the Faculty Senate. Instead, a proposed calendar, along with instructions about possible revisions, must be referred back to the Academic Standards and Calendar Committee. The committee shall resubmit the calendar at the next Senate meeting.

RATIONALE

Clarifies language.

The REVISED section 8.70.12 will read:

8.70.12 Adjustments to a proposed calendar may not be made on the floor of the Senate. Instead, a proposed calendar, along with instructions about possible revisions, must be referred back to the Academic Standards and Calendar Committee. The committee shall resubmit the calendar at the next Senate meeting.

4. Amend 8.70. 20:

8.70.20 The Academic Year A semester must be 15 instructional weeks, as defined by federal financial aid guidelines. (See also 8.31.10 for definition of academic credit). The beginning and ending dates of each semester shall be the same for all colleges and schools of the University. Exceptions may be granted to the Feinstein College of Continuing Education. Requests for exceptions shall be received by the Academic Standards and Calendar Committee no later than October 1 of the preceding academic year.

The REVISED section 8.70.20 will read:

8.70.20 The Academic Year A semester must be 15 instructional weeks, as defined by federal financial aid guidelines. (See also 8.31.10 for definition of academic credit). The beginning and ending dates of each semester shall be the same for all colleges and schools of the University.

5. Amend section 8.70.21 as follows and delete sections 8.70.30 and 8.70.41:

8.70.21 In the preparation of the calendar, a fall semester advising day shall be scheduled for the day after Labor Day. The spring semester shall have a minimum of 70 and a maximum of 75 class days excluding final examination week. An Advising Day shall be scheduled prior to the beginning of classes each semester. The fall semester (including final examinations) must end no later than December 23. There shall be a 5-class-day mid-semester break in the spring semester.

8.70.30 The Fall Semester. The fall semester (including final examinations) must end no later than December 23.

8.70.41 Midsemester break in the midsemester shall be one week following midterm.

The REVISED section 8.70.21 will read:

8.70.21 An Advising Day shall be scheduled prior to the beginning of classes each semester. The fall semester (including final examinations) must end no later than December 23. There shall be a 5-class-day mid-semester break in the spring semester.

6. Amend section 8.70.22:

8.70.22 A minimum of two week-day Reading Days will be scheduled after the last day of classes. One week-day Reading Day is required after the last day of classes; two weekday Reading Days during the examination period are preferred. (See 8.51.25)

The REVISED section 8.70.22 will read:

8.70.22 One weekday Reading Day is required after the last day of classes; two weekday Reading Days during the examination period are preferred. (See 8.51.25)

7. Amend section 8.70.23:

8.70.23 A minimum of six seven days shall be scheduled for final examinations. ; eight days should be scheduled if the calendar permits. Saturdays and Sundays may not be used as final examination days under extraordinary circumstances.

The REVISED section 8.70.23 will read:

8.70.23 A minimum of seven days shall be scheduled for final examinations. Saturdays and Sundays may be used as final examination days under extraordinary circumstances.

[No change to section 8.70.24:

8.70.24 Whenever possible, there should be a uniform distribution of class days among the five week days.]

8. Amend section 8.70.25 as follows:

8.70.25 Classes will not be scheduled on the following days:

Labor Day

Thanksgiving Day and the day following

Christmas Day

New Year's Day

Memorial Day

Independence Day

Classes may be scheduled on the following holidays only under exceptional circumstances in order to insure the academic integrity of the University Calendar.

Columbus Day

Election Day (when the Governor is elected)

Veterans' Day

Martin Luther King's Birthday

George Washington's Birthday.

The REVISED section 8.70.25 will read:

8.70.25 Classes will not be scheduled on the following days:

Labor Day

Thanksgiving Day and the day following

Christmas Day

New Year's Day

Memorial Day

Independence Day

8. Delete 8.70.40:

8.70.40 Commencement shall be held on the weekend immediately following the last due date for spring semester grades.

RATIONALE

Not operational as written.

When these changes are incorporated into the next edition of the University Manual some section numbers will change.