SKIDMORE COLLEGE

COMMITTEE ON ACADEMIC STANDING ANNUAL REPORT 1998-1999

The Committee on Academic Standing met formally 28 times during the academic year 1998-99. CAS also deliberated on a number of issues via email.

The Committee recommended to the Faculty one change in academic policy, which was approved at the April 30 meeting. The motion is reproduced below.

 Rationale: The current policy is to allow students unlimited withdrawals. The main purpose of approving withdrawals has been to allow for the student facing a serious crisis to curtail the disastrous effects on her or his academic record. The vast majority of our students do indeed proceed to graduation using withdrawals in moderation. However, a small minority take three or more withdrawals during college. The following information, which is based on the records of the 591 students who entered in the fall of 1993, represents general trends in recent years.

Of those students who received three or more W's, all but ten earned them during at least two semesters, which suggests that the single semester crisis is not the only scenario functioning here. Overall, these data indicate that abuse is not widespread. However, our policies should reflect a general emphasis on people taking responsibility for their work behavior and choices. This motion addresses both this primary concern and the more general discussion of standards and expectations.

As with other policies under the purview of CAS, the committee would continue to deliberate on extraordinary circumstances that warrant waiving such rules. The new policy would thus retain all of the strengths of previous arrangements while being more consistent with the college's goals and mission.

This new policy would be explained in the College Catalogue (and the Academic Information Guide) and would go into effect in the September of 2000. Regardless of the number of previous withdrawals, all students would be permitted two W's after that.

The Committee decided the best way to implement this new policy is to begin applying it in the fall of 1999, allowing all new students (including new arrivals and transfers) two Withdrawals thereafter. Students will be apprised of this policy change by way of advisors, special flyers and through the Academic Information Guide.

CAS gave the Dean of Studies Office "blanket" authority to deny academic credit to the following programs: Semester at Sea, NOLS, Outward Bound. If a student wishes to seek faculty endorsement for one of these programs, he/she may do so. In that case, the investigating faculty would need to thoroughly review the syllabi, faculty credentials, etc. of the program in question, and present the case before CAS. The committee would then evaluate the petition and render a decision.

The system for addressing the Foreign Language requirement for students with learning disabilities was revised. The Foreign Language Department now has a subcommittee, which consults with the Disabilities Specialist. That subcommittee then makes a recommendation to CAS regarding LD students' proposals for foreign language course substitutions. Then, in consultation with the Disabilities Specialist, CAS renders a decision on the recommendation, either accepting it, rejecting it, or soliciting revision.

The Committee also acted on numerous requests from students and faculty with regard to academic regulations, reviewed the records of students in academic jeopardy, and certified the list of graduates and honors to be received at Commencement. A summary of its actions appears below. These decisions all pertain to requests for the waiving of academic rules and policies. The application of usual policies is not aggregated among these figures. In addition, CAS has maintained the practice (established some years ago) of approving a host of "routine" requests. These include late drops/adds less than a week past the official drop/add deadline, overloads for students with 3.00 GPA's, underloads, all-College requirement extensions for transfers, grade changes for clerical error, etc.

LEAVE REQUESTS:

Personal leaves - 41 approved, 1 cancelled
Medical leaves - 13 approved
Academic leaves - 128 approved, 7 denied, 12 cancelled
Requests to study off-campus - 81 approved, 2 denied, 8 cancelled
Requests to change personal leave to medical leave - 1 approved

REGISTRATION CHANGES:

Requests to drop a course - 55 approved, 29 denied
Requests to add a course - 69 approved, 2 denied
Requests to receive extra maturity level credit from off-campus - 3 approved
Request to add audit - 3 approved
Requests to change to an audit - 4 approved, 1 denied
Requests for late withdrawal from a course - 51 approved, 1 denied
Requests to change pass/fail to grade - 1 approved, 2 denied
Requests to change grade to pass/fail - 3 approved, 1 denied
Request to change withdrawal to drop - 3 denied

CREDIT ISSUES:

Requests to change a grade - 10 approved, 1 denied
Requests for overloads - 5 approved, 5 denied
Requests for maturity level credit - 6 approved, 1 denied
Requests for extension of degree requirements - 1 approved
Requests for part-time status - 1 approved
Requests for waiver of minimal part-time status criteria - 1 approved
Requests for extension of incompletes - 5 approved
Requests for transfer credit - 3 approved, denied
Requests to accelerate into next graduating class - 1 approved

SUMMER:

Requests for permission to take overlapping summer courses - approved, 1 denied
Requests for retroactive credit for summer school course - 2 approved, denied

HONORS:

Request by August graduate to receive departmental honors at graduation - denied
Requests for Dean's List Honors in spite of incomplete coursework - 1 approved

REQUIREMENT SUBSTITUTIONS:

Requests for foreign language substitution - 5 approved, 3 denied
Request to substitute for the non-western requirement - 1 approved
Requests for substitution for non-western requirement - 2 approved, 1 denied
Requests for substitution for arts requirement - 3 approved, 1 denied
Request for substitution for QR2 Requirement - 2 approved

LIBERAL STUDIES:

Request to waive LS1 Requirement - 1 approved
Request for substitution of LS2 with LSII - 1 approved, 1 denied
Request for substitution of LSII with LS2 - 1 denied
Request for substitution of LSIIIwith LS2 - 1 denied
Request for LSII credit from study abroad - 1 approved
Request for LSIII credit from study abroad - 1 approved

ACADEMIC STANDING:

Disqualifications - 27
Personal Leaves/Waivers - 2 issued
Medical Leaves/Waivers - 7 issued
Waivers of minimum standards - 38 issued
Requests for readmission - 4 approved, 1 denied
Withdrawals from Skidmore - 5

CAS 1997-98

John Brueggemann, Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work (Chair)
Mary DiSanto-Rose, Dance
Susan Walzer, Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work
Ann Henderson, Registrar
Marion Bradish, Associate Registrar, non voting
Jon Ramsey, Dean of Studies
Christina Levith, Associate Director, Dean of Studies Office, non voting
Andrew Cencini '01
Abby Swormstedt '00

members.

CAS 1999-00

Susan Walzer, Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work (Chair, fall only)
Mary DiSanto-Rose, Dance
One faculty member appointed by CFG
Ann Henderson, RegistrarAnn Henderson, Registrar
Marion Bradish, Associate Registrar, non voting
Jon Ramsey, Dean of Studies
Christina Levith, Associate Director, Dean of Studies Office, non voting
Two students appointed by SGA