Kennedy
Union, rm 331
Presiding: Dr. Joseph
Saliba
Senators Present:
Biers, Bork, Crum, Dandaneau, Doyle, Eloe, Gauder, Gerla, Gorton,
Gruenenwald, Hall, Hallinan, Hartley, Ilg, Kocoloski, Lewis, Meyers, Moot,
Morman, Partlow, Putka, Rapp, Sargent, Schworer, Thompson, Villalobos, Vitale,
Yungblut
Guests: Alakkad,
Johnson, Litko, Petrusch, Rogatto, Westendorf
1.
Opening Prayer:
Adam Kocoloski began the meeting with a prayer.
2.
Roll Call:
Twenty-nine of thirty-nine Senators were present.
3.
Approval of Minutes: The minutes of
4.
Announcements
The General Faculty meeting will take place on
Friday, November 14 at
Thanks to Jane Rogatto, a listing of University councils, boards and committees is now available online at the Academic Senate web site. See academic.udayton.edu/senate for a complete list.
The UDit Strategic Plan has been
distributed.
5.
Revised Dean’s List Proposal, I-03-07
Adam Kocoloski, on behalf of the
Student Academic Policies Subcommittee, presented Senate Document I-03-07 to
the Academic Senate for a vote. The
action is legislative.
The language of the current policy
is ambiguous, especially in defining the term “full-time student.” The committee, after consultation with the
Registrar and the Dean of the College, recommend that there be 2 lists: the Dean’s List for undergraduate students
completing a minimum of twelve semester hours with at least a 3.50 grade point
average; and the Dean’s Recognition List for undergraduate students completing
at least six and not more than 11.5 semester hours with at least a 3.50 grade
point average. The lists will also be
compiled for the summer terms, which will be treated as a single term.
Favor: 27
Oppose: 0
Abstain: 0
6.
Revised General Education Goals, I-03-08
John Rapp, on behalf of the Academic Policies Committee, presented
Senate Document
I-03-08 to the Academic Senate for a vote.
The action is legislative.
Changes have been made to Sections 1 and 2 in the
General Education Goals document. These
revisions require Senate approval.
Q: What exactly are the major changes to the document?
A: The changes are primarily to the
language and to the historical account, as this proposal now includes
University policy documents written after the original General Education Goals
document. No changes to the goals
themselves were made. Deans and others
have reviewed this revised document.
Favor: 28
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 Law School degree.
Student Academic Policies
Committee: There was nothing to report
at this time.
The meeting adjourned at 4:00pm.
Respectfully submitted:
Heidi Gauder, Secretary of the Academic Senate.