University Governance
TO: KU Faculty, Staff, and Students
FROM: Megan Greene, president, University Senate
RE: Notification of Three Proposed Amendments to the University Senate Rules and Regulations
The University Senate Executive Committee (SenEx) recommends three amendments to the University Senate Rules and Regulations. These include: (1) USRR 2.2.8, Grade Replacement Policy in Repeat Courses, (2) USRR 3.2.1, a new policy on honorary degrees, and (3) USRR 5.2.1.3, Unit Level Grievance Procedures. The amendments are shown below with changes in bold and strike-out fonts.
These amendments are scheduled to be discussed at the open University Senate meeting on September 8, 2011, and voted on at the University Senate meeting on October 6, 2011. Both meetings will be held at 3:30 p.m. in Room #203 at the Law School (Green Hall). Interested persons may submit written comments on the proposed amendments to the Office of University Governance (email: govern@ku.edu) by noon on September 8th.
Please contact me (mgreene@ku.edu) if you have questions about any of these amendments.
AMENDMENTS TO THE UNIVERSITY SENATE RULES AND REGULATIONS
Approved by SenEx 8/23/2011 and by email
USRR 2.2.8
Rationale: The Academic Policy and Procedures Committee (AP&P) was asked to consider whether USRR section 2.2.8 should be amended to prevent students who have already graduated from retaking courses in order to raise their GPAs. Two points related to the possible effects of permitting this were: (1) whether a graduate who raised his or her GPA could retroactively seek honors, and (2) whether a graduate who received a lower grade that brought his or her GPA below 2.0 would be in jeopardy of losing the degree.” The committee unanimously approved the following sentence (see bold font) be added to USRR 2.2.8, subsection 6:
2.2.8 Grade Replacement Policy in Repeat Courses.
If a student takes a course at KU, receives a D or F in the course, enrolls in and repeats the course at KU, the new grade may be used in place of the original grade for purpose of GPA calculation, subject to the limitations herein.
1) The course must be numbered 000-299 and have been taken in the Fall 2001 semester or thereafter. Classes taken from Fall 2001 through Summer 2007 must have been requested by the student during the semester as qualifying for the repeat this policy. Beginning in Fall 2007, this policy automatically applies to classes that meet the criteria outlined in this section. .
2) The grade of D or F cannot be the result of an academic misconduct determination.
3) The grade recalculation will happen by default.
4) The original grade will remain on the transcript, although it will not be used to calculate the GPA.
5) Students may have a grade replaced no more than five times, meaning a student may retake five courses, or a course five times, or any combination thereof. Multiple retakes of a course are discouraged, but not explicitly prohibited. The time and date of registration of the second (repeat) enrollment will be used to determine the limit of five repeat courses for grade replacement.
(6) This policy cannot be used if the student has already earned a baccalaureate degree from the University of Kansas.
USRR 3.2.1
Rationale: The Task Force on Honorary Degrees recommends that the University Senate Rules and Regulations, Article III. Section 2, be revised to reflect the Board of Regents policy on awarding of honorary degrees. The proposed changes are in bold font.
ARTICLE III. GRADUATION AND DEGREES
Section 2. Granting of Degrees
3.2.1 Academic dDegrees shall be granted by the authority of the Board of Regents upon the recommendation of the faculties of the College and the several schools.
3.2.2 Honorary degrees are granted by the authority of the Board of Regents upon the recommendation of the Chancellor. Following Board of Regents Policy, the University of Kansas awards honorary degrees to exceptional persons of notable intellectual, scholarly, professional, or creative achievement, or service to humanity.
3.2.2.1 A candidate’s qualifications must be deeply grounded in a career of scholarship, research, creative activity, service to humanity, or other profession consistent with the academic endeavors of the University.
3.2.2.2 In consultation with the University Senate Executive Committee, the Chancellor shall establish, and may from time to time amend, a policy for awarding honorary degrees. The policy shall provide for the degrees to be awarded and create procedures to solicit nominations, gather information, and recommend candidates to the Chancellor.
USRR 5.2.1.3
Rationale: General Counsel James Pottorff recommended the additional language shown in bold font. Under the current rule, it is not possible for a unit’s grievance procedures to become effective in less than thirty days after submission for review. However, it is very unusual for the process of review by the General Counsel to take as much as thirty days. The new language would make it less likely that a grievance would be filed while approval is pending and have to be handled under an outdated procedure.
5.2.1.3 Review and Approval. Any organizational unit that has developed a grievance procedure shall submit it to the General Counsel of the University. Unless the General Counsel determines that the procedure as submitted is in conflict with existing law, rules of the Board of Regents, or rules or regulations of the University, it shall become effective thirty calendar days after such submission or upon written approval of the General Counsel, whichever occurs first.