COMMITTEE: Calendar
MEETING DATE: October 24, 2005
PERSON PRESIDING: John Crammer
ATTENDEES: Jonathan Dembo, Shanan Gibson, Punam Madhok, Rebecca Powers, John Crammer
EX-OFFICIO: Angela Anderson, Mary Farwell, Jenilyn Turner
VISITOR: Aaron Lucier
ACTIONS OF THE MEETING:
The meeting was called to order at 3:30 pm in Rawl 142 by John Crammer. Minutes from the September 26 meeting were reviewed; Mary Farwell moved (Rebecca Powers seconded) approval of said minutes. Motion passed. John Crammer then stated that he would e-mail the State of North Carolina holidays to the committee.
Aaron Lucier (Associate director for campus living: housing) discussed the problem that is caused by not having a day off between summer sessions. According to Lucier the situation has become increasingly difficult and he would like the committee to insert a 24-hour period between sessions in 2007. Factors leading up to this include the fact that faculty have complained that it is unfair and creates a burden when students having to move out on exam day of the first summer session. Several hundred students (40 percent of students in the dorms) are affected by this as some exams are not scheduled to begin until 3:00 PM on that day. It was explained that the students must move out to make room for students who are moving in for second session; in order to allow time for rooms to be cleaned and made-ready, students moving out must leave by 11:00 AM. The new students start moving in starting at 4:00 PM. When asked why we simply could not use other dorm rooms, Lucier explained that there are not enough dorm rooms because of camps, conferences, and renovations; approximately half the beds are offline in the summer. Further difficulties in managing rooms are gender, disability, programs, orientation, and facilities. Although some of the students moving out do not have students moving in for second session, it would be unfair to force some “first session only” students out and not others. At the end of summer, all students have to leave, but students may roll over their occupancy from spring to summer. Lucier reiterated that 100 students were forced out at the end of first summer session this past year. During the first session, 500 students are in the dorms (10 percent of regular semester occupancy) and the second session has 400 students in dorms. Angela Anderson pointed out that some students graduate at the end of first summer session and other students use the summer to make up a few credits; second session enrollment is half of first summer session. This past summer the older residence halls were used (Umstead, Fleming, Jarvis), and next summer they plan to use residence halls on College Hill. Lucier stated that Housing is not saying that they can’t do it, but that it gets more difficult each year. He emphasized a willingness to consider any alternatives that might be offered.
One suggestion for creating the needed day was made by Crammer who suggested eliminating registration day for first summer session which would allow Memorial Day off and a day between sessions. Anderson replied that this might require that new student orientation for first session might have to be on Sunday. She will check on how many new students start in first summer session. Lucier said that students move in on Sunday for first session. Lucier left the meeting. Anderson will mention possible changes in registration and orientation to Don Joyner. Potential issues noted included: concerns about faculty and advisers not being on campus and a large number of walk-in students and Friday orientation conflicting with the summer schedule for staff. Concerning the problems raised by Lucier, Farwell says that the current action is not fair to students. Powers pointed out that financial issues for the university are also a factor. Crammer was concerned about using the students being forced to move out on exam day to pressure faculty and the administration. Shanan Gibson said that the university will not make changes to sports camps. A key question is how many students go through orientation at the beginning of the first summer session. Can that orientation be done on the Friday before the first summer session starts? Jonathan Dembo asked whether orientation could be done during the Spring semester exam period. Students need to go through orientation.
Next, the committee discussed the policy on how to make up lost classes. Powers said that a colleague told her that reading days should not be taken because they are used for defending theses, working on professional papers, makeup exams by students, and because students need to study. Crammer noted that remedial math classes use reading day to give the placement test. Farwell said that thesis defenses can be done on other days and reading day is after the deadline for submitting a thesis for that term. Dembo noted that there are problems getting faculty together for the thesis defense. Jenilyn Turner said she uses reading day to study for her exams in chemistry and biology. Additionally, concern was expressed with low class attendance on the Friday before Fall Break and the Wednesday after Fall Break. Ultimately the committee decided to maintain the recommendation to utilize reading days as a means of making up lost classes.
Other changes to the policy as previously drafted included: 1) the wording of the proposal was changed to put the ways to make up missed time following what days are used to make up missed times rather than as part of how to decide whether to make up lost days; 2) wording was suggested to suggest alternative, more flexible methods for making up lost time other than traditional face-to-face class meeting. Crammer will make the changes and send it to the committee before the next meeting. The plan is to vote on the proposal at the next meeting, and, if approved, send it to the December 6, 2005 Faculty Senate meeting.
The next meeting will be at 3:30 Monday, November 14. The committee will finalize and vote on a policy for making up missed class days. The committee will also work on the calendar for the 2007-2008 Academic Year.
Meeting adjourned at 4:37 pm.
