Motion failed

Eliminate using transfer credit in calculating cumulative GPA

Calendar Item: 
1367
Docket Number: 
1255
First Name: 
Timothy
Last Name: 
Kidd
Facts: 

1. From documentation found on the UNI websites on academic probation and scholarships, the course catalog, and the student/advisor view on myUniverse, UNI uses the cumulative GPA which includes grades transferred in from other institutions in determining whether students maintain scholarships, are placed on academic probation, and achieve the necessary GPA for graduating from the university for given majors
https://honors.uni.edu/presidential
https://catalog.uni.edu/generalinformation/academicregulations/
[note there is conflicting information at different places regarding UNI cumulative GPA and cumulative GPA, it may be the intent is to use the UNI GPA, but this is not always stated an could be confusing for advisors, students, etc...]

2. The curriculum is in principle controlled by UNI faculty, however the faculty have no control over the grades assigned by other institutions.
3. It is Regents and state policy that courses regulated by articulation agreements should be counted for credit, there is leeway towards whether a particular class may count towards a given major, whether a student may need to be required to pass a competency exam to take a course which uses the transfer class as a pre-requisite, and to the best of my knowledge there is no mandate to use the grades from any other institution in calculating cumulative GPA.
http://www.transferiniowa.org/pdf/lacts_1.pdf

3. The present calculation of UNI cumulative GPA and cumulative GPA is referred to inconsistently and can create confusion for students, faculty, and advisors.

Action: 

Therefore, be it resolved that the University Faculty Senate requests that grades from transfer credit no longer be used to calculate a cumulative GPA and instead that cumulative GPA be reserved only for courses taken at UNI. Also that grades for transfer credit not be used except for fulfilling entrance requirements. In cases in which articulation agreements exist, minimum grade requirements for university credit should be followed as according to these agreements. Otherwise, university should continue to make a case by case (or establish appropriate guidelines for) determination of whether credit should be achieved in consultation with the pertinent department. Regardless of articulation agreements, the faculty within a given department are free to set guidelines regarding whether a specific course (including the grade achieved in that course) should be used to fulfill the requirements for a specific course listed within a major, minor, or certificate and further that faculty within a department are free to create or use a standardized examination to determine if a student has proficient knowledge to enroll in any class that utilizes a transferred class as a pre-requisite.

Powerpoint for transfer credit petition

1. Kidd, Transfer Credit Summary of Issue

2. Peer Institution: Summary of scholarship renewal terms and conditions

3. UNI GPA vs. CUM GPA

Status of the Item: 
Motion failed
Final Action Taken: 
Motion Failed
Meeting Date: 
Sep 10, 2018

Policy change: Honorary Degrees

Calendar Item: 
1260
Docket Number: 
1155
First Name: 
April
Last Name: 
Chatham-Carpenter
Facts: 

Whereas President Ruud would like to award more honorary degrees at UNI commencement ceremonies, Provost Licari, Interim Associate Provost Chatham-Carpenter, and the Special Assistant to the President for Board and Governmental Relations, Pat Geadelman, have asked that Policy 2.05 on Honorary Degrees be expanded to allow additional members on the committee and more broad recognition of types of achievements when awarding these degrees.

Upload Petition Facts: 
Action: 

Therefore, be it resolved that the changes in Policy 2.05 be approved as stated in the attached file.

Upload Action to be Taken: 
Original 2.05 link
Status of the Item: 
Motion failed
Final Action Taken: 
Motion failed, referred back to petitioner for revisions
Meeting Date: 
Dec 08, 2014

Extended and Separate Exam Administration

Calendar Item: 
1218
Docket Number: 
1114
First Name: 
Susan
Last Name: 
Wurtz
Facts: 

Whereas:

1. Provision of extended exam time in a separate and private setting is an entirely necessary and appropriate accommodation for some students.

2. Such provisions entail a complex set of variables:

a. Time when the student can be available to sit for the exam
b. Time when the professor can be available to proctor the exam
c. A room that meets the requirements for privacy and quiet
d. Need to administer the exam at the same time or very close to the same time as the regularly administered exam to ensure:

i. Equity when it comes to amount of time in which to prepare for the exam
ii. Timeliness in grading and reporting results to the entire class
iii. Security in terms of students being in a position to leak information about the exam (either direction)

3. UNI Student Disabilities Services (UNI-SDS) has multiple years of records to be able to assess the level of demand for such testing provisions.

For example, one day next week I will need to proctor a 50 minute exam in class (and hold two other class sessions) AND I will need to find a two-hour block of open time in my work schedule during which a particular student AND a room are available, AND I will need to find yet another two-hour block of open time on my schedule, again within the constraints of another student’s schedule and room availability.     In some cases, my experience has been that comparing my schedule and a student’s schedule shows that taking course schedules (mine and the student’s, work schedules (again, mine and the student’s) and personal obligations (I.e., child care) into account leaves NO mutually open time in which to schedule the separate administration of the exam.  The juggling act that ensues is a poor use of professors’ time and a misuse of university resources.  

Further it does absolutely nothing to generate an environment in which the academic provisions of ADA are perceived to be normal, business-as-usual processes.  Instead provisions appear as burdensome (and perhaps grudgingly complied with), special treatment.  And this perception involves many cases in which the students themselves are only beginning to tentatively come to terms with the aspects of their lives that generate a need for reasonable academic accommodation.

Action: 

Therefore be it resolved:

UNI-SDS shall install a set of exam rooms – whatever number their records indicate are needed to meet the demand across campus, and UNI-SDS shall provide proctoring service.  Said proctoring service shall include:

  1. scheduling the rooms (protocols can be established for student responsibilities and professor responsibilities and for time frames to avoid unreasonable, last-minute demands)
  2. receiving exams from profesors and storing them securely both before the students take tthem and when the exams are completed until professors pick them up (I would not recommend using campus mail)
  3. assuring that students take only the materials the professor for each exam specified as allowable into the exam room and providing lockers or other secure storage for students’ possessions that must be left outside of the exam room.
Status of the Item: 
Motion failed
Final Action Taken: 
No further action taken.
Meeting Date: 
Mar 10, 2014
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