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Presidential Memoranda - 1991

PM 91-01 Campus Smoking Policy

PM 91-02 Add and Drop Dates for Academic Courses

PM 91-03 Passing Grade for Courses used byt Graduate Students to Certify the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement

PM 91-04 Establishment of the School of Health

PM 91-05 Graduate Thesis, Projects, and Comprehensive Examinations Policy

PM 91-06 Policy fof Minumum Grades in Graduate Program Courses

PM 91-07 Guidelines for Single Field Majors

California State University Dominguez Hills has a responsibility to its students and employees to provide a safe and healthful learning and working environment. The University recognizes the harmful effects of involuntary contact with smoke. It also recognizes the need to preserve the reasonable individual rights of smokers as long as doing so does not interfere with the right of the non-smoker to a smoke-free environment.

The following policy shall be effective August 15, 1991:

1. Smoking is prohibited in all campus buildings; including offices, work areas, classrooms, lecture halls, laboratories, libraries, theatres, practice rooms, listening rooms, gymnasiums, the Student Union, meeting rooms, lobbies, lounges, supply rooms, kitchens, hallways, stairwells, elevators, eating areas, and restrooms. Certain areas external to buildings which do not have adequate ventilation (e.g. patios, stairways and walkways) may also be designated as non-smoking areas by the Director of Environmental Health and Safety.

2. Smoking is also prohibited in all State automobiles, vans and trucks.

3. Exceptions include: designated smoking areas in the cafeteria and other buildings as determined by the Director of Environmental Health and Safety, Student Housing (which shall be governed by its own policy), and the Velodrome (which shall be governed by the Velodrome Governing Board).

4 . When artistically required, smoking is permitted as part of a university-sponsored theatre or dance performance/rehearsal.

Effective implementation of this policy depends upon all members of the University community acting with common courtesy and sensitivity to others. Members of the campus community who willfully violate the University smoking policy will be subject to disciplinary action through recognized administrative channels and/or in accord with the applicable collective bargaining agreement. Alleged violations of this policy should be reported through the appropriate complaint procedure. There shall be no reprisals against anyone seeking assistance in enforcing this policy. For information regarding the appropriate procedure, please contact the following: for faculty, the Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs; for students, the Vice President for Student Affairs; and for staff, the Director of Personnel.

New employees will be notified of the policy by the Personnel Office upon employment. This policy shall be included in the University Catalog, Schedule of Classes and other informational publications.

Appropriate signs designating no smoking and smoking areas shall be posted. At least one copy of this policy shall be posted in each campus building.

I am pleased to concur with the recommendation of the Academic Senate resolution EPC 90-23 calling for coincident final add and drop dates at the end of the third week of classes. This is to be implemented by the Registrar beginning fall semester 1991.

In concurrence with the recommendation of the Academic Senate resolution EPC 91-02, graduate students taking one of the undergraduate certifying courses to satisfy the graduation writing assessment requirement must earn a grade of at least "B" to have met the requirement. This will be implemented by the graduate programs and the registrar commencing with the 1991 fall semester.

As previously announced, the School of Health was established commencing with the 1990-91 academic year. The initial approved organizational structure of the School consists of the Division of Nursing, the Department of Clinical Sciences, and the Department of Health Sciences.

Section 40510 of Title 5 of the Administrative Code requires satisfactory completion of a thesis, project, or comprehensive examination for the master's degree and defines the characteristics of each of these culminating experiences as follows:

(b) Requirements for the Degree

(3) Satisfactory completion of a thesis, project, or comprehensive examination, defined as follows:

(A) A thesis is the written product of a systematic study of a significant problem. It identifies the problem, states the major assumptions, explains the significance of the undertaking, sets forth the sources for and methods of gathering information, analyzes the data, and offers a conclusion or recommendation. The finished product evidences originality, critical and independent thinking, appropriate organization and format, and thorough documentation. Normally, an oral defense of the thesis is required.

(B) A project is a significant undertaking appropriate to the fine and applied arts or to professional fields. It evidences originality and independent thinking, appropriate form and organization, and a rationale. It is described and summarized in a written abstract that includes the project's significance, objectives, methodology and a conclusion or recommendation. An oral defense of the project may be required.

(C) A comprehensive examination is an assessment of the student's ability to integrate The knowledge of the area, show critical and independent thinking, and demonstrate mastery of the subject matter. The results of the examination evidences independent thinking, appropriate organization, critical analysis and accuracy of documentation. A record of the examination questions and responses shall be maintained in accordance with the records retention policy of The California State University.

The Board of Trustees has endorsed the recent report of the Advisory Committee to Study Graduate Education in the California State University and asked the chancellor to encourage the campus presidents and faculty to pursue actively the goals of the recommendations of the report, subject to available resources. One of the primary recommendations of the report was as follows:

The choice of the culminating experience should be that which is educationally most appropriate to the student, and to the discipline. Where a project or examination serves as the culminating experience, it should be equivalent in rigor to the thesis. An oral defense should be part of the culminating experience.

In this spirit, after having reviewed the draft reports of the Advisory Committee, the CSU Dominguez Hills Graduate Council formed a committee to review the policy on theses and projects. The result was the publication of an improved and enhanced Thesis and Project Guide which also affirmed the longstanding campus policy that projects would conform to the same standards as theses.

This Presidential Memo affirms and endorses the policies and procedures outlined in the CSU Dominguez Hills 1990 Thesis and Project Guide as those to which all graduate programs at the University will adhere. In addition, the office of the Graduate Dean is charged with the responsibility to document the satisfactory completion of all culminating experiences for graduation and to maintain records of theses, projects and examinations in accordance with the records retention policy of the CSU.

This policy will be effective immediately.

The following policy will be effective immediately for all CSU Dominguez Hills graduate programs:

All courses used to fulfill the requirements for the master's degree must be passed with a grade of C or better. Any course in the graduate program may be repeated and the two grades averaged when computing the grade point average. However, any course in which a grade lower than C is earned must be repeated for a grade of C or better and the two grades averaged. An overall grade point average of 3.0 (B) or better is required in the courses taken to satisfy the master's degree requirements. Graduate students, unlike undergraduates, may not repeat a course and cancel the lowest grade.

This Presidential Memo is in support of the Academic Senate resolution, EPC 90-32, setting forth criteria for single field majors.

The CSU Dominguez Hills faculty are committed to guiding their students toward a broad liberal arts education. Students are to be provided an opportunity to select diverse courses in areas of interest outside their major and within the requirements of the bachelor's degree To this end, the faculty are asked to construct academic programs so that each student may complete, in addition to the requirements of the major, the General Education requirements and a significant number of elective courses which may be organized in the form of a minor within the unit requirement of the bachelor's degree.

Acknowledging that there may be constraints upon some academic programs which make it difficult for a student to complete both a major and a minor within the number of units required for a bachelor's degree, the Academic Senate sets for these criteria for single field majors:

1. Demonstration of Need. An academic program must clearly demonstrate and provide evidence that only with a single field major can it maintain its academic or professional integrity as evidenced by accrediting standards, certifying agencies, or established practice at comparable universities and college.

2. Breadth of Offerings. When a single field major is requested, the major must include among its required courses, courses from other disciplines.

3. Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Guidelines. Programs offering the single field major must comply with the current WASC standards on undergraduate programs, specifically the standard which requires that the equivalent of two years of study toward the baccalaureate degree will be in general education and unrestricted electives.

Last modified: 9/6/97
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