Policies of the Academic Foundations Committee

1. Course Acceptance/Rejection

The Academic Foundations Committee recommends to the Academic Senate that the Academic Foundations Committee, in addition to its current charges, become the adjudicator of acceptance or rejection of proposals for Academic Foundations and report directly to the Academic Senate. The Undergraduate Curriculum Committee evaluates course proposals for academic merit, but judgement for eligibility and placement into the Academic Foundations Program is the responsibility of the Academic Foundations Committee, which reports directly to the Academic Senate.

Approved by the Committee 2/11/03

Approved by the Academic Senate 2/13/04

2. Conflict of Interest for Committee Members

2.a. Committee members are prohibited from voting on courses from the department in which they reside

2.b. Committee members are prohibited from voting on issues where they perceive a substantial conflict of interest.

Approved by the Committee 3/23/04

3. Action on Low Quality Courses

The learning outcomes (requested by NWCCU) are stated in the Academic Foundations Proposal (specifically, page 12). Those outcomes will be assessed using the matrix through a faculty self-assessment and student evaluations for use in the quality control of Academic Foundations courses. Courses that fail to meet their stated objectives will be given a warning, and then put on probation for one to two years before action is taken (depending on the catalog schedule). It is the department’s responsibility to remeliorate the course, and that department has the right to defend the course to the Academic Foundations Committee.

Approved by the Committee 8/30/04

4. Class Size

The Committee recommends that classes be kept at the lowest possible practical maximum size.

Approved by the Committee 12/7/04

Double Counting

Reaffirm that all courses in Gen Ed are designed for Gen Ed and that they cannot be counted in both Gen Ed and the student’s major.

Approved by the Committee 11/25/03

Repealed by the Committee 11/9/04

5. Non-Compliance with Outcomes Assessment Data Collection

Notification of faculty members be made, who have not completed their outcomes assessments, to the appropriate department chair and if compliance is not forthcoming, it may imperil the course as an Academic Foundations offering

Approved by the Committee 10/14/08

6. The 70% Rule

If 70% of the students in a class are achieving an objective, the outcome is considered met

Approved by the Committee 11/25/08