Oakland University Senate

April 7, 1964

Agenda

MEMORANDUM
April 3, 1964

TO: All Members of the Senate

FROM: Donald D. O'Dowd, for the Steering Committee

RE: Agenda for Meeting of April 7, 1964

The next meeting of the Senate will be on Tuesday, April 7, 1964, at 4:00 p.m. in room 128-30 of the Oakland Center.

A. Old Business

1. Recommendations from the Committee on Instruction (Mr. Tomboulian)

a. Change of "N" grade deadline to the end of the ninth week.

It is apparent that in some courses an evaluation of a student's work is not available by the end of the sixth week. By extending the deadline three weeks, most students should have a better idea of their standing in their courses. Hopefully, the midterm grade should be used to help a student make a decision about whether to drop a course. At present, the midterm grades are only a record.

The following motions are presented for Senate approval:

(1) First two paragraphs of page 42 and second paragraph of page 43 of 1963-65 catalog (from Senate minutes of January 23, 1961) to be rewritten as follows:

"Courses can be dropped at any time up to the end of the ninth week. The only grade recorded by the Registrar for a course dropped during this period is an "N" grade. Permission of both the instructor and the academic advisor is required to drop a course; denial of permission is to be subject to review by the Committee on Instruction."

Mr. Appleton has moved to amend the preceding section by substituting "fifteenth week" for "ninth week" in the first sentence.

(2) Items b and c of the first paragraph of page 44 of 1963-65 catalog (from Senate minutes of October 22, 1962) to be rewritten as follows:

"If a student withdraws from the University after the end of the ninth week of a semester, the student's instructors, in consultation with the Dean of Students, will assign an "N" or "F" grade in the course in question."

b. The following resolution is recommended concerning a final examination period.

(1) That a period of four days be scheduled at the end of each semester in which examinations may be given, or classes held, at the option of the instructor. The scheduling should permit no more than one three-and-one-half-hour meeting period in the morning, and one three-and-one-half-hour meeting period in the afternoon of each of the four days. The exception to this schedule would be evening classes which would have evening meeting periods.

More than 80% of the faculty give final exams, and it was recommended overwhelmingly that no more than two exams be taken per day by a student. It is suggested that one day of the exam period could be a Saturday. A vast majority strongly favor a break before exams, which could be a week end. The schedule proposed for this semester is:  April 15, 16, 17 (two periods each); April 18 (one period).

c. It is proposed that the following policy statement be printed in the next catalog and elsewhere as required:

(1) Freshman students are expected to attend all scheduled class meetings of the courses in which they are registered, unless the instructor specifies otherwise.

2. Recommendation from the Academic Affairs Committee (Mr. Matthews)

a. A proposal to establish Area Studies concentrations to accompany departmental major programs.

The previously circulated document on Area Studies provides a detailed explanation of the following motion that is recommended to the Senate for approval.

(1) That in addition to the regular departmental major, each departmental major may be combined with a concentration in Area Studies, with the following course distribution: (a) six courses in the major department; (b) six courses appropriate to the student's area specialization as prescribed by the Committee on Area Studies and the major department, and (c) Area Studies 490 to be taken for purposes of writing a senior essay or research project with an area emphasis.

B. New Business

1. Recommendations from the Committee on Instruction (Mr. Tomboulian)

a. The following table is recommended for Senate approval to replace the conversion table adopted in spring 1963. This table is derived from analysis of the common meaning and use of grades both at Oakland and elsewhere.

This schedule incorporates the principle that all C work represents satisfactory work (acceptable for graduation). There is no exact equivalent of several numbers and letters, but since 70 is a common graduation requirement, this was used to define a 2.0.

Using this conversion chart, grades below 2.0 (C-) are penalty grades. Their meaning is that although credit is given for the course, the work is unacceptable for graduation without a compensating grade above 2.0 in another course. The following descriptions of various grades are hereby recommended:

 4.3    highest grade
4.0     excellent
3.0     outstanding
2.0     satisfactory
1.0     inadequate but receives credit
0.5     lowest grade receiving credit
0.0     failure; no credit

b. It is recommended that the following rules be adopted governing the repetition of courses.

(1) Only the last grade received will be used in computing the cumulative g.p.a. and the credits carried.

(2) A single line shall be drawn through the previous course record on the transcript. The word "repeat" should appear on the transcript following the designation of the course repeated.

(3) A course may be repeated no more than twice.

(4) Grades received in courses repeated shall not be used in determining honors. In computing honors, the first grade received shall be used.

(5) A special fee is paid for any repeated course.

2. Recommendation from the Steering Committee (Mr. O'Dowd)

a. It is anticipated that a large number of students will complete the requirements for the degree in August. Therefore, it will be necessary again this year for the Senate to hold a spring semester meeting to act on the award of honors and degrees. In view of this the following motion is recommended for adoption.

(1) That all members of the Senate who are available on campus in late August will assemble to act on behalf of the entire body in approving the recommendation of seniors for honors and degrees. The requirement of a minimum of fifteen votes for the enactment of legislation will be suspended for this one summer meeting of the Senate.

DDO'D:ird