Academic Policies Committee

March 13, 2003

Minutes

In attendance: Paul Eloe, Heidi Gauder, Kevin Hallinan, Linda Hartley, Pat Johnson, Jonathan Pyles, John Rapp, Gordon Sargent

The meeting was called to order at 1:30 p.m. by John Rapp, committee chair.

1. Web advisor registration system

Patsy Martin and VIcki Adams made a presentation to the committee on the nature and status of the new web advisor on line registration system. It will first be used this summer for posting grades and then in the fall it will be used for registration. The first registration may be a pilot program. The new system integrates features of the present system and the Colleague data base. Patsy and Vicki explained that the system involves considerable flexibility and can be customized to fit various campus needs. The program does not require advisor approval, but that feature will be added.

Some of the concerns voiced earlier by George Doyle were addressed. The system will be able to check prerequisites for any department requesting that feature. It is true that any faculty member may approve any student, but the committee did not find that a serious problem. The system can track who approved courses for a particular student and, therefore, whether the student made additional changes or not. In general, the committee was pleased with the discussion and with the features of the new system.

2. Select committee on the university calendar

A meeting was held last week involving Joe Saliba, Paul Morman, Steve Dandeneau and John Rapp. John reported that this meeting centered on the problems with exam week and early senior grades. An agreement was reached that Joe and John would set up a committee to discuss the whole calendar, focusing on academic dimensions of the calendar. This group believes that the first parameter for this select calendar committee is that all students–including seniors–will take final exams at the same time.

3. General education

Pat Johnson distributed a document on general education procedures. Committee members were pleased to learn that it is possible for a student to develop a self-defined thematic cluster. (This information was subsequently distributed to appropriate administrators.) At a later time, the committee will want a report on the status of thematic clusters and how earlier problems with clusters are being addressed.

JR

3/17/03