Unfinished Business —

Review of Charge

Evaluate including religious observations as an excused absence to USRR on final examinations.

Reviewed background on how there is no mention on religious exemptions in USRR for final examinations.  There is currently recommendation for regular examination and quizzes in 1.4.3

The following motion was made and seconded for the following addition to USRR

1.3.11 Students shall be excused from being present for the final examination in the event of a mandated religious observance.  In order to ascertain if the final examination conflicts with a mandated religious observance, the instructor shall ask students who may be affected to identify themselves privately so that a make-up examination may be scheduled at a mutually acceptable time. The student is responsible for initiating discussion, as soon as possible, with the instructor to reach a mutually acceptable solution. 

Motion passed

New Business —

Charge 3

Evaluate a permanent change to policies and procedures disallowing students to withdrawal or change their grading scale to credit/no credit for a course due to a finding of academic misconduct with the sanction of “reduction of grade for the course”

Reviewed background as students were able to change their grades during the pandemic as there was an extension of when students could opt for credit/no credit option. Discussed occurred how this may not be a major problem now as we are now back to standard policy with restricted time period to change to credit no credit.  However, the committee agreed it was necessary in case extensions are at another time and to avoid this in the future.

The following motion was made and seconded to not allow students to change grades to credit/no credit due to academic misconduct. Exact wording of proposed change will follow in email.  (see march minutes(

Motion passed.

Evaluate the new KBOR credit cap and FSRR 2.5

Discussion occurred regarding the KBOR new policy that redefines a Baccalaureate Degree at their November 2021 meeting. The KBOR policy (with approved revisions in red) is below. The amendment gives universities permission to accept community college credits for all lower-division courses (or up to 75 credits for a 120-credit-hour Baccalaureate Degree), but only if the university and community college enter into a transfer agreement in accordance with (d).

KBOR policy Ch. 3, Section 9b part ii (2):

“Baccalaureate degree” means a degree:

(a) Requiring the equivalent of at least four academic years of full-time postsecondary study consisting of courses totaling a minimum of 120 semester credit hours in the liberal arts, sciences or professional fields.

(b) Incorporating in its program design the equivalent of two or more academic years of full-time study consisting of courses totaling a minimum of 60 semester credit hours from institutions that have a majority of degree conferrals at or above the baccalaureate level, and a minimum of 45 semester credit hours in upper division courses. Institutions are not permitted to make programmatic exceptions, except as authorized in paragraph 2(ed). Institutions may make a limited number of exceptions from the 60-hour requirement for individual students, up to a maximum of 6 hours.

(c) The degree shall require distinct specialization, i.e., a “major,” which should entail approximately the equivalent of one academic year of work in the main subject plus one academic year in related subjects, or two academic years in closely related subjects within a liberal arts interdisciplinary program.

(d) Universities may have transfer agreements with institutions that make programmatic exceptions to the requirement that a minimum of 60 semester credit hours be from institutions that have a majority of degree conferrals at or above the baccalaureate level. Each university shall report to the Board of Academic Affairs Standing Committee annually or as necessary:

(i) the name of each degree and major in which programmatic exceptions apply;

(ii) the name of each institutional partner in which programmatic exceptions apply; and

(iii) the number of students who utilized programmatic exceptions.

Discussion occurred regarding the need to make changes to FSRR 2.5.4.

Members of the committee needed more information before making recommendations on changes.  Members needed more information on what are transfer agreements.  Who makes, how are they determined and at what level. 

Will discuss with governance.