10/11/2024
By Kerry Patenaude and Kevin Petersen

The Faculty Senate has instituted a new process to ensure a thorough, campus-wide review of all university-level policy proposals. The process is as follows: After introduction at Senate, the policy is available for comment by all College Curriculum Committees for one week, followed by one week for comment by college deans. It will appear on the agenda for UPC, then GPAC, and finally, return to Senate for a vote by members. A proposal, an invitation for open comment, and important meeting dates are detailed below.

Overview of the Policy Proposal

Presented to Faculty Senate for Initial Discussion on Oct. 7, 2024:

Proposal to Add “In-Progress” Grading for Study Abroad Courses with Post-term Travel

This proposal would add a new grade designation of “In Progress (IP)” for use only in courses involving a study abroad experience that takes place after the end of the term.

Students in such courses currently receive a grade of Incomplete (INC) until the travel is completed, which, per the Semester Honors policy, bars them from consideration for the semester notation of Distinction, Dean’s List or Chancellor’s List. The “IP” grade, used in place of the INC, is designed to allow students who participate in these enriching experiences to have their academic success acknowledged according to the semester’s coursework they have completed by the date when the Registrar’s Office runs academic standing.

Once the travel is complete and the faculty member reports the student’s final grade, the student’s GPA will be re-calculated (as is the practice with grades of INC), including the letter grade issued in the study abroad course.

Invitation for Open Comment

The Faculty Senate voted on Oct. 7, 2024 to move the proposal into the 2-month review cycle for university-level policies. During this time, we invite the UML community to review the proposal and provide comment at the upcoming UPC meeting on Nov. 12, which is open to the public. You are also welcome to send comments or questions to faculty_senate@uml.edu.

To view the full In-Progress grade proposal and supporting documents, and read the comments, please log into Curriculog, our campus curriculum management system. All faculty, administrators and staff can access Curriculog with their email credentials. If you need assistance, email curriculog@uml.edu.

The proposal will be on the following Committee and Senate agendas:

UPC Meeting
Date: Tuesday Nov. 12, 2024
Time: 3:30-5 p.m.
Location: Saab ETIC Perry Atrium

GPAC Meeting
Date: Monday Nov. 18, 2024
Time: 3:30-5 p.m.
Location: Alumni Hall 102

Faculty Senate Meeting #4
Date: Monday Dec. 2, 2024
Time: 3:30-5 p.m.
Location: Moloney Ballroom (UCC-260)

The Faculty Senate is committed to transparent governance and effective communication, and we hope this invitation for comment from the campus community will help us meet those goals. Thank you for your attention to this proposed change to our grading policy.

Kevin Petersen, Faculty Senate President
Kerry Patenaude, Faculty Senate Coordinator