This is a consecutive meeting of the University Senate and Faculty Senate. There are 236 voting members of the University Senate and 161 voting members of the Faculty Senate. A simple majority must be present for a quorum. Most actions require only a simple majority for approval. Actions requiring special majorities for approval are noted under each of those items.

In the recent election to fill Twin Cities vacancies on the Committee on Committees, Professors Jay Coggins, Roberta Humphreys, Jennifer Kuzma, Carol Lange, and Joanna O'Connell were elected to three-year terms (July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2011).

These data will be distributed at the meeting and are available on the web at: http://www.irr.umn.edu/grades/.

Sarabeth Barnes
Professor
General College
1923 – 2008

Samuel B. Feinberg
Professor
Radiology
1922 – 2008

Thea Hodge
Academic Professional
Computer Science
1922 – 2008

Ralph E. Rapson
Professor
Architecture and Landscape Architecture
1914 – 2008

Edward B. Savage
Professor
Rhetoric
1923 – 2008

To approve the University Senate and Faculty Senate minutes, which are available on the Web at the following URL. A simple majority is required for approval.

http://www1.umn.edu/usenate/usen/080403sen.html

Questions to the President should be submitted in writing to the University Senate office no later than Tuesday, April 29, 2008. The President may also choose to take questions from the floor.

The names of the 2008-09 Faculty Senate Vice Chair, Clerk, and Parliamentarian will be announced at the meeting.

The Senate Committee on Educational Policy shall have the authority to grant waivers to the provisions of this policy, and shall report such waivers to the Faculty Senate at its next meeting.

1. Examinations during the term (e.g., mid-terms) shall normally be given only during the regular class sessions, except that make-up exams may be given at other times arranged to accommodate student class schedules. Otherwise, exams may be held at times other than the regularly scheduled class period only under unusual circumstances, and only if approved by the dean of the college. Any regularly-scheduled examination to be held outside of regular class time must be listed in the published class schedule.

2. Accommodation must be provided by the examining department to any student who encounters an academic conflict, such as between an examination scheduled outside of regular class time and the regular class period of another course, or if two exams are scheduled to be held simultaneously outside of regular class time.

3. Take-home examinations are specifically exempted from this policy.

1. All classes that normally permit undergraduates to enroll shall follow a standard examination schedule. Final examinations on the Twin Cities campus shall extend over a six-day period. Coordinate campuses shall each determine the length of their final examination period.

2. Final examinations normally shall be two (clock) hours long; instructors may schedule longer examinations with the approval of their department. Instructors and departments must decide in advance of scheduling a course if the examination is to exceed two hours. Any examinations which exceed two hours must be noted in the class schedule, in order that students are informed and can try to accommodate the longer examination in their schedule of final examinations. Accommodation must be provided by the examining department to any student who encounters a conflict with another final examination because of this lengthened examination time.

3. For courses that do not run for a full semester, the final examination shall be administered (or due, in the case of take-home or other out-of-class examinations) on the last day of the course.

4. The requirement that the final examination period on the Twin Cities campus be six days shall not apply to units which have been granted an exemption from the University calendar by the Senate Committee on Educational Policy.

5. Final Examinations at Times Other Than Regularly Scheduled

a. Instructors are not permitted to schedule their final examinations outside of the scheduled examination period, except under such unusual circumstances as may be approved by the Senate Committee on Educational Policy. Requests to change the time of the final examination must be made to the appropriate academic officer on the campus, who will bring them to the Senate Committee on Educational Policy.

b. When an instructor and students conclude they wish to move the final examination for the course to a different time and/or day during the final examination period, the change must be (1) proposed by the instructor, (2) have the concurrence of the department chair, and (3) must be approved unanimously by the students, via written secret ballot.

c. Laboratory practicums may be given during the final week of classes during the normal lab period, and take-home or other out-of-class finals may be distributed prior to the final exam week but may not be due before the scheduled final exam for that course.

6. Students with final examination conflicts, or with three (or more) final examinations in one calendar day,[ or who have agreed to reschedule a final (in accord with the provisions of section 3, above) will be expected to make the appropriate rescheduling arrangements with the instructors by the end of the second week of the term THIS LANGUAGE NEEDS ATTENTION] so that conflicts will be eliminated. Instructors must agree to give an alternative final examination to any student having examination conflicts or three (or more) examinations in one calendar day.

7. Summer Session Final Examinations: Final examinations for summer session shall be scheduled during the regular meeting time of the course on the last day.

Each campus shall decide whether or not to have a study day. For campuses that choose to have one, the final examination period shall begin on the second day after classes end, with the day after classes designated as a study day. In the event classes end on a Friday, final examinations shall not start until the following Monday. When the calendar permits, a study day should be added to the schedule.

1. No classes will be permitted after the last day of instruction for any course that normally includes undergraduate students.

2. Instructors may not hold a regular lecture during examination week (which can interfere with students' other exams) and may not hold a lecture during the first hour of the examination period and then conduct the final examination during the remaining hour(s).

3. No University-sponsored extra-curricular events which require the participation of students may be scheduled from the beginning of Study Day to the end of Finals Week. Exceptions to this policy may be granted ONLY by the Senate Committee on Educational Policy. Any exemption granted pursuant to this policy (that is, with the explicit authorization of the Senate Committee on Educational Policy) shall be honored so that students who are unable to complete course requirements during Finals Week as a result of that exemption shall be provided an alternative and timely opportunity to do so.

1. In those instances where post-season competitive events occur during Study Day or Finals Week (either of Day School or of Extension Classes), the Senate Committee on Educational Policy shall consider them approved (that is, without requiring explicit action on the part of the Committee) subject to the following conditions:

a. The event is in logical progression in the sport, leading from in-season competition to conference or regional championships and then to national championship competition;
b. The coach or other staff member in the athletic program can demonstrate to whomever is responsible for counseling in the intercollegiate athletics program that satisfactory alternative academic arrangements have been made; and

c. The event is conducted under the aegis of the NCAA or the appropriate national sport governing body if it is not the NCAA.

2. The academic counseling office for intercollegiate athletics will provide annually to the chair of the Senate Committee on Educational Policy a report on the arrangements that are made pursuant to paragraph 2, above.

3. The Director of Athletics annually will report to the Senate Committee on Educational Policy, early in the Fall Semester, on the number of student-athletes who missed any Study Day or any part of Final Examinations during the preceding year and on the academic performance of those student-athletes. These must be written reports.

4. Post-season or other athletic events that are invitational in nature, rather than a natural progression to a championship, and which would take place during Study Day or Finals Week, require the specific approval of the Senate Committee on Educational Policy before participation may occur.

5. Subject only to the exception noted in this policy, no travel or competition is permitted from the period beginning with, and including, Study Day and ending with the last day of Final Examinations. Home events may be scheduled in the evening of the last day of Final Examinations if the examination schedule is concluded by 1800.

6. This policy applies only to intercollegiate athletic teams, not teams competing under the aegis of the Department of Recreational Sports or any other unit of the University.

1. There are two distinct grading systems on each campus of the University of Minnesota, A-B-C-D-F (with pluses and minuses as permitted by this policy) and S-N. The S-N system is a self-contained alternative to the A-F system and the two may not be combined for a particular student in a particular course. Students may receive grades or symbols only from the grading system under which they have registered for a course. This policy does not require any instructor to use pluses and minuses.

2. There are, in addition, registration symbols identified and described in this policy that carry neither grade nor credit.

3. No campus, college, or program is required to offer a course on the S-N grading system.

4. Any unit may choose to limit grades in a particular course to the A-F or the S-N system.

5. When both grading systems are available to a student, he or she must declare a choice of system as part of the initial registration for the course. The choice may not be changed after the end of the second week of classes (the first week in summer sessions).

6. Except as provided in this policy in Sections I (7) and V (10), no college may use any grading systems other than the ones established by this policy.

7. The Law School and the Medical School are exempt from the provisions of this policy, but shall report their grading systems, and any changes therein, to the Senate. Any other units which believe that the national norms of their profession require a different grading system may make application to the Senate Committee on Educational Policy for an exemption from this policy; all such exemptions must be approved by the University Senate.

1. The list below identifies the possible permanent grades that can be given for any course for which credit is to be awarded. These grades will be entered on a student's official transcript and, for an A, B, C, or D with permitted pluses and minuses, carry the indicated grade points. (Except for the Law School, the University does not award A+ grades, nor are D- grades permitted). The S grade shall not carry grade points but the credits shall count toward the student's degree program if allowed by the college, campus, or program.

A 4.00 Represents achievement that is outstanding relative to the level necessary to meet course requirements
A- 3.67
B+ 3.33
B 3.00 Represents achievement that is significantly above the level necessary to meet course requirements
B- 2.67
C+ 2.33
C 2.00 Represents achievement that meets the course requirements in every respect
C- 1.67
D+ 1.33
D 1.0 Represents achievement that is worthy of credit even though it fails to meet fully the course requirements
S Represents achievement that is satisfactory, which is equivalent to a C- or better.

2. These definitions apply to grades awarded to students who are not enrolled in graduate programs, but the grade points are the same no matter the level or course of enrollment.

3. Instructors are permitted to hold graduate and undergraduate students who are in the same class to different standards of academic performance and accomplishment. The syllabus must make clear what the different standards will be for the different groups of students who may be enrolled in the class.

4. These are the general University standards. In connection with all symbols of achievement instructors shall define for a class, at one of its earliest meetings and as explicitly as possible, the performance that will be necessary to earn each.

1. There are two permanent grades given for a course for which no credit is to be awarded. These grades will be entered on a student's official transcript.

F -0- Represents failure and signifies that the work was either (1) completed but at a level of achievement that is not worthy of credit or (2) was not completed and there was no agreement between the instructor and the student that the student would be awarded an I (see Section IV).

N Represents no credit and signifies that the work was either (1) completed but at a level of achievement that is not worthy of credit or (2) was not completed and there was no agreement between the instructor and the student that the student would be awarded an I (see Section III). The N carries no gradepoints and the credits for the course do not count toward any academic degree program. The credit hours for the course do not count in the gradepoint average.

2. Academic dishonesty: Academic dishonesty in any portion of the academic work for a course shall be grounds for awarding a grade of F or N for the entire course, at the discretion of the instructor. This provision allows instructors to award an F or an N to a student when academic dishonesty is discovered; it does not require an instructor to do so. Students who enroll for a course on the A-F grading system shall receive an F if such grade is warranted; students who enroll for a course on the S-N system shall receive an N if such grade is warranted.

There shall be a symbol I, incomplete, awarded to indicate that the work of the course has not been completed.

1. The I shall be assigned at the discretion of the instructor when, due to extraordinary circumstances, the student who has successfully completed a substantial portion of the course's work was prevented from completing the work of the course on time.

2. The assignment of an I requires a written agreement between the instructor and student specifying the time and manner in which the student will complete the course requirements. In no event may any such written agreement allow a period of longer than one year to complete the course requirements (except as provided in section IV(8).

3. Work to make up an I must be submitted within one year of the last day of final examinations of the term in which the I was given for all students except graduate and professional students; if not submitted by that time, the I will automatically change to an F (if the student was registered on the A-F system) or an N (if the student was registered on the S-N system) for the course. If an I changes automatically to an F or an N, the instructor has the discretion to reinstate the I for one additional year.

4. For graduate and professional students, an I remains on the transcript until changed by the instructor or department.

5. When an I is changed to another symbol, the I is removed from the record. Once an I has become an F or an N, under the provisions of the preceding paragraph, it may subsequently be converted to any other grade, upon petition by the instructor (or the department if the instructor is unavailable) to the college.

6. A student does not need to be registered at the University in order to complete the work necessary to convert an I to a grade with credit in the time and manner previously agreed upon between the student and the instructor. The instructor is expected to turn in the new grade within four weeks of the date the work was submitted by the student. (Depending on the timing of when the work is turned in and the ability of the instructor to award a grade, an F or an N may appear temporarily on the transcript.)

7. If a student graduates with an I on the transcript, the I will remain permanently an I. A student may petition his or her college, within a year of graduation, to complete the work in the course and receive a grade. The degree GPA is frozen upon graduation but the cumulative GPA would reflect the change in GPA if a student chooses to complete the work and change I to a grade within a year of graduation.

8. When students are called to active military duty, and reach agreement with their instructor(s) to take an incomplete, they will have up to one calendar year following their discharge from active duty to complete their incomplete(s).

9. Receipt of an I in a course does not create an entitlement for a student to take the course a second time.

1. Transfer work: There shall be a symbol T, transfer, posted as a prefix to the original grade, to indicate credits transferred from another institution or from one college or campus to another within the University when reevaluation is required.

2. Auditing a course:

a. There shall be a symbol V, visitor, indicating registration as an auditor or visitor, which shall carry no credit and no grade.

b. Students auditing a course are required to pay full tuition but do not take exams and are not required to do homework. An auditor is entered on the class roster (grade report), is counted as filling a seat in a controlled entry course, and is counted in an instructor's student contact hours. Students may not sit in on a course without registering for it.

c. A student shall be allowed to take a previously-audited class for a grade.

3. Withdrawing from a course:

a. There shall be a symbol W, withdrawal, entered upon a student's record when the student officially withdraws from a course in accordance with procedures established by the student's college or campus. The W will be entered on the transcript irrespective of the student's academic standing in that course if the student withdraws from the course during the third through eighth week of class (during the second or third weeks of summer sessions).

b. If a student officially withdraws from a course during the first two weeks of classes, there shall be no record of that course registration entered on the student's transcript.

c. Except as provided in section d, withdrawal in the ninth or later week of classes (fourth or later in summer sessions) shall require approval of the college and may not be granted solely because a student is failing the course; there must be extenuating non-academic circumstances justifying late withdrawal.

d. One time late withdrawal: Each student may, once during his or her undergraduate enrollment, withdraw from a course without college approval, and receive the transcript symbol W, after the eighth week of class and at any time up to and including the last day of class for that course.

4. Continuation course: There shall be a symbol X, indicating a student may continue in a continuation course in which a grade cannot be determined until the full sequence of courses is completed. The instructor shall submit a grade for each X when the student has completed the sequence.

5. Course in progress: There shall be a symbol K, assigned by an instructor to indicate the course is still in progress and that a grade cannot be assigned at the present time.

1. Zero credit courses: Courses which carry zero credits do not count in either term or cumulative grade point averages.

2. All grades for academic work are based on the quality of the work submitted, not on hours of effort.

3. Counting Credits Toward a University Degree

a. A course that carries University credit toward a degree in one department or college must carry credit in all other University departments and colleges (except insofar as those credits exceed the limit on skills credits established in

b. A department or college has discretion to decide whether a course compoleted in another unit will count towards the college or department/program requirements.

4. When a student graduates, no further changes to his or her transcript will be made (to that portion of the transcript related to the program from which the student graduated) except as expressly allowed under the provisions of this policy.

5. Releasing transcripts: The University's official transcript, the chronological record of the student's enrollment and academic performance, will be released by the University only at the request of the student or in accord with state or federal statutes.

6. Repeating Courses

a. An undergraduate student may repeat a course only once (except as noted in section 5(c)).

b. When a student repeats a course before receiving his/her degree, (a) both grades for the course shall appear on the official transcript, (b) the course credits may not be counted more than once toward degree and program requirements, and (c) only the last enrollment for the course shall count in the student's grade point average.

c. Provisions 6 (a) and (b) of this policy shall not apply to courses (1) using the same number but where students study different content each term of enrollment and (2) to courses designated as "repetition allowed."

d. If an undergraduate student repeats a course after his/her degree has been awarded, the original course grade will not be excluded from the degree GPA nor will the new grade be included in the degree GPA.

e. Bracketing is the practice of not including a course in the calculation of a student's GPA and not counting the course as satisfying any degree requirements, including electives, because a student has repeated a course. When a student repeats a course, all prior attempts are bracketed and only the most recent attempt counts (except as provided in 6 (c)). No department or college may bracket the courses of another department or college for any reason other than course repetition.

7. Grade point average: Every student shall have calculated, both at the end of each grading period (quarter or semester) and cumulatively, a grade point average, which shall be the ratio of grade points earned divided by the number of credits attempted with grades of A-F (including pluses and minuses). Both the periodic and cumulative grade point average will appear on each student's record.

8. Final grade due date: Final grades shall be submitted to the Registrar no later than three business days following the date of the scheduled final examination (whether or not there is actually a final examination for the course).

9. This policy may be modified from time to time but transcripts will not be modified when there are changes in policy.

10. Compiling and Reporting Grading Data

a. Data on the mean grade point average by designator and course level, on the percentage of As awarded by course level, and on overall collegiate grade point averages shall be prepared for grades awarded each Fall Semester. Data should be reported for all undergraduate students. Cells in the tables with fewer than 10 grades should be suppressed, in order to protect the privacy of students, but the numbers should be included in the totals.

b. The Office of Institutional Research and Reporting should see that required tables are produced each year and provide them to the chair of the Senate Committee on Educational Policy and to the office of the Executive Vice President and Provost.

c. The data tables and graphs required in 10 (a) and (b) shall be reported annually to the Senate. These data should also be provided to all deans and department heads and made available to faculty and students.

11. All colleges and campuses shall publish each term a dean's list, consisting of students who achieved a 3.666 GPA or higher and who completed a minimum of 12 credits on the A-F grading system. There will be a transcript notation for each term that a student achieves the dean's list.

[Moved to repeating courses section]
[Moved to new section VI (3)]

10. Alternative Grading Systems

a. Only the Senate Committee on Educational Policy shall have the authority to grant to individual colleges or campuses permission to use alternative grading methods outside the provisions of this official University system, for a specified period (but no longer than five years), and only for the purpose of experimenting with a new grading system for possible system-wide adoption. Such permission may be granted if the proposal does not interfere significantly with the registration options of students from other colleges, campuses, and programs. Such alternative systems shall be reported for information to the University Senate as soon as permitted and, after the specified period, shall be re-evaluated, either to be discontinued, or with Senate approval on recommendation from the Senate Committee on Educational policy, made part of the system-wide policy. Except for the provisions of this section 6, no college or program may use any grading system except for the one contained in this policy.

b. Because alternative grading systems, once used, must be maintained by the University forever afterward (to preserve the integrity of the transcripts), the Senate Committee on Educational Policy will rarely grant permission for alternative grading systems. It will consider doing so only when (1) those who propose it can make a persuasive case that the alternative is a more accurate and effective way to measure and record student academic performance, and (2) there is strong reason to believe that the proposal will be useful to all colleges and campuses of the University (except the Law School and Medical School).

1. It shall be the responsibility of the Director of Admissions on each campus to identify those institutions from which credit can be transferred and to determine whether course work is college level. If questions arise with regard to transfer of specific courses, the Director of Admissions will confer with the appropriate college or departmental faculty. The following general guidelines will apply.

2. Credit for course work taken at other institutions will be transferred subject to the following considerations:

a. the mission of the institution from which credits would be transferred,

b. the comparability of the course work with University of Minnesota course work, and

c. the appropriateness of the course work for meeting baccalaureate degree requirements at the University of Minnesota.

3. Regional accreditation shall usually serve as the primary criterion for determining the transferability of course work from another institution.

4. Credits from technical schools may be considered for transfer when appropriate to a student's degree program. Credit is not normally transferred from specialized or proprietary institutions, military schools, or industry-based education programs.

5. Credit granted by another institution for non-traditional experiences (CLEP, AP, IB, military training) will be re-evaluated for content and comparability by the Office of Admissions.

6. Religious studies courses transfer if they are not doctrinal, confessional, or sectarian in nature. Religious studies courses from public institutions transfer without special review; religious studies courses from all other institutions will be evaluated by appropriate college or departmental faculty.

7. The Twin Cities campus [University? What does UMM think?] shall not accept any transfer course with less than a "D" grade. Once a course has been accepted for transfer, all colleges and programs will honor this decision. (A course with a grade of less than C- will not count toward a major or a minor but it will count toward a degree.)