2010-2011 FACULTY SENATE
California State University, Sacramento

AGENDA
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Foothill Suite, Union
3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

 

 

OPEN FORUM

 

CONSENT ACTION

 

FS 11-17/Ex.

COMMITTEE APPOINTMENT – UNIVERSITY

 

WASC Interim Report Steering Committee

Val Smith

 

REGULAR AGENDA

 

FS 11-18/Flr.

MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 17, 2011

 

INFORMATION ITEM: REPEAT PETITION (KRISTIN VAN GAASBECK)

 

SECOND READING

 

FS 11-14/Ex.

IDENTIFICATION OF ELEARNING COURSES IN CMS

 

The Faculty Senate recommends adoption of the following:

 

Proposed Policy: Courses that are delivered in a hybrid or online format (i.e., any course in which the instructor delivers at least 20% of the instruction while separated from the students and in which regular and substantive interaction between students and the instructor involves technology, such as the internet, one- or two-way video, audio conferencing, audio cassettes, CD-ROMS, and DVDs) at California State University, Sacramento must be identified in the course schedule during the registration period for semesters in which they are to be offered.

 

Rationale:  Disclosure offers both fairness (in the sense of supplying prior notice) and ease of course selection to students. It signifies to a greater degree our efforts to comply with the federal Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) which requires that students be made aware of course requirements (textbooks and other course materials) at the time of registration. Disclosure also enhances our ability to track the number of online courses within programs in order to comply with WASC regulations that require substantive change approval, prior to offering programs in which 50 percent of more of the courses are delivered “at a distance.”

 

Background:  Academic Affairs is increasingly receiving complaints from students that the hybrid nature of courses is not being disclosed prior to the start of a course in a given semester and, in some instances, is not even disclosed on the syllabus.  As “distance delivery” technologies have been evolving rapidly, WASC has increasingly asserted the need for compliance with its policies regarding the need for prior approval of programs in which 50 percent or more of the instruction is delivered at a distance.

 

 

FS 11-15/APC/Ex.

SECOND BACHELOR’S DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

 

The Faculty Senate recommends adoption of the following:

 

Proposed Changes to Catalog (underlined)

 

Second Bachelor's Degree Requirements

Students who hold a bachelor’s degree from regionally accredited institutions of higher education may be admitted to a second bachelor's degree program. Students admitted are considered post-baccalaureate students.

 

Admissions criteria are:

       I.            Have a minimum 2.5 grade point average on the last 60 semester units of baccalaureate and/or graduate level courses.

    II.            Submit a graduation application with approval from the department chair of the major in which they seek the degree. Advising for the major takes place within the department.

 

Graduation requirements are:

       I.            An overall grade point average of 2.5 is required in four areas:

    1. total courses attempted;
    2. Sacramento State courses attempted as a second bachelor’s student;
    3. upper division courses applied to the major, and
    4. courses applied to the minor.
  1. Complete the content requirements for the second degree as specified by the department. Units from the first degree may be counted, but a minimum of 24 upper division residence units (Sac State courses) in the major subsequent to earning the first bachelor’s degree are required.
  2. Complete a minimum of 30 units in residence at Sacramento State beyond the first bachelor’s degree. Of the 30 units, 24 must be upper division in the major. Note: Former Sacramento State students who have completed 6 or more residence units will be held to only 24 upper division units in the major and in residence. Extension and credit by examination units do not meet the residence requirement.
  3. Complete California code requirements in U.S. History, Constitution, and California State and Local Government.
  4. If you have not already completed the Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) at Sacramento State or at another approved campus as part of the first bachelor's degree, then you must take the Writing Placement for Juniors (WPJ) timed essay examination: a passing score certifies the GWAR. If you fail the WPJ, you will need to take English 109M or 109W: a passing grade in the class certifies the GWAR. If completed elsewhere, written verification is required.

 

Registration priority is that of an unclassified graduate student.

Source of original catalog language:

http://catalog.csus.edu/current/first%20100%20pages/baccalaureaterequirements.html#Second

 

Justification: Current campus policy requires that, in order to remain in good academic standing, second bachelor’s students maintain the same grade point average (GPA) requirements (2.5) as unclassified graduate students. In addition, per California State University (CSU) systemwide Title V requirements, students must have a 2.5 GPA in order to be admitted to a second bachelor’s program (or to be admitted as unclassified graduate students).

 

The proposed change to the catalog would require that a student must maintain a 2.5 GPA in order to graduate with a second bachelor’s degree from California State University, Sacramento. Under the current policy, second bachelor’s students may graduate with a second bachelor’s degree while on academic probation. This proposed change would insure the consistency between admissions, academic standing and graduation requirements that exists for baccalaureate (2.0 GPA requirement) and classified graduate (3.0 GPA requirement) students. 

 

The changes below were approved unanimously by the Academic Policies Committee on October 1, 2010 and by the Graduate Studies Policies Committee on February 1, 2011. The Executive Committee endorsed these recommendations by majority vote on February 8, 2011.

 

 

FIRST READING

 

FS 11-16/APC/Ex.

SUPPLEMENTAL ADMISSIONS CRITERIA

 

The Faculty Senate recommends adoption of the following undergraduate supplemental admissions criteria starting Fall 2011:

 

Evaluation of Qualified Undergraduate Applicants from Outside the Local Admissions Area

 

After careful consideration, the Enrollment Management Committee recommends the strategies stated below because they offer several advantages for Sacramento State. These include: 1) Providing the greatest fairness to prospective students by using objective, academic requirements; 2) Allowing the most flexibility for the campus, especially during periods when CSU budget allocations and enrollment targets continue to change; and 3) Providing admission staff the ability to make timely admissions decisions.

·         Freshmen applicants from outside our local admissions area will be rank ordered based on CSU eligibility criteria as calculated using the standard CSU eligibility index formula.

·         Transfer applicants from outside of the local admissions area will be rank ordered based on transfer GPA.

Admission offers will then be made in descending order for both groups until the new freshmen and transfer targets are achieved. During times of uncertain enrollment targets, a waitlist may also be employed to provide additional enrollment controls.

The campus is authorized to make exceptions to the supplemental admissions criteria. To shape the exceptions made by Sacramento State, the following statement was passed as a Faculty Senate resolution regarding campus impaction on April 22, 2010: 
 

For a small percentage of prospective freshmen and transfer applicants, eligibility may be weighed alongside other criteria such as: first-generation college status, socioeconomic factors, evidence of overcoming educational hardship, and evidence of skills or talents that align with or contribute to university programs or enrich the educational experience of the campus community. Applicants will present this information in writing to the Admissions Committee.

 

Background: In June 2010, the Chancellor’s Office approved Sacramento State’s proposal for campus-wide impaction starting fall 2011.  As an impacted campus, Sacramento State must choose an undergraduate supplemental admissions strategy for qualified students coming from outside the local admissions area. The criteria used to admit students within the local admissions area are unchanged.

 

Considering the goals outlined in Sacramento State’s Strategic Plan, the enrollment management principles and policies outlined in California State University (CSU) documents, fairness to prospective undergraduate students, and the current variability of state budgets and enrollment targets, the committee proposes the following strategy for undergraduate supplemental admissions criteria.

 

To complete the process for determining undergraduate admissions supplemental criteria, the Enrollment Management Committee requests endorsement of this proposal. This proposal was approved unanimously by the Academic Policies Committee on February 4, 2011 and was endorsed by the Executive Committee by majority vote on February 8, 2011.

 

Further background information can be found at the February 17, 2011 Faculty Senate Agenda Attachment C.

 

FS 11-19/Ex.

RESOLUTION TO ENHANCE ACADEMIC ADVISING

 

Note: The content of the resolution has been referred, by the Executive Committee, to the Academic Policies Committee for further consideration and potential recommendation(s). 

 

The Faculty Senate receives the resolution from Associate Students, Incorporated, which follows:

Resolution to Enhance Academic Advising

 

Whereas, Associated Students, Inc., of California State University, Sacramento is the official governing body of the students at California State University, Sacramento whose purpose is to advance the welfare of Sacramento State students; and

 

Whereas, Associated Students, Inc., is the official voice of over 26,000 students; and

 

Whereas, Associated Students, Inc., passed the Academic Plan for 2010-2011, which put a priority on addressing the issues of academic advising; and

 

Whereas, Associated Students, Inc., is committed to supporting academic achievement and progress in order to increase the accessibility, affordability and quality of education at Sacramento State; and 

 

Whereas, California State University, Sacramento created the Graduation Initiative in which its purpose is to increase graduation and retention rates; and

 

Whereas, California State University, Sacramento requires first year freshmen to attend mandatory academic advising; and

 

Resolved, Associated Students, Inc., requests the Faculty Senate and Academic Affairs to extend the mandatory advising policy to all probationary and transfer students; and let it be

 

Resolved, Associated Students, Inc., requests the faculty body to standardize the quality of advising within the colleges and departments to make our processes more efficient; and, let it be

 

Resolved, Associated Students, Inc., requests that Academic Affairs and the Faculty Senate work to improve and extend the current advising through peer mentorship; and finally, let it be

 

Resolved, that this resolution be distributed widely, including, but not limited to the Sacramento State President Alexander Gonzalez, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Joseph Sheley, Vice President of Student Affairs Lori Varlotta, Director of Academic Advising Beth Merritt Miller, Faculty Senate: General Education/ Graduation Requirements Policies Committee, Faculty Senate: Academic Policies Committee, Faculty Senate: Executive Committee, and Faculty Senate.