Special Committee On Academic Policy 2005-06

Committee Members

• Gerald H. Herman (Chair), g.herman@neu.edu
  Arts and Sciences, History
• Sharon M. Bruns, s.bruns@neu.edu
  CBA, Accounting
• Robert P. Futrelle, futrelle@css.neu.edu
  Computer and Information Science
• Nancy Kindelan, n.kindelan@neu.edu
  Arts and Sciences, Theatre
• Thomas O. Sherman, t.sherman@neu.edu
  Arts and Sciences, Mathematics
• William E. Wray, w.wray@neu.edu
  Arts and Sciences, Coop
• Malcolm D. Hill (ex officio), m.hill@neu.edu
  Undegraduate Educatation, Vice Provost
• Jack R. Greene, j.greene@neu.edu
  Criminal Justice, Dean
• Richard J. Scranton r.scranton@neu.edu
  Engineering, Associate Dean
• Stephen R. Zoloth s.zoloth@neu.edu
  Bouve, Dean

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Background To Charge

According to the Faculty Senate Bylaws, the Committee on Academic Policy is a standing committee of the Faculty Senate charged with two general functions:

1. The Committee shall be concerned with questions of basic academic and research policy on an institutional level. Items to be dealt with should concern teaching loads, research procedures, academic requirements, classroom instruction, and all matters that pertain to classroom and laboratory activities.
2. The Committee shall also consider any academic matter or proposed program brought before the Senate that deals with relationships between the colleges or involves more than one college.

Over the past two academic years, the Special Committees on Academic Policy began work on developing an innovative template for a general education program for Northeastern University undergraduate students. We commend the hard work that the 2004-05 Committee completed last year on furthering the General Education Proposal. The 2004-05 Special Committee on Academic Policy - Stage II Report on University-wide General Education Proposal led to the following resolution, passed by the Senate on 6 April 2005.

BE IT RESOLVED That the Faculty Senate authorize that the Special Academic Policy Committee's Stage 2 General Education Report be sent to the Colleges with full-time undergraduate programs with a request that all units with undergraduate majors review the proposal, work out how their major programs might fulfill the proposed General Education requirements, and report back to the Senate's Academic Policy Committee on their solutions, problems, and implementation funding needs by the January 15th 2006. Based on this information, the Special Academic Policy Committee will make final adoption recommendations to the Senate for its consideration by the end of the Spring Semester 2006. If the General Education Requirements are then adopted (with appropriate resources provided) by the University, roll-out will begin with the class of 2012, entering the University as freshmen in September, 2007.

In addition, over the past year, another issue arose from a recent grievance mediation committee. The committee recommended that the Senate review university policy and procedures on changing of grades to achieve clarity as well as consistency between faculty and student policy guidelines. Specifically, they suggested that the following questions be addressed:

How may a contested grade be changed, by whom, when, and following what process? Who makes the final decision? What responsibility is there for feedback to faculty?

To this end, the focus for the 2005-06 Special Committee on Academic Policy will be to complete the General Education proposal, to coordinate its work with the Ad Hoc Calendar Committee, and to review policies on changing grades.

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Committee Charge

Accordingly, the Senate Agenda Committee respectfully requests that the Special Committee on Academic Policy prepare a report, in both hard copy and electronic form, on the following charge:.

1. In consultation with all units with undergraduate major, review the General Education Proposal and make final adoption recommendations to the Senate for its consideration. The Special Committee on Academic Policy should carefully consider and report back to the Senate Agenda Committee on the General Education Requirements by no later than 15 March 2007.

   The Senate Agenda Committee also requests that the Committee on Academic Policy prepare a report, in both hard copy and electronic form, on the following charge:

2. Review the University policies and procedures on changes of grades due to inconsistencies in the various handbooks and manuals. The goal is to achieve consistent policies for changing grades for both undergraduate and graduate students. This consideration should be undertaken within the context of the appeals process articulated in the student handbooks, the Faculty Operations Manual, the Faculty Handbook, and relevant college and University publications.
3. Review changes to the Cooperative Education eligibility requirements for undergraduate students, approved by the UUCC.

Committee Reports

• Report of the 2005-06 Senate Standing Committee on Academic Policy, 3 December 2005 (.pdf)
• General Education at Northeastern Final Report and Recommendations 3 April 2006(.pdf)