Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Public Meeting Story

Hammonds1212010450pm
Public Meeting Report
12-1-2010
By Dalton Hammonds

The Executive Committee of the Marshall University Faculty Senate Monday sent a revised incomplete grade policy back to a standing committee and approved a new section of the student handbook for discussion at the next faculty senate meeting.
The new incomplete grade policy grants individual instructors the ability to give eye grades and set parameters for course completion. It is being sent back to the Budget and Academic Policy committee for revision.
An addition to the student handbook regarding the grievance procedure for acts of discrimination and/or harassment was passed without opposition.
Summer sessions were a cause for debate among the committee members.
“The summer sessions aren’t considered a semester when a student is attempting to improve on an incomplete,” Senate chair Camilla Brammer said.
Faculty Senate members determined academic good standing to be when a student has a 2.0 grade point average or better.
Clinical courses have a satisfactory or unsatisfactory grading system, which complicates the process.
“The professor determines what is satisfactory and what is not. There is no letter grade to go by,” Executive Committee Recording Secretary Sandra Prunty said.
The final act of the meeting was to approve the agenda for the next Faculty Senate meeting that will take place on December 9.
University President Dr. Stephen Kopp and Provost Gayle Ormiston are scheduled to speak.

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Meeting Questions

1. Describe the experience of a meeting: It was an enlightening experience since I had never covered one before. I felt out of the loop at times and I need to improve how I go about covering a meeting.

2. When did you attend this meeting? November 29, 2010 at Noon in the John Spotts Room of the Marshall University Student Center

3. Name of the governmental unit you covered: Executive Committee of the Facutly Senate

4. Number of members of the body you covered: 9 voting members present along with some other non-voting members

5. Number of other members of the audience in attendance: 14

6. Were there any votes? Yes

7. 2 Major issues: Incomplete grade policy was sent back to a committee to be revised. Student handbook addition was voted to be discussed at the next Faculty Senate meeting.

8. Lead Paragraph:
The Executive Committee of the Marshall University Faculty Senate Monday sent a revised incomplete grade policy back to a standing committee and approved a new section of the student handbook for discussion at the next faculty senate meeting.