Senate Bill No. 9596-07
UNIVERSITY SENATE
UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
Policy Revisions for Undergraduate Degree Requirements
Introduced by: Undergraduate Academic Council
Date: April 26, 1996
IT IS HEREBY PROPOSED THAT THE FOLLOWING BE ADOPTED:
ls It is proposed that the attached Bill be approved and,
2. The Bill to become effective in the Fall of 1996.
3. The Bill be forwarded to the President for approval and implementation.
eer: A
¢ of the President Administration 246
Albany, New York 12222
518/442-5400
Fax: 518/442-5418,
UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
TO: Judy Genshaft
Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs
FROM: Karen R. Hitchcock
President
DATE: June 12, 1996
I have approved the following Senate Bills and am forwarding them to you for
implementation or other action as appropriate.
Senate Bill No. 9596-07: Policy Revisions for Undergraduate Degree
Requirements
Senate Bill No. 9596-08: Revisions in the Undergraduate Public Policy Program
Senate Bill No. 9596-09: Minor in Urban Education
Senate Bill No. 9596-10: Graduate Certificate in Urban Education
Senate Bill No. 9596-11: De-registration of Inactive Master’s Programs
Recommendation for Policy Revision:
“APPROPRIATE UNDERGRADUATE BULLETIN FOR
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS”
It is recommended that the 1984 Policy regarding a student's “Bulletin
Year” be changed to the following:
A student’s degree requirements shall be those in effect at the
. time of the student’s matriculation as an undergraduate.
Undergraduates who interrupt enrollment for three or more
consecutive semesters shall follow the requirements for the Bulletin
year specified by the Office of Withdrawal & Reentry at the time of
readmission.
Background:
Current policy (copy attached) bases a student’s requirements on date of
graduation rather than date of matriculation. It also necessitates different
implementation for groups of students based on Admission category. It also
allows a student to follow different Bulletin years, one for General degree
requirements, another for their major and yet another for the minor. In addition
to the confusions resulting from using multiple Bulletins, requirements can
change for students who take an extra semester to graduate or who attend on a
part-time basis. A number of students and their advisors have been “surprised”
when a delay in graduation has resulted in new degree requirements to be met.
Current practice results in a mixture of “effective dates” for curricular
revisions. Some of our requirements state “effective for students matriculating
as of Fall 199_", others state “effective for students graduating in May, 199_ or
thereafter’. This makes it more difficult for students and advisors to determine
what policy applies to which students.
We recommend graduation requirements be based on those in effect when
the student officially enters the University. This is a more straight forward and
common practice. Provision is made to make adjustment for students who do
not maintain continuous enrollment. In those few circumstances where a
program or major changes to the extent that an earlier requirement cannot be
fulfilled, individual substitutions or waivers can be implemented by the
appropriate unit.
CURRICULUM
APPROPRIATE UNDERGRADUATE BULLETIN FOR DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
General, major, and minor requirements for the baccalaureate degree become
effective as of specified student graduation dates. Since requirements are
phased in normally during a four-year period, they are stated in the
Undergraduate Bulletin published four years prior to the graduation date
(@.g., the requirements for May, August or December 1988 graduation would be
found in the 1984-85 bulletin). Students follow the requirements of the
bulletin associated with their anticipated graduation date. For students
admitted as freshmen, the anticipated graduation date is four years later.
For students admitted as transfers and for readmitted students, the
anticipated graduation date is based upon the remaining credits needed for the
degree. Since EOP has been defined as a five-year program, these students may
utilize the requirements of a bulletin for a five-year rather than a four-year
period. Studentsa do not have an option of selecting general degree
requirements to be fulfilled. The general degree requirements associated with
a graduation date must be satisfied by those students graduating at that
time. Students may, however, elect to follow major and/or minor requirements
specified for any graduation date subsequent to their actual graduation date.
Example: A freshman matriculating in Fall 1984 is expected to graduate in
1988 and would follow the requirements in the 1984-85 bulletin. If the
student graduates in 1988, the general degree requirementa stated in the
1984-85 bulletin must be followed. For major and/or minor requirements, the
student may follow the requirements stated im the 1984-85, 1985-86, 1986-87,
or 1987-88 bulletin. i
Tf this student graduates early in 1987, the general degree requirements
in the 1983-84 bulletin must be satisfied. Major and/or minor requirements
may be satisfied from the 1983-84, 1984-85, 1985-86, or 1986-87 bulletin.
If this student graduates later in 1989, the general degree requirements
in the 1985-86 bulletin must be satisfied. Major and/or minor requirements
may be satisfied from the 1985-86, 1986-87, 1987-38, or 1988-89 bulletin.
If this freshman is an EOP student and graduates in 1988, expectations are
identical to any other freshman student. However, if this student does not
graduate until 1989, he/she. can still satisfy the general degree requirements
stated in the 1984-85 bulletin if he/she so chooses. Likewise, the option of
completing the major/and or minor requirements stated in the 1984-85 bulletin
are also available.
(UAC, 4/30/84;
US Info, 5/7/84)
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