classroom use resolution
By JOSHUA BOURGEOIS
Senior Staff Writer
The Faculty Senate passed a resolution encouraging the Academic Council to investigate the efficient use of classroom space and sent another resolution back to the committees on Student Affairs and Academic Affairs regarding information reported on students' transcripts and the awarding of honors at graduation at its April meeting Wednesday.
The resolution requesting the investigation by the Academic Council into the under-utilization of available classroom space came from the committee on Student Affairs. The creators of the resolution intended for the resolution to acquire information on the issue about the shortage of classrooms during peak hours of the day.
Furthermore, the resolution states that "the costs of increasing number of classrooms to remedy these `shortages' divert University funds from real needs [increased faculty, tuition reduction]." The resolution also states that more than 15 percent of the classrooms that are used Monday and Wednesday are not used on Friday.
The Faculty Senate debated the relevance of the resolution, but after members from the committee on Student Affairs explained that the purpose of the resolution was to request information and not regulation, the resolution passed 23 to three.
The committee on Student Affairs proposed another resolution regarding the increase in cumulative grade point averages throughout the University and address the discrepancy among the colleges in regards to awarding graduation honors.
According to the resolution and University of Notre Dame Fact Book, the mean undergraduate cumulative grade point average for seniors increased from 3.198 in Fall 1995 to 3.299 Spring 1999. Also, in Spring 1999 the median cumulative grade point average in the college of Arts and Letters was 3.363 while in the college of Engineering, it was 3.178. According to the resolution, this disparity resulted in a "disproportionate award of grade point average-based honors."
To aid in resolving these issues, the resolution called for the University to require the "numerical value of the mean grade assigned to all students" to be placed on the transcripts of all students next to the individual students assigned grades. During debate, the Faculty Senate also requested that the size of the course to be placed on the transcripts.
The resolution also suggested the restriction of the awarding of honors at graduation and in deans' list recognition to the top 25 percent of students in each particular college.
During debate on this resolution, it came to be known that the committee on Academic Affairs was currently working on a similar issue. Since both committees had been working on the issue and there was a lot of debate on the resolution itself, the Faculty Senate, by a vote 29 to one, decided to send the resolution back to committee. Both the committee on Student Affairs and Academic Affairs will work on the resolution jointly.
Finally, the Faculty Senate passed a resolution proposed by the Executive Committee regarding the Faculty Senate's input into any changes to the Academic Articles regarding the Faculty Board on Athletics.
According to the resolution, the senate requested that a copy of any proposals for change to the Academic Articles submitted by the President of the University regarding the Faculty Board on Athletics be sent to the Faculty Senate. Furthermore, the resolution asked the Academic Council to allow the Faculty Senate to add their input before the Academic Council decides on any changes to the Academic Articles in regards to the Faculty Board on Athletics.
The resolution passed unanimously 27 to zero.
In other senate news
u In her chair's report, Jean Porter announced that a Nominating Committee has been formed to nominate the candidates for committee chairs and officers for next year's senate.
u Porter also announced that the final Faculty Senate Forum on Academic Life will convene on Monday, April 10 from 3-5 p.m. in McKenna Hall. The topic will be "Diversity and Community" and presenters will be Associate Provost Carol Mooney, Professor Jimmy Gurule of the Law School and Adela Penagos, coordinator of Multicultural Student Affairs.
All News Stories for Thursday, April 6, 2000
