University of Colorado Student Union Legislative Council
December 9, 2004 62LCR#1 Course Forgiveness
Sponsored by: Eugene Pearson Second Vice-President
Naomi Lopez President Pro-Tempore
Rita Cohen Rep-At Large
David Roth Co-Senator-School of Engineering
Valeria Morales Rep-At-Large
Ashley Moore Rep-At-Large
Lauren Monitz Rep-At-Large
Travis Fawcett Rep-At-Large
Christopher Turner Senator for School of Music
Joseph Neguse Tri-Executive
Veronica Crespin Tri-Executive
Garrett Stanton Tri-Executive
Rae Ann Armijo Senator for School of Journalism
Authored by: Kristin Queja Academic Affairs Liaison
A Resolution
Resolution History
In the spring of 1999 UCSU passed 50LCB#22, a bill that endorsed the idea of revising the University of Colorado at Boulder’s course repetition policy. There were numerous proposed revisions, the most important being the ability for students to re-take courses taken at the Boulder campus and apply their second grade into a revised GPA calculation. This pilot program was initiated by UCSU through the said legislation, which urged the UCSU Liaison to Administration to pursue the issue further. This policy eventually became “course forgiveness”. It has been highly beneficial to the student body and has become a program valued highly by those who use it as a resource. The policy was initiated as a pilot program and was to be re-evaluated by the faculty, students, and administration throughout the pilot’s existence.
Recently, the Boulder Faculty Assembly put forward a motion to support the revised “Course Repetition” program as an official policy on the University of Colorado-Boulder campus. Despite resounding support at the motion’s first reading, as well as a faculty straw poll, which showed widespread faculty support, the motion failed (9 voting for, 15 voting against, 2 abstaining). The program will now go to the University of Colorado-Boulder Administration for further consideration, and it is with this resolution that we seek to denounce the BFA vote on course forgiveness and urge CU Administration to preserve the course repetition program as a permanent academic policy.
Resolution Summary
WHEREAS; UCSU has continually shown support for the course forgiveness program, displayed through the actions of past UCSU Executives as well as previous UCSU legislation, and;
WHEREAS; UCSU supported the revised course reputation motion that was brought forward to the Boulder Faculty Assembly on December 2nd, 2004 for approval (Attached in Appendix A), and;
WHEREAS; the Boulder Faculty Assembly voted down the said motion, without taking into consideration numerous factors, including, but not limited to:
-Resounding support for policy during 1st reading at Nov. 4th BFA assembly mtg.
-Resounding support for policy through faculty straw poll (survey attached-Appendix B)
-Consistent approval from Boulder Faculty Assembly throughout previous years of course forgiveness’s existence
-Verbal and written notification of student support on the said proposal, including previous student survey results
WHEREAS; the Boulder Faculty Assembly took the vote on the said motion with little discourse and engaged in a written ballot on an issue which necessitated more public discourse and transparency, and;
WHEREAS; the University of Colorado Student Union has continually provided much support for the faculty and academic programs at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and;
WHEREAS; the BFA vote will now be provided to the Chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder as he reviews the proposed policy, taking into account the student stance as well.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislative Council of the University of Colorado Student Union, THAT,
SECTION 1: The students of the University of Colorado at Boulder strongly oppose the Boulder Faculty Assembly for its vote on the motion for course repetition.
SECTION 2: The students of the University of Colorado at Boulder demand that the Boulder Faculty Assembly re-visits the course repetition policy due to the irregularities and errors in the previous voting process.
SECTION 3: The students of the University of Colorado at Boulder request that Chancellor Byyny enact the course repetition program as it stands, as an official policy at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
SECTION 4: This resolution will be sent to CU-Boulder Chancellor Richard Byyny, Provost Phillip DiStefano, Vice-Chancellor Ron Stump, Boulder Faculty Assembly Chair Barbara Bintliff, members of the Boulder Faculty Assembly, members of the Arts and Sciences Council, Deans of each school and college at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and any other parties requesting the said resolution.
SECTION 5: This resolution takes effect special order upon passage by Legislative Council and upon obtaining the signatures of the Tri-Executives.
Naomi Lopez, Legislative Council President Joseph Neguse, UCSU Tri-Executive
Veronica Crespin, UCSU Tri-Executive Garrett Stanton, UCSU Tri-Executive