UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND
FACULTY SENATE

REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
January 2006

During the 2002-03 academic year, the Faculty Senate formed an ad hoc committee to study the issue of priority registration for student-athletes at the request of the Athletics Advisory Board (AAB).  Upon the completion of its study, a recommendation for priority registration for student-athletes was presented to the Senate and subsequently defeated. An issue of concern at that time was that priority registration was deemed inequitable to other students who also participate in University-sanctioned activities. Since that time the issue of priority registration for student-athletes faded into the background while the difficulties faced by student-athletes because of their inability to register early have persisted.

This fall, the Athletics Advisory Board requested that the Senate reconsider the issue in a manner that solves the equity concerns that applied to limiting a priority registration policy to student-athletes.

The Executive Committee agrees that the issue is worthy of reconsideration and recommends the establishment of an ad hoc committee to consider the development of an equitable policy on early registration.

Recommendation

The Executive Committee recommends that the Faculty Senate approve the formation of an Ad Hoc Committee on Early Course Registration Policy:

This committee would explore the feasibility and appropriateness of creating a University-wide, application-based priority registration system wherein a faculty-student-administration committee or board is charged with the responsibility of approving or rejecting applications on a semester-by-semester basis by any student group believing that early course registration for its “members” is warranted.

The Ad Hoc Committee shall:

1)  Determine whether a broad-based early course registration system is both desirable and feasible; and if it determines such a system is both desirable and feasible,

2)  Work out an equitable set of general criteria for determining when early course registration is warranted;

3)  Craft a formal process by which applications on behalf of specific categories of students can be submitted, reviewed, and approved or rejected; and

4)  Present to the Faculty Senate a recommendation to establish a process for early course registration by April 20, 2005.

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP APPROVED ON JANUARY 26, 2006
Deborah Brown, Nursing
David Byrd, Education, Human Science and Services
Ronald Lee, Music, Arts and Sciences
Barbara Luebke, Journalism, Arts and Sciences, Chair
Yngve Ramstad, Economics, Arts and Sciences