The Daily Bulletin Archive

At its November 4, 2016, meeting, the College Senate voted to recommend a revision to the DOPS Policy on Student Eligibility for an Academic Minor as indicated in the resolution below:

WHEREAS, the undergraduate general education program was reduced in fall 2014 from 66 to 33 credit hours; and

WHEREAS, some majors do not permit students to declare unless they have earned 45 or 60 credits; and

WHEREAS, college policy does not require undergraduates to declare a major until 60 credits; and

WHEREAS, DOPS IV:05:00 states “an academic minor at Buffalo State is an optional program of study available to undergraduate students and may not be required for graduation from any degree program. A minor may be used to complement the major course of study, broaden and enhance career opportunities, gain expertise in an area of interdisciplinary studies, or provide in-depth study in a subject of special interest”; and

WHEREAS, matriculated undeclared undergraduates are systematically excluded by campus policy (DOPS I:08:00) from reaping the benefits of a minor course of study as described in DOPS IV:05:00; and

WHEREAS, declaring an academic minor may help undeclared undergraduates to identify a suitable major field of study,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Buffalo State College amend current policy (DOPS I:08:00) on student eligibility for an academic minor by eliminating the restriction that “a minor may only be earned simultaneously while completing a major degree program,” effective immediately.

BUFFALO STATE COLLEGE DIRECTORY OF POLICY STATEMENTS
Policy Number: I:08:00
Date: Updated February 2014
Subject: Student Eligibility for an Academic Minor

Buffalo State College academic minors are specifically conceived sequences of courses designed to allow students to achieve important goals. A minor may be used to complement the major course of study, broaden and enhance career opportunities, gain expertise in an area of interdisciplinary studies, or provide in-depth study in a subject of special interest. While an academic minor is an optional study program, students often find it an excellent way to make strategic use of all college elective courses.

Each minor program consists of 18–21 credit hours of coursework. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required for admission to a minor program, and at least three of the courses in each minor must be completed at the college. A minor may include no more than 9 total hours that overlap with the student’s major disciplinary requirements. Students who complete the minor with a minimum GPA of 2.0 will have the minor recorded on their official transcript.

Only matriculated students who intend to seek an undergraduate degree may be accepted into a minor program. (DELETE: A minor may only be earned simultaneously while completing a major degree program.) Students interested in selecting a minor program should contact the coordinating department as soon as possible and complete a Change of Major/Minor form. A listing of all minors and requirements is on file in each department and dean’s office. Only the coordinating department provides advisement on individual minors.

For information regarding the development of a proposal for an academic minor, refer to the Directory of Policy Statements, Section IV:05:00.

I hereby accept the recommendation of the College Senate and approve the revisions to the policy Student Eligibility for an Academic Minor. I charge the provost with the responsibility of implementing the revision, communicating revisions to all appropriate faculty and staff members, and ensuring that all campus documents and records where the policy resides are updated as soon as possible.