Academic Affairs Committee

Mandate from Policy B2.0:

The Academic Affairs Committee shall be the educational policy committee of the Senate and shall formulate and review all matters related to educational policies and procedures, with the exception of policies that are in the purview of the ICC and Graduate Council. The committee shall also serve as liaison with appropriate administrators and administrative bodies of the university. The Academic Affairs Committee shall consist of the following: one faculty member per college, each to be elected by their collegial faculty; three members at large elected by the Faculty Senate; and the provost or their delegate (ex officio, voting). 

AY2023 AAC Charges:

Carryover Charges:

1. Policy D08.0. The AAC revision to the Academic Integrity policy has been a multi-year charge to review and revise the current policy regarding academic integrity violations. Last year’s AAC created a draft that must be presented to the RIT Community for feedback. This year, the AAC must complete this process by collecting feedback and bringing their final recommendations to the Senate for approval.
2. Continue the determination of the make-up of a Program Flexibility Task Force. Provide recommendations to FS for a Curricular Flexibility taskforce with the Provost.
3. Charge #3 Assessment of AI generators. Request Faculty Senate investigate, report on, and recommend policy on AI generators as cheating tools.
4. Charge #5 Online Learning Policies

5. Charge #6 Contact hours v. Credit hours (lab-intensive classes). Bring to the Senate the analysis and recommendations completed AY19-20 on the guidelines for establishing contact time per credit hours in the case of laboratory intensive classes. Previous Charge lost in the pandemic.

Self-Charged

Two Charges brought to AAC by Student Government regarding Policy D03.0

1. Increase the Drop part of the Add/Drop period to 21 days. 

2. Require the inclusion of online based pay to use homework software be stated in the Textbooks/Other Materials section of SIS prior to course enrollment. 

New Charges:

1. The policies and procedures regarding the semester withdrawal date and withdrawal administrative process must be reevaluated with the following to be addressed: 
   • Having a withdrawal date 80% into the semester simply does not make sense.
   • Unless the student has clear documentation as evidence of a situation beyond their control, withdrawal requests after the withdrawal date has passed must be denied.
   • Unless the instructor of record is physically incapable of performing their teaching duties, Advisors, Department Heads, Associate Deans, and Deans must be denied from summarily granting withdrawal requests from students (before or after the withdrawal date has passed).
   • If a student withdraws from a class:
     1. Faculty must be notified ASAP by email of the withdrawal.
     2. A student withdrawing from a class must be removed from the course mycourses course shell immediately upon withdrawal.

Academic Affairs Committee reports can be found on RIT’s Digital Media Archive

Recent reports can also be found on the Faculty Senate Google Drive