Southern Polytechnic State University

Policy and Procedure Manual

P&P 203.05

Original Date: November 1987

Approved: June 10, 2005

 

Undergraduate Student Status Committee

 

 

Overview

This P&P includes the following main sections:

 

q       Purpose

q       Membership

q       Meetings

q       Procedures

o                                            Handled Administratively

o                                            Handled by Committee

 

 

Purpose

The Undergraduate Student Status Committee is a Standing Committee of the faculty as set forth in the Statutes (VI.A.2.a).  The committee considers undergraduate admission and dismissal policies and considers exceptions to all academic regulations that apply to undergraduate students, except for those expressly delegated to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and the Graduate Programs Committee.  Recommendations of the Committee are subject to the approval of the faculty and of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the President, when required.  The committee follows all regulations of P&P 203.00 (Committees of the Faculty).  Information contained in this P&P should be accurately reflected in the current Academic Catalog.

 

 

Membership

The committee shall consist of six faculty members (one member from each school and two members elected at-large).  School members are elected by the faculty of that school; at-large members are elected by all faculty from across the university.  Faculty nominations are generated by the Faculty Senate during spring semester each year.  The Registrar, the Director of Admissions, the Dean of Students, and the academic Deans of each school shall be non-voting, ex-officio members.  Department chairs may not be voting members.

The length of term of service is two academic years.  Members’ terms begin on the first day of fall semester following the spring semester they are elected.  Members’ terms end the last day of summer term of the second year.  Terms of the faculty members shall be staggered so that one-half of the membership terms expire each year and at least one experienced member remains on the committee.  If an at-large faculty member is unable to finish an elected term, the Faculty Senate shall appoint a replacement.  If a school representative is unable to finish a term, the school shall appoint a replacement.  This replacement faculty member may be elected to a full term following the replacement term (per Statutes).

The chairperson is elected by the voting members of the committee at the first meeting during the fall semester. 

 

 

Meetings

Meetings are to be held at least twice per semester with the exception of summer term, when only one meeting is required.  Regularly scheduled meetings should be placed on the academic calendar at the beginning of the semester.  Other meetings may be called by the chair as needed or when a meeting is requested by one-third of the voting members of the committee.  It is the responsibility of the chairperson to set the date of the first meeting of the fall term for the incoming committee members.

All members (voting and non-voting) must be given seven days notification of meetings (per Statutes).  Notification is the responsibility of the committee chairperson.

A quorum shall consist of at least fifty percent of the voting members (per Statutes).

Minutes are recorded at every meeting, with a copy sent to the president within five days after the meeting (per Statutes).  The minutes should be signed by the Chair and secretary of the committee.

 

 

 

 

Procedures

 

The two main purposes of the Undergraduate Student Status Committee are (1) to review Petitions to the Faculty from undergraduate students (except for those expressly delegated to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and the Graduate Programs Committee) and (2) to consider undergraduate admission and dismissal policies.  Changes to the admission and dismissal policies may be brought to the committee at any time from any member of the faculty, Registrar’s Office, or Administration.  Proposals for change should be received at least ten working days before the next scheduled meeting of the committee to be considered.

Any change in the admissions requirements for a program requires the positive recommendation of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the written approval of the President.

 

 

 

Petitions

 

 

1.

Undergraduate students petitioning the committee obtain a petition form from the Registrar’s Office, from a departmental office, or by other official means.

 

 

 

2.

The completed form is signed by the department chair in the student’s major and, in the case of a grade change or withdrawal after the deadline, the signature of the instructor of the course in question and his or her department chair.  If the instructor is no longer employed by the university, then the appropriate dean may sign.

 

 

3.

The completed and signed form is submitted to the Registrar’s Office.  The form is then either handled administratively or handled by the committee.

 

 

 

a.

Handled Administratively

 

 

The Registrar’s Office will recommend approval or disapproval of selected petitions to the Undergraduate Student Status Committee, provided the petitions meet the following guidelines.  If any petition does not strictly meet the requirements in the following guidelines, the Registrar’s Office will forward the complete petition to the Committee for review.  Each petition must have the reason section filled out.  Without a reason, the petition will be sent back to the student for more information.  A list of all petitions handled administratively including copies of the petition cover page and a summary of the recommended actions and supporting documentation (excluding hardship cases) will be distributed to the members of the Undergraduate Student Status Committee at least seven days prior to each meeting.  The committee will vote to approve the recommendations of the Registrar’s Office at the meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

b.

Handled by the Committee

 

 

All petitions not handled administratively will be individually discussed and voted upon at the next committee meeting.  The committee’s decision is recorded in the minutes which are distributed to the faculty and voted upon at the next regularly scheduled faculty meeting.

 

 

 

 

4.

Whether the petition is handled administratively or by the committee, the student is notified in writing by the Registrar’s Office of the committee’s decision.  A copy of the petition form indicating the committee’s decision is sent to the student’s department for placement in his or her file.