UNH Faculty Senate
Motion on Thompson School Course Access
UNH FACULTY SENATE
COMMITTEE MOTION # IV-M4
1. Faculty Senate Committee: Academic Affairs.
2. Committee Chairperson: Deborah Winslow.
3. Date of Faculty Senate Discussion: 1-24-00.
4. Committee/Administrator Responsible for
Implementation
5. Motion:
Motion to amend Student Rule 05.32(as)
The Academic Affairs Committee moves that the following policy
change be adopted by the Faculty Senate:
University of New Hampshire Baccalaureate or Associate in
Arts degree candidates may take any Thompson School
courses with 200 numbers for credit with the following
stipulations:
1. Only a TSAS course transferable to UNH at the time at
which it was taken may be taken by a UNH Baccalaureate or
Associate in Arts degree candidate for credit. The UNH Office
of Admissions will maintain a list of non-transferable courses,
as per Senate motion II-M6, 2/23/98.
2. Grades received in 200-numbered courses will be recorded
on the student's transcript but will not affect or be included in
the student's GPA.
3. BA/BS candidates may take a maximum of 16 credits of
TSAS courses; AA candidates may take a maximum of 8
credits. Normally, a student may take no more than 4 credits
of TSAS coursework per semester, but this limit may be
waived with the approval of the student's adviser for legitimate
academic reasons (such as linked courses or because a needed
course will not be available later).
4 TSAS courses may not be used for general education,
writing intensive, or foreign language requirements. They may
be used for major or minor requirements only if specifically
approved on a course-by-course basis by the department
granting the major or minor and when the student meets the
usual minimum grade requirements of that program.
6. Rationale:
(See attached.)
7. Senate Action: Passed on 1-24-00 Vote: with 3 nays &
0 abstentions
Chair's verification: Pedro de Alba Date: 1-28-00
Forwarded to: Joan Leitzel, President Date: 1-28-00
David Hiley, VPAA Date: 1-28-00
Regina Smick-Attisano, TSAS Director Date: 1-28-00
HISTORY
On 2/23/98, the Faculty Senate passed the following motion:
"The Admissions Office, with the advice and consent of the
Academic Affairs Committee of the Faculty Senate, shall
review and approve courses for either full or zero transfer
credit to the Other Accepted Courses category. The criteria
for the award of the full number of credits earned at the
original institution in this review process shall depend on
the following conditions:
1. The course credit shall be earned at an institution
accredited by the New England Association of Schools and
Colleges, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education
or its equivalent.
2. The course shall be comparable in scope and level to
credit bearing course offerings at the University of New
Hampshire.
3. The department/program accreditation in which the
student majors shall not be adversely affected.
Accreditation issues that implicate this part of the policy
shall be raised by the department/program and brought to
the Academic Affairs Committee of the Faculty Senate."
In the rationale for the motion, as passed by the Faculty Senate and
forwarded to President Leitzel and Provost Eggers, it specifically
states that: "This motion is meant to cover all transfer students
including Thompson School transfers, with the interim exception
of students from New Hampshire Community Technical Colleges."
The "interim exception" was covered in a second motion (also,
2/23/98) that explained that when the NH Community Technical
Colleges become accredited by the New England Association of
School and Colleges, Commission on Institutions of Higher
Education, courses from these institutions also will be transferable.
Since 2/23/98, the Admissions Office has awarded 100% credit to
transfer students who have taken courses at appropriately
accredited institutions, including TSAS. UNH BA/BS
undergraduates who take courses at those same institutions during
the summer or while otherwise away from the university, also
receive full transfer credit.
However, there is still a UNH Academic Policy that states:
" Thompson School 200-level courses must be taken as audit by
UNH baccalaureate or associate degree candidates, since these
courses carry no graduation credits" [Student Rule 05.32(as)].
(Note: All Thompson School courses have 200 numbers.)
The Thompson School of Agriculture was approved to grant
Associate in Applied Science degrees in 1964; in 1966, it became
the Thompson School of Applied Science. It would appear that in
1964, UNH BA/BS/AA students normally were not allowed to use
TSAS courses for credits towards their degree. However, the
earliest documented mention of such a policy that we so far have
found is a 1971 statement by the Board of Trustees that states,
"Credits shall be transferable between institutions of the University
System and applicable to any undergraduate degree program
provided that: "...(B) they were earned in any undergraduate
degree program except the Associate of Applied Science." The
statement goes on to say that "credit may be transferred in full or
in part, depending on the specific character of the work and upon
the program to which the student transfers..." A similar rule
appears in the Admissions Office Handbook of Transfer Credit
Policies of 1974, compiled by Eugene Savage, Director of
Admissions.
Under the UNH credit transfer policy at that time, TSAS students
who transferred to UNH actually did receive partial credit for their
TSAS work (as a block of credit equal to 60% of the total TSAS
credits), although there also were a few courses (accepted as
General Education courses or by the student's new major
department for major credit), that transferred at full credit.
Both the Trustees' policy and the Admissions policy apply to
students moving from TSAS to a baccalaureate program at UNH.
Over the years, the number of Thompson School courses
transferred at full credit has increased, and in 1998, the Faculty
Senate approved the transfer of most Thompson School courses at
full credit. To date, there has been no change in the policy
prohibiting Baccalaureate or Associate in Arts students from
taking Thompson School courses for credit toward their degrees.
The purpose of this motion is to amend Student Rule 05.32 (as) to
make it consistent with other policy changes.
RATIONALE
1. Fairness to Students
a. Former TSAS students can count TSAS courses towards
their UNH BA or BS degree; therefore, UNH associate in
arts and baccalaureate candidates (hereafter to be called,
"UNH undergraduates") should be able to, as well.
b. "UNH undergraduates," while on leave from UNH or
during the summer, can take a course at any program in the
country similar to the Thompson School, as long as it is
appropriately accredited, and have the credits count
(without it affecting their GPA) towards their UNH degree;
therefore, they should be able to take Thompson School
courses for credit, as well.
2. Access to campus resources.
a. Courses offered at TSAS can provide opportunities to
enhance a student's learning generally or major in
particular. A few TSAS courses, when transferred in by
former TSAS students, substitute for major electives.
"UNH undergraduates" should have access to these same
opportunities.
b. Many TSAS courses are supported by labs which are not
available elsewhere on campus. Examples include courses
in Computer Aided Design (CAD), Geographic
Information Systems (GIS), metal fabrication technology,
and aboriculture. It is noteworthy that the only GIS
teaching lab at UNH is in the TSAS. It seems reasonable
that all campus students should be able to avail themselves
of these resources.
3. Fairness to the TSAS and its faculty.
Over the years since 1977, two major "work arounds" have
come about, both of which are unfair to the TSAS and its
faculty.
a. Cross-listing. There are currently eleven dual-numbered
courses and a few other courses than can be taken by
"UNH undergraduates" through the mechanism of cross-
listing. A Thompson School student signs up for the
courses with a TSAS Department name and 200 number;
the "UNH undergraduate" signs up for it with a non-TSAS
department name and number. Thus, the student receives
credit, but the teaching faculty's department does not.
Understandably, the number of cross-listings has decreased
in recent years.
b. Independent study. Under this mechanism, the "UNH
undergraduate" finds a faculty sponsor who signs him or
her up for an independent study course. The student takes
the Thompson School course he or she needs; the faculty
member reports the grade to the sponsor who enters it on
the grade roster. With this mechanism, the actual courses
the student has completed does not appear on the transcript;
and neither the faculty member nor the TSAS receives
credit.
CONCLUSION
It is not the intention of this motion to blur the missions of the
TSAS and UNH. Their separate and equally important roles are
clear in their programs, catalogues, published literature, and
histories. The intention here is, rather, to eliminate an inequity and
contradiction in current policy.
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