Indiana University Bloomington
Arts and Humanities Social and Historical Studies Natural and Mathmatical Sciences World Languages & Cultures life Sciences

precollege undergraduate students Graduate Students Faculty and Staff Alumni and Friends



resources for Faculty/Staff

Committee for Undergraduate Education

Minutes
March 23, 2004
Present: Catherine Larson (chair), Anthony Ardizzone, Cynthia Bannon, Allan Edmonds, Walter Gantz, Mike Gasser, Catharine Hoff, Robert Ivie, Daniel O'Neill, Catherine Pilachowski, Georgia Strange
Ex Officio: Kirstine Lindemann, David Halloran
Policy Committee representative: Al Ruesink
Absent: Mellonee Burnim, Olivia Snyder

ACTION
  1. Approved minutes of February 24, 2004 meeting.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended that students be allowed up to three "Ws" during their undergraduate academic career (with an exclusion of the freshman year from this cap). Exceptions could be reviewed by petition to the dean of the student's school. Recommended that the dates currently associated with withdrawals be kept as is. These recommendations are to be conveyed in the current campus discussion of the issue.

DISCUSSION
Minutes The minutes of the February 24, 2004 meeting were approved.

Withdrawal Date Discussion continued from last meeting. Dean Lindemann presented information regarding student withdrawals from classes at other CIC institutions. The Committee discussed effects of the current system and discussed such possible alternatives as changing the date for an "Automatic W" or capping the number of withdrawals that an individual student could receive. After discussing the dates currently used in allowing withdrawals (for example, that students are allowed an "automatic W" roughly through the first half of a semester or term), Committee members found these dates appropriate. After extensive discussion of different proposals regarding limitations on withdrawals, the Committee members agreed to the recommendations listed above.

Overlap Issues Discussion continued from last meeting. Included in the discussion were such questions as whether there should be a "unique core" for each "credential" that the student earns, or whether the student should receive each credential for which the student has satisfied the requirements even if there is substantial (or even total) overlap in coursework. Other issues mentioned included the development of interdisciplinary programs that cross departmental boundaries, and the perceptions of the meanings of majors and degrees and credentials by those outside academia. Dean Hoff will request information from CIC institutions about similar policies, and the discussion will be continued at the next meeting.

Other items were tabled for the next meeting.

The next meeting is scheduled for April 20, 2004 in Kirkwood Hall 007.