University of Nevada, Reno Graduate Council

Meeting Minutes, Sept 26, 2006

Members Present:

Matt Leone, Chair and HHS

Mark Brenner, Graduate Dean

Marsha Read, Associate Graduate Dean

Stacy Gordon, College of Liberal Arts, Social Sciences

Aaron Santesso, CLA, Humanities

Victor Vasquez, Engineering

Ann Tyler, Medicine

Donica Mensing, Journalism

Roberto Mancini, COS

John Louie, COS, Mines

Rebecca Bevans, GSA President

Eliot Parker, Faculty Senate

Michael Peters, Recorder

Members Absent

Glenn Miller, Agriculture

Katherine Obenchain, Education

Duane Karna, CLA – Fine Arts

Dale Rogers, Business

Guests

John Frederick, Provost

New Business

External Program Review Reports

1. The Chair called the meeting to order at 2:35 and after a round of introductions of all members, introduced John Frederick, Provost, to receive the program review reports for Basque studies, anthropology, and math and statistics.

Aaron Santesso presented his report on the Basque Studies program. Marsha Read delivered the report prepared by Tracy Veach on the Anthropology program and John Nelson’s report on the Mathematics and Statistics Department. The council members and provost discussed the findings and recommendations of the reviewers and the provost thanked the reviewers for their valuable contributions.

Standing Reports

2. Faculty Senate: Parker briefed the council on the topics from the senate meeting pertaining to graduate education including Eric Herzik’s update of the on-going accreditation process, James Richardson’s briefing on the new School of Social Justice Studies, and Steve Zink’s report on the status of the technology task force.

3. Graduate Student Association: Bevans briefed the council on current GSA issues including the need for a few more representatives from the College of Education and new initiatives such as seminars on grant writing, writing a curriculum vitae and how to purchase a home. Additionally, she discussed expanding a document, originally authored by Mark Brenner, detailing the mutual rights and responsibilities of graduate students and faculty.

4. Associate Dean: Read briefed the council on the potential development of university policy pertaining to classified homeland security research. In addition to procedures required to clear students and faculty to perform classified research, there is the additional problem in not being able to publish the results of classified research in opposition to the university’s land-grant mission to disseminate new knowledge. She will keep the council apprised of further developments.

5. Courses and Curricula: Read presented the council with the current consent agenda consisting of courses ENG 662D and ENG 662E. MOTION (Tyler/Louie) To approve current consent agenda. Motion passed unanimously. MOTION (Mensing/Gordon) To approve the previous month’s consent agenda (which could not be voted on due to not having a quorum) consisting of the courses FCM 676 and JS 645 and increasing the credit requirement for the master of education degrees in CEP. Motion approved unanimously.

6. New Business Appointment of Graduate Council Liaisons for External Program Reviews

Read presented the need to appoint liaisons for the Art Department and Biochemistry Department program reviews. John Louie volunteered to serve as liaison for the Biochemistry review and Ann Tyler volunteered to serve as the liaison for the Art Department.

7. Graduate Dean: Brenner commented on the developing of policy regarding homeland security research and that such policy is sought by the regents to apply to all NSHE institutions. Additionally, he commented that he had had some discussions with President Glick regarding time-to-degree of various graduate programs and such issues as the correct balance of 600 and 700-level courses in an advanced degree curriculum as well as ensuring that graduate-level courses are actually graduate-level. In discussing faculty roles and responsibilities and the possibility of publishing a document of mutual responsibilities of both faculty and students, Ann Tyler volunteered to submit the medical school’s code of ethics as a foundation for detailing ethical conduct of research.

9. There being no further business, the council moved to adjourn at 3:45. The next meeting will be held Tuesday, October 24, 2006 at 2:30 in the JTSU Ingersoll Senate Chamber room 239.