Recommendation:

That the L&S Faculty amend the charter of the Academic Policies and Curriculum Committee as follows:

• delete item 5.i. regarding nomination of representatives to Graduate School Committees;
• re-label current items 5.j, k., l., and m.. as 5.i.. j., k., and l.

Rationale:

Responsibility for nominating members for Graduate School committees previously was assigned to the old L&S Graduate Program Committee (GPC), the functions of which were transferred to the new L&S Academic Policies and Curriculum Committee when the GPC was eliminated. The L&S Academic Planning and Governance Committee (AP&GC) has responsibility for preparing the slate of nominees for L&S committees. It makes sense to send a single preference form to L&S faculty members to determine their interest in serving on both L&S and Graduate School Committees. Assigning all nominating functions to a single committee ensures that those individuals identifying the nominees will have a more complete picture of the committee nominations for which L&S faculty members are being considered, avoiding the occurrence of conflicting nominations. The Graduate School has agreed that this function can be moved to the L&S AP&GC.

1. Functions

   a.	The Committee reviews undergraduate and graduate programs and curricula, undergraduate admission and transfer policies and requirements, and undergraduate scholastic rules and standards in the College and makes suitable recommendations to the Faculty and to the Dean.
   b.	The Committee formulates procedures and criteria for consideration of undergraduate and graduate program proposals from departments and/or interdepartmental programmatic units.
   c.	The Committee reviews and makes recommendations concerning the admission of qualified high school special students and of categories of students who are not admissible to the College on the basis of the normal requirements of high school rank, test scores, or patterns of high school academic units.
   d.	In the area of curriculum, the committee may consider, without limitation by enumeration, questions concerning the general development and improvement of the liberal arts programs; changes in degree requirements or in existing curricula; proposals for new majors, minors, concentrations, specializations, certificates, or other instructional programs; proposals for modifications in existing grading or other evaluation procedures. The committee forwards reviewed proposals with its recommendations to the Dean of the College who, in turn, forwards them with recommendations to the L&S Faculty, the Academic Program and Curriculum Committee, or the Dean of the Graduate School, as appropriate.
   e.	In the area of courses, the committee may consider, without limitation by enumeration, new course proposals; modifications in existing courses (change of title, change in credit hours, change in prerequisites, change in course content); review of interdisciplinary courses, periodic review of all course offerings to propose elimination of duplicated or nonessential courses; determination of courses offered by other UWM schools or colleges to be acceptable for credit in the College of Letters and Science; review of proposals for innovative or experimental methods in teaching, whether in new or existing courses. The Committee has the power to determine which of these matters will be treated as automatic consent, information only, or automatic approval and which will be considered substantial modifications requiring review and formal action.
   f.	In the area of scholastic rules and standards, the Committee may review and make recommendations, without limitation by enumeration, policies concerning academic probation, removal from academic probation, dropped status, readmission, appeal procedures, and residence requirements.
   g.	The Committee maintains, through its chair, continuing liaison with appropriate College committees, the UWM Academic Program and Curriculum Committee (for undergraduate courses and programs), the Graduate Faculty Council (for courses open to both graduate and undergraduate students and for graduate-only courses and programs), curriculum, program, and policy committees of other UWM schools and colleges, and System-wide committees.
   h.	The Committee examines on a regular basis the relationships among the admissions and transfer policies and requirements of the College, other UWM schools and colleges, the UWM campus, and the UW System.
   	The graduate faculty members of the Committee, in consultation with the department chairs, annually shall nominate representatives from the College of Letters and Science to serve on the Research and Fellowship Committees of the Graduate School and such other committees of the Graduate School as the Graduate Faculty Council may designate. The Committee, at its discretion, may nominate one or more of its own members to serve on these committees.
   i.	The Committee, in consultation with the department chairs, annually shall nominate members of the Faculty of the College of Letters and Science for election to the Graduate Faculty Council. At least two faculty members must be nominated for each vacant position, and not more than one nominee shall be from a single academic department. In preparing nominations, the Committee shall strive to achieve parity among the academic divisions of the College. Graduate faculty members of the Academic Policies and Curriculum Committee shall be eligible for nomination to positions on the Graduate Faculty Council.
   j.	The committee may consider any matter within its general function on its own initiative or when referred to it by the Dean, the College Faculty, or the Graduate Faculty Council.
   lk.	The Committee shall meet at least once each semester. Minutes reflecting all formal actions taken shall be recorded.
   ml.	The Committee shall report annually to the L&S Faculty.