Adopted: June 1, 1999

ACADEMIC SENATE
Of
CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY
San Luis Obispo, CA

AS-528-99/CC
RESOLUTION ON
C- PREREQUISITES

WHEREAS,     The handful of courses in the catalog which designate C- as a minimum grade required for
                           advancement in a sequence appear in violation of the catalog's standard university grading
                           policy; and

WHEREAS, It can be legitimately argued that the level of competence required of students for a course in
a sequence may be set higher than that required for a terminal course; and

WHEREAS,     Students may have performed poorly in a class, demonstrating insufficient knowledge to advance
                          to the next course, but still have done well enough to receive a passing grade of D. (A C-
                          prerequisite would stop advancement, but still grant credit); and

WHEREAS, Departments should have the right to stop students from advancing to the next course in a major
sequence if they have determined students are unprepared to do the work; and

WHEREAS,     Two kinds of students might take a major class: students in the major, and students from outside the
                          major who are taking the class as support in their own major or for other reasons. The instructor may
                          need a way to grant the non-major students credit for the course by assigning a D, while also
                          stopping the major students from advancing to the next course by enforcing the C- prerequisite;
                          therefore, be it

RESOLVED:     That departments may designate a C- as the minimum grade required for students to advance to the
                           next course in a sequence if the C- minimum is clearly indicated under the catalog description for the
                           class; and, be it further

RESOLVED: That "or consent of instructor" be included along with the C- prerequisite in sequenced courses to
allow individual students the opportunity to make a case for exceptions; and, be it further

RESOLVED:     That a footnote under the university grading policy in the catalog be added to alert students to the
                          possibility that certain sequenced courses may have a C- prerequisite for advancement; and, be it
                          further

RESOLVED: That C- prerequisites be enforced by departmental faculty or advisors (not the Records Office)
during the Add/Drop period.

Proposed (but not supported) by: The Academic Senate Curriculum Committee
Date: April 30, 1999
Revised: June 1, 1999 State of California

M e m o r a n d u m

To: Myron Hood Date: August 30, 1999
Chair, Academic Senate

From:   Warren J. Baker                                                             Copies: P. Zingg, D. Conn,
            President                                                                                     T. Zuur, P. Bailey,
                                                                                                                W. Boynton, M. Harms,
                                                                                                                H. Hellenbrand, J. Jen,
                                                                                                                P. Lee

Subject: Response to Academic Senate Resolution AS-528-99/CC-Resolution on C- Prerequisites

Based upon the recommendations of the Provost's staff, I am pleased to approve the above subject resolution. By copy of this memorandum, I will ask the college deans to note the final resolved clause to emphasize to their respective departments that it will be the responsibility of the academic departments to enforce the prerequisite requirements during the Add/Drop registration period. It is not feasible for the Academic Records Office to monitor this process.

Please express my appreciation to both the Academic Senate and the Curriculum Committee for their efforts in this regard.