University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Letters and Science 2002-2003 Academic Policies and Appeals Committee Meeting: Tuesday, October 1, 2002 Holton Hall 241 Minutes No. 1 Present:   Lakshimi Bharadwaj, Michael Gordon, Connie Jo, Geoffrey Kennedy, Jane Nardin, Richard O'Malley, Erland Olfe, Joseph Rodriguez, Kristene Surerus, Kathleen Wheatley Guest: Denise Mueller The chair, Jane Nardin, called the meeting to order at 12:30 p.m. in Holton Hall 241. Automatic Consent Minutes #2, 2001-2002 (April 9, 2002) were approved unanimously. The Annual Report, 2001-2002 was approved unanimously. Procedural Matter Election of Chair for 2002-2003 - Jane Nardin was unanimously elected as chair for 2002-2003. Election of Co-Chair for 2002-2003 - tabled Old Business- None New Business Policy on effective dates of changes to majors - Erl Olfe explained that a distinction needs to be made between requirements to declare a major and the requirements to complete a major. We have had a long-standing informal policy that students can pursue any set of major requirements in effect from the time they enter the University. We also applied this to requirements for declaring a major until recently. Leslie Schulz informed the APCC that such requirements could be implemented at the start of the next term following approval. Erl explained the serious impact this interpretation has had on students declaring a major. He cited the changes in Journalism and Mass Communication. Jane Nardin suggested that when a department enacts new requirements, students be allowed a specified time period to declare a major under the old or new requirements. Erl noted that many of our students are part-timers who may stop out for a time. A short period of overlap for old and new requirements would be hard on these students. Connie Jo described the Course and Curriculum Committee's discussion of this issue. While the C&CC members lean toward a policy favoring immediate implementation, they agreed that the most important issue was to approve a formal policy that would apply uniformly to all departments. Connie also informed members of the committee that UWM carried over from Madison a policy to permit students to follow any set of degree requirements from the time they enter. There is no such policy for majors. Geoffrey Kennedy suggested that students be assigned the requirements in the official catalog and that they be allowed to meet those or any others put into effect from the time they entered the University. Connie noted that currently, because of complications involved in updating the web catalog, we cannot identify an "official" version of the catalog. Erl explained that generally there has been no problem for returning students with the policy we have been following. However, he agreed with the C&CC that a uniform policy should be approved. After further discussion, it was moved and seconded to recommend to the L&S Faculty adoption of a policy to permit students to fulfill any set of major requirements in effect from the time they enter the university. The motion was approved unanimously. Members of the Committee then discussed the state of the undergraduate catalog and the problems with having it updated. Some members suggested that revisions to the catalog should be done once a year to resolve the problem of identifying the official version. Others thought the annual update would not be embraced by the departments; the faculties generally want their new requirements published immediately upon approval. The Committee agreed to meet again to discuss a possible proposal to the L&S Faculty. The Committee selected November 5th at 11:30 a.m. for its next meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 1:10 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Connie Jo Special Assistant to the Dean Secretary to the L&S Faculty Distribution: Dean Richard Meadows Associate Deans Harris, Miller, O'Bryan, Schuster Assistant Deans Horstman, Kissinger, Olfe Chairs (via email/web) Secretary to the University C:comm/Minutes#1,2002-03.apac