Academic Senate Updates to the Campuswide Graduation Requirements and Policy on Examinations

Dear Colleagues,

As we start the new academic year, the Academic Senate's Educational Policy Committee would like to inform you of some policy changes that take effect in Fall 2025. In June, the Representative Assembly approved a proposal from the Educational Policy Committee to amend San Diego Senate Regulation 600, Campuswide Graduation Requirements, Section B. The approved changes add a new provision limiting the number of distance education courses that may be completed at UC San Diego.

New Section B.4: Students may not complete 50 percent or more of the total units earned at UC San Diego through courses that are designated as distance education (e.g., R-courses), unless enrolled in a major that is approved as a distance education program.

These amendments were developed in consultation with the Division of Undergraduate Education. The proposal with the complete text of the approved revisions to Regulation 600 is posted online. The updated San Diego Senate Regulation 600 will be posted on the Senate’s website once it becomes effective, following the first Representative Assembly meeting of Fall 2025.

In addition, the Educational Policy Committee approved the following updates to the Senate’s Policy on Examinations:

Acknowledge the role of the Triton Testing Center (TTC) in administering examinations by:
- Allowing final exams administered by the TTC to occur at different times for different students.
- Stating that instructors do not need to be physically present during final exams held at the TTC.
- Including a provision stating that midterm exams administered by the TTC do not need to appear in the Schedule of Classes when they are scheduled outside of regularly scheduled class hours.
Clarify the definition of “final examination” as follows:
“The term final examination refers to final assessment in a course, including but not limited to, synchronous written examination, presentation, term paper, oral examination, take-home examination, projects, or online examination.”

The amendments were developed in consultation with the Triton Testing Center and the Undergraduate Council. The revised Policy on Examinations is posted on the Senate’s website.

Questions related to the policy revisions may be directed to Ashley Hill, Senate Associate Director, at awelch@ucsd.edu.

Sincerely,

Stanley Lo
Chair, Educational Policy Committee

University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093