S.97-64
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
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OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC ?
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MEMORANDUM
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To: ?
Senate
From: ?
D. Gagan, Chair
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Senate Committee on Academic lKning
Subject: ?
Undergraduate Regulation Change
(SCUS Reference; SCUS 97-18)
(SCAP Reference: SCAP 97-39)
Date: ?
September 16, 1997
Action undertaken by the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies and the
Senate Committee on Academic Planning gives rise to the following motion:
Motion:
"That Senate approve, as,si forth in S.97 -64 , the following
additional limit on the-"duplication of courses:
Normally, a coYse may not be duplicated if the original
grade is
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SCUS 97 - 18
Simon Fraser University
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Roger Blackman
Psychology Department
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Chair, SCUS
CC 8308
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291-5486
MEMORANDUM
To: ?
Alison Watt, Director of Secretariat Services
Date: ?
June 24, 1997
Topic:
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Undergraduate Regulation Change
The following change in the regulations limiting the duplication of courses was
approved at the May 26th meeting of the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies,
and is being forwarded to the Senate Committee on Academic Planning for approval.
Motion:
That SCAP approve and recommend to Senate the following additional limit on
the duplication of courses:
Normally, a course may not be duplicated if the original grade is C or better.
Note: If approved, the calendar entry would be amended to specify that waiver of this
limitation could be granted by the department offering the course.
Rationale
The Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies (SCUS) has examined the
regulations governing the duplication of courses, Currently there are two limitations on
duplication:
the maximum number of different courses a student may duplicate is 5;
no course may be duplicated more than once.
The calendar specifies that the Dean's permission is needed to extend the former limit,
Is
while approval to duplicate a course for the second or subsequent time can be given at
the program level.
which
SCUS
showed
considered
that:
data on duplications compiled by the Office of Analytical Studies,
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• some 2-3% of all grades awarded are duplicates;
• roughly 1/3 of all students attempt at least 1 duplication, 5% attempt more than 3
duplications, and fewer than 1 % of students attempt more than 5 duplications;
• of all course duplications, about 2% are second or subsequent "re-duplications;"
• about 10% of duplications are of courses in which the original grade is C or better.
We sought feedback from faculties and programs on the perceived appropriateness of
the two existing limitations and the proposed additional limitation, in light of the brief
statistical profile sketched above. Responses showed a high level of acceptance of the
current limits on duplication and of the level at which waivers can be granted, and we
received widespread but not unanimous support for the proposed additional limit.
SCUS is recommending prohibition of duplication of a course in which the grade
received is C or better. We are motivated by concerns about resources and equity. In
principle, it is plainly inefficient to have a student taking a course more than once. In
practice, however, there are circumstances in which that seems reasonable. One such
circumstance may be when a student who is performing at an acceptable level
stumbles badly in a course and earns a marginal or failing grade. Duplication allows
the
A circumstance
student the opportunity
that may not
to
be
repair
reasonable
the damage.grounds
for duplication arises when a
.
student has a cumulative GPA that falls short of the required level for admission to a
program or for maintaining standing in the university. Duplication for the purpose of
boosting a student's GPA to the required level is generally undesirable because it
introduces inequity, as do repeated attempts to pass a required course.
The grading system and the grade levels used for limiting admission or maintenance of
academic standing are both predicated on the assumption that students are taking
courses for the first time. Given that a student who repeats a course can be expected
to earn a higher grade, duplication confers an unfair advantage over the first-time
student. This inequity may be seen as tolerable in cases where the student "blew" the
course the first time. However, it should not normally be accepted for the student with a
C+ average who wants to turn some C grades into B grades in order to meet the GPA
requirement for admission to Program X.
\docs\admin\scus\duplicat\scapmem
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