The Council on Instruction approved catalog changes in NIU’s admission criteria and dismissal policy Thursday.

The admission criteria change requires students planning to enter NIU in the fall of 1988 to have completed two years of college preparatory mathematics. Beginning algebra is required for the first year course and either plane geometry or advanced algebra is required for the second year. The policy also strongly recommends a third year of college preparatory mathematics. The council approved these changes unanimously.

owever, two council members voted against changes in the dismissal policy. Council members expressed concern in the statement “students failing all of the courses for which they are registered for a single semester, including summer session, will become candidates for academic dismissal.”

An extreme case was cited by Bob Wheeler, a mathematics professor, who asked what would happen to a student who took just one course over the summer and failed it.

Associate Provost Lou Jean Moyer said the student would become a candidate for academic dismissal but would be able to register for the next semester, which is not the case with the current policy.

“This is important because by the time students found out they were being dismissed, there was not enough time for them to meet with the dean before registering,” Moyer said. However, council members were concerned that students who might be academically dismissed would not find out until they were already registered and attending classes. Moyer said this would not be a result of the policy change.