Basketball Gets Top Priority

The University Senate met Monday in the Bishop Center for its third regular meeting of 2007-2008 academic year.

Annual reports were delivered by Associate Vice Provost Keith Barker of the Institute for Teaching and Learning and Director of Athletics Jeff Hathaway.

Hathaway had good news to report, noting the positive position of UConn athletics this year.

UConn will remain in the NCAA after passing a mandatory review for recertification that is performed every 10 years.

Also, UConn passed a review of Title IX, a federal law which requires gender equality in athletic scholarships proportionate to the gender distribution of the student body, was passed, noting the percentages were exactly the same, according to Hathaway.

The athletic department's goals in the upcoming year will be to renew or add athletic facilities, with a new basketball facility as the top priority, Hathaway said.

The issue of serious debate was over a change of six words in a University bylaw. Andrew Moiseff, chair of scholastic standards, proposed a motion to change the policy on grades marked 'incomplete', which, by the current policy, will be changed to an 'F' if the work is not made up by "the third week of the next semester in which the student is enrolled."

Moiseff stated that the problem with the current policy is that if a student does not enroll in classes, there is no limit on how much time can pass before that student returns to complete the missing work. The motion proposed is to change the bylaw to say, simply, "by the third week of the next semester."

Philip Mannheim, a physics professor at UConn, opposed this motion, citing permissible reasons such as health problems, military service, financial problems or studying abroad that might prevent a student from completing the missing work within such a short time frame.

"I worry about the student who is doing well, and gets the 'incomplete' because he doesn't deserve an 'F'. Changing the 'I' to an 'F' on his transcript so quickly might discourage him from coming back," said Kathryn Ratcliff, an associate professor in sociology at UConn.

The motion carried despite opposition.

Regular reports were also given by UConn President Michael J. Hogan and Senate Executive Committee Chair John DeWolf.

Things are going well for the Institute of Teaching and Learning (ITL), which makes it their mission to "support and advance the best method of teaching and learning," According to Associate Vice Provost Keith Barker.

The ITL is working with faculty development on all campuses by holding private meetings with instructors, as well as class visits, and holding workshops, Barker said.

So far, group workshops have been most effective for training new faculty members. Barker says that the ITL is currently focused on the regional campuses, because they are still developing. Also, they are working to increase the use of high-tech classrooms as they are now being built with increased efficiency at a reduced cost.

In his report, President Michael Hogan stressed the importance of expanding UConn's international standing. Some goals he mentioned were establishing more collaborations with international universities, including undergraduate exchange and faculty and research collaboration.

Hogan also hopes for the possibility of joining the group

Universitas 21, a global network of research-intensive universities.

Contact Brendan Eckert at Brendan.Eckert@UConn.edu.