University of Nevada, Reno Graduate Council

Meeting Minutes, October 9, 2003

Members Present:

Stacy Burton, Chair and A&S, Humanities

Marsha Read, Associate Dean of the Graduate School

Kathryn Obenchain, Education

Jeri Bigbee, HCS

Donica Mensing, Journalism

James Winn, A&S, Fine Arts

John Nelson, A&S Science

Richard Davies, A&S, Social Sciences

Tracy Veach, Medicine

Banmali Rawat, Engineering

James Sundali, Business

Scott Tyler, Mines

Michael Sanderfer, GSA Vice President for Jessica Muehlberg, President, GSA

Members Absent:

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

Dana Edberg, Faculty Senate Representative

Rangesan Narayanan, Agriculture

Non Members attending:

Michael Peters, recorder

Old Business

1. The Chair called the meeting to order at 2:35 and, pending arrival of the provost, asked for a motion to approve the previous meeting’s minutes. MOTION: (Winn/Nelson) To approve the September 2003 Graduate Council meeting minutes. Motion approved.

2. Role of Graduate Council in Program Review – Discussion with Provost: Provost John Frederick discussed his views on the Graduate Council’s contribution to program reviews. Essentially, he is looking for the Council’s perspective on the graduate program portion of departmental program reviews, similar to the perspective provided by Vice Provost Bill Cathey on undergraduate programs. He indicated that the Council may wish to designate a point person who would provide oversight and input early on in the review process and then report back to the Council. Then, after discussion, the Council would provide the Provost with their views and recommendations. This way, the Provost would be able to receive the broader perspective of the entire Council rather than that of a single Council representative. After the Provost’s comments, the Council discussed the issue with Burton and Tyler volunteering to sketch out general guidelines for a Council point person to use in participating in a program review. MOTION: (Tyler/Sundali) That the Council designate a point person, as necessary, to participate in each program review process. Motion approved.

Standing Reports

3. Graduate Dean’s Report: Read reported that the Graduate School has relocated to the second floor of the Student Services Building and, as part of the move, has now implemented a new, menu-driven telephone system. In addition, graduation applications for May, 2004 must be purchased on-line. The four-part paper application is no longer available. Students do not have to re-type their entire program of study onto a graduation application form. Instead, by filing for graduation on-line, their approved program of study will be reviewed by the Graduate school and compared to their actual transcript. Therefore, students are instructed in the on-line application procedures that they must have an approved program of study form on file in the Graduate School before applying for graduation. Applications for which there is no program of study on file will be rejected. Application fees are not refundable. Finally, the Graduate School is currently testing software to process theses and dissertations electronically. We should be able to process several trial theses this semester and be able to offer the option of electronic submission in the spring, 2004 semester.

4. GSA Report: No Report.

5. Courses & Curriculum Report: Read reported that the Committee approved the change in the grading of professional paper, permitting them to carry the same “in progress” designation as that used for theses and dissertations. Also, that the proposed MATH 687 course was referred back to the department for greater clarification of the differences between the undergraduate and graduate components of this 400/600-level course.

6. Faculty Senate Liaison Report: No Report.

New Business

7. New Geology Courses: Read reported that she had reviewed the four new courses proposed for geology by Scott Tyler and recommended they be approved and forwarded to the university Courses & Curricula committee. MOTION: (Read/Rawat) That the four courses be approved by the Council and forwarded to C&C. Motion approved with one abstention (Tyler).

8. College of Education Reorganization: Obenchain will provide Council members, prior to the November 2003 meeting, with information on revisions to graduate courses in the College of Education resulting from the reorganization of the department of Curriculum and Instruction into two departments; the department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, and the department of Educational Specialties.

9. Posting of Graduate Council Agenda and Meeting Minutes on web pages: Burton announced that she had received a suggestion to post the Council’s agenda and meeting minutes on the web just as the Faculty Senate’s proceedings are posted. The Council discussed the issue and generally agreed as to the value of posting the minutes and agenda. MOTION: (Nelson/Veach) To post Council agenda and meeting minutes on the Graduate School website. Motion approved.

10. The Council discussed a variety of issues which may be included in upcoming agenda. Rawat proposed the Council take a look at how the university tracks graduate faculty, i.e. how they are appointed, how they are designated as belonging to a given department or program, how long they serve as graduate faculty, etc. Tyler suggested identifying or developing resources to assist faculty in advising graduate students and developing more effective mentoring. Bigbee reported that she had received only 14 responses from 65 graduate programs to her request to complete a template of program information for inclusion in a graduate catalog.

11. There being no further business, the Council adjourned at 3:25. The next meeting will be November13, 2003 at 2:30 p.m. in the Alan Bible Room of the Getchell Library.