The UAF Faculty Senate passed the following at its Meeting #125 on November 1, 2004:
MOTION:
=======
Upon recommendation of the Curricular Affairs, Faculty Appeals & Oversight, and the Unit Criteria Committees, the UAF Faculty Senate moves to establish a Policy on the Identification and Use of Invalid Academic Degrees.
EFFECTIVE: Immediately
RATIONALE: Preservation of UAF’s integrity as a degree-granting institution is very important. A significant aspect of UAF’s academic integrity is the assurance that UAF students, staff, faculty, and administrators only claim possession of valid academic degrees. In the last decade, unregulated degree 'suppliers' have become rampant. Definition and regulation of the use of invalid academic degrees and academic credits at UAF is therefore necessary.
Reputable organizations exist that research and evaluate the quality of academic oversight for degree suppliers and publish lists of accredited degree-granting institutions and non-accredited degree suppliers. For UAF to create its own ‘degree evaluation’ program is neither necessary nor worthwhile. Rather, UAF should depend on outside agencies for such evaluations.
Reputable organizations include:
***
THE FOLLOWING DEFINITIONS AND REGULATIONS CONSTITUTE THE UAF POLICY ON THE IDENTIFICATION AND USE OF INVALID ACADEMIC DEGREES:
1. A valid academic degree is one issued by a legitimate degree-granting institution. An invalid academic degree is one issued by any other organization or person.
2. For the purposes of determining competency of accrediting agencies, UAF only recognizes those foreign and domestic accrediting bodies that have been approved by the U.S. Department of Education. A list of non-approved “accrediting” bodies will be posted on the Provost’s web site (see Attachment I).
3. A legitimate degree-granting institution is one that is accredited by a competent and qualified accrediting agency and consequently listed in the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers International Registry of degree-granting institutions. All other organizations and persons, especially those specifically listed as unacceptable by the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization, are recognized by UAF as suppliers of invalid academic degrees and invalid academic credits. A list of suppliers of invalid degrees and credits will be posted on the Provost’s web site.
4. An individual who possesses a degree or credits defined by the above criteria as invalid can over-rule this determination if (s)he can obtain a transcript evaluation made by either (a) the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers or (b) the World Education Services that states the degree in question is in fact equivalent to a degree granted by an accredited U.S. institution. A copy of this transcript evaluation should be filed with the individual’s Dean.
5. Only valid academic degrees and credits earned from legitimate degree-granting institutions may be used for the purposes of credit transfer, hiring, promotion, or tenure at UAF.
6. Employees and students of the UAF who possess academic degrees defined as invalid by UAF are forbidden to indicate that they possess such degrees in any official UAF context, including --but not limited to-- UAF classes, UAF syllabi, UAF web sites, and at meetings where they are identified as UAF employees or UAF students. "Indicating” one possesses a degree includes --but is not limited to-- using the title "Dr." or other degree-related title before one's name or listing the degree abbreviation (e.g., B.S., M.S., PhD) after one's name.
7. The list of suppliers of invalid degrees and credits, posted on the Provost’s web site (Attachment II), is to be updated annually by the Faculty Senate Curricular Affairs Committee. Additions to this list are to be based on (a) the listing of invalid degree suppliers provided by the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization and (b) names of any additional degree suppliers that do not appear in the annual ‘American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers International Registry’ and come to the attention of the UAF Registrar or Admissions Office.
****
The UAF Faculty Senate passed the following at its Meeting #125 on November 1, 2004:
MOTION:
=======
The UAF Faculty Senate moves to recommend the Board of Regents eliminating specific Residency Requirements from BOR Policy 10.05.03 and move them to University Regulations with changes proposed as follows:
[[ ]] - Deletion
CAPS - Additions
Residency Requirements P10.05.03
In order to satisfy the residency requirements for the degree or certificate program from which a student wishes to graduate, students will be required to earn specified numbers of credits from the university or community college offering the program. [[These requirements for undergraduate degrees will be:
Associate degree
15 credits
Bachelor's degree
30 credits overall
24 upper division credits
12 credits in the major ]]
SPECIFIC [[More]] residency credit requirements to meet program accreditation standards SHALL [[may]] be established BY THE PRESIDENT IN REGULATION following THE recommendation OF [[by the]] program faculty and the Chancellor. [[and approval by the President.]]
If a program is delivered collaboratively, credit from each participating institution will be counted toward fulfillment of residency requirements. Residency requirements will be specified in catalogs.
(05-07-81, revised 02-16-96)
Proposed Regulation R10.05.03
Residency Requirements
Certificate and Associate degrees
15 credits taken at UA
Bachelor’s degree
at least 30 credits taken at UA
21 upper division credits must be taken at UA, of which
at least 15 credits must be
taken at the degree granting MAU
12 credits in the major taken at UA
EFFECTIVE: Immediately
RATIONALE: The purpose of the proposed change is to allow transfer students more flexibility in their schedule and especially allow more flexibility for students transferring between MAUs of the University of Alaska.
****
The UAF Faculty Senate