Tag: registrar

2018-2019, Anonymous, Answered

Academic Activity Tracking Emails

Questioner: Anonymous

Posted to: Registrar, Chad Learch

Why am I receiving official UNF emails related to Academic Activity Tracking from Chad Learch to both my UNF and my personal email addresses? This occurred on August 27 and August 31. My personal email is just that personal and has nothing to do with UNF; I take great care not to mix my personal email with UNF business, especially in light of the recent changes to UNF’s email policy. Please update the system to prevent this from happening in the future.

 

Response from the Floor by Registrar Chad Learch: 

The questioner is correct, personal emails were being used. I have already removed this feature from the system.

2017-2018, Answered

Reporting Midterm Grades

April 6, 2017

Questioner: Pali Sen

Posed to: Megan Kuehner, University Registrar

In today’s agenda packet for the Information Item #4, a table is provided for midterm grades. Over the last 4 semesters, records show that 7.7-31.5% eligible professors provided the midterm grades. Since midterm grades are a tool to improve retention and graduation of our students, can the Registrar’s office provide the Chairs/Directors a list of classes with missing grades after the due date? Similarly, if final exam grades are missing for any class, department Chairs are alerted with such a list.

Response:

Good morning – I apologize for my own delay. Please see my response below.

The registrar’s office currently assists the Dean of Undergraduate Studies by providing reports on mid-term grade input. Prior to the deadline all faculty are notified of the deadline date though submission remains optional.
Independent of the report all faculty can encourage one another to submit mid-term grades, early alert warnings or LMS notifications. Mid-term grade submissions are retention tools but intervention can occur in a variety of ways and some may be more appropriate or preferable to a faculty member. However, any feedback mechanism is only beneficial when users believe in its usefulness and ability to provide timely warnings.

Regarding the additional question on final exams grades, the policy states that final exams are not required if the faculty member “deem such examinations unnecessary.” The registrar supports the policy and encourages academic chairs to provide guidance to faculty who may question an exam’s appropriateness to a course and to respond to any student questions regarding that determination.

2016-2017, Answered

Matriculation Calendar

January 12, 2017

Questioner: John Anderson

Posed to: Radha Pyati, President/Designee, UNF Faculty Association

The 2016-2017 Matriculation calendar on the Faculty Association site has the withdrawal deadline for Spring 2017 as 3/27. The Calendar of Events has it as 4/7:

QA feb

Response by Megan Kuehner, Registrar:
The date moved after faculty approved pushing the w/d deadline this past term. We’ve updated the official University calendar because that is designated as the only calendar that should be posted.
The Faculty Association website Matriculation calendar is correct as of the date it was approved.

2016-2017, Answered, From Floor

Student Grade Petition

October 13, 2016

Questioner: Pali Sen

Posed to: Provost Earle Traynham, Academic Affairs and Megan Kuehner, Registrar, Registrar’s Office

A question on a student’s petition of a grade of a F to a W in the faculty association meeting on September 1, missed the intended mark. I know students can petition any grade, I am asking about the outcome of it. If a student uses a Waiver of University Policy form to change a final grade in a course to a W, and the faculty assigning the grade denies the request, then it can be granted by a chair or a dean or ultimately, the Provost. I believe this violates the collective bargaining agreement. The process for assigning a W after a final grade has been assigned, needs a clarification so that faculty know the answer to an important issue.

 

Response from Provost Earle Traynham, Academic Affairs: 

Article 10.2 (a)(2) explains the grade appeal process, and makes clear that neither the department chair nor the dean has the authority to change a grade that has been assigned by the faculty member . If the student appeals to the provost, the appeal is heard by the University Appeals Committee, which then makes a recommendation to the provost. Through this process, the provost does have the authority to change the grade.

This process covers the vast majority of cases involving a dispute over an assigned grade. The student has 90 days to file an appeal. Although rare, there have been cases in which a student requests a change in a grade of F to a W after more than 90 days, sometimes after several years. I am aware of two instances in which this has occurred. In these cases, our office contacted the faculty member notifying them that the student had submitted a Waiver of University Policy for a grade change from F to W. We indicated that if the faculty member could verify that the student never attended class we would consider the appeal. In both instances, the faculty member was able to determine that the student had not attended class and had not taken any exams. The grade was the n changed to a W.

Please let me know if there are any questions.

Response from Megan Kuehner, Registrar, Registrar’s Office:

Good afternoon – I would like to send the attached response to the question posed by Dr. Sen. I know
it was directed to and answered by Dr. Traynham but, given my office’s role in the process I want to provide additional feedback.

Students at the University of North Florida currently have several withdrawal options. Withdrawals for extenuating circumstances typically include the withdrawal for military service (WS), medical withdrawals (WM), and withdrawals with a fee refund (WR). Each of these options has its own governing policy and approval process. In the case of the WM and WR, those processes exist outside of Academic Affairs.

A request for a traditional withdrawal after grades have posted would initiate with the student and would be submitted via the online Student Petition of Academic Policy. All students are required to upload documentation to support the request and the requirement is enforced by a systematic hold that prevents submission until documents are uploaded. The appeal is submitted for review by the advisor, instructor, chair and Registrar’s Office/Graduate Dean.

Students can appeal to withdraw for a variety of reasons. Most often the student will state that he or she did not attend the course and therefore did not earn the failing grade. These are usually students who left UNF without officially dropping courses. In these cases the instructor typically verifies the student’s statement and approves the withdrawal. In cases where the student has attended and still wishes to pursue a withdrawal, the instructor, advisor and chair would make the best decision based on the student’s supporting documentation. The online process does not prevent any reviewer from discussing the appeal with another reviewer and it is our understanding that a dialogue frequently occurs between each party. Additionally, each reviewer can enter notes for final review by the appeals committee. The committee is comprised of members from offices with Enrollment Services and academic advising. The committee reviews the same documentation, the advising history and most importantly, the feedback of each reviewer.

Appeals are not automatically funneled to the provost for additional review. Any undergraduate student who wishes to appeal the final decision is referred to the dean of Undergraduate Studies and graduate students are referred back to the Graduate School. The situations that typically escalate are those where the student was denied the request and those denials are in support of the faculty and chair.

The committee makes an effort to openly communicate with instructors and chairs to clarify any questions prior to review, which can include verifying the accuracy of a student’s stated timeline, reviewing the syllabus and/or confirming communication outside of class. This is done to ensure all parties are accurately represented and have a voice in the process. Very seldom have we encountered a situation where there is disagreement between and chair and instructor. In those cases, we notify each party and seek a solution.

It is important to note that there are two related processes that are sometimes confused with the Student Petition of Academic Policy. First is the punitive F grade or FA. This grade is assigned when a student has violated the Academic Misconduct Policy and it is a final assignment that cannot be withdrawn by the student. Students do have the right to appeal and that process is outlined in the policy with the absolute final decision rendered by the president if necessary.  The second process is the grade appeal process outlined in the Appealing Academic Grades policy. Students in this separate, but related, case have the right to appeal any grade. Please note that this policy states, “Neither the Chair nor Dean may override the instructor’s decision and issue a change of grade without the faculty member’s concurrence.”

2016-2017, Anonymous, Answered

Preferred Name Policy for Students

October 13, 2016

Questioner: Anonymous

Posed to: Megan Kuehner, Registrar, Registrar’s Office

On 9/22 we received an email from the registrar informing us that a policy is under development regarding preferred name use. I already find it challenging to learn the names of 100+ students each semester. Is there much of a need for this new policy, or are we furthering students’ sense of entitlement?

Response: 

The preferred name policy is designed to make it easier for faculty members to use the appropriate name for students. That means faculty members will have to learn only one name for the student (the designated preferred name) instead of two (the student’s preferred name and their legal name).The preferred name will appear on the roster instead of the legal name. One instance where preferred name is helpful is in the case of a transgender student who has not yet legally changed their name. The policy will ensure that faculty members are confident that they are addressing a transgender student by the appropriate name. The use of preferred name is also relevant to those staff and faculty members who choose to use a more “Americanized” name for social purposes or the name under which a faculty member publishes. In fact the use of the Preferred Name field in Banner is currently utilized by over 200 employees.

The intent of the proposed policy is to formalize the process and provide the parameters for use of a preferred name and to create an environment that is both safe and efficient for all involved. Many of our transgender students who are transitioning from one sex to another (male-to-female or female-to-male) have not yet legally changed their name. That means someone who looks female may have a legal name that is male (or vice versa). Using the incorrect name could “out” the person as transgender to their classmates and violate their privacy. However, we do realize the practicalities of managing more than one name and the importance of accurately recording academic progress. For these reasons we have drafted the policy with controls on how and when a preferred name can be used. The same thought was given to staff and faculty updates.

This new policy has been proposed because the university has a responsibility to ensure the safety and security of the campus community. Moreover, we have an obligation to see that the policy is fully vetted by all stakeholders. I encourage you, and any interested party, to fully review and respond when the policy is sent for comment.

I hope you understand and support us in this endeavor. I realize that any change can bring additional responsibilities but, as you well know, we are here to educate students both in and out of the classroom. Fostering tolerance and acceptance of all is fundamental in the development of our students and creating a welcoming campus that embraces the challenge of change is a time honored tradition in higher education.

2014-2015, Answered

GPA metrics

Questioner: Scott Hochwald

Posted to: Edwin Harris, chair Academic Standards Committee & Megan Kuehner, University Registrar Registrar’s Office

He noted that the metrics used for the 2nd year GPA can be impacted by WP/WF grades. He asked the group how many were in favor for late withdrawals with WP/WF grades rather in just W. Three faculty said that they preferred the WP/WF option be kept.

Edwin Harris answered the question about WP/WF grades and noted that the WP/WF are available as an avenue for faculty when students drop after the deadline.

2011-2012, Answered

Reading Days

Questioner: Doria Bowers

Posted to: Megan Kuehner, University Registrar Enrollment Services

There are two Reading Days at the end of this semester on a Thursday and Friday.  I was always under the impression that classes do not meet on Reading Days but it says on the web that classes can be held.  Can you clarify this?

 

Written Response Megan Kuehner, University Registrar, Enrollment Services:

As University Registrar, I recognize not only the complexity of the university’s academic calendar, but also the necessity of gathering input from a wide variety of campus sources whose operations will be greatly affected when decisions are made with regards to the calendar.  Because of the impact of these decisions UNF has chosen to establish a University Calendar Committee. The committee is tasked with setting the University’s Academic Calendar including all dates related to final exams, commencement, academic deadlines as well as dates relevant to housing and payment deadlines.  Moreover, the committee hears requests for changes to the current calendar format and also considers revisions based on need.  The committee works hard to balance all requests with the overall needs of the university and all requests are vetted and subject to a vote for approval.

This Committee also serves as a forum for members to share concerns regarding academic scheduling and the needs of individual offices/departments.  The University Calendar Committee’s membership, therefore, includes representatives from all College Advising offices, Housing, the Controller’s Office, Athletics, One-Stop, Financial Aid, Orientation, Admissions, Records Processing and Academic Affairs.  Faculty memberships are elected positions governed through the Faculty Association, and elected faculty members serve for two years.  I would encourage all concerned faculty to talk to their representatives on this committee so that their concerns can be discussed and addressed.

Please note, however, that the university’s academic calendar is ultimately governed by BOG regulation 8.001.  The regulation stipulates that “each university shall operate on a year around calendar which provides two hundred twenty days of classroom instruction including examinations, or two hundred ten days of instruction excluding examinations.”  Furthermore, the start of the terms are also set by the regulation to fall within three periods, the first three weekdays after August 22, the first three weekdays after January 4, and the first three weekdays after May 5.  These requirements set a basic calendar format for the university and allow for minor changes as necessitated by different units on campus.  Over the past several years our calendar has followed the guidelines with some variation only on the summer terms to accommodate Study Abroad and TLO opportunities.  In addition, a change to a Monday start date for the Summer B term was made in effort to accommodate incoming Freshmen Orientation which has become a two-day event.    The Calendar Committee voted overwhelmingly to support these efforts and UNF successfully filed for an exception (when required).

Spring start dates shifted to Wednesdays in Spring 2011 and Spring 2012 because of the holiday closure and the observance of New Year’s Day.  Again, the committee did consider the Monday following the return to campus, but a shift would have pushed the end of spring term into the time allotted for the aforementioned Study Abroad programs scheduled for the Spring intersession.

The committee agrees that certain holidays can be problematic when scheduling and there are few opportunities to make up for time lost.  There is continual debate on how to mitigate the impact to all departments and the group makes efforts to propose solutions.  One such solution are the Reading Days enacted in the 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 calendars.  The intent of the days was to provide faculty with an opportunity for more contact with students and to allow for study and preparation for final exams.  As stated in an April 13, 2011 email to all faculty, adjuncts and Chairs, a faculty member should not be holding class sessions that require attendance or using them as a chance to offer early final exams.  Many faculty members chose to offer exam reviews and study sessions to the benefit of students and our office heard overwhelmingly positive reviews of the reading days from students.  Again, I do encourage concerned faculty members to contact their faculty representatives on the committee or my office directly with additional questions or concerns.

2011-2012, Answered

Length of Semesters

Questioner: Matt Gilg

Posted to: Megan Kuehner, University Registrar Enrollment Services

Why is it that the length of semesters can vary by as much as a full week (150 minutes of class time)?

 

Written Response Megan Kuehner, University Registrar, Enrollment Services:

As University Registrar, I recognize not only the complexity of the university’s academic calendar, but also the necessity of gathering input from a wide variety of campus sources whose operations will be greatly affected when decisions are made with regards to the calendar.  Because of the impact of these decisions UNF has chosen to establish a University Calendar Committee. The committee is tasked with setting the University’s Academic Calendar including all dates related to final exams, commencement, academic deadlines as well as dates relevant to housing and payment deadlines.  Moreover, the committee hears requests for changes to the current calendar format and also considers revisions based on need.  The committee works hard to balance all requests with the overall needs of the university and all requests are vetted and subject to a vote for approval.

This Committee also serves as a forum for members to share concerns regarding academic scheduling and the needs of individual offices/departments.  The University Calendar Committee’s membership, therefore, includes representatives from all College Advising offices, Housing, the Controller’s Office, Athletics, One-Stop, Financial Aid, Orientation, Admissions, Records Processing and Academic Affairs.  Faculty memberships are elected positions governed through the Faculty Association, and elected faculty members serve for two years.  I would encourage all concerned faculty to talk to their representatives on this committee so that their concerns can be discussed and addressed.

Please note, however, that the university’s academic calendar is ultimately governed by BOG regulation 8.001.  The regulation stipulates that “each university shall operate on a year around calendar which provides two hundred twenty days of classroom instruction including examinations, or two hundred ten days of instruction excluding examinations.”  Furthermore, the start of the terms are also set by the regulation to fall within three periods, the first three weekdays after August 22, the first three weekdays after January 4, and the first three weekdays after May 5.  These requirements set a basic calendar format for the university and allow for minor changes as necessitated by different units on campus.  Over the past several years our calendar has followed the guidelines with some variation only on the summer terms to accommodate Study Abroad and TLO opportunities.  In addition, a change to a Monday start date for the Summer B term was made in effort to accommodate incoming Freshmen Orientation which has become a two-day event.    The Calendar Committee voted overwhelmingly to support these efforts and UNF successfully filed for an exception (when required).

Spring start dates shifted to Wednesdays in Spring 2011 and Spring 2012 because of the holiday closure and the observance of New Year’s Day.  Again, the committee did consider the Monday following the return to campus, but a shift would have pushed the end of spring term into the time allotted for the aforementioned Study Abroad programs scheduled for the Spring intersession.

The committee agrees that certain holidays can be problematic when scheduling and there are few opportunities to make up for time lost.  There is continual debate on how to mitigate the impact to all departments and the group makes efforts to propose solutions.  One such solution are the Reading Days enacted in the 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 calendars.  The intent of the days was to provide faculty with an opportunity for more contact with students and to allow for study and preparation for final exams.  As stated in an April 13, 2011 email to all faculty, adjuncts and Chairs, a faculty member should not be holding class sessions that require attendance or using them as a chance to offer early final exams.  Many faculty members chose to offer exam reviews and study sessions to the benefit of students and our office heard overwhelmingly positive reviews of the reading days from students.  Again, I do encourage concerned faculty members to contact their faculty representatives on the committee or my office directly with additional questions or concerns.

2011-2012, Answered

Success Rate

Questioner: Pali Sen

Posted to: Jeffrey Coker, Undergraduate Dean Office of the Undergraduate Studies

Currently the success rate of a class is calculated as the number of students who passed it with C or higher after the add/drop date.  The calculation includes the students who withdrew from the class within the University approved withdrawal deadlines.  Why should students who withdraw from a class because they were unprepared for the class, they changed jobs, they changed majors, etc. be part of a calculation that measures student success?  Since students are permitted to withdraw from classes why should their decision to do so be viewed as a lack of success on their part?

 

Written Response from Dr. Jeffrey Coker, Undergraduate Dean, Office of the Undergraduate Studies:


Sent: Monday, February 27, 2012 8:30 PM

From: Coker, Jeffrey W

To: Faculty Association

Cc: Plumlee, Patrick

Subject: RE: Reminder: FA question from November 3rd

 

Cindy,

 

My apologies for the lag in responding to this question. I was waiting to find out some addition information with respect to the background of one part of the question. The response to the question is below. Please let me know if you have any questions.

 

Thanks,

Jeff

 

UNF will continue to calculate pass rates for general education courses as they are calculated with all other courses: a grade of D or higher is considered passing. While a grade of C is required to satisfy particular core requirements, the university grants credit for grades of D or higher in all coursework. Therefore, a D is not considered a failing grade from the standpoint of the university, even though it indeed may not meet the general education requirement for graduation.

 

As for Withdrawals and the pass rate: The Faculty Association, in 1984, voted for the current WP/WF policy. The policy was reviewed in 2000, and the FA voted in affirmation of the policy and to count a WF as a failing grade. Certainly, interventions to improve the rate of withdrawals, both prior to enrollment and during a course, are worthy of consideration. The excellent work taking place in the Math Department in providing enhanced academic support for students in challenging gateway courses is to be applauded and indeed will contribute to improved performance.

2011-2012, Answered

Course Passing Rate

Questioner: Pali Sen

Posted to: Mark Workman, Provost & Vice President Academic Affairs

Currently the passing rate for a course is calculated based on the number of students who get a C or above out of the total number of students remaining in the class after the add/drop date.  The calculation includes the students who have withdrawn from the class within the University approved withdrawal deadlines.  Is this practice justified?  Students who withdraw appear to be unprepared and why should they be therefore counted at the end of the class?  Can a department opt out from the withdrawal option for its classes?

 

Written Response from Jeff Coker, Dean for the Office of Undergraduate Studies:


From: Coker, Jeffrey W

Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2011 8:48 AM

To: Bush, Melissa; Sen, Pali

Cc: Workman, Mark; Jaffee, Marianne; Kuehner, Megan

Subject: FA Question from Dr. Sen

Good morning,

I am writing on behalf of Provost Workman in response to Dr. Pali Sen’s question from the October 6 Faculty Association meeting.  Please include this response in your Q&A section of the Faculty Association website.

 

Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or concerns.

 

Regards,

Jeff Coker

Dean, Undergraduate Studies

Response

Normal withdrawals are not counted as part of the pass rate for a particular course.  However, a withdrawal that has an impact on a student’s GPA–“WF” or “FA” (punitive F)-is included in calculation of course pass rate.  The reasoning is that an instructor who records a grade of WF for a student has indicated, at the time of late withdrawal that the student indeed was failing the course.
As such, this should be counted as part of overall course performance.  As grading policy is established by the university, departments may not opt out.  Also, please note that pass rates are calculated as “D” or above” rather than C or higher.