The UC Davis Academic Senate took a step forward last week in dealing with students who are failing to make minimum progress.

Senate regulations define minimum progress as taking at least 39 units over the span of three quarters. If a student does not meet this total, he or she is technically subject to "disqualification," which could result in that student being tossed out of UC Davis.

Amid faculty concerns about lagging students, the senate passed a motion at its June 3 regular Representative Assembly meeting to address the issue of students who are not achieving minimum progress. A report by the Undergraduate Council delivered at that meeting found that 10 to 20 percent of students at UC Davis are not meeting the requirement. It was also pointed out that UC Davis' four-year graduation rate is the lowest in the UC system.

"The magnitude is staggering," said Quirino Paris, a professor in agricultural and resource economics, who presented the motions adopted by the senate. "We are in a crisis situation," he said.

Paris spoke of the need for "real-time data" on how many students are falling behind and for enforcing rules already on the books. The issue of taking action against students rests at the school and college level, but as Paris noted, the Academic Senate plays the lead role in defining academic probation, disqualification and minimum progress.

The senate agreed to establish a new committee for the purpose of "developing improved uniform record-keeping methods and reporting formats" for handling issues of academic probation, disqualification, dismissal and minimum progress. It was also decided that college assistant deans should produce a quarterly report to be submitted to each college's executive committee, the Academic Senate, and the aforementioned new committee. Finally, the new committee will present an annual report to the senate on the issue of minimum progress.

"The Council of Assistant Deans is very concerned about this issue," said Fred Wood, associate dean of undergraduate education and advising for the College of Letters and Science.

As one example of the heightened awareness on this issue, Wood said that advisers are increasingly emphasizing to students the need to stay on track and take 15 credits during a quarter.

In other business, the senate approved a new regulation on mandatory attendance, clarifying when and how it may be used. The regulation allows departments to require that students attend the first day of classes in "impacted" courses but shall not deny enrollment to a student when space is available. This requirement must be announced in the UC Davis Class Schedule and Registration Guide. First day attendance may also be required for lab courses as well, the Senate ruled.