Committee on Undergraduate Education

Charge

From the Constitution of the University Faculty, Article VI, Section E:

"Par. 1. Definition of Undergraduate Program Faculty (UPF)
            The undergraduate program faculty or UPF are defined as voting members of the University Faculty
            who have a primary or joint appointment in one or more of the following constituent faculties or
            departments:

• College of Arts and Sciences
• Case School of Engineering
• Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
• Weatherhead School of Management
• Department of Physical Education and Athletics
• Departments in the School of Medicine that offer undergraduate majors

 Par. 2 (a) The Committee on Undergraduate Education shall consist of:

               (1) the following members who shall have a vote on matters considered by the committee:

• the provost, ex officio,
• three voting members of the University Faculty elected by the Faculty Senate for overlapping three-year terms;
• one representative each from the College of Arts & Sciences, the Case School of Engineering, the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, and the Weatherhead School of Management appointed by the executive committee/faculty council of each of these four constituent faculties;,
• one voting member of the University Faculty from the Department of Physical Education and Athletics;
• one voting member from the University Faculty from the Departments in the School of Medicine that offer undergraduate majors;
• two undergraduate students selected by the Undergraduate Student Government for a one-year term;

(2)   Up to four non-voting members, designated by the provost from among members of the administration with the rank of deputy, vice or associate-provost, vice-president, or dean and having specific responsibility for undergraduate education and life. The Faculty Senate Executive Committee shall appoint a chair and vice chair from the voting members of the Undergraduate Program Faculty who are members of the Committee on Undergraduate Education, with either the chair or the vice chair assuming the role of chair in the subsequent year, assisted by the vice chair appointed in that year. 

Par. 3. (a) The Committee on Undergraduate Education shall review and recommend to the Faculty  
Senate with respect to:

• changes in standards of admission for undergraduate students;
• changes in academic requirements and regulations for undergraduate students;
• curricula, contents, and standards for newly-proposed undergraduate degree programs[1];
• changes in existing undergraduate curricula and degree programs within a constituent faculty that specifically influence undergraduate degree programs or students enrolled in undergraduate degree programs in other constituent faculties (the provost or the provost’s designee, in consultation with the chair of the Committee on Undergraduate Education, will decide which course action forms require review by the committee);
• resource allocations for undergraduate education;
• outcome assessment of undergraduate degree programs;
• the discontinuance of existing undergraduate degree programs;
• standards for undergraduate academic standing;
• standards for receipt and retention of undergraduate scholarships and financial aid
• standards of undergraduate academic integrity and student conduct;
• standards and facilities for undergraduate research and scholarship;
• conditions of undergraduate student life.

 The Committee on Undergraduate Education shall be responsible:

• for the interpretation of existing policies and the application of existing academic rules to decide cases that involve academic probation, separation, and readmission;
• to review and to decide upon applications for undergraduate admission to the University;
• to decide cases of receipt and retention of undergraduate scholarships
• to report its actions to the Faculty Senate as well as the appropriate administrative offices.

The Committee on Undergraduate Education shall receive regular reports from the executive or other governing committees of the constituent faculties, departments, or programs of the UPF that involve matters of undergraduate education not within the charge of the Committee on Undergraduate Education and as a matter of communication transmit them to the Faculty Senate as well as the appropriate administrative offices. The Committee on Undergraduate Education shall be empowered to form subcommittees as it judges appropriate to discharge its duties and to appoint to these subcommittees voting members of the University Faculty, staff members from administrative units that serve the undergraduate mission, and undergraduate students.

(b) The Undergraduate Program Faculty is responsible for the administration of all undergraduate programs at the University. All proposals for undergraduate courses and programs must be submitted for appropriate review through at least one of the four UPF Constituent Faculties or another department or unit that is part of the UPF, following procedures developed by the Faculty Senate Committee on Undergraduate Education.   Such procedures shall be subject to approval by the Faculty Senate or the Faculty Senate Executive Committee as appropriate. 

Par. 4. (a) When issues arise that in the judgment of the Chair or a majority of the members of the Committee on Undergraduate Education, or of the Chair of the Faculty Senate involve important basic policies that govern undergraduate education at the University and extend beyond degree programs in a constituent faculty, the Committee on Undergraduate Education may refer proposals for action to a meeting of the Undergraduate Program Faculty for discussion.  After that meeting, eligible faculty members in those faculties, departments, or programs shall vote on proposals by electronic ballot.  The result of that vote shall be conveyed to the Faculty Senate for action at its next meeting after the vote.
           (b) Meetings of the Undergraduate Program Faculty defined in Par. 1 to consider proposals for action regarding issues that involve important basic policies that govern undergraduate education at the University and extend beyond degree programs in a constituent faculty may also be called by the president, by the provost, by the chair of Committee on Undergraduate Education, by the chair of the Faculty Senate, or upon written petition, stating the proposal for action at the meeting and signed by not less than 10 (ten) percent of the total number of eligible voting members of the UPF.  Such a petition shall be delivered to the chair of the Committee on Undergraduate Education, who shall certify the signatures to the Committee.  The Committee on Undergraduate Education shall specify a meeting date upon receipt of the Petition, such meeting to take place no later than 30 (thirty) calendar days after receipt of the petition.
           (c) The president, or in the absence of the president, the provost, or in the absence of the provost, the chair of the Committee on Undergraduate Education, shall preside at all meetings of the Undergraduate Program Faculty defined in Par. 1

Par. 5 In discharging its responsibilities, the Committee on Undergraduate Education shall observe university policies governing academic freedom."

[1] Degree programs are the major and minor academic programs that are officially recognized by the Office of Undergraduate Studies and appear on an official academic transcript of a student.