University of Nevada, Reno Graduate Council

Meeting Minutes, February 10, 2005

Members Present:

Scott Tyler, Chair and COS, Mackay School of Earth Science and Engineering

Marsha Read, Graduate Dean

John Nelson, COS

Eric Rasmussen, CLA, Humanities

James Winn, CLA, Fine Arts

Kathryn Obenchain, Education

Ron Phaneuf, Faculty Senate

Matt Leone, HCS

Kambiz Raffiee, Business

Jessica Muehlberg, Graduate Student Association

Members Absent:

Tracy Veach, Medicine

Andy Trzynadlowski, Engineering

Donica Mensing, Journalism

Glenn Miller, Agriculture

Stacy Gordon, College of Liberal Arts, Social Sciences

Guests:

Susan Henthorne, GSA Advisor

Michael Peters, Recorder

William Kuechler, Associate Professor, Finance

Ali Nejadmalayeri, Assistant Professor, Managerial Sciences

Jeffrey Englin, Chair, Resource Economics

Klaus Moeltner, Graduate Director, Resource Economics

1. The Chair called the meeting to order at 2:30 and introduced new council member, Kambiz Raffiee.

Old Business

2. Approval of December meeting minutes: The Chair invited the council to review the previous meeting’s minutes. MOTION: (Nelson/Winn) To approve the December, 2004 meeting minutes. Motion passed unanimously.

New Business

3. New MS program in Finance: Professors Nejadmalayeri and Kuechler presented an overview of the proposed new master of science program in finance, indicating that with the growing influx of businesses into Nevada, there was a strong demand for finance majors with higher skill-levels than are currently available through the undergraduate curriculum. Discussion ensued with recommendation from the council regarding modifications to the program. The council advised that the wording for some 700-level courses be changed, deleting the term “pre-requisites” and using the phrasing “fulfilling inadequacies in undergraduate background.” MOTION: (Nelson/Obenchain) To approve the proposed program in concept awaiting final version which, when forwarded to the Chair, can be approved by electronic vote. Motion passed unanimously.

4. Proposed new Ph.D. in Resource Economics: Professors Englin and Moeltner introduced the proposed new Ph.D. in resource economics. Program is intended to be completed in 4 to 5 years with the first year nearly identical to the first year of the current master’s program. Students would then take qualifying exams and, if successful, proceed to the doctoral part of the program. If not, students could complete the master’s degree as a fall-back. The program would also accommodate students who had already completed a master’s program at another institution. The department expects the program evolve to an all-doctoral program with the master’s degree only as a fall-back. MOTION: (Nelson/Muehlberg) To approve the new Ph.D. program in resource economics. Motion passed unanimously.

Standing Reports

5. Graduate Dean: Read reported that the VPR/Graduate Dean search committee is up and running with the expectation to fill the position by this summer. Also, that the Governor’s budget proposal included returning 25% of indirect cost recovery to the university for the purpose of funding the construction of a new bio-sciences building. Finally, that the Electronic Theses and Dissertations project appeared to be doing well and that the council should probably review the situation in September, 2005 with the idea of implementing ETDs as the mandatory submission format.

6. Chair Report: Tyler reported that the external review of the Hydrologic Sciences program needed a graduate council representative and invited council members to volunteer, contacting the Chair via e-mail.

7. GSA Report: Muehlberg reported that the GSA awards program was now open with submission forms available on-line at the GSA website. Nominations are due March 14, 2005. She also announced that research grants funds are available; that the GSA Research Fair wasbeing planned; that the graduate student needs survey data were still being analyzed; and that plans for the new student union included space for a graduate student lounge. Susan Henthorne reported that GSA would be putting together a task force to brainstorm initiatives to increase recruiting of underrepresented students to expand diversity in the graduate student population and invited all interested to a meeting on February 25, 2005.

8. Faculty Senate: Phaneuf reported that there were not issues discussed at the last senate meeting pertinent to the Council.

New Business

9. Academic Computing Committee Documents: Read reported that the forms used by the ACC that are forwarded to the Regents have been modified but the changes have no impact upon Graduate Council concerns.

10. Future Role of Graduate Council: Tyler briefed the council on his discussions with the Provost regarding the council’s role in university affairs. The Provost indicated that he hoped the council could be more proactive in helping departments develop ideas for new degree programs by having a graduate council representative on the pre-proposal committee the reviews new proposals. The Chair will accept nominations for such a representative. Tyler further suggested that since the graduate council had no formal representation on the university planning committee (UPC) that it might be useful for a council ad hoc subcommittee to assess the issue of teaching assistantship salaries, come up with some recommendations and forward those to the UPC for consideration. Raffiee, Muehlberg, and Tyler volunteered to serve as the ad hoc committee.

Other Business

11. The council discussed the impending search for a new Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School. MOTION: (Nelson/Muehlberg) That the council advise the VPR search committee that candidates for the position be asked for their opinion as to whether the university would be best served by having one person fill the position of VPR and Graduate Dean or whether the position should be split into two individual positions. Motion passed with one abstention. An additional MOTION: (Leone/Muehlbergh) That the VPR search committee should draft the job description leaving open the possibility of separating the VPR position from the Graduate Dean position at some unspecified time; and that this recommendation be also forwarded to the Provost and Faculty Senate. Motion passed unanimously.

12. Graduate Transcripts: Muehlberg introduced the idea raised by a graduate student regarding the possibility of the university preparing transcripts that only reflect graduate-level work as opposed to the current practice of UNR transcripts recording all work, both undergraduate and graduate, on one transcript. The idea was briefly discussed and will be more thoroughly examined at the next meeting.

13. The council adjourned at 4:45. The next meeting will be held in the Faculty Senate room of the Jot Travis Student Union at 2:30 on Thursday, March 10, 2005.