Recap of University Senate's April 15 meeting

A recap of the University Senate's meeting held April 15.

* The Senate voted against an Educational Policy Committee proposal to change academic regulations and procedures on drop and add dates. Under the proposal, students would be allowed to add or drop a course during the first week of the semester with no prior approvals. A course dropped within the first week would not appear on a student's record, but one dropped after the first week and before the fourth week would appear with a "W" on the transcript. The proposal addressed faculty, advisor and student concerns about the current policy, which allows students to add a course during the first week and drop a course during the first or second weeks. A PDF file of the proposal may be found at https://www.purdue.edu/senate/meetings.cfm.

* The Senate approved an Educational Policy Committee proposal to change academic regulations and procedures on grades and grade reports. The changes would clarify the deadline by which an incomplete grade needs to be completed and processed, and update the regulation to include plus and minus grades. Also under the proposal, faculty would be required to provide students with midterm grades reports, which could be provided through Signals, Blackboard, Banner, memo or verbal conversation. The proposal would affect only the West Lafayette campus. A PDF file of the proposal may be found at https://www.purdue.edu/senate/meetings.cfm.

* Senators approved an Educational Policy Committee proposal that limits the number of times a student can take a course to a first attempt and one repeat. The proposal stated that repeating a successfully or unsuccessfully attempted course has implications on financial aid, course availability for other students, and time to degree completion. A PDF file of the proposal may be found at https://www.purdue.edu/senate/meetings.cfm.  

* It was announced that the Steering Committee chair for 2013-14 will be David Sanders, biological sciences.

* The Senate elected members of its standing and faculty committees:

-- New members of the Steering Committee and their terms of service: Kirk Alter, building construction management technology, two years; Paul Ebner, animal sciences, three years; Sandra Liu, consumer science, three years; William Hutzel, mechanical engineering technology, three years; and Harry Targ, political science, two years.

-- New member of the Nominating Committee who will serve a three-year term: Steven Wereley, mechanical engineering.

-- New members of the Educational Policy Committee and their terms of service: Kirk Alter, building construction management technology, two years; Monica Cox, engineering education, three years; James Greenan, curriculum and instruction, one year; Harold Kirkwood, libraries, three years; Patrick Kain, philosophy, three years; David Pick, psychology, three years; Darryl Ragland, veterinary clinical sciences, one year; Whitney Walton, history, three years; and Gabriela Weaver, chemistry, two years.

-- New members of the Faculty Affairs Committee and their terms of service: Janusz Duzinkiewicz, history, three years; Yuehwern Yih, industrial engineering, two years.

-- New members of the Student Affairs Committee and their terms of service: Jennifer Dennis, agricultural economics, two years; Darryl Granger, earth, atmospheric and planetary sciences, two years; Iñigo Sanchez-Llama, languages and cultures, two years; Ronald Sterkenburg, aviation technology, one year.

-- New members of the University Resources Policy Committee, who will serve three-year terms: Jody Banks, botany and plant pathology; Gary Lantz, veterinary clinical sciences; Holly Mason, pharmacy; Voicu Popescu, computer science.

-- New members of University Grade Appeals Committee for terms ending May 31, 2016: Holly Mason, pharmacy; John Patterson, animal sciences; Cheryl Rockwell, nursing.

-- New members of the University Censure and Dismissal Procedures Committee for terms ending May 31, 2016: Donatella Danielli-Garofalo, mathematics; Otto Doering, agricultural economics; Peter Dunn, entomology; Stephen Elliott, industrial technology; Samuel Liles, computer and information technology; Philip Mick, aviation technology; JoAnn Miller, sociology; J. Paul Robinson, basic medical sciences; Christine Sahley, biological sciences; and Lia Stanciu, mechanical engineering. Alternate members are Richard Ghiselli, hospitality and tourism management, and Jean Stiles, veterinary clinical sciences.