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agenda status: approved

Agenda:

AGENDA

University Committee on Academic Policy

Meeting of Thursday, March 30, 2000
10:15 a.m., Board Room, Administration Building




1. Approval of Agenda

2. Approval of Minutes of the March 16 Meeting Attachment

3. Comments from the Chairpersons

4. Comments from the Assistant Provost

5. SIRS

6. “Reading Days” Proposal Joe Chartkoff
(Materials distributed for the February 10 meeting)

7. New Grade Marker
(Materials distributed earlier)

8. Final Exam Policy -- Report of Sub-Committee Attachment

9. Roundtable


Mar30UCAPagenda.doc

Attachments: Meeting Minutes of March 16, 2000
Joint Sub-Committee Report on the Policy on Final Examinations


Please phone or E-Mail Robin Pline (353-5380; pline@.msu.edu) if you cannot be present.

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minutes status: approved

approved at meeting of 04/13/2000

UCAP Minutes for meeting held on 03/30/2000

University Committee on Academic Policy
Minutes
March 30, 2000

Attendance: Kathryn Baker, J. Roy Black, Eric Bonten, Howard Bossen, Joseph Chartkoff,
George Cornell, Rachel Fisher, David Imig, Fred Jacobs, Kurt Lausman, Folke
Lindahl, Gerald Osborn, Geoffrey Robson, Laura Roehler, Jon Sticklen, Jeanne

Wald, Winston Wilkinson

Others: Barbara Steidle (Assistant Provost)

Meeting called to order at 10:23 by Chairperson Wald.

1. The agenda was approved.

2. Minutes from March 16, 2000 were approved.

3. Comments from the Chairperson’s Report
a. The computer fair focused mainly on virtual courses. Student who had taken
these courses expressed a liking for them.
b. The Lilly Seminar Series at the Kellogg Center on March 31, 2000 was
moved to a different room. The change will be posted at the Kellogg
Center. The workshop on the 31st will focus on Student Evaluations.
UCAP members are encouraged to attend.

4. Comments from the Assistant Provost
a. The chemistry course in the Virtual University is being used for AP credit.
A European history course is under development.
b. The faculty and students were encouraged to visit the second all- university

research and creative activity forum. Many students are presenting in a wide range of areas at the MSU Union Building.

5. SIRS
The discussion of SIRS continued. Using the form handed out at the last
meeting, Fred Jacobs reviewed the visual way of reporting the data: using a
diagram without numbers that would indicate the position of the rating relative
to other similar courses offered in that department or college. The suggestion
was made to allow departments to determine which benchmarks to use when
illustrating the comparisons depending on the needs and size of the specific
departments. Some options might include upper and lower divisions courses,
different types of courses (service, required, and electives). The discussion then
ranged across a variety of related topics such as the number of benchmarks, the
importance of comparisons, the need for this type of public comparisons, and
the need to keep it simple. It was suggested that we try the form for a few
years and then decide how to improve it. A motion was made and seconded
to approve the visual method of displaying the comparison of courses for the
SIRS. The motion was approved.

After a discussion about when to use the benchmarks, a motion was made and seconded to use the benchmarks when multiple sections (5 or more) are taught by 5 or more instructors. The motion was approved.

A proposal was presented to expand the number of questions for the Public SIRS. After a short discussion about the number of questions, the wording of some of the questions and the combining of the short and long versions, the topic was tabled until the next meeting.

6. Other agenda items
The additional agenda items of (a) “Reading Days” proposal, (b) new grade
marker, final exam policy, and (c) roundtable will be placed on the agenda of
the next meeting.

7. The meeting was adjourned at 11:58.

Respectfully submitted,

Laura R. Roehler

UCAP3.30.00.doc

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