EAC Policy Committee Minutes
January 10, 2007
1:30 – 3:30PM

Present:
Judy Selander
Roberto Suarez
Debra Porta
Michael Sonnleitner
Taylor Hanna
Mike Warwick
Jim Hicks
Craig Kolins
Porter Raper
Yvonne Norman
Barb Van Amerongen
Leslie Macauley
Cheryl Scott

Updates

Porter reported a very close vote at the EAC meeting for an investigation of all on-line degrees and whether there should be some traditional classroom or face-to-face component.  The vote carried to set up a committee to investigate the issue of all on-line degrees.  Karen Jolly will be setting up the committee.

Action:  Let Karen know if you or someone you know is interested in joining this committee.

Part-time voting rights:  The first part of the survey is completed.  We are waiting for the union to complete their survey about SACs and their practices involving part-time faculty voting practices in those SACs.  Michael Dembrow and other executives of the Federation will be talking to those SACs that restrict voting rights. 

Action:  Michael will give an update at the February meeting and the Committee can begin deliberations on the issue.

Audit-P/NP Grading Issue

Porter passed out the grading policy and procedures that Michael revised.  Michael emphasized that this is a rough draft and revisions are in red as a result of the last meeting.  See handout. 

Discussion followed:

• Concern about Faculty misusing “NS” or “IW” which can damage student’s financial aid 

• One idea: should use “IW” first two weeks only, then after that “F” or “NP”

• Faculty to have the ability to withdraw a student the first two weeks only

• Faculty to attach student grade policies to syllabus

• An “IW” indicates for financial aid at the 2nd week of the term what the student’s real load of classes is.  If 8 weeks later it gets communicated that it wasn’t the student’s real load of classes, and the money disbursed should not have been given to the students at the 2nd week of the term, Financial Aid then has to negate everything that has happened and will have to get the money back from the students.  Many go to collections.  If a student gets an “F” the students have to go through the appeal process for the next term, but gets to keep the Financial Aid from the current term.

• Definition of Audit needs to be redefined in the catalog to reflect its original intention as a grade for casual, usually non-degree seeking students

• Audits and IW’s will often hurt students on financial aid and faculty need to know this

• Financial aid is confidential –faculty often do not know if students are on it

• The Policy Committee needs to prepare a performance piece and present to the individual SACs, and perhaps have forums to discuss the grading standards.

Current grading policy proposal: it supports the 2nd week deadline which would have audit and withdraw with no charge, an 8th week deadline for P/NP and withdraw, and dropping the 3rd or 4th week date where there is no record on the students’ transcript. Also, the IW would no longer be an option. The committee agreed that the basic tenets of this policy change are positive and should be recommended to the EAC, although more discussion will occur at the next meeting.

Action:  Ask Veronica when Financial Aid reports to the state. 

Action:  Michael change wording on  #5 to: Petition to the Dean of Students; change wording on #4, both  “By” to “Until” and replace “registration to or from”   with “their grade option between A-F,”;  change “faculty may give” to “students may earn” throughout document;  cut out discussion questions on page two.

Action:  Michael will send Porter copy of Draft after changes.

Action:  Porter will invite folks from SDC, Financial Aid, Veronica and Tammy to the next Policy meeting, and give them a copy of the draft grading policy and agenda ahead of time.

Action:  Debra and Yvonne talk with students and bring back any concerns.

Action: Put on discussion piece of EAC in March.

Advisory Committee Handbook

In the academic policy handbook it talks about the need for an advisory handbook for those professional tech programs that has industry for outside communications.  A group got together including Rick Aman, dept. chairs and faculty and completed a draft and would like it to go through this committee and then to the EAC for approval. 

Taylor let the group know that CIS took a look at that draft document and created a four-fold handout.

Action:  Porter will email the document to Barb, Taylor and Leslie.

Action:  Barb, Taylor and Leslie will look at documents and meet with Rick Aman. 

Action:  Put on Agenda for February meeting.

President’s directive regarding policy and procedures

President Pulliams will be releasing a directive of distinguishing what policy is and what standards and procedures are.  This means we will be changing the name of this committee because we deal with procedures and standards and not setting policy. 

Action:  At February meeting we will discuss the new name of this committee.

Next meeting:  February 7, 2007, from 1:30 – 3:30PM, SY Pine Room