Academic Standards Committee

Sturges, Diana

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Georgia Southern University: Digital Commons@Georgia Southern

Georgia Southern UniversityDigital Commons@Georgia SouthernFaculty Senate Index Faculty Senate Documents5-9-2014Recommended changes to the early alert-midtermgrades policyAcademic Standards CommitteeDiana SturgesGeorgia Southern UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/faculty-senate-indexPart of the Higher Education Administration CommonsThis motion request is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty Senate Documents at Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. It has beenaccepted for inclusion in Faculty Senate Index by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. For more information, pleasecontact digitalcommons@georgiasouthern.edu.Recommended CitationAcademic Standards Committee and Sturges, Diana, "Recommended changes to the early alert-midterm grades policy" (2014).Faculty Senate Index. 127.https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/faculty-senate-index/127Approved by the Senate: 9/15/2014 Amended to take effect Spring 2015. Not Approved by the Senate: Approved by the President: 9/16/2014 Not Approved by the President:  Recommended changes to the “early alert/midterm grades” policy  Submitted by Diana Sturges/Academic Standards Committee 5/9/2014   Motion:   The ASC moves that  1) The reference to midterm grades in “Early Alert/Midterm Grade” be removed, making them simply “Early Alert.”  2) The early alert options are changed and simplified to include the following options:  S Satisfactory UG Unsatisfactory: Grades UM  Unsatisfactory: Missing/Missed assessment UA  Unsatisfactory: Attendance UP  Unsatisfactory: Lack of engaged Participation UC  Unsatisfactory: Combination of issues ID  Insufficient Data  Implementation date: Fall 2014  Rationale:   1. Although the Early Alert/Midterm Grade window opens at the beginning of the 3rd week of classes, the vast majority of faculty submissions come at the deadline (34th day). This deadline comes at a point too late in the semester to allow for meaningful intervention on the part of academic advisors, the Academic Success Center and other units. Intervening before the withdrawal date is particularly difficult. Even if faculty are communicating progress in the course clearly through Folio, not submitting formally through WINGS means that advisors and others are not in a position to identify patterns across courses. Faculty often do not feel they have substantive enough assessment to submit a grade earlier that reflects true course progress.  The reference to grades may be one reason faculty are reticent to submit early when they have not assessed a significant percentage of the course content, although the Early Alert/Midterm Grade is not a grade in the formal sense even in its present form. It is more properly simply an early alert.  2. a. This represents fewer options than we currently have (seven instead of ten). “UC” now replaces the various, specific combinations of issues a student may exhibit. b. There is a new category for “missing/missed assessment.” The rationale is that faculty may feel more comfortable in assigning this alert even if the assessment were minor. Any missing grade is cause for an early alert. c. The intent behind the other new category (“ID”) is that it would be used sparingly, usually when students classified as freshmen are enrolled in upper-level courses not designed for first-year students (and therefore which may have less frequent assessment). d. The ASC recommended removing the generic “U” altogether to encourage faculty to use the more detailed descriptors when submitting the alerts, but also because it seems there are enough options provided.  Response:    These were approved for the June 2014 meeting, but a quorum was not present, so they were held until the September 2014 meeting.  Minutes: 9/15/2014: 8.1. Changes to the “early alert/midterm grade” policy (unidentified) ??? (cannot understand)   Sally Brown (COE): It is designed to, it should follow that, dropdown menu, change, but you’ll see other options when you go (cannot understand).   Pat Humphrey (COSM) Senate Moderator and Chair, SEC: Well, I know, (cannot understand) Is there any other discussion, questions about the motion, now amended to  take effect for Spring 2015. Seeing none. All in favor please say aye. All opposed? The motion passes.  

Recommended changes to the early alert-midterm grades policy

https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1126&context=faculty-senate-index

Recommended changes to the early alert-midterm grades policy

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