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XVI.

GENERAL/MINOR LEGISLATION. D 16517-16519 Recommendation for a Change in Regents' Rules Concerning Suspension of a Faculty Member with Pay. Legislation submitted by the Faculty Grievance Committee and approved by the Faculty Council at its meeting on December 8, 1997, and transmitted to the president on December 9, 1997. Transmitted to the chancellor by the president on January 20, 1999, with these comments: "This legislation was discussed among my office, the Office of the Provost, and members of the Faculty Council Executive Committee. It puts into the Regents' Rules what has been the practice at The University of Texas at Austin. Confidential consultation with a faculty committee regarding a possible suspension is guaranteed, but the final determination is made by the president. This process has worked well on our campus. I recommend your favorable consideration of the proposed change." The president's office is currently attempting to determine the status of this item. D 77-81 Changes in Policies Concerning Grades Awarded with Credit by Examination. Posted on the Faculty Council Web site on October 29, 1999. Approved by Faculty Council on November 15, 1999. Transmitted to the president on November 16, 1999. Comment by the provost on November 10, 2000: "The Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost continues to explore various options. A final decision has not yet been reached." In a letter dated October 12, 2001, President Faulkner made the following comments: "A close reading of our current credit by examination policies, as well as the proposal, raises several concerns. " In supporting the removal of letter grades earned in credit by examination from the UT Austin grade-point average, the proposal itself comments that credit by examination does not reflect a student's performance in coursework at UT Austin. Beyond that issue is a question about inconsistency between the way in which a final grade is normally determined in coursework at UT Austin and the way in which the grade is determined in credit by examination. In coursework, the final grade is almost always the result of multiple factors (tests, papers, attendance, participation, etc.). In credit by examination, the grade is the result of a single test. " These and other issues still need to be considered as regards the granting of credit by examination. I am asking the Executive Vice President and Provost to appoint a special committee to address the issues and prepare a report. I will hold the current proposal (Documents of the General Faculty 77-81), pending the report of that committee. " There is, however, an inequity in our current policies that I believe must be addressed now. For the final grade in coursework at UT Austin, the student must choose between a letter grade or "Credit" (for pass/fail) by the mid-semester drop deadline, i.e., well before the final grade is determined. For credit by examination, however, the student is permitted to delay the choice of letter grade or "Credit" for an indefinite period until he or she knows the grade and knows how that grade might affect the grade-point average. " To eliminate this inequity, I am considering the following changes in policy: " 1. Beginning September 1, 2002, a student attempting credit by examination through a University of Texas at Austin test will be required to make the choice of letter grade or "Credit" prior to taking the examination (i.e., where that choice has been made available by the department offering the examination). " 2. This policy alone would give an advantage to a student earning credit by examination off campus when that student retained the choice of letter grade or "Credit" until after the examination was completed. Therefore, beginning September 1, 2002, the University will accept credit by examination earned off campus as CR ["Credit"] only." In a memorandum dated August 19, 2002, the provost made the following comments: " Rather than convene a new committee, a decision was made to refer this issue to the Educational Policy Committee. Professor Robert Duke, as chair of the Committee, was asked to draft a proposal for consideration by the President and Provost. The draft proposal is to be ready for review in September 2002." D 582-585 Report and Recommendations from the Faculty Grievance Committee, 1999-2000. Posted on the Faculty Council Web site on May 3, 2000. Approved by the Faculty Council on May 8, 2000. Transmitted to the president on May 9, 2000. Comment by the provost on November 10, 2000: "Under review." The president responded to the report in a letter dated May 28, 2002. A group of faculty responded to his letter, and a meeting was held with the president and provost on August 14, 2002, to further discuss the issues. A second response from the president was sent on September 17, 2002, and is reproduced in D 2150-2152. D 1202-1203 Tuition Remission for Graduate Research Assistants. Posted on the Faculty Council Web site on March 12, 2001. Legislation submitted by the Research Policy Committee. Amended and approved by the Faculty Council on April 16, 2001. Transmitted to the president through the provost on April 17, 2001. Approved by the president through the provost and transmitted to the executive vice chancellor for academic affairs on October 2, 2001. This policy has been implemented. D 1652-1655 Proposal from the Faculty Grievance Committee to Create an Office of the Faculty Ombudspersons. Posted on the Faculty Council Web site on January 15, 2002. The Faculty Council approved the proposal at its meeting on February 18, 2002. Transmitted to the president through the provost on February 19, 2002. In a memorandum dated August 19, 2002, the provost made the following comments: " On May 28, 2002, a letter was sent to John Durbin, Secretary of the Faculty Council, outlining that the office had been approved contingent upon finding sufficient funding. Subsequent to that letter, a committee has been formed to provide the Provost with nominations. The call for nominations was sent out to all faculty on August 15, 2002." D 1691 Resolution from the Faculty Building Advisory Committee - Spring 2002. Posted on the Faculty Council Web site on February 12, 2002. The resolution was approved by the Faculty Council on February 18, 2002. Transmitted to the president on February 19, 2002. Approved by the president on April 28, 2003. D 2203-2359 Narrative Report and Recommendations from the Task Force on Assembly and Expression. Posted on the Faculty Council Web site on November 11, 2002. Endorsed by the Faculty Council at its meeting on January 27, 2003. D 2360-2362 Procedures for The University of Texas at Austin Administrative Investigations of Policy Violations Alleged Against Faculty Members. Posted on the Faculty Council Web site on November 11, 2002. Amended and approved by the Faculty Council at its meeting on November 18, 2002 Transmitted to the president through the provost on November 19, 2002. A revised version titled Revision of Proposed Procedures for The University of Texas at Austin Administrative Investigations of Policy Violations Alleged Against Faculty Members (D 2539-2541) was considered and approved by the Faculty Council at its meeting on May 5, 2003. The revision resulted from discussions between the administration and the Committee of Counsel on Academic Freedom and Responsibility chair. D 2384-2385 Proposed Change to The University of Texas Handbook of Operating Procedures, Chapter 1, Page 4. Posted on the Faculty Council Web site on January 15, 2003. Approved by the Faculty Council at it’s meeting on January 27, 2003. Transmitted to the president on January 28, 2003. Approved by the president on February 2, 2003. D 2386 Faculty Council Resolution Endorsing the Recommendations from the Task Force on Assembly and Expression. Posted on the Faculty Council Web site on January 15, 2003. Approved by the Faculty Council at it’s meeting on January 27, 2003. D 2480-2482 Recommendation for Change in the Residency Requirements in The UT Austin Undergraduate Catalog. Posted on the Faculty Council Web site on March 4, 2003. Approved by the Faculty Council on March 17, 2003. Transmitted to the President on March 18, 2003. D 2483-2484 Proposal to Modify Instructional Responsibilities Policy. Posted on the Faculty Council Web site on March 4, 2003. Approved by the Faculty Council on March 17, 2003. The proposal had evolved, through cooperation with the administration and responses from the UT System, from a 1999 proposal for modified duties for faculty members who give birth or have primary responsibility for a newborn child. (See D 938-940.) Transmitted to the president on March 18, 2003. The proposal was modified and approved by Provost Sheldon Ekland-Olson and transmitted to the president with the following modifications on May 22, 2003: “ 1. All teaching load adjustments will be granted in compliance with equivalencies set out in Part I, Chap III, Sec. 36.1 and 36.2 of the Regents' Rules and Regulations; “ 2. The revised policy does not provide more benefits to members of the full-time faculty than are authorized by the state law or the Regents' Rules and Regulations; “ 3. The policy is gender neutral in both its scope and application in that it applies to all members of the faculty who are appointed full-time on the instructional budget in a long-session semester; “ 4. The language of the original policy has been modified so as to insure that the revised policy is consistent with state law and University policy related to sick leave; and “ 5. The revised policy includes language that assures that faculty members who are on modified instructional duties status will render legitimate services to the University in exchange for their salaries.” A footnote was added to clarify that the policy is not intended to apply to situations where use of sick leave is appropriate. The president approved and transmitted the modified proposal to the vice chancellor and general counsel on June 3, 2003. D 2530 Schedule for Meetings of the Faculty Council in 2003-2004. Posted on the Faculty Council Web site on April 30, 2003. Approved by the Faculty Council at its meeting on May 5, 2003. D 2531 Cancellation of Summer Meetings of the Faculty Council. Posted on the Faculty Council Web site on April 30, 2003. Approved by the Faculty Council at its meeting on May 5, 2003. D 2539-2541 Revision of Proposed Procedures for The University of Texas at Austin Administrative Investigations of Policy Violations Alleged Against Faculty Members. Posted on the Faculty Council Web site on April 30, 2003. Approved by the Faculty Council at its meeting on May 5, 2003. The revision resulted from discussions between the administration and the Committee of Counsel on Academic Freedom and Responsibility chair. Transmitted to the president through the provost on May 7, 2003. (See D 2360-2362.)