University of Nevada, Reno Graduate Council

Meeting Minutes, April 8, 2004

Members Present:

Stacy Burton, Chair and CLA, Humanities

Marsha Read, Associate Dean of the Graduate School

Kathryn Obenchain, Education

James Winn, CLA, Fine Arts

John Nelson, COS

Jeri Bigbee, HCS

Banmali Rawat, Engineering

Stacy Gordon, CLA, Social Sciences

Scott Tyler, COS, Machay

Members Absent:

Linda Brinkley, VP for Research and Dean of the Graduate School

Donica Mensing, Journalism

James Sundali, Business

Dana Edberg, Faculty Senate Representative

Rangesan Narayanan, Agriculture

Susan Henthorne for Jessica Muehlberg, President, GSA

Tracy Veach, Medicine

Michael Peters, recorder

Old Business

1. The Chair called the meeting to order at 2:35 and proceeded to the second item on the agenda, Work Load Policy Statement, pending a quorum. A quorum was attained 10 minutes later at which time the Chair returned to the agenda’s first item, Approval of the March meeting’s minutes. Nelson moved that the minutes be approved, motion seconded by Winn. MOTION: To approve the minutes of the March, 2004 meeting (Nelson/Winn). Motion passed unanimously.

2. The discussion returned to the Work Load Policy Statement. Burton raised the issue of possibly inviting the UNLV graduate council to join in sending the statement to the Regents. Discussion ensued. Nelson suggested sending a copy of the statement to UNLV’s graduate council and proposing that UNLV send their own statement to the Regents. Obenchain recommended contacting UNLV’s graduate council chair either by e-mail or telephone to let UNLV know the statement was coming and inviting their involvement by submitting their own statement. MOTION: (Nelson/Rawat) To endorse the statement as drafted, send it to the Regents, and forward a copy to UNLV, inviting them to submit their own statement. Motion passed with one abstention.

3. Graduate Faculty Status Guidelines: Burton introduced the draft guidelines as a measure to clarify the policy regarding graduate faculty status which specified that “Each instructional department of program shall develop criteria for appointment to the Graduate Faculty and shall place the criteria on file…with the Graduate School.” As only one program has filed such criteria, the guidelines would provide guidance to graduate program directors in developing such criteria and in making graduate faculty appointments. In the ensuing discussion, recommendations for refining the guidelines included adding the criterion of a terminal degree in each section (dealing with serving as committee chair, other “inside” members, and the Graduate School Representative); creating a separate section regarding Graduate Faculty who are ineligible to chair advisory committees; adding the term or clarifying the role of “adjunct faculty” in the sections that also authorize the participation of “clinical” and “research” faculty; and allowing for exceptions to permit UNLV faculty to co-chair advisory committees in special circumstances. Burton and Dean Read will take all suggestions into consideration and prepare a revised draft of the guidelines for the Council’s review at the next meeting.

4. Certificate Programs: Burton introduced a final revision of the statement on graduate certificate program. This revision included changes that the Academic Leadership Council had recommended to Dean Read:

- designating certificate programs that required a baccalaureate for admission as “Graduate Certificate Programs” and those requiring a master’s degree for either admission or as a criterion for completion as “Advanced Graduate Programs.”

- adding that graduate certificate programs should be completed within 6 years and that advanced graduate certificate programs should be completed within 8 years.

- adding a requirement that a grade of “C” or better would be required for a course to be applied to fulfilling the requirements of a certificate program.

Nelson also identified a number of grammatical errors in the draft, which will be corrected.

MOTION: To approve the guidelines on graduate certificate programs as revised and corrected (Obenchain/Nelson). Motion passed unanimously.

Standing Reports

5. Graduate Dean’s Report: Read reported that she had completed an audit of the files of those students applying for graduation in May, 2004 and that, like the audit conducted for the December, 2003 graduation cycle, 13% of the files required an exception to policy. The majority of exceptions were for time extensions. Others included approval for additional graduate special credits and for increases in the number of credits of a particular course (special topics, independent study, etc.) that could be applied to a degree. Read also reported that commencement for advanced degrees would again take place on the last Friday of the semester, with students lining up at 4 p.m., processing in at 4:30 and the ceremony beginning at 5 p.m.

6. GSA Report: No Report.

7. Faculty Senate Report: Report submitted in absentia via e-mail.

8. Courses & Curriculum Committee Report: No report.

9. The Council adjourned at 3:45. The next meeting will be May 13, 2004 at 2:30 in the conference room at the School of Journalism.