HUNTINGTON -- Marshall University's Faculty Senate chairperson said Wednesday that a policy change may be suggested to eliminate the type of clerical error that brought a recent grade change issue to the forefront.

"On Nov. 19, we will charge the Budget and Academic Policy committee to suggest a policy change," said chairperson Cam Brammer, referring to the date of the next Faculty Senate meeting. "What we have done (since the Oct. 22 meeting) ... it became perfectly clear to a number of senators when they found that none of this may have happened had there been another form."

At the conclusion of the October Faculty Senate meeting, finance and economics professor Dallas Brozik scolded his colleagues for not initiating its own investigation.

"Wherever the truth lies, the Senate has the responsibility to investigate it," he said at the time.

An investigation did arise after 42 faculty members signed a petition last week. Professor Laura Wyant delivered it to the Faculty Senate office Monday. Later that day, the executive committee of the Faculty Senate voted to investigate the circumstances related to grades awarded.

"The main thing I want out of the investigation is a change in policy so another faculty member doesn't have to go through this again," Wyant said.

Wyant had Emily Perdue, daughter of state Treasurer John Perdue, for two independent studies during the spring 2009 semester. But Wyant claims the student did not attend scheduled class meetings or complete much of the work. Then, after an early-May meeting with the student's father, Dean Rosalyn Templeton allegedly told Wyant she would be taking over as instructor and would finish out the courses during the summer.

E-mails obtained through the Freedom of Information Act confirmed that Templeton was taking over as instructor of record, but Wyant said she never agreed to it and that Templeton would not sign forms to make her the instructor of record.

After the student finished the work, Templeton submitted a grade change form to change the incompletes to A's. But she failed to fill out part of the form, and it was returned to Wyant.

Wyant said she has been interviewed by the FBI about the situation, likely whether the student received preferential treatment because of her father's status as a public official.

Provost Gayle Ormiston reviewed the student's work and deemed it complete. University officials have said the matter was reviewed, and it is considered closed.

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