1995-96 UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA No. 5
UNIVERSITY SENATE MINUTES
MAY 2, 1996
The fifth meeting of the University Senate for 1995-96 was convened in
Mayo Auditorium, Minneapolis campus, on Thursday, May 2, 1996, at 2:00 p.m.
Coordinate campuses were linked by telephone. Checking or signing the roll as
present were 110 voting faculty/academic professional members, 29 voting
student members, 4 ex officio members, and 7 nonmembers. President Nils
Hasselmo presided.
I. INTRODUCTIONS
President Hasselmo introduced the following individuals to the
University Senate, each of whom made brief remarks and were warmly welcomed by
the President and senators:
Dr. Nancy Barcelo, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs with
Special Responsibility for Minority Affairs and Diversity
Dr. Edith Leyasmeyer, Dean of the School of Public Health
Dr. Samuel Schuman, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean, UMM
II. EDUCATIONAL POLICY COMMITTEE
Semester Transition Policy
Action
MOTION:
To approve the following Policy Relating to Students Enrolled at the
University of Minnesota during the Transition between the Quarter System and
the Semester System:
POLICY RELATING TO STUDENTS
ENROLLED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
DURING THE TRANSITION
BETWEEN THE QUARTER SYSTEM AND THE SEMESTER SYSTEM
The Senate confirms that in general each degree seeking student enrolled
at the University prior to September, 1999, shall neither be disadvantaged nor
advantaged due to the change from a quarter system to a semester system.
It shall be the responsibility of the Change to Semesters Implementation
Task Force to design, develop, implement and evaluate a "Change to Semesters
Advising Plan" (CSAP) to ensure that advising be conducted in ways that will
advance a student's progress towards a degree from the University of
Minnesota. The CSAP shall be approved by the Senate Committee on Educational
Policy prior to Fall, 1998, and shall be implemented during the Fall Quarter,
1998. The CSAP shall include, but not be limited to: a systematic program
for training advisors; a plan for proactive advising; written documentation
for all students, faculty and staff; a student appeal process, and a plan that
would demonstrate how advising will occur for freshmen, sophomores, juniors,
seniors, graduate students, as well as part-time students with more that 45
quarter credits
All students, at all levels, and in all programs, who are enrolled under
both the quarter system and the semester systems shall be individually, in
small groups, and/or electronically advised prior to their first enrollment in
the semester system.
The University shall provide advising updates to all students, faculty
and advisors during Fall, 1996 and Fall, 1997
Beginning Fall, 1996, colleges admitting new students and students who
will most likely be enrolled anytime after Fall, 1999, need to advise and
encourage those students to complete the campus-wide liberal education
requirements as early as possible, so that students will not need to take
liberal education requirements under the quarter system and under the semester
system.
Beginning Fall, 1996, colleges, departments and programs need to advise
and encourage students to complete any 2-quarter or 3-quarter sequences, pre-
major requirements, and other quarter courses that may not be offered under
semesters.
COMMENT:
The Senate Consultative Committee has reviewed the policy and recommends
action by the Senate.
LAURA COFFIN KOCH, Chair
Educational Policy Committee
DISCUSSION:
Professor Laura Koch, Chair of the Educational Policy Committee,
introduced the Semester Transition Policy, explaining that the intent of the
policy is to ensure that students enrolled at the University during the
transition between the quarter and semester systems neither be disadvantaged
or advantaged due to the change.
A senator from the Morris campus asked that paragraph 5 be rephrased to
reference campus-wide liberal education requirements rather than the Council
on Liberal Education requirements which pertain to the Twin Cities campus
only. Professor Koch accepted that suggestion as a friendly amendment.
The motion was then unanimously approved.
APPROVED
[The above policy is the amended and approved version.]
III. EDUCATIONAL POLICY COMMITTEE
Uniform Grading and Transcript Policy
Action
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
UNIFORM GRADING AND TRANSCRIPT POLICY
Preamble
As the Senate Committee on Educational Policy (SCEP) has indicated
before, it is in the process of reviewing all Senate educational policies with
the intent of reorganizing and consolidating them into a coherent whole. THIS
GRADING POLICY IS THE FIRST OF A NUMBER OF POLICY REVISIONS THAT WILL BE
BROUGHT TO THE SENATE OVER THE NEXT YEAR.
MOTION:
That each campus assembly be asked to consider the following grading
policy, and to report their actions no later than the fall, 1996, Senate
meeting.
I. GENERAL PROVISIONS
1. There are two distinct grading systems on each campus of the University
of Minnesota, A-B-C-D-F (with pluses and minuses) 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.
2. There are, in addition, registration symbols identified and described in
this policy that carry neither grade nor credit.
3. No student may receive a Bachelor's degree unless at least 75 percent of
the degree-qualifying residence credits carry grades of A, B, C, or D
(with or without a plus or minus attached to it). Colleges and units
may choose not to accept academic work receiving a D (with or without a
plus or minus).
4. Each college, campus, and program shall determine to what extent and
under what conditions each of these two systems may be available to its
students and to its faculty, consistent with the provisions of this
policy. Any college, campus, or program may specify what courses or
proportion of courses taken by its students or its prospective students
must be on one or the other grading system. No campus, college, or
program is required to offer a course on the S-N grading system. 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 (8) and IV (5), no
college may use any grading system other than the one established by
this policy.
7. 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; mailed copies will include the official seal of the
University imprinted on them. Students may obtain an unofficial
transcript of their own academic work at their request, except when they
have a transcript hold on their record.
8. 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.
II. PERMANENT GRADES FOR ACADEMIC WORK
1. There are five permanent grades which shall be acceptable for the
completion of a single course, which will be entered on a student's
official transcript. Grades include pluses and minuses, as follows, and
carry the indicated grade points. The S grade shall carry no grade
points but the credits shall count toward the student's degree program
if allowed by the college, campus, or program.
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. It is understood throughout
the University that grades at the graduate level have different meaning.
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 1.00 . . . . Represents achievement that is worthy of credit
even though it fails fully to meet the course
requirements.
D- 0.67
_________________________________
S -0- Represents achievement that is satisfactory,
i.e., is equivalent to a 2.00 and meets or
exceeds the course requirements in every respect.
2. There are two permanent grades given for a single course for which no
credit shall be awarded and which will be entered on a student's
official transcript.
F (or) N Represents failure (or) 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
item 4). 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. Neither the F nor the N shall carry any
grade points.
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.
3. In connection with all symbols of achievement, and especially for the S,
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 (subject to the provision in this policy that the amount and
quality of work required for an S may not be less than that required for
a C [2.00]).
4. 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 earned with grades of A-F (including pluses and minuses). Both
the periodic and cumulative grade point average will appear on each
student's record.
All special grade point averages calculated at the request of a college
or unit, if approved by the appropriate chancellor, provost, or vice
president, will be accommodated by the Office of the Registrar in such a
manner that they do not appear on the student's official transcript or
any unofficial transcript which might be issued.
III. OTHER TRANSCRIPT SYMBOLS
1. There shall be a temporary grade I, incomplete, awarded to indicate that
the work of the course has not been completed.
The I shall be assigned at the discretion of the instructor when, due to
extraordinary circumstances, the student was prevented from completing
the work of the course on time. 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
during the student's next period of enrollment.
For undergraduates and adult special students, work to make up an I must
be submitted within 72 hours of the last final examination of the
student's next period of enrollment at the University; if not submitted
by that time, in the sixth week of the next term 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.
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.
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.
2. 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.
3. There shall be a symbol V, visitor, indicating registration as an
auditor or visitor, which shall carry no credit and no grade.
4. 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.
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 sixth week of class (second or third weeks of summer
sessions). Withdrawal in the seventh 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 extenuating non-academic circumstances justifying 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 sixth week of class and at any time up to
and including the last day of class for that course.
5. 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.
6. 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.
IV. OTHER PROVISIONS
1. In those instances when a college or campus permits a student to repeat
a course, (a) all 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.
Section (IV [1] [b]) of this policy shall not apply to courses using the
same number but where students study different content each term of
enrollment; all such courses falling under this provision must be
approved by the college.
2. Any college or campus may set special scholastic or other standards for
registration in a particular course, for scholastic probation,
admission, honors, continued residence, degrees, and other purposes they
deem appropriate.
3. All grades for all courses each period (quarter or semester) shall be
submitted to the Office of the Registrar no later than 72 hours after
the last final examination for that term.
4. This grading system shall go into effect fall quarter 1997, thereby
replacing all previous University, campus and college grading systems
except those of the Law School and the medical schools. Its grades,
symbols, and provisions may not be applied retroactively to any grades
or symbols awarded before that time. Each transcript will clearly
identify the procedures under which it was produced and will be
maintained and released under policies in effect during the time of the
student's registration.
5. 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.
Because alternative grading systems, once used, must be maintained by
the University for decades 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 schools).
6. The chancellors and provosts shall resolve disputes between and among
colleges and campuses should procedures developed for this grading
system result in unacceptable complications for students registering
across college lines or across campuses. They should bring to the
Senate Committee on Educational Policy issues they are unable to resolve
informally through negotiation, with recommendations for resolution.
7. A student shall have the right to petition the college scholastic
committee or other appropriate body concerning any of the provisions of
this policy.
COMMENT:
The Senate Consultative Committee has reviewed the policy and recommends
action by the Senate.
LAURA COFFIN KOCH, Chair
Educational Policy Committee
DISCUSSION:
Professor Koch, chair of the Educational Policy Committee (SCEP),
introduced the motion to ask each campus assembly to consider the Uniform
Grading and Transcript Policy accompanying the motion, and to report their
actions by the fall of 1996. It is the hope of the SCEP, she said, that each
campus will approve the policy as presented.
After clarifying that the policy would apply to all students, the vote
was taken and the motion was unanimously approved.
APPROVED
IV. SOCIAL CONCERNS COMMITTEE
Resolution
Action
MOTION:
That the University Senate approve the following Resolution:
BOYCOTT MITSUBISHI RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, tropical temperate, and boreal forests play a vital role in the
overall health of the planet, and
WHEREAS, these forests are being destroyed or degraded at increasing rates due
to logging, cattle ranching, mining, hydroelectric development, and other non-
sustainable commercial activities, and
WHEREAS, the degradation or destruction of these forests will have devastating
effects on the millions of native peoples who live and depend on these forests
as well as non-native people who derive significant benefits from them
(weather control, food sources, and medicines), and
WHEREAS, future generations have a right to inherit a planet as healthy as the
current generation inherited and this right is in jeopardy, and
WHEREAS, Mitsubishi has refused to modify its logging and trading practices or
even to accept a review by an independent international commission and instead
has increased its public relations efforts to further mask its destruction,
and
WHEREAS, universities advocate learning and free and open exchange of ideas in
order to improve the well-being of all persons,
BE IT RESOLVED that the University of Minnesota Senate hereby endorses and
joins the international boycott of the Mitsubishi corporate family. It
recommends that the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota shall
instruct the University of Minnesota Administration to refrain from purchases
of products that carry the Mitsubishi name until the Senate Social Concerns
Committee shall determine that the logging, mining, and trading practices of
the Mitsubishi companies are ecologically sustainable.
COMMENT:
Discussion between Karen Triplet, Director of Purchasing Services, and John
Dickey, Social Concerns Committee Chair, leads to the following recommendation
for implementation of the Boycott Mitsubishi Resolution:
1. University-wide contracts negotiated by Purchasing will direct contractors
not to fill any orders with Mitsubishi brand products.
2. Purchases of items costing $2000 and over will not be approved for
Mitsubishi brand products.
3. Purchasing and Materials Management will inform departments of the
Mitsubishi boycott through its annual newsletter and recommend that
departments respect this boycott for purchases under $2000. However,
Purchasing and Materials Management will have no responsibility to enforce the
boycott on departmental purchases under $2000.
JOHN DICKEY, Chair
Social Concerns Committee
DISCUSSION:
Professor John Dickey, chair of the Social Concerns Committee, presented
the resolution calling for the University to join the international boycott of
the Mitsubishi corporate family. He briefly reviewed the history of the
issue, the committee's reasons for preparing the resolution, and distributed
several supporting handouts.
Professor Dickey urged senators endorsement of the resolution and the
University to take a socially responsible stand against Mitsubishi products
until they change their environmental practices. Referring senators to the
comment section following the resolution, he reviewed how the University would
implement such a boycott.
One person asked Professor Dickey whether the committee had considered
mining issues, particularly the extent to which mining contributes to the
destruction of the rainforests. Professor Dickey replied that mining is not
the main issue behind the resolution, nor is it one of the conditions for
rescinding the boycott.
Regents Professor Eville Gorham strongly supported the resolution citing
the Mitsubishi Corporation's long and deplorable environmental record.
Senator Foster urged caution saying the Senate needs to think about the
consequences of the University helping non-academic causes, as worthy as they
might be, and wondered whether passage of the resolution would be an
invitation to other groups to seek the University's help in furthering their
causes. Professor Dickey replied that recommending the University's response
to social issues is precisely what the Social Concerns Committee is charged to
do and filtering requests and researching issues is part of that
responsibility.
At this time the resolution was overwhelmingly approved.
APPROVED
V. PRESIDENT'S REPORT
President Hasselmo made the following announcements:
- Nominations for an interim senior vice president for academic
affairs are currently being sought
- The North Central Accreditation Team will be on campus May 5-12.
In preparation for their visit the North Central Advisory
Committee, appointed by President Hasselmo, has prepared a
comprehensive self-study report and is organizing the site visit.
- Discussions have already begun concerning the 1997-99 biennial
request. A primary goal will be to present the University's case
in a manner that is easy to understand, perhaps linking the request
to themes.
Turning to the issue of tenure, President Hasselmo briefly reviewed the
reasons why tenure is on the agenda for review which he outlined in some
detail at the April 18 Faculty Senate meeting [refer to those minutes for the
full report].
VI. QUESTIONS TO THE PRESIDENT
QUESTION: What is the authority of department heads in assigning
responsibilities to faculty?
RESPONSE: Department heads have the responsibility to make teaching
assignments but faculty are free to choose their own topics for
research. That issue is currently being addressed by the Tenure
Subcommittee and is expected to be clarified in the Tenure Code.
VII. OLD BUSINESS
NONE
VIII. NEW BUSINESS
NONE
IX. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 3:00 p.m.
Martha Kvanbeck
Abstractor