College of Arts and Sciences

Educational Policy Meeting

 

Minutes of the 390th Meeting

November 14th, 2002

 

MEMBERS

PRESENT:� Ann Marie Barry, Joe Burns, Andrea Defusco-Sullivan, Clare Dunsford, Solomon Friedberg, Carlos Jaramillo, Alan Kafka, Michael Malec, Thomas McGuinness, Michael Martin, Gilda Morelli, Robert Murphy, Clare O'Connor, Mary Daniel O'Keeffe, O.P., Jennie Purnell, Joseph Quinn, Eileen Sweeney, Gabe Verdaguer, Barbara Viechnicki, Derek Williams.�

ABSENT: ��Grace Simmons, Michael Connolly.

 

CALL TO ORDER:� Dean Quinn called the meeting to order at 4:00 P.M.

 

MINUTES: �Minutes for May 1st, 2002 were approved. Minutes for October 17th were discussed and sent back for revision and new formatting.

 

SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

 

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS:

Solomon Friedberg presented an interim report on Departmental Minors noting that

  • the subcommittee would be sending a survey and request for comments to 13 departments in the college
  • and would canvas other institutions next semester in addition to those already canvassed � Notre Dame, Georgetown, and Duke.

 

He also noted that a Web CT account had been established, with himself as administrator. The cite is password protected allowing all EPC members to review postings but restricting comments to subcommittee members adding that while he was reluctant to use the site for discussion he thought it would be good for posting documents and should cut down on email transactions.

  • Dean Quinn asked if the site was could be breached.
  • Bob Murphy asked if discussion could be two-way.
  • Carlos Jaramillo stated that only the site administrator could post papers and comments adding that even the site administrator could not delete or alter papers until the end of the project
  • Clare Dunsford Ann Marie Barry noted that you had to remember to go there to check for new submissions and comments and that it could become a pain.
  • Dean Quinn suggested operational questions could be directed to Michael Connolly who had extensive experience with Web CT.

 

APPEALS:

Alan Kafka reported that one case had been resolved and only waited to written up adding that Joe Burns might possibly be forwarding another to the subcommittee. Clare Dunsford added there would be (5) more cases � (4) from one department and (1) from some time back.�

 

On behalf of Mark Gelfand he then submitted the report from last year�s committee, �Procedures for Appealing Course Grades�.

  • Dean Quinn stated that Joe Burns would be making some changes as per previous committee comments and would email it to the full committee.
  • Clare Dunsford clarified the procedure noting that two copies of an appeal were made, one going to the subcommittee the other remaining in the Associate Deans� office.�
  • Dean Quinn asked if the document was ready for submission to chairs and committees.
  • Alan Kafka answered there remained no major changes to be made.�

 

HONORS:

Independent Majors Proposal: Bob Murphy circulated the proposed revised description of the Independent Majors program noting that the only significant change from the previously discussed document was the suggestion that students submit alternatives to their entire program of courses.

  • Gilda Morelli commented that a proposal second semester of sophomore year could only present three semesters of work at BC.
  • Dean Quinn noted that the GPA requirement would rise from 3.0 to 3.5.

 

Joe Burns moved the proposal be voted on; Solomon Friedberg seconded the motion; the vote was unanimous in favor of accepting the proposal.

 

Departmental Honors Programs Report: Bob Murphy submitted a document setting general guidelines for Departmental Honors Programs, called attention to the fact that the Boston College transcript does not recognize DHPs.

  • Dean Quinn noted that the BC transcript was minimalist in form and asked if this resulted from principle or technological limits.
  • Stating that there would be difficulty in noting DHPs on transcripts because of the variety of sources submitting information and the accuracy of that information Joe Burns reported that the only special program distinctions currently recognized were the College Honors Program, the Scholars of the College, Phi Beta Kappa and Latin Honors. He added that, in the case of Cross and Crown, the number of transcripts involved had been the problem.
  • Bob Murphy stated that the significant differences in these programs from department to department would make it difficult to decide what was being recognized.

 

Bob Murphy asked if this document could now be circulated to the departments and was answered in the affirmative.

 

Advanced Placement Credits: Bob Murphy stated the subcommittee saw five specific issues to address.

  1. What scores were appropriate for advanced placement credit at Boston College?
  2. The amount of credit that should be given for AP exams.
  3. Whether or not credit could be given toward fulfilling requirements in a major?
  4. Relationship to other credit programs such as

�        college courses taken while in high school

�        and International Baccalaureate Exams.

  1. Resource issues such as additional course sections which would be needed if the requirements were raised.

 

He added that there needed to be discussion of the advanced standing status for which students arriving with six exams qualifying for 18 credits could apply.

�        Clare Dunsford stated this was an important issue and noted that Mary French in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions had just sent new data.

�        Dean Quinn suggested that the departments and the Honors Program should be consulted.

�        Bob Murphy stated this discussion should be coordinated with the University Core Development Committee.

 

OPEN DISCUSSION OF GRADE INFLATION

Joe Burns circulated several documents detailing the GPA for Latin Honors at graduation, rise in the GPA at graduation, and a corresponding rise in SAT scores of the entering classes asking

1.      Do we have �grade inflation�?

2.      If we do, what should we do about it?

3.      If we do, what can we do about it?

 

Dean Quinn added that the numbers seemed to indicate compaction and hence a loss in the ability to distinguish between students.

 

Michael Martin noted that when an earlier version of these documents were used in reviewing grading in the Honors Program it revealed compaction in that while the median had remained about the same the range in the lower half of the grades had decreased.

 

In response to Bob Murphy�s question about national trends in SATs, Joe Burns replied that, because the number of students taking the SATs had significantly increased, the scores had been declining; hence the results had been �re-centered�.�

 

Derek Williams and Carlos Jaramillo noted that the SATs really only predicted a student�s ability in the first year of college, not performance over four years.

 

Gilda Morelli asked if the rise in SATs correlated to the rise in GPAs. Could we distinguish a variance? And could we speculate as to why the GPAs were going up?

  • Do the grades go up for juniors and seniors in smaller classes?
  • Does it relate to the type of class?
  • Is there a significant press by juniors and seniors to raise their GPAs prior to graduation?

 

Clare Dunsford asked how this might be effected by the elimination of + and � grades.

 

Joe Burns asked if there should be a forced bell curve in grading to which a member responded that might be an infringement on faculty authority over grading. Dean Quinn noted that the BC Law School had imposed a system rationing �A� grades to eliminate the disparity between different sections of the same course.

 

Solomon Friedberg and Carlos Jaramillo noted students did drop courses to avoid receiving a possible low grade. Clare Dunsford and Sr. Mary Daniel O'Keeffe added that the number of �W�s was rising though many students found that undesirable.

 

Alan Kafka asked if the number of grade changes events was rising.

 

Dean Quinn asked if people might favor listing a course average with every grade on a student�s transcript.

 

Jennie Purnell stated that it might be worthwhile to study the variations between departments in relation to grade inflation. Derek Williams and Carlos Jaramillo added this might be a chance to weed out weak courses and point up strong departments.

 

Dean Quinn stated that the creation of a college-wide policy was unlikely but that the reporting of this information might be a chance to educate the departments.

 

ADJOURNMENT: Dean Quinn thanked the members for a wide ranging discussion and adjourned the meeting at 5:30 p.m.

 

Respectfully Submitted

 

Michael C. Martin

Secretary to the EPC