Committee on Undergraduate Studies

1. Membership

(a) Provost and Vice-President (Academic) or delegate

(b) Registrar or delegate

(c) Registrar, Grenfell Campus or delegate

(d) Registrar, Marine Institute or delegate

(e) Director, Centre for Innovation in Teaching and Learning or delegate

(f)  Dean of Libraries or delegate

(g) One Academic Staff Member in Cooperative or Field Education ((ASM-CFE)

(h) Chair, Undergraduate Studies Committee, Marine Institute or delegate

(i) Chairs of Undergraduate Studies Committees, or their equivalent, of all Schools and Faculties or delegate

(j) Four undergraduate students, Director of Advocacy (or designated alternate) and one
other undergraduate student appointed by the Memorial University Students’ Union, one
by the Marine Institute Student’s Union and one by the Grenfell Campus Student Union

(k) An appropriate number of academic staff members, at least one of whom shall be a Senator

2. Terms of Reference

(a) To propose minimum standards for the acceptance of undergraduate students into the University, their continuance in their programs and their readmission;

(b) To propose amendments to general University Regulations pertaining to undergraduate studies.

(c) To examine any proposed amendments to existing University Regulations on Undergraduate Studies and any proposed new regulations on Undergraduate Studies which originate elsewhere in the University before submission to Senate.

(d) To examine proposals for all new undergraduate programs and all extensions and changes in existing programs before submission to Senate. The Committee will require units submitting such proposals to indicate in writing that sufficient material and non- material resources are available to operate the proposal and the ways, if any, that existing programs may be affected. In the event that the Committee is not satisfied, it may request further information or refer the matter to the Office of the Provost and Vice- President (Academic) or the appropriate Vice-President for further consideration.

(e) To approve on behalf of Senate, all new undergraduate courses and changes in existing courses. On a regular basis, Senate will be informed of the courses so approved, the courses being listed by Department, course number and title.

(f) To advise Senate and the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) on all matters pertaining to Undergraduate Studies.

(g) To present an annual report on Undergraduate Studies to Senate.

(h) To act on matters delegated to it by Senate, in particular appeals and requests for waivers of regulations in accordance with procedures, policies and regulations approved by Senate.

(i) The Committee shall confirm that consultation regarding calendar changes has been undertaken with the St. John’s Campus, the Grenfell Campus, the Labrador Campus and the Marine Institute.

(j) Each semester, receive and review a report on grades considered to be anomalous and an explanation for those anomalies from faculties and schools, the Grenfell Campus, the Labrador Campus and the Marine Institute.

(k) To advise the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) on academic matters pertaining to the preparation of the University timetable.

(l) To establish ad hoc and standing sub-committees and to delegate to these committees functions it deems appropriate.

Procedures for the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies for Considering an Appeal or Considering a Case of Academic Misconduct

Appeals can come before the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies when denied at the academic unit level. Academic misconduct matters can come before the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies or, in the case of students attending Grenfell Campus to the Corner Brook sub-committee of the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies, either directly (at first instance) or because the allegation cannot be resolved at the unit level. The procedure for each type of consideration by this committee is set out below.

The Committee

1. None of the members of the Committee considering an appeal or a case of academic misconduct shall be from the academic unit from which the allegation/appeal originates.

2. None of the members of the Committee considering an appeal or a case of academic misconduct shall have been involved in any prior decision-making with respect to the matter under appeal or have any conflict of interest, bias or reasonable apprehension of bias.

3. If the Chair of the Committee is not participating in the meeting, the Chair shall designate another Committee member to Chair the meeting.

Procedure on Appeals

4. All appeals shall be heard and considered anonymously unless the student bringing the appeal requests otherwise.

5. In the first instance, the Secretary shall provide the student's appeal for reconsideration to the committee whose decision is being appealed. Should the original committee uphold its original decision, the appeal shall be heard by the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies. Should that committee offer additional reasons for its decision, the student shall be given an opportunity to review the additional information and comment before the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies hears the appeal.

6. The faculty/school/campus submission to the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies shall consist of the letter to the student from the previous committee, together with additional reasons for its decisions, if any are offered.

7. The student's appeal, which includes all required supporting documents, shall be provided to the Committee by the Secretary. Should the Committee require additional information, it shall be sought from the student or, if obtained from another party, the student shall be given an opportunity to review and comment before the Committee considers such information.

8. A copy of the student's transcript shall be provided to the Committee.

9. Once the Committee has all required information it shall consider the appeal.

10. The decision of a majority of the members present throughout the entire process shall constitute the decision of the Committee.

11. The Secretary shall prepare written reasons for the Committee's decision and communicate the reasons to the student, the academic unit and the Registrar's Office.

12. Where the student's appeal has been unsuccessful the Secretary, when providing the student with the decision, shall advise the student of the right to appeal.

13. Any failure by the academic unit to provide, within the time period stated in the request, additional information requested by the Committee for the determination of the appeal may result in the appeal being successful.

14. Any failure by the student to provide, within the time period stated in the request, any additional information requested by the Committee, may result in the appeal being determined without the information or input from the student.

Procedure on Hearings of Academic Misconduct

15. The Secretary of the Committee shall provide to the Committee with the meeting agenda all information received from the investigator as well as comments from the accuser, the accused student and other individuals interviewed by the investigator.

16. The investigator shall attend the meeting held to consider the case, to present the report, to answer questions of fact raised by the Committee, and to clarify information contained in the Report. Should the investigator provide additional information not contained in the report, the student shall be given an opportunity to review and comment before the Committee considers such information.

17. The Investigator shall be absent during discussion of the case and the voting process. Findings of guilt or innocence shall be made using the standard of balance of probabilities.

18. Should the Committee require additional information, it shall be sought from the student or, if obtained from another party, the student shall be given an opportunity to review and comment before the Committee considers such information.

19. If the student declines or fails either to provide further information or to comment on additional information obtained by the Committee within the time period stated in the request, the Committee may proceed to consider the matter without the information or comment.

20. If the Accuser fails to provide information required for the determination of a matter, or fails to provide additional information requested by the Committee within the time period stated in the request, the Committee may dismiss the matter or, if it would not be unfair to the student to do so, determine the matter without the information.

21. The Committee shall first determine by a majority vote of members who have been present throughout the consideration of the allegation, whether the accused student is guilty of the offence (or each offence, if more than one).

22. If the accused student is found guilty of the offence (or more than one if there are multiple offences) the Committee shall then determine by a majority vote of members who have been present throughout the consideration of the allegation, the appropriate penalty in accordance with Penalties in the Case of Resolution by the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies.

23. Where the accused student is found guilty of more than one offence, the Committee should consider an appropriate penalty for each offence or, if appropriate, a penalty for the set of offences.

24. The Secretary shall prepare written reasons for the Committee's decision on the allegations and for its decision on the penalty where there has been a finding of guilt and deliver the reasons to the student, the academic unit and the Registrar's Office.

25. Where a finding of guilt has been made against a student the Secretary, when providing the student with the decision, shall advise the student of the right to appeal.