The University Senate of Michigan Technological University

 

PROPOSAL 13-08

(Voting Units: Academic)

 

REVISION OF PROPOSALS 6-60, 11-69, 2-75, 8-94, 14-94, 25-94, 26-95, and 11-07    

TO REFLECT CONVERSION FROM QUARTERS TO SEMESTERS

 

 

Background:  Replaces ‘quarter or 'term' with ‘semester’ or deletes some words to update terminology from the former quarter system to the current semester system.

 

 

 PROPOSAL 6-60

 

"WRITTEN PROFICIENCY EXAMINATIONS"

 

Proficiency examinations may be given to those students who obtain the approval of the department concerned. Such examinations are given during the week prior to the beginning of instruction for the Fall Quarter Semester to applicants for examinations approved by the Department Head with concurrence of the College Registrar. Applicants shall be guided by the following restrictions:

PROPOSAL 11-69

"DESCRIPTION OF UNIT CREDIT (UNDERGRADUATE)"

Academic advancement by the student is measured in terms of quarter hour credits, or simply, credits. One credit should, on the average, require three hours of a student's time each week for one quarter semester. These three hours may all be spent in the classroom or laboratory, or may be divided between home study and class or laboratory attendance. One hour in class; two hours in individual study is a typical division. Course descriptions in the catalog show the number of credits for the course. Until the student determines by experience whether he requires more or less time than the average student, he should multiply the course credits by three to determine the demands the course will place on his time during a typical week of the quarter semester.

 

PROPOSAL 2-75

 

"COURSE CHANGE POLICY"

 

III. PROCEDURES

C.  At least one quarter semester prior to being offered for the first time, a catalog description and content outline of provisionally approved courses shall be transmitted by the offering department to all academic faculty, department heads, deans of schools, and colleges, the registrar, and the Vice-President of Academic Affairs.

D.  In order to prevent unnecessary overlapping of departmental course offerings, other departments or the dean of any school or college may initiate review of a provisionally approved course through the Vice-President of Academic Affairs. The Vice-President of Academic Affairs may also initiate his own independent review. Such a review will automatically cancel provisional approval for not more than one quarter semester during which time the issue must be settled.

 

E.   Courses may be offered during any quarter semester following provisional approval.

 

 

PROPOSAL 8-94

 

"TEACHING AND GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS; CREATION, FUNDING, ALLOCATION"

 

Proposal Implementation

If the proposal is adopted, it will be necessary to decide how the existing GTA and tuition resources should be split between GAs and TAs.  To address this question, the Subcommittee looked at the current allocation and agreed that approximately 45 to 65 of the GTAs currently allocated by the Graduate School are primarily supporting strong research programs, with the balance of 60 to 80 GTAs supporting instructional obligations.  Taking into account that there is a need for an increase in research support at MTU, we selected 52 as the number of GTA positions to be converted into GAs.  There are currently 15 fellowships administered by the Graduate School; the total of proposed GAs and current fellowships, 67, is currently 10% of the number of graduate students enrolled.  Again considering that research support must increase if we are to meet our stated goals, the Subcommittee proposes that budget allocated to the Dean of the Graduate School for GA support should always be sufficient to cover stipends and tuition for at least 10% of the graduate student enrollment. To arrive at an upper bound on the amount of GA support provided we propose that the Graduate School support students at a level which averages out over all programs to three to four quarters semesters of graduate support for each Ph.D. student and half that level for masters students.  This level of support will allow for a good deal of flexibility within graduate programs in the recruitment of graduate students.  It will also encourage the development of outside sources of support for graduate students, without which growth in research is not possible.  Using the above‑proposed 4 quarters 3 semesters of support for each Ph.D. student as a starting place and taking 4 years as the minimum time for completion of a Ph.D. degree, we arrive at 25% as the upper bound of the number of graduate students at a given time who would be supported by the Graduate School.  Since the masters degree typically takes half the time of the Ph.D., this estimate is valid for masters students as well.

 

 

PROPOSAL 14-94

 

"RECOMMENDATION ON EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT TUITION RATES;

MODIFICATION OF BOC POLICY 9.17"

 

2.   The changes in policy will go into effect beginning with the Fall Quarter Semester of 1995 or 1996 depending on when it is approved by the Board of Control. 3.     The new policy will:

   a)      Establish a minimum performance requirement of a 2.50 C.G.P.A. after spring quarter   semester.

 

   b)     Set a maximum time limit of only five years (fifteen quarters) for program eligibility.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROPOSAL 25-94

 

"COURSE GRADES"

 

For two important reasons it is essential that all final grades be delivered to the Registrar's Office by the specified final deadline:

 

1)   Students' schedules and financial aid for the coming Quarter semester often depend on grades received in the preceding Quarter semester.

 

2)         The economical and efficient operation of the Registrar's Office is impaired when work for a new Quarter semester is interrupted to post late grades from the preceding Quarter semester. Details of grades and scheduling are given in the University Catalogs.

 

The following procedures shall normally be followed by instructors:

 

1)   At the end of each Quarter semester, the person in charge of each course or section will enter final grades on the forms provided for this purpose, sign the forms, and deliver them to the Registrar's Office by the specified final deadline.  (It would be extremely helpful if they were delivered as soon as possible after the scheduled course final so that they can be processed immediately.  The Registrar's Office requests that instructors try to turn their grades in within 48 hours of their scheduled finals.  A large volume in the last two days before the deadline negatively impacts the ability of the Registrar's Office to process the grades in a timely manner.)  If an instructor, because of illness or other unavoidable absence, is unable to meet this deadline, the department chair (or school dean/director) should arrange for assistance so that final grades can be delivered on time.

 

PROPOSAL 26-95

 

"UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC PROGRESS"

 

A student who is seeking the baccalaureate or associate degree is placed on academic probation when any one of the following is true:

 

     1.    The University cumulative GPA is below 2.00.

     2.    The GPA for the most recent quarter semester is below 2.00.

     3.    The cumulative in the courses used to calculate departmental GPA is below 2.00, based on at least 15 credits.

 

A student on academic probation will be removed from probation when all of the following are true:

 

     1.    The University cumulative GPA is 2.00 or greater.

     2.    The GPA for the most recent quarter semester is 2.00 or greater.

     3.    The cumulative GPA in the major department is 2.00 or greater.

 

Academic Dismissal

Academic dismissal will result if a student fails to be removed from probation within two quarters semesters of enrollment after receiving the first probation notice.  (For example, a continuously enrolled student placed on academic probation at the end of the fall term must meet the criteria for removal from probation at the end of winter or spring or fall term semester.)  A student receiving a notice of academic dismissal will not be permitted to enroll at the University. Appeals of academic dismissal will be heard if students can document that there are unusual or extenuating circumstances surrounding their recent academic performance.  They must also be confident that they will be able to remove themselves from probation by the end of one additional quarter semester of attendance.  Students wishing to make such an appeal must do so in writing to the Dean of Student Affairs within five calendar days of receipt of the dismissal notice.

 

Reinstatement

A student who is dismissed for unsatisfactory academic progress may apply for reinstatement through a written request to the Dean of Student Affairs after a period of non-enrollment.  Each such request is considered individually and promptly.  A student who is reinstated after academic dismissal will be reinstated on academic probation.  Failure to achieve good academic standing by the end of the second quarter semester after reinstatement will result in a second dismissal.  There shall be no reinstatement after a third academic dismissal.

 

PROPOSAL 11-07

 

"REVISION OF PROPOSAL 14-97, POLICY ON CORRECTING STUDENT GRADES AND RETENTION OF STUDENT WORK"

 

A student having an error in a final course grade received should contact the instructor and the registrar as soon as possible but no later than one month after the beginning of the next term semester.  Graded student work (exams, papers, homework, etc.) which has not been returned to the student should be retained by the instructor of record for at least one month after the beginning of the next term semester or until existing disputes have been resolved.

 

 Introduced to Senate: 01 January 2008
Adopted by Senate with revisions: 13 February 2008
Approved by Administration: 18 February 2008