The Student Association Senate will bring two issues, fall break and academic forgiveness, before the Faculty Senate this afternoon.
The Faculty Senate will decide if they will recommend a fall break to the calendar committee and if they will consider the Student Association’s resolution on an academic forgiveness policy at Mississippi State.
Both policies have the potential to greatly affect students’ lives.
The SA Senate passed a resolution in October recommending a fall break that will begin in fall 2003, and the executive committee of the Faculty Senate has written a report recommending that the Faculty Senate approve a fall break for only 2003.
“I think the administration has been very willing to work with us on this,” Josh Blades, attorney general of the SA, said. “I think it’s something that we (faculty and students) both deserve.”
The SA Senate’s resolution has four points asking:
* That the university’s calendar committee include a fall break in the 2003-2004 academic year.
* That the entire week before Thanksgiving be given as a break or that a separate break be given earlier in the fall semester.
* That even if the university sets a fall break earlier in the semester that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving be a holiday.
If the university implements a fall break into the calendar, class time will be cut significantly from its current level. Contact minutes, time spent in the classroom, will drop from 2,500 minutes (including exam times) on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to 2,400 minutes, and contact minutes on Tuesdays and Thursdays will lose 105 minutes if the changes are accepted.
“There were certain elements (of the fall break proposal) that we were all in agreement on and other portions that we’re not in agreement on,” Dr. Mark Goodman, a member of the Faculty Senate’s executive committee, said.
The Faculty Senate has questioned the need for a fall break and the impact that the loss of 100 contact minutes will have on course content. Questions about a late fall break’s effect on final exam grades have also been raised, along with concerns about giving nine-month faculty six additional unaccountable days that 12-month faculty do not have.
“Perhaps faculty need those extra 100 minutes in courses, particularly in labs,” Goodman said.
Despite these concerns, this afternoon the executive committee will recommend that the Faculty Senate accept the SA Senate’s proposal for a fall break in 2003, with the stipulations that:
* The proposed fall break for 2003 and reduction in contact minutes will be approved for the fall 2003 and spring 2004 semesters only.
* In the spring of 2004 the office of the provost and Faculty Senate determine the need for a fall break and evaluate the impact of the fall break in 2003.
* The office of the provost and the Faculty Senate look at the issue of compensating 12-month faculty.
Goodman said the executive committee considered two things when they were discussing the fall break proposal. The three days before Thanksgiving, many classes are canceled, so in reality, a fall break at that time really would not reflect any major changes.
Goodman also said the committee was concerned that in some years, Thanksgiving will run right into exams, and students will come back from the break without any time to prepare for exams.
“Students will come back from fall break and walk right into finals,” Goodman said. “If that happens, we’re likely to see a decline in grades.”
If the university does not approve a fall break for the 2003-2004 academic year, Mississippi State will be the only major institution in the state without a fall break, which could have an impact on recruiting new students.
“It’s kind of come to the forefront since Ole Miss and Southern decided to have fall breaks,” Blades said. “We’ll be the only major school in Mississippi not to have one.”
The Faculty Senate does not have the authority to create policy; they may only recommend changes to the university. “We are not in a position to veto this decision,” Goodman said. “We can only endorse or not endorse it.”
The SA Senate’s resolution on academic forgiveness will be presented to the Faculty Senate, and a request will be made for the resolution to be taken into a committee to study the proposal.
“I think academic forgiveness is something that affects all students in one way or another,” Blades said. “We don’t have any leeway when it comes to that sort of thing.”
The proposal asks the university to adopt an academic forgiveness policy that will allow students to retake up to two classes that they previously made a D or an F in. The old grade will be recorded as an R, and the new grade, higher or lower, will serve be the final grade.
The proposal also will require students to get approval from their adviser and dean to retake a course; courses may only be retaken once, and that must take place on the MSU campus. The resolution also specifies that students wishing to retake courses will not get any special treatment during class scheduling, and retaken hours will not count toward the 12-hour minimum requirement to be a full-time student.
Goodman said that an academic forgiveness policy probably will not pass; though the Faculty Senate may take the SA Senate’s proposal and study it.
“They’ll agree to send it to committee, and they’ll agree to study the issue,” Goodman said. “I think on its surface, as a concept, the faculty is probably 80 to 90 percent opposed to it.
“The presumption at this point is that this is a way for a student who failed a class to get out of failing the class.”
* The office of the provost and the Faculty Senate look at the issue of compensating 12-month faculty.
Goodman said the executive committee considered two things when they were discussing the fall break proposal. The three days before Thanksgiving, many classes are cancelled, so in reality, a fall break at that time really would not reflect any major changes.
Goodman also said the committee was concerned that in some years, Thanksgiving will run right into exams, and students will come back from the break without any time to prepare for exams.
“Students will come back from fall break and walk right into finals,” Goodman said. “If that happens, we’re likely to see a decline in grades.”
If the university does not approve a fall break for the 2003-2004 academic year, Mississippi State will be the only major institution in the state without a fall break, which could have an impact on recruiting new students.
“It’s kind of come to the forefront since Ole Miss and Southern decided to have fall breaks,” Blades said. “We’ll be the only major school in Mississippi not to have one.”
The Faculty Senate does not have the authority to create policy; they may only recommend changes to the university. “We are not in a position to veto this decision,” Goodman said. “We can only endorse or not endorse it.”
The SA Senate’s resolution on academic forgiveness will be presented to the Faculty Senate, and a request will be made for the resolution to be taken into a committee to study the proposal.
“I think academic forgiveness is something that affects all students in one way or another,” Blades said. “We don’t have any leeway when it comes to that sort of thing.”
The proposal asks the university to adopt an academic forgiveness policy that will allow students to retake up to two classes that they previously made a D or an F in. The old grade will be recorded as an R, and the new grade, higher or lower, will serve be the final grade.
The proposal also will require students to get approval from their adviser and dean to retake a course; courses may only be retaken once, and that must take place on the MSU campus. The resolution also specifies that students wishing to retake courses will not get any special treatment during class scheduling, and retaken hours will not count toward the 12-hour minimum requirement to be a full-time student.
Goodman said that an academic forgiveness policy probably will not pass, but the Faculty Senate may take the SA Senate’s proposal and study it.
“They’ll agree to send it to committee, and they’ll agree to study the issue,” Goodman said. “I think on its surface, as a concept, the faculty is probably 80 to 90 percent opposed to it.
“The presumption at this point is that this is a way for a student who failed a class to get out of failing the class.”