Meeting Minutes,
Members Present:
Marsha Read, Associate Dean of the
Kathryn Obenchain, Education
James Winn, CLA, Fine Arts
John Nelson, COS
Tracy Veach, Medicine
James Sundali, Business
Ron Phaneuf, Faculty Senate Representative
Donica Mensing, Journalism
Jessica Muehlberg, President, GSA
Matt Leone, HCS
Andrzej Trzynadlowski, Engineering
Members Absent:
Glenn Miller, Agriculture
Guests:
Susan Henthorne, Graduate Student Association
Patsy Ruchala, Director,
Patricia Holden-Huchton, Director of Graduate
Studies, Nursing
Gary Hayes, Chair, Health Ecology
Christine Cheney, Chair, Educational
Specialties
1. The Chair called the meeting to order at
New
Business
2. Proposal for Combined Master of Public Health
– Master of Nursing degrees program: The
Chair invited Drs. Hayes, Ruchala, and Holden-Hucton to provide the council a
brief overview on their proposed program.
Essentially, it is an effort to provide nurses completing a master’s
degree in nursing an opportunity to also obtain a master of public health
degree in less time than it would take to complete each degree separately. The program allows for 15 shared credits
between the two degree programs instead of the current 9 credits that are
permitted to be held in common with two master’s degrees and provides one
culminating project (6 credits of either a thesis or a professional project). The total number of credits for both degrees
would be 60 credits. An extensive
discussion ensued. MOTION:
(Nelson/Veach) To approve the program in
concept and direct the proponents to modify the program to increase the total
number of credits to 62 and stipulate that a minimum number of 700-level
credits be completed consistent with the university minimum requirements for
master’s degrees. The modified program would then be forwarded to the
university courses and curricula committee for further consideration. Motion passed unanimously.
3. Proposal for new Master of Education (M.Ed.),
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Educational
Specialties. Cheney explained that these
degrees are needed to reflect the realignment within the
Standing
Reports
4. Faculty Senate: Phaneuf reported the major issue under
discussion by the Senate was the faculty workload formula. The Regents have approved a 3/3 teaching load
for non-doctoral study instructors and a 2/2 teaching load for faculty involved
in doctoral studies. The faculty senate
task force will likely recommend that department chairs should make the final
determination regarding teaching loads.
5. GSA Report:
Muehlberg reported that GSA would be conducting a student needs survey
to better identify the importance of particular issues to graduate
students. Henthorne referred council
members to an article in the
6. Graduate Dean’s Report: Read reported on staffing changes in the
Finally,
she reported that she would be serving on the president’s task force to
evaluate how heath sciences should be organized.
Old
Business
7. Volunteer from Graduate Council to serve as
representative to on Graduate Student Services Initiatives Team: Chair will ask Donica Mensing or Glenn Miller
to volunteer.
8. GSA Rights and Responsibilities: Henthorne presented the latest revision
approved by the GSA and outlined the principal changes. The council will review this version and
forward their comments/suggestions to GSA.
The expansion of the description of responsibilities will be discussed
at the next meeting.
New
Business
9. Council of Graduate Schools Resolution
regarding a common date for announcement of admissions decisions: Council discussed the idea and determined
that having a variety of dates for notifying applicants of admissions decisions
was not a problem at this institution.
10. There being no further business, the Chair
accepted a motion for adjournment (Leone/Rasmussen). Motion approved unanimously. Council adjourned at
11. The next meeting will be on