TO:	Dr. Joel Piperberg Faculty Senate Chairperson
FROM:	Edward C. Shane Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
DATE:	March 4, 2004
SUBJECT:	APPROVAL OF FACULTY SENATE CURRICULAR RECOMMENDATIONS

As the President's designee, I am informing you on the following Faculty Senate Curricular Actions

Faculty Senate action at December 2, 2003, meeting:

Changes in Courses/Curricula:

CHEM 111 - Introductory Chemistry I

• 4 credits
• Existing General Education Liberal Arts Core designation (G2, L)
• Add Pre-Requisites: CHEM 110 with a grade of C- or higher, or satisfactory score on the Chemistry Placement Test (CPT) before registration, or permission of chair.

  COMMENT: Most students affected by this change are incoming freshmen requiring chemistry their first semester. Transfer students will be included in the chemistry placement testing and will be able to register for the appropriate class. This change will help advisement of non-science majors and the proper placement of them into other G2 courses more appropriate to their needs.

Approved, effective Fall 2004

New Undergraduate Course:

ESCI/BIOL 103 - The Science of Evolution

• 3 credits
• Pre-requisites: 15 credit hours
• General Education Liberal Arts Core designation (G2)
• No credit toward major field requirements for biology or earth sciences majors.
• Team taught course cross-listed in the Earth Sciences and Biology departments
• Faculty Load: To be scheduled within existing complement(s) in such a way as to minimize underloads and overloads in the two departments. CBA guidelines apply for a team-taught course.

Approved, effective Fall 2004

Undergraduate Academic Policy:

Completion of the Major Policy

• Existing Policy

  The completion of any major program at Millersville University requires that students must complete all courses in the major (courses in the discipline but not the required-related courses) with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0. In addition, fifty percent of the credits in the major must be completed at Millersville University. A department can neither require a cumulative grade point average higher than the 2.0 University requirement, nor a grade point average higher than the minimum University requirement for completion of the major.

  All departments must specify the courses required for completion of the major and any additional requirements not specifically related to course work such as achievement examinations, certification examinations, and evaluation of student performance as measured against competency statements. Departments have the right to establish a competency level (minimum of "C" grade) for courses in the major and required-related courses.

  Proposals for special departmental requirements for completion of the major must be approved by the appropriate School Curriculum Committee, the Undergraduate Course and Program Review Committee, and the Faculty Senate. Approved requirements for completion of the major must be promulgated in the University catalog.

• Revised Policy

  The completion of any major program at Millersville University requires that students must complete all courses in the major (courses in the discipline but not the required-related courses) with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0. In addition, fifty percent of the credits in the major must be completed at Millersville University. Except for state mandated requirements, departments may not require a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) or major grade point average (GPA) higher than the University 2.0 GPA minimum requirement.

  All departments must specify the courses required for completion of the major and any additional requirements not specifically related to course work such as achievement examinations, certification examinations, and evaluation of student performance as measured against competency statements. Departments have the right to establish a competency level (minimum of "C" grade) for courses in the major and required-related courses.

  Proposals for special departmental requirements for completion of the major must be approved by the appropriate School Curriculum Committee, the Undergraduate Course and Program Review Committee, and the Faculty Senate. Approved requirements for completion of the major must be promulgated in the University catalog.

Approved, effective Fall 2004

Faculty Senate action at January 20, 2004, meeting:

Undergraduate Academic Policy:

Course Repeat Policy

• Existing Policy
  1. A student has the privilege of repeating at Millersville courses for which he/she had previously received a grade at Millersville. Ordinarily this applies only to courses in which grades of D, F, WP, WF, I, Z or U have been received. A student could, with advisor approval, elect to repeat courses in which an earlier grade of B or C was earned.

  2. When a student repeats at Millersville a course in which he/she had previously earned a grade, the new grade, credit and quality points will replace the previously earned grade in the computation of the quality point average. Although not included in the computation of credits or quality point average, the earlier grade shall remain on the student's record.

  3. Students who have received transfer credit for an equivalent course at Millersville, but who take that course at Millersville will forfeit the transfer credit.

• Revised Policy

  A student, in consultation with the adviser, may repeat a course to improve the GPA, to meet minimum competency requirements, or to satisfy graduation requirements. Students only need to repeat a failed course if it is specifically required for graduation. Students may repeat courses for which they have received a grade of C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F, W, Z, or U.

  Courses failed at Millersville must be repeated at Millersville in order to earn course credit and credit toward graduation. Students may not transfer credit for any course taken at another institution that is the equivalent of a course previously taken at Millersville; this policy applies whether the course was passed or failed at Millersville University. Students may repeat courses at Millersville for which they have received transferred credit, but they will forfeit the transfer credit.

  Once the course is repeated, the new grade, credits, and grade point value replace those earned previously in the cumulative GPA. The earlier grade remains on the student's record even though it is no longer included in the computation of credits or cumulative GPA. In consultation with the adviser, students who find it necessary to repeat a course will be informed of and expected to use support services available to them through the Office of Learning Services.

  An undergraduate student may not take an undergraduate course of record more than three times. A course of record is defined as a course in which a student receives a grade of A, B, C, D, (including + and -) F, U, Z or W. The academic department offering a course may drop a student from a course if the student attempts to take a course more than three times.

  COMMENT: Implementation of this policy will be under the direction of the Assistant Provost for Academic Services and include the Registrar, Director of Academic Advisement and Director of Learning Services.

  Approved, effective Fall 2004

Changes in Courses/Curricula:

MUSI 363 - Music History and Literature II

The course is approved to double count in the B.A. Music, Industry Studies program AND perspectives requirement for another academic year (2004-2005)

COMMENT: During the 2002-2003 academic year, academic majors over the 120 maximum credit for graduation had to review their programs to reduce their requirements to meet the 120 credit state mandate. Normally, double counting a course in the general education perspectives requirement and major is prohibited. In June of 2003, Faculty Senate approved the Music department's request to allow MUSI 363 to double count in the B.A. Music, Industry Studies program and general education perspective requirement, for one academic year; 2003-2004. It was recommended to review this request again for the next academic year (2004-2005). Since the General Education Task Force will be reviewing the general education requirements in November 2004, it was recommended to approve the Music department request for another academic year. The Music department and the General Education Review Committee will want to reconsider this exception if the general education program is changed.

Approved, effective Fall 2004 through Spring 2005

Change in Departmental Names

A new organizational structure has been established for the administrative units and programs that report to the Assistant Provost for Academic Services. These units include the Office of Academic Advisement, the Office of Learning Services, the Department of Academic and Student Development, the AIM for Success Program, the Lancaster Partnership Program, the Upward Bound Program, and the Millersville Mentoring Alliance Program (MMAP).

Effective, January 2004, the above units are collectively known as "Division of Academic Support Programs and Learning Services". The new division was formed to provide a cohesive organizational and "home identity" for the diverse units and programs.

Former Departmental Name	New Departmental Name
ACT 101/PACE Program	AIM for Success Program
Undecided/Undeclared Program	Exploratory Program
Multi-Cultural Mentoring Alliance Program (MMAP)	Millersville Mentoring Alliance Program (MMAP)

Approval, effective January 2004

Faculty Senate action at February 3, 2004, meeting:

New Undergraduate Course:

BIOL 470 - Biology Colloquium

• 1 or 2 credits
• Repeatable - max. two times
• Equivalent course (student cannot take both for credit): BIOL 472 - Seminar in Biology
• Pre-requisite: BIOL 263

Approved, effective Fall 2004

Faculty Senate action at February 17, 2004, meeting:

New Graduate Course:

WSSD 591 -- Exercise Physiology

• 3 credits (2 hours lecture, 1 hour laboratory)
• Elective for both the Athletic Management and Athletic Coaching concentrations in the M.Ed. in Sport Management; elective for Athletic Coaching minor
• Pre-requisite: Permission of instructor for undergraduate coaching minor students

Approved, effective Fall 2004

Undergraduate Academic Policy:

Drop/Add Policy

During the spring 2002 semester, Faculty Senate passed an amendment to the Drop/Add policy recommended by Student Senate (approved by the Administration 6/3/02). Student Senate President Brandon Danz suggested the Add period be extended by two days into the second week of the semester with the end of the Drop period remaining the end of the first week. The change allowed seats vacated at the end of the first week of classes to be filled by students desirous of a seat in said classes at the beginning of the second week.

The amendment to the Drop/Add policy was approved with an assessment to occur at the end of the 2002-2003 academic year. Due to a State System mandate for programs to reduce their requirements to a maximum of 120 credits for graduation, Faculty Senate overlooked the assessment of the academic policy last year. On February 17, 2004, Faculty Senate voted to make the Drop/Add policy permanent. The following is the current and final Drop/Add policy from the fall 2002.

Current Policy

• For the Fall and Spring terms, a student may drop a course through the end of the first week of classes. Courses dropped will not be entered on the students record. During the first week of classes, the signature of the course instructor (or their designee) is required to drop a course.
• For the Fall and Spring terms, the "add" period is extended to Tuesday for two class days in the second week of classes. The signature of the course instructor (or their designee) is required to add a course during the first week and two days of classes.
• Prior to the first day of classes, faculty signatures are not required to drop or add a course.
• Beginning with the second week and up to the end of the ninth week of classes, students dropping a class will receive a grade of W. A withdraw grade of W does not carry any quality points and will not be calculated in the student's GPA.
• After the ninth week of classes, a non-W grade will be awarded at the end of the semester according to the instructor's records.
• It is the student's responsibility to make official changes to his/her class schedule. There is no automatic drop policy for non-attendance.
• During the Summer and Winter sessions, the registrar will determine equivalent dates for the no grade, W grade and regular grade periods.

COMMENT: The fall and spring semesters can have a Monday holiday in the second week of class. Changing "Tuesday" to read as "two class days" is more accurate to extending the add period two days after the drop period ends accommodating any holidays.

Approved, effective Fall 2002, continued Fall 2004

Academic Policy:

Recommendation to Round Grades

History: Until the summer 1999 Millersville University rounded the GPA; but the Banner system that was installed in 1999 allowed only truncation of the GPA. The latest version of Banner, which will be installed during the Spring 2004, allows the option of truncating or rounding the GPA. For example: 1.9999, 1.9950, 1.9949 and 1.9900 truncate to 1.99. However, 1.9950 - 1.9999 rounds to 2.00 while 1.9900 - 1.9949 rounds to 1.99.

Rationale: The policy positively affects student's academic standing, graduation honors eligibility, certification and graduation requirements.

Policy Language: Grade point average (GPA) will be rounded to two places.

COMMENT: The policy language will be reflected in Millersville University's Governance Manual (Section 3: Undergraduate Academic Policies/Evaluation and Grading Policies/ Grade and Quality Point System) and Catalog (Academic Policies/Grades & Grade Point System section).

Approved, effective Summer 2004. The change will not be retroactive.

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