Meeting Minutes, Sept 27,
2005
Members
Present:
Kathryn
Obenchain, Chair and
Mark
Brenner, Graduate Dean
Victor
Vasquez, Engineering
Duane
Karna, CLA – Fine Arts
Tracy
Veach, Medicine
Matt
Leone, HCS
John
Nelson, COS
Ed
Johnson, GSA President
Susan
Henthorne, GSA Advisor
Michael
Peters, Recorder
Members
Absent
James
Sundali, Business
Stacy
Gordon,
Ron
Phaneuf, Faculty Senate
Glenn
Miller, Agriculture
Guests
Scott
Mensing, Geography
1. The Chair introduced new members, Dr. Mark
Brenner, Vice President for Research and Dean of the
Old
Business
2. The Chair called for a motion to approve the
previous meeting’s minutes. MOTION:
(Nelson/Read) To approve the previous meeting’s minutes. Motion passed unanimously.
New
Business
3. Liaison for Sociology Program Review: Tracy Veach volunteered to serve as liaison
and was approved by the council.
4. Courses and Curricula: Read distributed the C&C consent
agenda. The subcommittee recommended
approval of the new course GEOL 768, Radar Imaging as well as the previously
considered program changes to the master of science in human development and
family studies for which the program had submitted adequate clarification. Three biology courses were recommended to
continue pending awaiting clarification of the graduate component for these
400/600 level courses. MOTION:
(Karna/Johnson) To approve the
recommendations of the consent agenda.
Motion passed unanimously.
Scott
Mensing briefed the council on the proposed Ph.D. program in Geography. The council queried Mensing regarding
sufficiency of faculty resources, the number of credits for the comprehensive
examination, and other issues. MOTION:
(Nelson/Veach) To approve the proposed doctor of philosophy degree in geography
with the modification of changing the comprehensive exam from two credits to
one. Motion passed unanimously.
5. Liaison for Intensive English Language Center
(IELC) Program Review: Susan Henthorne
volunteered to serve as liaison and was approved by the council.
Standing
Reports
6. Graduate Dean: Brenner commented that he would need time to
assess the current situation of graduate education at the university before
undertaking any initiatives but that among the areas in which he was
particularly interested included
- Initiatives to better prepare
graduates to serve as future faculty as well as in professional leadership
positions
- promoting the ethical training of
graduate students, ensuring that such training is a component of every degree
program
- policy regarding rights and
responsibilities of multiple authors on papers included in theses and
dissertations and
- utilizing the newly revised
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) in graduate admissions.
7. Associate Dean: Read distributed preliminary data on the
fall, 2005 headcount indicating a slight decline in graduate enrollment
particularly at the master’s level.
Additionally, she distributed as informational items for dissemination
to faculty
Guidelines for Selection of Graduate
Program Directors, a draft document outlining the general responsibilities of
graduate and characteristics of effective directors,
An extract from the Northwest
Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) on assessing educational
programs and their effectiveness.
Excerpts from the Council of
Graduate Schools’ The Doctor of Philosophy Degree; A policy statement.
The
Council briefly discussed these documents and proposed additions to the
Guidelines for Graduate Directors to include networking responsibilities as
well as conflict resolution. Read agreed
these recommendations would be incorporated into the document.
8. GSA Report:
Johnson reported that due to the obligation to provide funding for
construction of the new student union there would be less funding for GSA
scholarships and travel support. Also
that he’d noted an increase in the number of graduate students seeking GSA’s
services and that he would keep the council posted as to developments.
9. There being no further business, the council
moved to adjourn at 3:45. The next
meeting will be held Tuesday, October 25, 2005 at 2:30 in the JTSU Ingersoll
Senate Chamber room 239.