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agenda status: approved

Agenda:

University Committee on Academic Policy

Meeting of Thursday, August 29, 2002
10:15 a.m., Board Room, Administration Building




1. Approval of Agenda

2. Approval of Minutes of the April 25, 2002 meeting (Attachment)

3. Comments from the Chairperson

4. Comments from the Assistant Provost

5. UCAP’s Charge and Responsibilities

6. Agenda Development and Preview
(Committee members are invited to consult with faculty colleagues as to issues that
should be brought to the committee and to recommend agenda items for consideration.)

7. Roundtable




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

Attachment: April 25, 2002 Draft Minutes


8.29.02UCAPAgenda.doc

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minutes status: approved

approved at meeting of 09/12/2002

UCAP Minutes for meeting held on 08/29/2002

Members Present: Bridget Behe (Chair), Howard Bossen, Betty Cheng, Steve Dilley, James Gallagher, Patricia Mullan, Hillary Noyes, Georgia Padonu, Shaun Phillips, Sharon Senk, Juli Wade, Winston Wilkinson, Maija Zile

Others Present: Barbara Steidle (Assistant Provost)

Chairperson Behe called the meeting to order at 10:20 a.m.

1. Approval of Agenda: The Agenda was approved without changes.

2. Approval of the Minutes of the April 25, 2002 Meeting: Item 6: Guidelines for Group Work had language changes suggested. The minutes were approved pending circulation and approval of the new language for this section.

3. Comments from the Chairperson:
a. Each member was asked to make a self-introduction.
b. Members were encouraged to notify Robin Pline if they can’t make a meeting. It is important to have a quorum for the committee to conduct business.
c. Members will be asked to take minutes on an alphabetical rotation. Minutes should be e-mailed to Robin Pline (pline@msu.edu) by Wednesday of the following week.
d. Members were reminded that it is important to report the work of the committee back to their respective colleges.

4. Comments from the Assistant Provost:
a. UCAP has a website, ucap.cse.msu.edu, courtesy of Jon Sticklen. The website is maintained by Robin Pline and has agendas, background materials, minutes and other official documents related to the work of UCAP.
b. Bridget Behe and Juli Wade are the UCAP representatives to Academic Council. Chairperson Behe also sits on the Executive Committee of Academic Council.
c. UCAP has delegated responsibility to oversee grading policy. UCAP may be asked to look at the issue of grade inflation this year due to the national controversy concerning grade inflation.
d. UCAP provides consultation on a variety of issues for the provost including curriculum policy, instructional evaluation, admissions and retention as well as any other issues for which the provost requests advice.
e. UCAP will need to deal with issues relating to academic honesty this year.
f. The numbers regarding enrollment are still fluid, but it appears the student population will be over 44,000.
g. The number of students experiencing visa problems has increased. MSU is collecting information and will bring the problem to the attention of the Federal government.
h. The Registrar’s Office is working on a system of web-based academic progress reports and final grade reporting. Engineering and Natural Science will probably be the test cases.
i. Admissions and financial aid are also increasing their web-based capacities and functions.
j. David Gift, Vice Provost for Libraries, Computing and Technology, has been invited to address UCAP on what LCT will be focusing on this year, as an introduction to discussion on UCAP’s interests in assuring adequate services to students.
k. Planning is in place for commemorations of 9/11. Faculty are encouraged to use class time for discussion, as appropriate. Students who wish to miss class for memorial observances may be accorded the same courtesy as if this were a religious observance.
5. A number of questions were raised regarding the GEU contract. It was noted that the contract has had a major impact upon the way certain courses are taught. It was suggested that UCAP look at the implications of the GEU contract upon academic policy.
6. UCAP will return to the discussion regarding guidelines for UCAP’s review of dissolution of academic units.
7. UCAP will look at how the mandatory computer requirement is working.
8. The Student Group Work Guidelines are on the UCAP website and will also be placed in the Web version of the Faculty Handbook, with an appropriate introduction.

Meeting was adjourned at noon.

Respectively submitted,
Howard Bossen

CCAS UCAP representative

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