Academic Affairs Committee

Students in Academic Affairs Committee Meeting engaged in discussion.

The Academic Affairs Committee, led by Olivia Viel is responsible for the advocacy of student academic life concerns, such as: student's rights, University academic policy, and quality of education. Advocacy is intersectional, multifaceted, and can entail both policy change advocacy and student facing events. This committee works closely with UConn administrators and provides opportunities to make changes to students' academic lives that will last far beyond any single student's tenure. This year, the committee will continue to pursue the implementation of the new Anti-Black Racism course requirement, educating UConn faculty and administrators on the student experience, increasing student awareness of academic rights, as well as any other initiatives that students feel passionately about. 

What the Academic Affairs Committee has accomplished the last few years: 

  • Passed legislation through the University Senate that will allow all freshmen to use Pass/Fail starting in the year 2023.
  • Bought a year-long New York Times subscription for all UConn undergraduate students for the year 2022-2023 and 2023-2024
  • Paid for some free printing for students through the HuskyPrint Initiative.
  • Distributed bi-annual finals care fair packages to uplift student morale and bring attention to student mental and physical health during finals week.
  • Extended dining hall hours during finals week.
  • Funded Student Life Awards to honor and support exemplary UConn undergraduates.
  • Passed legislation that prompted the Center for Students with Disabilities to clarify their policy allowing students with undiagnosed disabilities to receive accommodations while they are unable to access a diagnosis. 
  • Passed legislation that calls for the Dean of Students to allow undergraduates to reschedule a final when they have three within a 24-hour period.

What the Academic Affairs Committee hopes to accomplish in the following years:

  • Continue working with the USG Office of the President and University Senate Executive Committee to institute a mandate of the Anti-Black Racism course for all UConn freshmen or sophomores. 
  • Make students aware of their academic rights according to UConn policy, especially regarding: academic probation, finals rescheduling, allegations of academic misconduct, and access to reasonable accommodations for students with both diagnosed and undiagnosed disabilities. 
  • Brighten up students’ days during finals week with Finals Care Packages.
  • Encourage faculty to utilize UConn's Syllabus Repository and the library's Open Educational Resources.
  • Assist students in understanding how to get off Academic Probation, its financial aid implications, and provide students with resources to supplement their learning
  • Educate UConn faculty about students’ perceptions of their experiences in the classroom to enhance students’ quality of education.

 

Membership on the Academic Affairs Committee and attendance at meetings is open to all students. We love to see new faces at our meetings and are open to all ideas. Our goal is to make your vision happen.