Oakland University Senate
Seventh Meeting
Thursday, March 11, 1982
3:10 p.m.
128, 129, 130 Oakland Center
AGENDA
Respectfully submitted by Keith R. Kleckner for the Steering Committee.
A. Old Business:
1. Motion from the University Committee on Undergraduate Instruction pertaining to graduation requirements (Mr. Dawson):
MOVED that the graduation requirements--general education, major, and overall degree�for an undergraduate student shall be those stated in-the University catalog extant at the time of graduation unless the student specifies an earlier catalog. The specified catalog may not pre-date the first semester or session of the student's matriculation and may not be more than six years old at the time of graduation. Undergraduate students who return to the University after not having been enrolled for three consecutive fall and winter semesters or who change enrollment from one school or college to another may not follow the requirements in a catalog earlier than that in effect at the time of their return to the University or change of enrollment. Upon petition of individual students. Committees on Instruction or their equivalent groups are authorized to make exceptions to these regulations.
First Reading: Debatable, amendable, but not eligible for final vote at this meeting.
Comments: At its December 10 meeting the Senate voted to refer back to the UCUI for further study a motion to require students "who are readmitted to the University or who change from one degree program to another (to) follow graduation requirements in effect at the time of readmission or change of program." (Refer to the minutes of that meeting for an exhausting, if not exhaustive, discussion of the issue.) The UCUI has responded to the Senate's directive with the above motion. The business is old, but the motion is new�a substitute for the December 10 proposal.
The proposed legislation would replace the current rule,- which says that "graduation requirements for any given student are 'those state in the University catalog extant at the time at which the student i admitted to Oakland University or those stated in any subsequent catalog according to the student's choice." This rule has created problems for professional programs that regularly adapt their requirements to new technologies and changing needs. In addition, the existing rule extends the life of out-of-date catalogs almost indefinitely. By focusing attention on the requirements of the catalog in effect at the time of graduation and by limiting to six years the life span of any catalog the proposed new rules would significantly reduce the problems faced by the professional schools and would limit the number of different requirements that could theoretically be in effect for some students. The new rules could take effect immediately without adversely affecting the great majority of students. For the few others, good advising and generous allowances by Committees on Instruction should permit a smooth transition.
Considerations addressed by the UCUI in presenting this motion:
1. It is the intent of the legislation to be of service to large numbers of students in directing them to the most up-to-date catalog without creating the demonstrable hardship for anyone. It is the intent of the proposers of this legislation to do this in such a way with the wording of the legislation and these comments so as not to cause automatically large numbers of students to have to pursue the "Committees-on-Instruction" route for amelioration.
2. It is the intent of the legislation to place a specific time limit on the validity of old catalogs for all students and to have a University-wide policy which governs all academic units.
3. This legislation is intended to address the issue of what graduation requirements would apply for a student who extends his or her studies out over several years but does not ever have to apply for readmission.
4. It is the intent of this legislation to speak definitively about both "general education and major requirements" so no additional ambiguities will be perpetrated.
5. This legislation intends to establish which catalog would be in effect for graduation requirements (both major and general education requirements) for persons who have interrupted their studies or who have changed their enrollment from one school or college to another.
6. The proposers of this legislation recognize that "readmission" as it applies to different groups of students at Oakland University is an imprecise term. This is because not all students are required to make formal application for readmission even though there has been an interruption in their studies. It is intended that this legislation leave no doubt in anyone's mind as to what catalog will apply in any given set of circumstances.
7. The proposers of this legislation recognize that in the past the University has created different cohorts of students by writing legislation in such a way as to exclude certain students based upon date of admission. (This was done in the case of writing proficiency legislation passed April 21, 1977. To wit: "This legislation applies to incoming students only under the 1978-79 catalog and subsequent catalogs, exempting students who had entered Oakland University before Fall of 1978.") It is the intent of this legislation to address the student body as a whole and make "date controlled" requirements unnecessary.
8. The proposers of this legislation agree in principle with the concept that most students should (or should want to) be graduated under the catalog in effect at the time of their graduation. This is particularly true in the professional schools where the programs are continually updated. It is assumed after the adoption of this legislation that the normal procedure within the University will be that the catalog used to measure graduation requirements for the whole graduating class will be those in the current catalog unless individual students specify exceptions permitted under this legislation.
9. It is the intention of the proposers of this legislation to reduce to the lowest possible minimum the number of catalogs which advisers and students must consult to be informed about general education and major graduation requirements. It is not the intention of this legislation to offer students any disincentive to their declaring majors and degrees early in their education experience.
B. New Business:
None
C. Good and We1fare:
Private Resolutions.
D. Information Items:
None
E. President's Remarks:
President Champagne will be unable to attend this meeting. The Provost will make a few observations regarding the role of the Senate and its Committees.