Draft

Academic Council

Minutes: 5/14/07 meeting

3-5 pm

Submitted by Brad Krein

Present: Alice Rink, Brad Krein, Jay Jackson, Jennifer Lee, Joseph Krause, John Mullen, Marcy Wald, Mary Ellen Sullivan, Onnie Killefer, Renee Kilmer, Sally Dauphin, Victoria Banales

Guests: Sam Lee

Absent:Mo Hassan, Sarah Albertson, David King

Call to order: 3:05

Minutes from 4/30/07 accepted with a spelling correction-done.

Old Buisiness

The excessive absence policy was discussed.The following is the new text:

Current text:

STUDENT ATTENDANCE                                                      AR 3270

Excessive Absence
Class hours of absence are considered excessive when they total more than the number of hours a class meets during each week of an average (17.5 week) semester. This applies equally to day, evening, summer, and weekend classes.

Absence from class in excess of the equivalent of two weeks for that class will constitute reason for an instructor to withdraw a student from that class. It is the student’s responsibility to officially withdraw from classes. Failure to withdraw from classes officially may result in the assignment of failing grades.

Attendance at First Class Meeting
Students who do not attend the first class meeting may be dropped and their seats filled by other students. If a student is unable to attend the first class meeting, it is his/her responsibility to notify the instructor personally or in writing.

Proposed text:

STUDENT ATTENDANCE                                                      AR 3270

Excessive Absence
Class hours of absence are considered excessive when they total more than the number of hours a full-term class meets during each week of a 16-week semester. This applies proportionately to short-term day, evening, summer, wintersession, and weekend classes.  For example, if a student is absent for more than three hours in a summer class that, when scheduled as a full-term class during a fall or spring semester meets for three hours per week, the student’s absence can be considered excessive, irrespective of the number of class meetings missed.

Excessive absence from class as defined in the above paragraph will constitute reason for an instructor to drop a student from that class. However, it is the student’s responsibility to officially withdraw from classes by published deadlines to avoid failing grades.

Attendance at First Class Meeting
Students who do not attend the first class meeting may be dropped and their seats filled by other students. If a student is unable to attend the first class meeting, it is his/her responsibility to notify the instructor personally or in writing.

End of proposed text

The chair announced that a subcommittee of distance ed was working on a similar policy for online/distance ed courses and asked the committee that if a draft should come to him from the distance ed subcommittee would it be alright to distribute it via e-mail and have a cyber discussion/vote. All agreed.

The following text was approved by the council via an e-mail vote:

Approved text:

STUDENT ATTENDANCE                                                      AR 3270

Excessive Absence
Class hours of absence are considered excessive when they total more than the number of hours a full-term class meets during each week of a 16-week semester. This applies proportionately to short-term day, evening, summer, wintersession, and weekend classes.  For example, if a student is absent for more than three hours in a summer class, that, when scheduled as a full-term class during a fall or spring semester meets for three hours per week, the student’s absence can be considered excessive, irrespective of the number of class meetings missed.

Excessive absence from class as defined in the above paragraph will constitute reason for an instructor to drop a student from that class. However, it is the student’s responsibility to officially withdraw from classes by published deadlines to avoid failing grades.

For online classes, absence is defined as failing to turn in homework, post messages, maintain email contact with instructor or otherwise complete required activities as noted in the course syllabus.
Attendance at First Class Meeting
Students who do not attend the first class meeting may be dropped and their seats filled by other students. If a student is unable to attend the first class meeting, it is his/her responsibility to notify the instructor personally or in writing.

For online classes, students may be dropped who do not complete the required orientation OR  contact their instructor by the end of the day published as the start date of the class.

End approved text

New Business

None

Items from the floor

None

The meeting adjourned at 3:30