Appendix B. Variances to Systemwide Regulations and Assembly Actions

An asterisk (*) by a listing below indicates that the variance has lapsed or has been fully superseded by a subsequent variance.

A.* Approved by the Academic Assembly 23 May 1966

The Assembly of the Academic Senate approves an experimental program of the Santa Cruz Division combining grading on a Passed or Not Passed basis (with some optional use of conventional grading), comprehensive examinations and/or senior theses, as set forth in the Regulations of the Santa Cruz Division, Chapters 1, 8-12. The experimental program is subject to the following conditions:

1. It shall be limited initially to a five-year period, during which it shall supersede Senate Regulations with which it is otherwise in conflict.

2. It shall be retroactive to September 1, 1965.

3. The operation of the program will be surveyed by the Divisional Committees on Educational Policy, and Examinations and Grades, annually to insure that students are not being penalized or handicapped thereby. Each year the Division will report to the Assembly the results of this survey together with any Divisional actions concerning the program.

4. During the five-year period the Statewide Senate Committee on Educational Policy may periodically examine the operation of the program in relation to the protection of students and the degree to which the program assists in the attainment of educationally-desirable goals, but in any event the Committee will make such a review not later than the end of the fourth year of the program.

5. The Regulations of the Santa Cruz Division embodying the experimental program herein approved supersede the local Santa Cruz Regulation on grading reported to the Assembly at its Regular Meeting of March 11, 1966. (EC 31 Aug 06)

B.* Approved by the Academic Assembly 24 May 1968

The Academic Assembly authorizes the continuance of the variance to SR 780(A) for the Santa Cruz Division until the end of the Summer Term 1975. The University Committee on Educational Policy is directed to periodically examine the operation of the program during the intervening period, and to make a report to the Academic Assembly not later than the spring Regular Meeting of 1974. This report is to include recommendations regarding permanent establishment or withdrawal of the variance to SR 780(A). (CC 31 Aug 98; EC 31 Aug 06)

C. Approved by the Academic Assembly 10 March 1969

A variance for Santa Cruz from SR 764 which permits a student registered in an Independent Study Program to enroll for a maximum of 15 units in a 199 course, as provided in SCR 6.5.4. This variance was made obsolete when SR 764 was repealed 21 Apr 2010. (EC 31 Aug 09, 31 Aug 17)

D.* Approved by the Academic Assembly 3 November 1969

The Assembly approved a variance from SR 780 which permits Pass/Fail grading for graduate students at Santa Cruz to extend through the Summer Term, 1975. (CC 31 Aug 98)

E.* Approved by the Academic Assembly 15 June 1971

The Assembly approved a variance from SR 750 allowing upper division undergraduates to serve as apprentice teachers, on condition that SCR 6.9.1 be amended so that no student may enroll more than once in such a course, and with the stipulation that the Division report periodically to the University Committee on Educational Policy on its operation. (Expired July 1, 1974).

F.* Approved by the Academic Assembly 8 March 1972

The Assembly approved a variance from SR 900 in order to adapt the University Scholarship Regulations to the Santa Cruz grading system, as provided in SCR A12 on academic standing. SCR 12 was amended in May 2001 to bring it in compliance with SR 900, rendering this variance obsolete. (CC 31 Aug 98; EC 31 Aug 09)

G.* Approved by the Academic Assembly 30 March 1974

The Assembly of the Academic Senate voted that the variance from SR 780(A) shall no longer be provisional but should be permanently established as stated in the recommendations of the University Committee on Educational Policy. SCR 9.3.1, specifying the grading system for comprehensive examinations, was part of this variance. The variance was superseded by the approval of the Santa Cruz grading system (see G below), therefore SCR 9.3.1, which does not conflict with any systemwide legislation, no longer requires a variance. (CC 31 Aug 98; EC 31 Aug 09)

H. Approved by the Academic Assembly 27 February 1997

The Assembly of the Academic Senate approved a change in the Santa Cruz undergraduate grading policy to adopt the formal standard for academic achievement used by the rest of the UC system (SR 778). This change allows students to choose a letter grade option (A-F) for all courses except designated P/NP courses, and an official GPA to be computed if a student chooses letter grades for two-third of their courses. For the first 15 credits of repeated work, only the last grade recorded is computed in the student’s GPA, as provided in SCR A9.4.1.e. Repetition of a course more than once requires approval of a student’s college, as provided in SCR A9.1.8. Students are permitted to withdraw from courses as provided in SCR A6.1.4. In accordance with SR 778, a grade of Pass is awarded for work meeting the standard of at least C. In accordance with SR 778, this Assembly approved grading system automatically supersedes SR 780, 782 and 784. The Assembly approved an extension of the letter grade option (A-F) to graduate students at Santa Cruz, as provided for in SCR 13.1.3. Students may repeat courses in which they received a grade of C, D, F or U, as provided in SCR A13.1.6. The default option for graduate students was approved as being Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory, as provided in SCR A13.1.1. In accordance with SR 778, a grade of Satisfactory is awarded for work meeting the standard of at least B. In accordance with SR 778, this Assembly approved grading system automatically supersedes SR 780, 782 and 784. The changes are effective Fall 1997. (CC 31 Aug 98; EC 31 Aug 06, 31 Aug 09)

I. Approved by the Academic Assembly 27 February 1997

At the time that the Santa Cruz grading system received final approval by the Assembly in 1974, the language of the Santa Cruz Regulation neglected to mention the role of the Academic Senate in supervising narrative evaluations. UCEP and the Assembly asked for that oversight to be corrected; the correction was made and appropriate amendments to the Regulation were put into effect at Santa Cruz in 1975. However, that amended language is not to be found in Assembly records to indicate that it had been brought back for Assembly approval. The language was reported to UCEP and to the Academic Council and was recorded as part of the approved variance (it also exists in the present wording of the Santa Cruz grading policy). The Assembly of the Academic Senate approved the amendments to the Santa Cruz grading system; in that approval, it acknowledged that it was approving existing language which through an oversight was not brought to the Assembly in 1975. The changes are effective fall 1997. (CC 31 Aug 98)

J. Approved by the Academic Assembly 28 February 2001

The Assembly approved a change to the Santa Cruz undergraduate grading system under the new procedures specified in SR 778. As per SCR A9.1.1 and SCR A9.1.4 as amended by the Division in February and November 2000 respectively, letter grades are the default option for undergraduate courses and +/- suffixes are included for grades A-C (no minus suffix to grade C). For the first fifteen credits of repeated work, only the last grade recorded is computed in the student’s GPA, as provided in SCR A9.4.1.f. In accordance with SR 778, this Assembly approved grading system automatically supersedes SR 780, 782 and 784. (EC 31 Aug 09)

K. Approved by the Academic Assembly 11 June 2008

SCR 11.4 to 11.7 as enacted by the Division in 2007, together with the preexisting SCR 11.1-11.3, were approved by the Assembly as required by SR 640.