University of Dayton
Dayton, Ohio

Minutes of Student Academic Policies Committee

October 5, 2001

9:00 – 10:00 am in KU 222

Senators Present: Bartley, Castellano, Charbel, DeConinck, Doyle, Eimermacher, Ilg
Guest: Hufnagle

Issues

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

Mary Sue Hufnagle, Assistant Dean of Discipline & Judiciaries, attended the meeting to answer questions about the history and status of disciplinary issues on this campus, and why Level 3 Suspension should be placed on the student’s academic transcript.   Ms Hufnagle made the following points.

1.    The purpose of placing a Level 3 Suspension notation on the academic record is to alert other schools, who may be accepting previous UD students as transfers, that the particular student had a history of serious disciplinary conduct.

2.     As many as 100 –150 inquiries from other schools are made each year about possible disciplinary problems of UD students who desire to transfer to their school.  This number is down considerably from inquires made several years ago.  Government agencies often ask, but industries seldom do.  A student must give written approval to have his or her disciplinary record released. 

3.     The three levels of suspension started three years ago.  During the first year one student received a Level 3 Suspension; s/he subsequently returned to UD.  No Level 3 Suspensions were given out last year.

4.     At present, disciplinary records are permanent, unless a student requests a removal.  Then a hearing is held.

5.     A survey of universities in 1999 found that 51% did make disciplinary notations on the academic transcript.  A national panel of university administrators recommended that disciplinary actions (apparently at different levels) be placed on academic transcripts, but removed after a specified period.  UD is requesting that only the most severe level be noted.

A discussion among the SAPC senators made the following points.

1.        Undergraduate teacher education faculty are generally not opposed to a Level 3 Suspension notation on the academic transcript as long as the offense is serious, well defined, and the student is treated fairly.

2.        The main problem with this issue is that violations that require a Level 3 Suspension are not well defined.  In fact, they are not defined at all.  Apparently, the administration is looking into better defining such violations.  At the moment the level of suspension seems to be decided on an ad hoc basis.

3.        The administration has been too lax with disciplinary problems on this campus.  We need a broad discussion on this issue.

4.        The Academic Senate should not make a decision about this issue because it is not defined.  It is suggested that the administration form a committee that will clearly state suspension rules.

5.        SGA is very much against disciplinary action being noted on the academic transcript. They would be against any notation even if the suspension rules were clearly stated.  We are a learning institute, not a disciplinary institute. 

6.        If the university wants to place disciplinary violations on the transcript, we should also place exemplary leadership/service contributions.

7.        It was pointed out that there are no disciplinary actions placed on high schools transcripts.  UD administration does not check with high schools, yet they are suggesting that disciplinary action be placed on college academic transcripts. Why are we so concerned about disciplinary problems leaving the university as compared to disciplinary problems coming into the university?

8.        Why doesn’t UD ask incoming high school or transfer students to answer a disciplinary question on the application?

9.        Our present policies are too vague for us to come to any decision concerning disciplinary violation notation on the academic transcript.

The SAPC recommends that a committee of diverse individuals be formed to conduct a comprehensive review of disciplinary issues.  The committee should formulate a policy that explicitly defines the three levels of suspension, and what constitutes a violation at each level.

After the suspension policy has been defined, a proposal may be submitted to the Academic Senate asking that certain types of disciplinary violations be placed on the academic transcript.  The proposal should make clear what process is undertaken to decide that a violation should be placed on the academic transcript, how long it stays on the transcript, and a process by which a student may request removal of the disciplinary notation.