University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
College of Letters and Science
1998-99
Academic Policies and Appeals Committee
(merger of the Admission Policies and the Academic Standing and Appeals Committees)
Minutes #1
Wednesday, March 10, 1999
| Present: |
Fred Anapol, Eric Browne, Kathryn Dindia, Connie Jo (staff support), Richard Monti, Erl Olfe (ex officio), Donald Solomon, Madeleine Velguth, Charles Wimpee |
| Absent: |
Albert Milani, Thomas Holbrook |
| Guest: |
Cindy Piercy |
- Call to Order
Chuck Wimpee, who was chair of one of the merged committees, called the meeting to order at 1:08 p.m. in HLT 241.
- Procedural Matters
The committee members unanimously elected Fred Anapol as chair of the new committee.
- Automatic Consent--None
- Old Business
Connie Jo, Erl Olfe, and Chuck Wimpee gave some background on discussions at the Admission Policy Committee last year concerning the students admitted to L&S near the formal admission standards cut-off. Campus plans to collect data on how students fare at the university have not been carried out. Erl is working with Sherry Kulhanek to develop a student data base for L&S containing this kind of information. There still are problems with the retention data, but it is expected that a useable report will be available before the next committee meeting.
Committee members requested the following information in addition to the data Erl will provide: university admissions standards; minutes from the meetings of the 1997-98 Admission Policies Committee.
- New Business
- Committee members considered a request from Gabrielle Verdier to consider a change in the College's "High School Special Admission Policies" (copy attached). Erl explained the background of the policy and noted that our policy is not as flexible as that at some other campuses. The Youth Options Program, which pays college tuition for high school students to take college classes, also has asked that the College consider a less restrictive standard. The Department of Enrollment Services suggested that the College consider admitting students down to the 25th percentile of their high school class.
It was moved (Wimpee), seconded (Browne), and approved to include wording in the L&S policy that indicates that the College allows for exceptions on a case by case basis. Following approval of this motion, it was moved (Velguth), seconded (Wimpee), and approved that the committee reconsider the motion just passed. A substitute motion was made (Velguth) and seconded (Browne) to add the following language to the policy: "In exceptional cases, these requirements may be waived." Committee members felt that while this addition did not change the status quo since exceptions now are granted on occasion, it would have the effect of not discouraging students from pursuing an appeal if they believed their circumstances were exceptional. In this way, the College would not discourage students who otherwise would not know an appeal was possible. The motion was approved. Connie noted that a rationale for the action must be part of a faculty document, and she will provide the Chair with the appropriate format.
- Erl and Cindy reported that they had studied the grievance procedure of the College's departments. Some have not been updated since the 1970's, and there are significant inconsistencies between them. They requested that the committee consider developing a standardized procedure. It was moved (Wimpee), seconded (Dindia), and approved that L&S develop a uniform grievance policy, as far as practicable. Erl and Cindy will prepare a draft for the committee to review at its next meeting. Connie will provide for them a format for the preparation of faculty documents.
- Connie reported that there had been some interest expressed by campus administration for the development of a uniform teaching evaluation. There is concern that some faculty and staff members are not requesting that students in their courses complete evaluations. Don indicated that there is a Senate mandate that evaluations must be done for all courses. Committee members agreed that the administration should look at the Senate policy and increase efforts to enforce it, but that there was no formal action that the College faculty needs to take at this time.
- The proposed meeting schedule that had been circulated by email in mid-February was discussed. Members agreed to meet as scheduled. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, April 14, at 1:00 p.m. in HLT 241.
- Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 2:53 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Connie Jo
Special Assistant to the Dean and
Distinguished Advisor
Secretary to the L&S Faculty
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