University of Dayton

Dayton, Ohio

Minutes of Student Academic Policies Committee

January 22, 2001

3:00 – 3:50 pm in KU 207

Senators Present: Bartley, Doyle, Eimermacher, Ilg, Lechleiter, McKenna

Guests: Walker

1. Student Senators Academic Senate/SGA Academic Senators I – 00 --24

SGA has proposed that undergraduate students elected as academic senators to SGA be the same students who serve as undergraduate student senators on the University Academic Senate. There are presently several inconsistencies between the constitutions of SGA and the Academic Senate. As a result both documents are to be amended.

SGA reported that they are presently in the process of amending their constitution relative to the election of academic senators in SGA. They will elect six students to the position of academic senator, one each representing humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, business, education, and engineering. They will also elect a seventh student as Vice-President of Academic Affairs. SGA is requesting that all seven of these academic senators be undergraduate student senators on the University Academic Senate. The first six academic senator positions in SGA correspond to the present six undergraduate students on the University Academic Senate. The seventh will be an increase representation of students. SGA elections occur in the spring; students’ term of office begins in the fall semester.

To accomplish SGA’s request the University Academic Senate’s constitution will have to be amended as follows. First, there will be one extra undergraduate student on the Academic Senate – the Vice-President of Academic Affairs of SGA. Second, the election of undergraduate students for the Academic Senate will take place in the winter semester with their term of office starting at the beginning of the fall term. An exception to this will be the first year, because students have already been elected to the Academic Senate to serve through the fall semester of 2001. Third, it will not be necessary for students to have a signature endorsement of five faculty, but they will need a signature endorsement of fifty students – in line with SGA’s practice. Fourth, the election of undergraduate students to the Academic Senate will be supervised by SGA. Fifth, the election of an undergraduate student to serve on the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate will occur at the first fall meeting of the Academic Senate.

These changes will be formalized in a proposal to the Academic Senate for the February meeting. An open meeting for the faculty will take place in March, with voting by the faculty to occur before the end of the semester.

Alternate Grading System: I – 00 – 16

Letters were emailed to all chairs and program directors asking for input from their faculty as to adding +/- grades to the present system. Only a few responses have been received so far.