Meeting Minutes,
Members
Present:
Linda
Brinkley, VP for Research and Dean of the
Richard
Davies, A&S, Social Sciences
James
Winn, A&S, Fine Arts
Dana
Edberg, Faculty Senate Representative
Brent
Bowman, Business
Kathryn
Obenchain, Education
Jeri
Bigbee, HCS
Rangesan
Narayanan, Agriculture
Marilou
Woolm, President, GSA
Members
Absent:
Stacy
Burton, A&S, Humanities
Jeff
Thompson, A&S Science
Peter
Krumpe, Medicine
Scott
Tyler, Mines
Michael
Peters, recorder
Susan
Henthorne, GSA Advisor
Guests: President Lilly
Linda
Hayes, Psychology (Behavior Analysis)
1. The Chair
called the meeting to order at
MOTION (Winn/Obenchain): To approve the previous meeting’s minutes as
amended (to correct presentation date of Winn/Woolm subcommittee on
out-of-state tuition waivers from November, 2002 to December, 2002. Motion
passed unanimously.
Standing
Reports
2. Graduate Dean: Brinkley reported that Read has been working
on developing a groundwork for the creation of the Molecular Biosciences and
Biotechnology Center envisioned by the university’s strategic plan. This would provide overall administration of
such interdisciplinary programs as Cell and Molecular Biology, Cell and
Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Biochemistry, etc. She also reported that she was sending a memo
to the Provost proposing that the VP for Research provide monies to pay for
health insurance coverage for all state-funded graduate assistants.
3. President
Lilly arrived and was introduced by Greer.
Lilly discussed the role of the graduate council in graduate education
to include determining the university’s “audience” for graduate programs,
determining how many and what kind of programs we should offer, and how the
council might interface with graduate programs to expand graduate education. He indicated that the current budget crunch
would continue and propel planning for graduate education based on societal
needs. He encouraged the council to play
an even more involved role in approving the development or new graduate
programs and modifications to current programs.
4. After
President Lilly’s departure, the Chair called for consideration of the Social
Science/Humanities Course Proposals while their program representatives were
present.
-
Social Psychology:
MOTION (Davies/Edberg): To approve program change as proposed. Motion passed unanimously.
-
Psychology (Behavior Analysis non-thesis master’s program): Linda Hayes presented the proposal to change
the currently offered master’s program taught off-site to health professionals
involved in social services from a thesis program to a non-thesis program. The proposed program, as differentiated from
the thesis master’s program offered on-campus, is a terminal degree for these
health professionals and is a rigorous 39 credit program.
MOTION (Davies/Rawat): To approved program change as proposed. Motion passed unanimously.
-
Master of Arts in Teaching History:
Proposal to offer a non-thesis master’s program for high school history
and social science teachers which, unlike the current master’s program in
history, does not have a language requirement and does not require a
thesis. Program is 36 credits of which
up to 6 credits may be taken S/U.
Program is designed to provide greater subject expertise than that
available in various master’s degrees currently offered through the
MOTION (Bowman/Winn): To approve program as proposed. Motion passed unanimously.
5. C&C
Report: The Chair distributed
6. The Chair
presented a proposal from the Basque Studies program to change their admissions
criteria from requiring a master’s degree in an appropriate discipline to “a master’s degree or equivalent
post-baccalaureate graduate work of at least 33 credits.”
MOTION (Rawat/Obenchain): To approve change to admissions criteria as
proposed. Motion passed unanimously.
7. Combined
BS/MS Biotechnology Program Change:
Peters briefed the Council on the proposed revisions to the BS/MS
Biotechnology program which had been reviewed by Jeff Thompson who had then
emailed his critique to Peters. After
discussion, the Council decided to defer decisions on the revisions until next
meeting.
New Business
8. SPEAK test
policy: Read referred the Council
members to the handout explaining the current policy of requiring all
international students who wish to hold a teaching assistantship to pass the
SPEAK test and raising the question as to whether or not international students
who have already completed a degree at an English-speaking institution should be
exempt from this requirement. Action on
this issue was deferred until the next meeting due to time constraints.
9. Graduate
Assistantship Workload: Henthorne
reported that the GSA was developing written guidelines detailing student
rights, responsibilities, obligations, and faculty expectations as regards
performance of duties for both teaching and research assistantships. The completed draft of these guidelines will
be distributed to the Council for their review, comments, recommendations, etc.
10. The next
meeting of the