APPROVED
Kennedy
Presiding: Dr. Joseph
Saliba
Senators Present:
Biers, Bork, Dandaneau, Doyle, Eloe, Gauder, Gerla, Gorton,
Hall, Hallinan, Hartley, Kocoloski,
Lewis, Morman, Mullins, Partlow,
Pestello, Putka, Rapp, Sargent, Schworer, Villalobos, Youngkin, Yunblut
Guests: Bickford,
Chan, Courte, Darrow,
Johnson, Robinson, Rogatto, Skill, Webb, Westendorf
1.
Opening Prayer:
Fr. John Putka, S.M., began the meeting with a
prayer.
2.
Roll Call:
Twenty-five of thirty-nine Senators were present.
3.
Approval of Minutes: The minutes of
4.
Announcements
The incoming senators were welcomed and introduced. The current senators also introduced themselves.
Joe Saliba
asked that the faculty please consider attending the December 20 graduation
ceremonies. Faculty presence means much
to the students.
5.
Final Examination Week, I-03-10
John Rapp, on behalf of the Select
Calendar Committee and the Academic Policies Committee, presented Senate
Document I-03-10 to the Academic Senate for a vote. The action is legislative.
This document is now up for vote
following the approval of the Statement of Recommendations on Finals Week,
which contained much of the same language.
This proposal, if adopted, would replace the existing finals policy.
Steve Dandaneau
noted that this policy follows the policies from the Registrar and the Faculty
Handbook. Points 1 and 5 are new since
this document was last presented to the Academic Senate. Mindful of the variety of possible meaningful
culminating experiences, the Select Calendar Committee also made note that
there are always exceptions to the rule and has included ways of dealing with
the exceptions.
Q:
The proposal notes that finals week should be “one full week” of
examinations. Does this mean 5 days or 7
days?
A:
The sum of final examination week would include 5 days of exams, plus
the 2 weekend days immediately preceding and at least 1 study day.
Q:
Point 8 concerns exceptions to the stated policy. This point seems redundant in light of Point
3.
A:
This point was added to recognize that there are exceptions to the
general rule. It is a useful redundancy
to underscore this fact.
Favor: 24
Oppose: 0
Abstain: 0
6.
Diploma Exercises and Commencements, I-03-12
John Rapp, on behalf of the Select Calendar Committee and the Academic
Policies Committee, presented Senate Document
I-03-12 to the Academic Senate for a vote.
The action is consultative.
Tom Westendorf strongly
supports this proposal. He estimates
that it will cost approximately $8000 - $10,000 to mail diplomas.
Q: This policy
is consultative. Who will legislate?
A: The
Registrar. Tom Westendorf
noted that he wanted this consultative action to pass so that he can carry
through with the change.
Favor: 24
Oppose: 0
Abstain: 0
7.
Statement of Recommendations on Finals Week, I-03-09
John Rapp, on behalf of the Select Calendar Committee and the Academic
Policies Committee, presented Senate Document I-03-09 to the Academic Senate
for a vote. The action is
consultative.
The Academic Senate is being asked today if the
Select Calendar committee is headed in the right direction.
The Select Calendar Committee, which was empaneled by the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate
and which reports to the Academic Policies Committee, has been reviewing the
academic calendar with a focus on academic rigor. Over the next year, the group expects to
bring several proposals to the Academic Senate.
This first proposal specifically focuses on finals week, although other
University activities will subsequently be affected.
Steve Dandaneau, head of
the Calendar Committee, explained the proposal.
The Calendar Committee is asking the Academic Senate to reaffirm the
importance of finals week as well as the importance of study days. This proposal would also call for an end to
early senior finals, as the committee found that the senior finals policy has
the tendency to erode the importance of finals week. In recognizing the importance of studying for
finals, the committee also recommends that certain areas on campus be open 24
hours during finals time; this recommendation is now under consideration by the
Student Policies Committee.
The main consequence of this policy will affect
commencement, as grades will likely not be certified in time for diploma
exercises. Footnote 5 in the proposal
notes some graduation possibilities.
Q: Could this
policy be read as requiring an examination or culminating experience during
finals week?
A: See
footnote 4, beginning “Other than in rare cases...” This statement acknowledges that there are
cases when courses are completely finished before finals week. For example, capstone courses in the
Q: Isn’t the
ultimate judgment about final exams with the department chair?
A:
Authoritatively, yes, but it is one’s colleagues who set the standards.
Q: Has the
Dean’s office reviewed item 2, abolishing early grades, and what will be the
extra cost?
A: Currently,
the early grades are needed to certify that students meet graduation
requirements and to begin work on probation issues. The graduation date is firm, so grades must
be done before probation cases can be reviewed.
This new policy would ease the pressure to get everything done and allow
the office to focus on probation cases.
The cost of sending diplomas after the fact is very modest in comparison
to the productivity that is gained.
Q: Is there not already a requirement for a final
exam or exam-type experience during finals week?
A: The Faculty
Handbook states the need for a final exam.
However, there is an ambiguity of sorts in the policy. Do finals have to take place during finals
week? Maybe unclear. As it stands now, however, some faculty are
not using finals week at all.
Q: What are
the costs or technical issues for the registrar?
A: It is not
even a concern, especially knowing the extra work currently required at the
Dean’s office to complete grade certification.
Student feedback:
Like the proposed policy, spoke of the frustration of having work pushed
up so that grades could be turned in early.
Call to question.
Favor: 29
Oppose: 0
Abstain: 0
Resolved, that the Academic Senate recommend
the adoption of and adherence of the principles and practices outlined in
Senate Document I-03-09.
Favor: 29
Oppose: 0
Abstain: 0
8.
Summary of Strategic Planning Open Forums
Laura Yungblut reported
that the two strategic planning open forums were well attended, with about
25-30 people each time. Some commons
themes emerged, including the need to more fully define what it is to have
academic excellence, as well as concern about the need for quality teaching in
order to build academic excellence.
Participants also spoke about the graduate programs as a source of
knowledge and finance generation. And
finally, there were some who felt that the University was going about the
effort the wrong way, that a mission and vision needed to be articulated
first.
9.
Reports from Standing Committees
Faculty Affairs Committee: Harry Gerla
reported for the FAC.
a.
Finals Week proposal: The committee met and discussed this
proposal.
b.
Academic Senate Constitution: The constitution may need clarification
regarding replacements for senate vacancies.
The committee will be looking into this issue.
Academic Policies Committee: John Rapp noted that the APC will be
reviewing the following items: in light of the academic rigor discussions, the
committee will be looking at the last day to add a course as well as the last
day to drop a course with a “W.” The committee also expects to review the
proposed
Student Academic Policies
Committee: There was nothing to report
at this time.
The meeting adjourned at
Respectfully submitted: Heidi Gauder, Secretary of the Academic
Senate.