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Committee on Admissions, Awards
and Academic Standing (AAAS)
Meeting Minutes
October 1, 2001
Present: Chair John
Krussel, Andrew Cortell, Phyllis Yes, Bethe Scalettar,
Lindsay Kohn, Kristi Williams, Dell Smith, Glendi Gaddis,
Blythe Butler for Michael Sexton, and Recorder Sharon
Barnes
Chair John Krussel called the meeting to order. The
minutes from April were approved.
Subcommittee chairs were selected. Andrew Cortell will
serve on the Petitions and Waivers Subcommittee. John
Krussel served on an ad hoc session at the beginning of the
school year. Phyllis Yes and Lakin Soldate will serve on the
Honors and Awards Subcommittee. Bethe Scalettar will serve
on the Academic Standing Subcommittee, and she will get a
faculty member from the Arts and Humanities Division and one
from the Social Sciences Division.
Advising
The advising survey was distributed at the faculty
retreat with 57 respondents. An additional 61 surveys were
sent out to faculty who either were not at the retreat or
did not respond. Jim Grant, representing the Commission on
Teaching, wrote a memo accompanying the survey. Kristi
Williams has a survey for the students but needs to consult
with Jay Beaman on the best way to distribute and get back
the survey to get a good sample.
Leave of Absence Policy and Transfer Credits
Registrar Dell Smith would like the AAAS Committee to
revisit the leave of absence policy to see if it is still
appropriate for Lewis & Clark College. Several students
are electing to take overseas programs external to Lewis
& Clark. This impacts L&C financially, impacts our
overseas programs, impacts our overseas offices, and creates
problems with transferring credit from foreign universities
to L&C. It also impacts the students financially. About
half of the students who take a leave of absence return to
Lewis & Clark. Registrar Smith asked if we want students
coming on and off the campus all the time? L&C currently
has a limit of one year for a leave of absence. Is this
appropriate, or should it be shortened to six months or
lengthened to two years?
The committee could consider:
- What is the principle for granting a leave of
absence? Why do we do it? Is the application criterion
for students suitable?
- How long should the leave of absence be, and what are
the implications?
- Look at leaves of absence as they relate to financial
aid. Should we make it more difficult to get a leave of
absence?
- Find out what other like colleges' policies are. Is
our leave of absence the norm for institutions in
general?
- The SIT programs are much less expensive than ours
and there are financial implications when students do a
SIT program. Where are our students going? Should we have
limits where students can go?
- What educational service does it provide for students
to take leaves of absence?
- Is retention a factor in granting leaves of absence?
Reasons for taking leaves of absence include illness and
burn-out as well as going abroad independently of
L&C, as well as others.
- Is the information given to students taking leaves of
absence that they need to begin paying back financial
loans in six months when they are not enrolled in
school?
- Should some of the $300 deposit could be refunded
upon graduation?
- Look at how leaves of absence tie into scholarship
money.
- When transferring in credits, we need to look at how
an institution is accredited and who the accrediting body
is. Should we have an approved list of foreign
institutions L&C will accept credit from? Do we want
to consider transferring credits from foreign
institutions like we do in the United States? If so, make
that list available. Departments have to approve courses
that count toward their major. What would the implication
be to make guidelines? What do other colleges do? Do they
have guidelines? If there is a question about the
academic integrity of a course, then the Register defers
to the department.
The Federal grants for student loan borrowers are 180
days (six months) for leaves. Our policy of one year does
not fit Federal grant guidelines of six months. We hold
scholarship money for returning students that must be
allocated on an annual basis. Not all students collect
financial aid. More and more students are taking leaves of
absence on a routine basis. If a student does not return,
the money that is set aside for scholarships for that
student is not allocated; if the money is allocated to a
different student and the leave of absence student returns,
the money is not available to the returning student. Also
our Financial Aid office has to administer the Federal grant
money for students who are enrolled elsewhere but have taken
a leave of absence, and this is a lot of work for our FA
office.
In a two-week period of time in August, L&C was
notified that 30 students who had leaves of absence would
not return. If a student withdraws during the semester, the
withdrawal converts to a leave of absence.
The committee needs statistics on academic standing, and
what kind of students come back from leaves of absence.
Dean of Admissions Michael Sexton, Registrar Dell Smith
and Director of Student Financial Services Glendi Gaddis
will draft language for a leave of absence policy for the
AAAS Committee.
AAAS meetings will be once a month for one and one half
hours at 3 p.m. on Mondays. Next meeting will be announced.
Meeting adjourned.
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