Senate Bill 16-17-29
| Bill ID: | 16-17-29 |
| Name: | Undergraduate Admissions Procedures Related to Criminal Background |
| Proposed: | 02/27/2017 |
| Sponsor: | University Senate Office |
| Proposal: | In the course of reviewing a student proposal the Senate leadership identified a broader concern regarding possible unintended consequences when asking potential undergraduate applicants to report criminal history in the admissions process. |
| Active? | No |
Status
| Status: | Completed |
| Completed On: | 10/05/2018 |
History
| Status: | Complete |
| Related Files: |
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Senate |
| Received: | 2018-09-25 |
| Decision Date: | 2018-10-02 |
| Decision Due By: | 2018-10-02 |
| Decision: | The Senate voted to approve the proposed recommendations as amended. |
| Actions: | In discussion of the proposal, the Senate reviewed and approved one amendment to the proposal to recommend that the Senate revisit this issue in five years when more information and data is available. |
| Next Step: | Presidential Approval. |
| Related Files: |
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Senate Executive Committee (SEC) |
| Received: | 2018-08-24 |
| Decision Date: | 2018-08-27 |
| Decision: | The SEC voted to place the report on the Senate agenda for consideration. |
| Next Step: | Senate Review |
| Related Files: |
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Academic Procedures & Standards (APAS) Committee |
| Received: | 2018-04-05 |
| Decision Date: | 2018-05-07 |
| Decision: | The APAS Committee voted to send its recommendations forward to the Senate for consideration. |
| Actions: | The APAS Committee considered the financial implications associated with each of the options it considered in its initial review in depth in late spring, 2018. The committee developed information to respond to the Senate's request. At its meeting on May 7, 2018, the committee was in consensus that its revised report and its recommendations should be sent to the SEC and Senate for further consideration. |
| Next Step: | SEC Review |
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Senate |
| Received: | 2018-03-28 |
| Decision Date: | 2018-04-04 |
| Decision: | The Senate voted to recommit the recommendations back to the Academic Procedures & Standards (APAS) Committee. |
| Actions: | The Senate voted to recommit the recommendations back to the Academic Procedures & Standards (APAS) Committee for further review of the financial implications of the various options considered by the committee during its review. |
| Next Step: | APAS Committee Review |
| Related Files: |
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Senate Executive Committee (SEC) |
| Received: | 2018-03-08 |
| Decision Date: | 2018-03-12 |
| Decision: | The SEC voted to place the proposal on the agenda of the April 4, 2018 Senate meeting for consideration. |
| Next Step: | Senate Review |
| Related Files: |
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Academic Procedures & Standards (APAS) Committee |
| Received: | 2017-03-10 |
| Decision Date: | 2018-03-05 |
| Decision: | The APAS Committee voted to send its recommendations to the SEC and Senate for consideration. |
| Actions: | The APAS Committee began its review at its meeting on March 15, 2017. The committee discussed current application procedures, including the use and purpose of criminal background questions, with a representative from the Office of Enrollment Management. On May 8, 2017, the committee met with representatives from the Office of Student Conduct to learn more about the process for reviewing responses to such questions. The committee discussed different types of admissions applications used in higher education, and reviewed related legislation that was considered by the Maryland General Assembly in spring 2017. In September 2017, the APAS Committee began reviewing the charge again, and considered the difference between the current questions and questions recommended by the Coalition Application. The committee met with a representative from the Office of General Counsel to discuss the University's obligations and liabilities related to questions on criminal background, and consulted extensively with representatives from the Office of Student Conduct and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. The committee considered multiple options for action in spring 2018. A subcommittee was formed to develop suggestions on revisions to the questions themselves, and the committee reviewed scholarly research and available data to understand the impact of the options it was considering. The committee developed its recommendations and voted to approve them at its meeting on March 5, 2018. |
| Next Step: | SEC Review |
| Related Files: |
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Senate Executive Committee (SEC) |
| Received: | 2017-02-13 |
| Decision Date: | 2017-02-20 |
| Decision: | The SEC voted to charge the APAS Committee with review of the issue. |
| Actions: | The SEC discussed the issue of requesting criminal background information on admissions applications and whether this had unintended consequences of deterring potential applicants even though criminal background information does not automatically deny admission. The SEC voted to charge the APAS Committee with review of this issue. |
| Next Step: | APAS Committee Review |