Academic Council Minutes, April 21, 2003 

I.  Minutes 

--The minutes were approved as corrected. 

II.  General Agenda 

• International Student Health Insurance

--Issues surrounding mandatory health insurance for international students were discussed.  Conclusion was not to require the insurance as a condition of admission, pending review of recommendations in the SACS reaffirmation report. 

• Military Refund Policy

--A revision of the withdrawal policy for student military reservists called to active duty was discussed.  The policy approved provides for a refund or for an incomplete or final grade, as determined by the instructor, if the student has completed a sufficient portion of the course requirements.

• Three Suspensions Rule

--The three suspensions rule was reviewed with regard to how these should count across institutions.  Resolution was that the Council would review any exception to the rule, regardless of institution or time frame.  If an appeal is approved, any applicable conditions will be set at that point.

• Graduate Studies Petition Forms

--The Council concurred that it sufficed to have the deans sign these.

• Additional Majors/Additional Degrees

--The Council considered possibly confusing policy in the catalog, distinguishing between additional majors and additional degrees.  It concluded that the condition permitting a student to graduate while continuing to work on a second major was unnecessary, since very few students were affected and these could be handled as exceptions, if need be.

• Technology

--Chari Norgard briefed the Council on the proposed configuration and timeline for implementing WebCT Vista.  A plan and training schedule is being developed.  Vista will look quite different from the current WebCT version, but it is more versatile and should provide for quick learning, as well as ease of conversion and use.

III.  Specific Agenda 

• Student Appeal

--A student’s appeal for being graduated, though one course shy of the 54 upper-division hours required, was approved, since the university was largely responsible for the oversight and since the student has many more total hours than are required for graduation.

• Faculty Development Reports

--Accepted reports on grant-funded travel from Dr. Daniel Hallock and Dr. Harold Smith.

• Other

--The Provost shared a communication from Dr. Marshall Hill of the Coordinating Board staff, indicating that UHV should delete from the catalog a statement implying that only half the coursework for a graduate degree had to be at the 6000 level.  The statement is being deleted.

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4/22/03