[Plsfaculty] FW: Choice of Catalog Policy

[Donna-Rae Marquez]

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Subject: Choice of Catalog Policy

MEMORANDUM

DATE:		October 8, 2010

TO:		Deans, Directors, Department Heads, and Advisors

FROM:	George Gehrels, Chair, Undergraduate Council 
		Celeste F. Pardee, Associate, Curricular Affairs

RE:		Choice of Catalog Policy

The University's conversion to UAccess makes it possible for enrolled
students to complete the General Education requirements from their initial
academic catalog and the major and/or minor requirements from a later
catalog.   In response to a proposal from the Mosaic Advising Team in Spring
2010, the Undergraduate Council voted to allow this flexibility in the
Choice of Catalog Policy, utilizing UAccess functionality to promote timely
degree completion.  The proposal was approved by the Faculty Senate on
9/13/10.  Effective immediately, the revised policy applies to all currently
enrolled undergraduates.

Revised Choice of Catalog Policy,
http://catalog.arizona.edu/2010-11/policies/catchoice.htm: 
	The General Catalog is the University's primary official source of
departmental, college and university-wide information related to academic
programs. Courses, programs and policies that govern progress towards
completion of an undergraduate degree are described in the General Catalog. 
	Students maintaining continuous enrollment
<http://catalog.arizona.edu/2010-11/policies/contenrl.htm>  follow the
requirements outlined by the Catalog in effect when they first enroll in the
University of Arizona or in a public Arizona community college or university
(i.e., term of admission). The Catalog of the term of admission prescribes,
at the minimum, the General Education curriculum and the set of academic
policies that govern progress toward completion of a degree.  The Catalog of
the term of admission also describes the program requirements of the
student's major(s) and minor(s), unless the student selects a subsequent
Catalog in order to declare a newly established major or minor that was
unavailable during the term of admission.  In this situation, the Catalog of
the admission term holds for the degree components indicated above, but a
more recent Catalog is designated for (a) the major and associated
pre-professional requirements and related policies, or (b) the minor
requirements and related policies.  Thus, a student's primary Catalog may be
supplemented by one or more newer Catalogs that pertain solely to a major
and/or a minor.  
	Alternatively, a student may choose to follow all of the program and
policy requirements outlined by any single Catalog in effect during
subsequent terms of continuous enrollment. Each student is responsible for
knowing and abiding by the policies described in the Catalog chosen.  See
All UA Academic Catalogs <http://catalog.arizona.edu/allcats.html> .
	Students admitted or readmitted to a public Arizona community
college or university during a summer term follow the requirements of the
Catalog in effect the following Fall semester. Students transferring among
Arizona public higher education institutions must meet the admission
requirements, residency requirements, and all curricular and academic
requirements of the degree-granting institution.
 Justification:
*	This policy revision gives students more flexibility in selecting
majors and minors that might not exist in the Catalog under which they enter
the University system.  Previously, if students chose a recently established
major or minor, the students had to change their Catalog year for all degree
components to coincide with the year when that major or minor was available.
*	The UAccess Student system enables a college advisor to change the
Catalog year (i.e., Requirement Term) for the student's major or minor,
while retaining the Catalog of the admission term for other degree
components.
*	In the event that the General Education Curriculum changes, this
policy revision reduces barriers to students who are reluctant to change
their Catalog year to declare a new major, simply because they've completed
the General Education of the Catalog when they were admitted.  Students will
be free to pursue their academic goals, regardless of their initial Catalog.

Management of the Policy:
*	Students will only be permitted to change the Catalog requirement
term when they declare a major/pre-major or minor program that was not
offered in the Catalog of their admission term.  Students will not be given
a new Catalog term when their declared major or minor requirements are
updated or expanded. 
*	The Mosaic Team has made the changes to UAccess-Student to
accommodate this policy revision in Fall 2010. 
*	Registrar's Office staff will post necessary changes to a
requirement term on the student's record in UAccess so that the newly
declared major or minor will pull onto the student's Advisement Report.  To
approve a major that's available in a more recent Catalog, advisors will use
the same forms and procedures that they submit for program/plan changes.
The career program/plan forms have been updated to permit changes to the
requirement term.

Questions about the revised policy may be addressed to Celeste Pardee,
Curriculum Associate, at 621-5375, or at cpardee at u.arizona.edu.