agenda status: approved

Agenda:
REVISED AGENDA
University Committee on Academic Policy

Meeting of Thursday, February 16, 2006
10:15 a.m., Board Room, Administration Building


1. Approval of Agenda

2. Approval of Minutes of the February 2, 2006 meeting.

3. Comments from the Chairperson

4. Comments from the Assistant Provost

4a. Additional Majors Revisited

5. Inclusion of Additional Majors on the Diploma..........(Attachment)

6. Proposal to Establish an Undergraduate Minor..........(Attachment)

7. ASMSU Bill to Create a Fall Break..........(Attachment)

8. Undergraduate Teaching Assistants

9. Roundtable

Please phone or E-Mail Robin Pline (353-5380; pline@msu.edu) if you cannot be present and send a substitute in your place.


Attachments: February 2, 2006 Minutes
Undergraduate Diploma Text Materials from Asst. Provost Stanford
Undergraduate Minor Proposal
Academic Assembly Bill for Creation of a Fall Break

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minutes status: approved

approved at meeting of

UCAP Minutes for meeting held on 02/16/2006
Approved 3/16/06

Members Present: Richard Hallgren, Rebecca Henry, Yen-Hwei Lin, Helen Mayer, Philip Moon, Tony Nunez, Edmund Outslay, Nikole Patson, Sharon Pocock, Ralph Putnam (Chair), Kurt Stirewalt, Colleen Tremonte, Bruce Vanden Bergh, Alexander von Eye, Keri Zolman

Members Absent: Angela Allen, Dennis Banks, Renee Canady, Kyle Martin, Sharon Senk

Others Present: Assistant Provost and Dean June Youatt

Meeting was called to order at 10:20 a.m.

1. Approval of Agenda: Agenda was approved with one additional item. Added was agenda item 4a – issue of additional majors was to be revisited.

2. Approval of Minutes of the February 2, 2006 meeting were approved.

3. Chairperson’s comments: At the end of the 2004/5 Academic year, there was the recommendation of the task force to join the University Committee on Academic Policy (UCAP) and the University Curriculum Committee (UCC). This recommendation will not be realized. However, the name of the UCAP may be changed in order to reflect the fact that this committee deals with matters of Undergraduate Policy.

4. Comments from the Assistant Provost: The Provost, in consultation with ECAC, constituted 5 Boldness by Design task forces. Each of these is expected to present a 5-page paper with 5 recommendations by April.

4a. Additional majors revisited: On January 19, 2006, UCAP supported a proposal from the registrar to change current policy to allow students who already hold a bachelor’s degree to obtain an additional major. Since that time, concerns about the language of the proposed policy change have been raised. Specifically, the proposed policy language left open the possibility that students holding bachelor’s degrees from institutions other than MSU could complete additional majors here. After discussing background materials provided by the Office of the Registrar and University Curriculum and Catalog, UCAP recommended the following language for the revised policy:

With the permission of the relevant department and college, a student who is enrolled in or has completed a Michigan State University bachelor’s degree program may elect to complete the requirements for an additional major.

5. Inclusion of Additional Majors on the Diploma (AA Bill #14-25): Continued discussion of Academic Assembly proposal to include multiple majors on students’ diplomas, with requested background information provided by Linda Stanford. Key discussion points included:

The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) recommends that majors appear on transcripts but not on diplomas additional majors show up on the transcript, which provides the details of a student’s studies and accomplishments
it is the transcript (rather than the diploma) that serves as the student’s academic record when applying for employment or graduate study
additional majors vary widely in terms of number of credits they entail for particular students, depending on the student’s primary major and college

Recommendation: No change in current policy and practice

6. Proposal to establish an Undergraduate Minor: Discussed background information on academic minors provided by the University Committee on Curriculum and University Curriculum and Catalog.

Action: Proposal to ECAC to establish academic minors

7. ASMSU Bill to Create a Fall break (AA Bill #14-32):

· issues were raised concerning the start and the end of Fall semesters, the coordination of college schedules, and 400-level courses
· decision: ASMSU representatives to discuss further after Olin report on student stress is available. Wait for Olin report, take up the issue again, discuss break of full week; bill was referred back to ASMSU

8. Undergraduate Teaching Assistants: Potential need for UCAP to consider policies concerning undergraduate teaching assistants was brought to the group by Assistant Provost Youatt. The following issues were discussed:

· roles and responsibilities of the Undergraduate Teaching Assistants
· protection of Undergraduate Teaching Assistants
· protection of other students from Undergraduate Teaching Assistants
· is a code of teaching needed? Is there a need for a policy?
· A subcommittee was formed. Committee members are: Kurt Stirewalt (chair), Philip Moon, Keri Zolman, Richard Hallgren, Bruce Vanden Bergh

9. Roundtable: no announcements
The meeting was adjourned at 12:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by
Alexander von Eye