The 1 April 2005 Report of
the 2004-2005 Activities of the Academic Procedures and Policies Committee
Standing Charges
1. Confer with the Senior Vice Provost ...
No issues relative to class scheduling were
presented.
AP&P recommends that a University-wide study be
carried out to examine the problem of course duplication, particularly
with regard to courses in statistical analysis. There is significant
duplication in the presentation of the fundamentals of statistics in a number
of academic departments of material presented in MATH 365 (and, at a more
advanced level, in MATH 526). The ongoing justification for these
department-based courses is that MATH 365 lacks specific examples and
applications in the different disciplines. It appears, nevertheless, that
significant faculty resources are being devoted to the presentation of content
that is covered appropriately and effectively in MATH 365. The committee notes,
however, that MATH 365 is always fully enrolled.
A separate attachment to this report, covering the course
withdrawal procedures (one aspect of enrollment procedures) is
attached.
The University Academic Procedures and Policies Committee
recommends that the University move immediately to
implement a procedure to restrict student enrollment in classes for which the
student has not taken the required prerequisites. With respect to the issue of
course prerequisites, AP&P suggests the following. PeopleSoft should be
configured to monitor adherance to course prerequisites. Enrollment of students
who have not satisfied the prerequisites is a major problem for two
reasons. First, unqualified students are
taking the space of students who have met the prerequisites. Second, unqualified students can interfere
with the teaching of a course because these students have not learned the
required material. Overall, not
enforcing the prerequisites is a disservice to students and an impediment to
the teaching process.
SImilarly, PeopleSoft should be used to monitor the
student adherence to the (1986) requirement for immediate and continuing
enrollment in English and Mathematics (a requirement that is not being
acknowledged by the advising system).
See The Undergraduate Catalog
2004-06, page 52: "Students must enroll the first semester at KU in the
English composition course appropriate for their placement and must continue to
take English courses until they have completed ENGL 102 Composition and
Literature (or ENGL 105, the honors equivalent). No later than the second
semester in CLAS, all students must enroll in the mathematics course in which
they have been placed and must continue to take mathematics courses until they
have completed MATH 101 Algebra or MATH 104 Precalculus Mathematics.
2. Monitor ... COCAO ... and the Council of
Presidents ... issues ...
AP&P notes that the activities of these bodies are
being monitored by other governance groups. AP&P should be able to act on
issues that are its responsibility ... issues referred to AP&P by other
units of governance.
3. Petitions ...
No petitions for exceptions to the graduation
requirements of the University were received.
4. Submissions to SenEx.
a.
Minutes of meetings are attached (these include the names of
committee members).
b.
Recommendations for action are included throughout this document
and its attachments (see further discussion below).
c.
... sorry about the due date.
• Suggestions for
charges are included in this document and its attachments.
• Committee
membership was outstanding and, with the exception of the students, it was a
cooperative and insightful group. Members should be urged to continue and
should be polled with regard to the appointment of a chair.
5. Monitor Program ...
No issues were raised in this category.
Additional Charges
6. Withdrawal procedure
This procedure was discussed in detail, at great length.
A suggested procedure is outlined in an attachment.
7. Global Awareness Program
Members of the Committee who had served on AP&P
before expressed concern about how the initiation of this program occurred ...
that AP&P was, essentially, bypassed. AP&P feels that a subcommittee of
AP&P should be appointed (at least one faculty member and one student) on a
continuing basis, creating a long-term evaluative approach. This subcommittee
would become a regular component of AP&P and the evaluation of GAP would be
ongoing.
8. Grade inflation
This issue, discussed briefly
this year as well as in the past two years is one that is not easily handled
without a long-term approach. It is recommended that a subcommittee of AP&P
(at least one faculty member, one staff member, and one student) be appointed
and this subcommittee become a regular, and
continuing, component of AP&P.
9. Honor Code
Student participation in AP&P was limited this year.
The non-student members of AP&P feel that the student members should assume
a leading role in the implementation of an honor code for the University. This,
however, did not emerge. We present, as a catalyst, one suggestion for such a
code, modified from a code implemented at another university (attached).
10. Certificate Programs
We encountered nothing with respect to these programs
(save for the listing of the charge). Activity here appears to be
appropriately, effectively, and efficiently handled by the Office of the
Provost.
11. Course Repeat Policy
A statement, involving a change in the procedures for the
course repeat policy, so that they conform more closely to the actual handling
of the policy, is attached.
12. Report on Student Success Inititatives
AP&P did not receive this report.
Academic Policies
recommended by AP&P 03-04
1. "That AP&P be designated as the sole
body authorized to make clarifications and interpretations of university-wide
policies (such as the course repeat policy, the academic forgiveness policy,
the retroactive withdrawal policy, etc.)." SenEx recommended that this
recommendation should be implemented.
AP&P concurs and notes that this would be added to
the University Senate Code, Article XI, as follows: The AP&P Committee
shall be the principal body authorized to make clarifications and
interpretations of university-wide academic policies in the University and
Faculty Senate Rules and Regulations.
2. " That AP&P be
designated the body authorized to rule on petitions for exceptions to
university-wide academic policies." SenEx felt that AP&P should not
function as a hearing body for petitions ... and AP&P agrees unanimously.
When such exceptions cannot be handled by the appropriate organizations within
the Colleges and Schools, the Provost (or his/her agents) should be responsible
for any further appeal and decision.
With regard to this issue, see the attached request from
the
Further, in keeping with the nature of the
responsibilities of AP&P, the committee suggests that the name be changed
to the "Academic Policies and Procedures" Committee.
Attachment: Provost Inquiry with respect to Limitations
on Course Enrollment
"... this
matter was instigated by an article in the Washington Post, concerning a course
offered by the football coach at K-State that is, or was, taken only by
football players who almost all got As.
This was troublesome to some people, including the Provost, for various
reasons including the fact that the grade in the course helps the football
players maintain eligibility to play football.
"... the Provost surveyed
KU courses to determine if there are courses specifically for football players.
... he found that there is such a course. ... a weight-lifting course.
"The Provost's letter states that '...no
credit-bearing course may be offered by HSES or any other academic unit that is
not open to all students on the same basis. ... it is
'...not legitimate to have membership or participation in a non-academic unit as
a pre-requisite to enrollment' ...
"The Provost has suggested that we may want to
incorporate such a rule in University Rules and Regulations. This is what SenEx would like AP&P to
consider." [Sicilian to AP&P]
AP&P learned that the
course in question (HSES 104) was cancelled, and that there is no intention by
the Department of Athletics to offer such a restricted course in the future.
The immediate issue having been resolved, attention turned to two other aspects
of this problem.
First, other units in the University seem to be following
this procedure; these include some courses in Fine Arts (e. g., BAND) as well
as Debate. A more thorough examination of these types of
situations.
Second, the Transfer Equivalency System (CredTrans)
indicates that there is a transfer of credits from
Further, student athletes enroll each semester at the
very beginning of the enrollment period. There are, for lack of a better term,
"athlete-friendly courses." AP&P recognizes that the NCAA has
altered requirements, and student athletes are now required to make progress
toward a degree (not just be full-time ... 12-hour ... students).
We suggest that the issues involved here be subjected to
continuing discussion.
Attachment: Statement of policy for matriculation and
degree requirements
In response to a request from
the Subcommittee on Academic Standards (of the Committee on Undergraduate
Studies and Advising of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences [Carothers]),
AP&P recommends that the following statement be included, as appropriate,
in the Undergraduate Catalog as well as in the University Senate Rules and
Regulations. This statement establishes a policy for degree completion when
changes occur to requirements for a degree program or a major after the first
enrollment of a student at the University.
Students are governed by the
degree requirements in effect at the time of their first enrollment at the University,
and by the requirements for the major in effect at the time the student first
declares the major. When degree or major requirements change, the student is
entitled to complete the requirements in force at the time of his/her entrance
into the degree program or major as long as all degree program or major
requirements that were in effect at the time of the first enrollment are
approved as sufficient for completion of the degree by the unit that offers the
degree program or major.
Attachment: Proposal for the Credit / No Credit Policy
Basic discussion was on
identifying the purpose of the option.
The committee determined that it was to encourage academic exploration
by reducing the risk of jeopardizing the GPA.
It is currently available as an option to students for one course per
semester so long as that course is not in the declared major. Further, the option must be exercised by the
student during the fifth and sixth week of the semester -- not earlier and not
later.
It was felt that the frequency and non-major restrictions
are reasonable. However, the time window
for selecting the option was viewed as unreasonably short. In actual practice,
the temporal restrictions are not enforced.
The recommendation therefore is to allow the Credit / No Credit
option, at the students’ discretion, for no more than one non-major course per
semester. The student can exercise this
option from the date of initial enrollment in the course up to, but not
including Stop Day. Additionally, the
student can reverse the decision, resuming the normal grading scale at any time
during this same period. Proposed edits
to the current policy are shown below.
Graduate students are not eligible to elect the CR/NC option, even for undergraduate courses.
A student may elect to be
graded on a scale of CR (credit) or NC (no credit) instead of on a scale of A,
B, C, D, or F.
Students seeking the credit/no credit option must register their choice at the
Enrollment Center before the final class session. The student cannot choose
this option for a course in his/her declared major and shall have the choice of
only one option (class) per semester. After the final class session, the
student cannot alter his/her option. The grade of CR (credit) will be received
for grades of A, B, and C. The grade of NC (no credit) will be received for
grades D and F. To elect the credit/no credit option, complete the Credit/No
Credit Form and submit it to the
Attachment: Course Repeat Policy
From the Undergraduate Catalog:
"Students my repeat for credit a college course in which they have
received a grade of D or F without the consent of the dean or the chair of the
department offering the course. The student may elect to replace the original
grade with the new grade, subject to certain restrictions. To elect this
choice, students must submit a form available in the dean's office or the
school offering the course ..."
AP&P recommends that this
repeat be selected automatically. At the time of the second enrollment in the
course, the student's class list would be annotated to indicate that, for
example, "This course is a repeat of a course in which the student was
previously enrolled. The grade for this course will replace the previous grade.
If it not the intention to replace the original grade, please consult [the
approprite dean's office]."
For students who, at the time of enrollment, select a
course in which they received a grade of A, B, or C, the student class list
will be annotated with a statement at "This course is a repeat of a course
in which the student was previously enrolled. The grade for this course
previously earned was an [A, B, or C] and the grade earned in this enrollment
in the course will not replace the previous grade. Permission to complete this
enrollment must be obtained from the chair of the Department of [whatever] and
the Dean of the {whatever]. Note that the previous grade will not be replaced
by the grade earned in this enrollment, and that both grades for this course
will be used in calculating the grade point average."
For students who, at the time of enrollment, select a
course in which they have received an Incomplete, the student class list will
be annotated with a statement that points out that "This course is a
repeat of a course in which you have received a grade of Incomplete. You are
not being enrolled in this course. Consult the instructor."
Attachment: Course Withdrawal Procedures
AP&P recommends that the
University implement a consistent and uniform withdrawal policy. We recommend
that two time periods be used.
If the student drops a course in the first time period,
the first twenty days of the semester, the enrollment in the course is
cancelled.
If the course is dropped anytime in the second time
period, beginning on the twenty-first day of the semester and ending on the
last day of classes for the semester, the student will receive either a WP (if
passing at the time of withdrawal) or a WF (if failing at the time of
withdrawal).
Neither the WP or the WF grade
will be included in the calculation of the student's grade point average.
In all cases, a Drop card is required, signed by both the
student and the course instructor (or his/her agent). This three-part Drop card
produces a copy for the instructor, for the student, and for the
There are a number of issues
here, and some significant alternatives.
First, some members of AP&P felt that the WP and WF
indications are unnecessary, and that the W would be used throughout the second
period. This is not unreasonable, for the instructor-assigned grade (WP or WF)
is only one perspective, and does not indicate whether the student was lazy and
non-participating in the class or whether the student had some crisis that
promoted the withdrawal.
Second, with both the student and the instructor
completing the form, there is significantly less chance for misunderstanding.
The instructor would be able, should the student fail to submit the form to the
At this point, the system is overly complex. Three
periods, differences between the operation of the policy among the schools (and
departments), and the need to make space in some classes for students on waing
lists ... all of these encourage an even shorter first period, with enrollment
cancelled so that other students can gain entrance to a class in a timely
fashion.
Attachment: Request from the College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences
The Committee on
Undergraduate Studies and Advising of the
The issues involved in the petition are intertwined with
various other problems confronted by AP&P during the year. In addition to
the formal submission of the petition, Lev Mass (the petitioner) and the Chair
of AP&P discussed the matter. Mr. Mass was advised, informally, that,
first, AP&P was working to resolve formally its role (if any) in handling
his petition. Second, AP&P was working to resolve formally its role in
handling petitions of any form, part of its responsibilities being to serve as
a hearing body. This had been suggested by AP&P in 2003-04 (and, as
indicated elsewhere, was rejected by Senex, with AP&P agreeing
unanimously).
The Chair advised Mr. Mass, informally, that,
tentatively, AP&P would refuse to deal with the petition on two grounds:
AP&P is not a hearing body and, if it were to serve as one, the Committee
would deal only with exceptions to graduation requirements ... and his petition
did not involve a graduation requirement. Who, then, has the authority and the
responsibiilty to rule on such a request as his?
The fundamental issue of his petition is that someone transfer the grade from another institution to his KU
transcript in an altered form. AP&P was unanimously opposed to this ... it
is not our grade to change ...the grade was set by the other school. Perhaps we
need a university policy relative to the alteration of grades students have
earned at other institutions!
Who or what is the next step in the appeals chain ...
SAS, CUSA, and the Dean? Our view was that it is the Provost ... and then the
Chancellor.
Attachment: Minutes of Meetings (and names of committee
members)
Attachment: Honor Code suggestion