ASUI President Kallyn Mai and senators from ASUI talked to Faculty Senate about a timely feedback plan for student grades. Faculty Senate covered COVID-19 vaccine updates and the elimination of two minors at the University of Idaho.
Timely feedback
ASUI Academic Affairs Officer Savannah Stroebel, ASUI Senator Kayla Nguyen and Mai delivered a presentation on timely feedback and the importance of faculty alerting students on their progress in classes.
“Timely feedback is students wanting to know what their progress is in their academic standing in their classes,” Stroebel said. “This is an issue that has come to ASUI for a long time and we’re really hopeful to make some headway with it.”
Stroebel said the goal of solving timely feedback errors is to let students know what their grades are, while also streamlining the process for faculty.
Retention of students was one of the main topics of concern in timely feedback. Mai said students will be more inclined to continue their academic careers if they know where their standing or grades are in classes.
“We just really need to communicate with students in order for them to be successful and feel that their time is valuable enough to continue to return and finish out their degree,” Mai said.
Nguyen said goals for posting grades would be if, by early warning grades or midterms, progress reports would be used in its place.
“A goal that we are aiming for is to get 70% of faculty to post early warning grades/progress reports for all students after week four and 90% of faculty to submit, the midterm grades and progress reports after week eight of the semester,” Nguyen said.
The presentation highlighted some students experiencing stress because of unknown grades. Specific suggestions from ASUI moving forward included three-week and seven-week communication points during the semester to provide students with their current progress in courses.
Vaccine updates
Torrey Lawrence, UI vice president and provost, said complications have come from the federal vaccine mandate. Lawrence said federal laws and Idaho state laws further create a complex issue on vaccine requirements on the university level in Idaho.
“The State Board of Education met and ratified or approved that participation, made it official, and approved universities to comply with that mandate as well,” Lawrence said. “So, we are in the midst of a lot of discussions right now and trying to iron out exactly what that means and exactly how we will work through that.”
This mandate requires vaccines for “federal contractors,” impacting the university’s employees as well.
Lawrence also reminded the senate that there are still drawings for vaccine incentives, including Vandal Store gift cards and tuition money. The final date to submit proof for the university-wide drawing is Nov. 12.
Last Wednesday, ASUI hosted a meeting with a potential resolution to lift the mask mandate in some UI campus buildings. Though the resolution didn’t pass, Lawrence reminded faculty that masks will continue to be required and re-evaluated Nov. 22.
Removed minors
The interdisciplinary and justice studies minor at UI were voted to be removed from programs offered to students. The removal of the interdisciplinary minor came after only one student in the past 20 years has completed the minor. Presently, no students are enrolled in the program, and it’s been several years since a student was a part of it.
The justice studies minor was elected to be removed from the degree catalog after department members identified redundancies with the criminology minor offered at UI. Brian Wolf, department chair sociology and anthropology, said other minor options in the department will serve students better.