University of Dayton
Dayton, Ohio

Minutes of Student Academic Policies Committee

September 28, 2001

9:00 – 10:20 am in KU 222

Senators Present: Bartley, Castellano, Charbel, DeConinck, Doyle, Eimermacher,   Lechleiter, McKenna

Guests: Huff, Sandner

Issues

1.        Should students who would normally finish their academic requirements during the summer semester be allowed to participate in the May graduation?

Ricki Huff, assistant dean of the College, presented the cllege’s position on walking through the graduation ceremony before completing the necessary credit hours.  Their position has always been that there is no walking until credit hour requirements are completed.  The main problem is where do you draw the line?  Ricki has known students who were short 3 credit hours, and it took 3 – 4 semesters to complete that one course.

George Doyle contacted Chuck Wells (associate dean of SBA), Dan Raisch (associate dean of SOE & AP), and Malcolm Daniel (associate dean of SOE).  They all stated that they were against walking before necessary credit hours were earned.

Faculty in SBA and SOE were polled, and they were mostly against it. 

Students were informally polled and most said that they felt it would be okay, but they were not aware of administrative problems associated with the issue.

The SAPC took a vote, and it was agreed unanimously that students should not be allowed to walk in the graduation ceremony before completion of all degree requirements, including credit hours.

2.        Should Level 3 Suspensions be placed on the student’s academic record?

Further discussion on this issue included the following comments.

1.        The university’s policy of 3 strikes and your out applies to underage drinking.  It was noted that a notation on the academic transcript for this offense is not equivalent to a notation for being a sexual predator, or an arsonist.  Yet the notation would not distinguish between various offenses.

2.        Most faculty seem to be against placing Level 3 Suspensions on the academic transcript.  Those who might agree to it feel uneasy about not knowing the nature of the disciplinary offense.

3.        It was pointed out that an employer would want to know if s/he was hiring an alcoholic or drug seller, etc.  But the notation does not indicate the offense.  So, the individual may not even get a chance to explain the situation.

4.        If the violation were truly of a serious nature, there would be criminal records available, so the university does not need to note it on the transcript.

5.        Recommendations for Law School do ask specifically about disciplinary problems.

6.        It was asked how this notation on the transcript might benefit UD.

7.        It was suggested that if the university wishes to place serious disciplinary problems on the transcript, they should also be willing to place exemplary leadership and service on the transcript.

8.        Records of disciplinary actions are held for five years.

9.        If the President’s Council has already decided, what would a Senate vote accomplish?

10.      The President’s Council has not been advised by Legal Affairs on this matter.

11.       Ricki Huff, who has looked at thousands of transcripts in the College, has never seen a disciplinary notation.

12.     Rob Durkle, Admission Director, says that the university does deal with a very few transfer students with disciplinary problems.  They are handled on a case-by-case basis.