Senate Bill No.: 0304-04
UNIVERSITY SENATE
UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
Introduced by: Undergraduate Academic Council
Date: September 25, 2003
REVISION OF SEMESTER WITHDRAWAL DEADLINE FOR STUDENTS
HAVING LESS THAN A 2.0 CUMULATIVE GRADE POINT AVERAGE
WHO WISH TO BE READMITTED FOR THE FOLLOWING SEMESTER
IT IS HEREBY PROPOSED THAT THE FOLLOWING BE ADOPTED:
1.
The University Senate approve the following revision in the
withdrawal and readmission proposed by the Undergraduate
Academic Council (revised wording in boldface):
d. A student with a cumulative grade point average of less
than 2.0 who withdraws from the University more than 15
class days after the mid-point of the semester is not eligible
for readmission for the following semester. Should the
student wish to petition for readmission for the next term, the
petition must be submitted to the Office of the Dean of
Undergraduate Studies no later than the last day of finals as
published in the Academic Calendar for the semester in
which the withdrawal was initiated. (See Academic
Calendar.)
2.
The bill be referred to the President for approval.
3.
The bill once approved take effect for the Fall 2003 semester.
RATIONALE
Last spring, the University Senate passed UAC's proposal extending the
last day by which undergraduate students will be able to drop a semester-
length course to "15 class days after the mid-term-point." (The deadlines
to receive a grade of "W" in quarter (a.k.a. "8week") courses and in
summer sessions courses were also extended "on a prorated basis.")
It has since come to the Council's attention that the former, earlier deadline
date is still referenced in section d. within the policies governing an
undergraduate student's withdrawal and readmission to the University
(bolding has been added for emphasis):
d. A student with a cumulative grade point average of less
than 2.0 who withdraws from the University one week or
more after the mid-point of the semester is not eligible
for readmission for the following semester. Should the
student wish to petition for readmission for the next term,
the petition must be submitted to the Office of the Dean of
Undergraduate Studies no later than the last day of finals
as published in the Academic Calendar for the semester in
which the withdrawal was initiated.
(See Academic Calendar.)
It probably is not critically important that the highlighted portion above be
changed, particularly since students with less than a 2.0 cumulative gpa
withdrawing at any time within a semester will need to petition through
the Dean's office for readmission by the Committee on Academic Standing
of UAC, whether they met or missed the old deadline.
Nevertheless, the UAC and the University Senate had originally set that
deadline to coincide with the last day to drop a semester-length course and,
if only to avoid possible confusion, there seems to be no good reason not
to modify the withdrawal from the University deadline to match.
Therefore, the Undergraduate Academic Council recommends that the
policy quote above be modified to read:
d. A student with a cumulative grade point average of less
than 2.0 who withdraws from the University more than
15 class days after the mid-point of the semester is not
eligible…[etc.]
There being no ex post facto concerns, since this is an extension of the
existing deadline, the UAC further recommends that the policy if approved
go into effect immediately for this fall semester.
