The meeting was called to order at 1:30 p.m. Members in attendance were: Ta-Pei Cheng, Louis Gerteis, Matthew Keefer, Vengu Lakshminarayanan, Roberta Lee, Margaret Sherraden, Christopher Spilling, Joachim Stoeckler, Bruce Wilking, Anne Winkler. Members absent were: Richard Cook, Fran Hoffmann, Don Kummer (on leave), Piers Rawling, Theresa Sears.

I. Minutes

The minutes of the 17 December 1999 meeting were approved.
 

II. Nominations to the Graduate Faculty

Council reviewed the nomination of Katherine Corbett to Graduate Faculty. Although her publication record is strong, Council was reluctant to appoint someone without a Ph.D to Graduate Faculty. Instead, Council wished to allow the Dean the option of approving her appointment to serve on exit projects in Museum Studies on a case by case basis.

Evelyn Isaac, Assistant Professor in Teaching and Learning, was approved for membership in the Graduate Faculty.
 

III. Committee Reports

Curriculum and Instruction - Ta Pei Cheng
On behalf of the Curriculum and Instruction Committee, Matt Keefer and Ta-Pei Cheng, Co-Chairs, reported the following actions related to the submitted course proposals:

We recommend the approval of a number changes for Chemistry, as we found the newly supplied Departmental justifications to be persuasive:
331 to 430 Advanced Physical Chemistry
333 to 432 Application of Thermodynamics and Reaction Kinetics in Chemistry
336 to 435 Quantum Mechanical Foundations in Spectroscopy
361 to 461 Advanced Organic Chemistry II - Reactions and Synthesis
366 to 460 Advanced Organic Chemistry I - Physical Organic

We recommend the approval of the following course additions, related to the new Master's degree program in Social Work:
382 Theory and Practice with the Elderly
394 Leadership and Management in Nonprofit Organizations (same as Political Science 394, Sociology 308)
450 Theory and Practice with Children and Young
451 Theory and Practice with Families
452 Family Policy (same as Political Science 416, Sociology 452)
455 Strategic and Program Planning for Nonprofit Organizations (same as Political Science 491)
461 Human Services Leadership and Management
462 Social and Economic Development Policy (same as Political Science 418)
473 Practice and Program Evaluation
491 Graduate Field Practicum II
492 Graduate Field Practicum III
495 Directed Study in Professional Social Work
499 Advanced Seminar in Professional Social Work

The following course replaces SW 382:
316 Clinical Gerontology

We recommend the approval of the following course additions, related to the new M.A. degree program in Communication:
406 Introduction to Communication Education
411 Seminar in Mass Communication Organization
430 Seminar in Small Group Communication
431 Seminar in Organizational Communication
435 Seminar in Advanced Applied Communication
445 Managing Organizational Communication
454 Seminar in Communication Systems and Technologies
490 Directed Readings in Communication
495 Seminar in Special Topics in Communication
498 Thesis Research and Preparation
499 Graduate Internship

We have delayed the approval of Communication 400 "Seminar in Communication Theory" and 405 "Introduction to Communication Research Method", as the Department of Philosophy has just entered into discussion with the Communication Department related to the overlapping philosophy of science content of these courses.

The Biology Department has undertaken a considerable revamping of their curriculum. They proposed:
the addition of
361 Advanced Laboratory for Electron Microscopy
369 Social Insects
441 Advanced Population Biology
469 Advanced Social Insects
and the change of
361 to 339 Plant Molecular Biology & Genetic Engineering
356 to 368 Entomology Laboratory
354 to 367 Entomology
342 to 341 Population Biology
461 to 439 Advanced Plant Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering

They have also changed the pre-requisites for Biology
329 Molecular Evolution
348 Evolution of Animal Sociality
360 Techniques in Electron Microscopy
381 Theoretical Systematics and Evolution
387 Tropical Ecology and Conservation
429 Advanced Molecular Evolution
442 Population and Community Ecology
446 Theory and Application of Conservation Biology
448 Advanced Evolution of Animal Sociality
458 Evolutionary Ecology of Plants
465 Methods in Plant Systematics
481 Advanced Theoretical Systematics and Evolution
487 Advanced Tropical Ecology and Conservation

We found their justification to be convincing, and therefore recommend approval.

We also recommend the approval of the following course changes:
Anthro 315 Senior Seminar in Anthropology
Chem 377 Physical Biochemistry
ESL 305 Advanced ESL Grammar
Hist 317 Comparative Urban History

Course additions:
Art Hist 488 Museum Education and Visitor Research
PPA 451 Urban and Regional Planning and Public Policy
Span 311 Special Topics in Hispanic Culture
FLL 399 Standards-Based Foreign Language Instruction

However, we questioned the justification of listing "Advanced Pronunciation and Accent Reduction" as a graduate level ESL 401. The relevant program director has agreed to reconsider this proposal. Apparently, their intention is now to submit it later as an undergraduate course.

Council approved the committee's report

Program Development Committee - Louis Gerteis

The committee recommends approval of changes in the Graduate Certificate in Tropical Biology and Conservation and changes in the Master of Arts in English. Council approved the committee's report.

Rules and Regulations - Christopher Spilling

A meeting of the committee was arranged but no one attended. Two committee members e-mailed Dr. Spilling but had widely differing views. Therefore, Dr. Spilling recommends that the proposal from Dr. Spaner be discussed by Council as a whole. Council agreed and Dr. Wartzok will mail out the Spaner motion with the February agenda.

IV.  Dean's Report
The Dean encouraged Council to look at the section on Graduate programs in the Strategic Plan for Academic Affairs. The document can be found on the Academic Affairs web site.

The five-year external review of the Graduate School and Office of Research Administration will be held on February 29, 2000. The on-campus committee consists of Gordon Anderson, James Shymansky, and Richard Wright. The outside reviewer is Linda Brinkley, Graduate Dean and Vice Provost for Research at the University of Memphis. By February 10 Dr. Wartzok will send a copy of the five- year report to Council.

The information on Doctoral Faculty applications and Graduate School fellowships have been prepared and distributed across campus.

The MHS degree in Managerial Decision-Making and Health Informatics has been sent to the UM system office. The revised emphasis areas for the Ph.D. in Education are being sent by UM system to CBHE today.

The Ph.D. in Urban Studies, which Graduate Council approved in December, has been revised by the Dean and forwarded to the Senate for its review. As requested, additional information on faculty in the interdisciplinary area was added. Six more faculty from Social Work will be added to the existing list before the proposal goes to the UM system. Details of the Interdisciplinary program are still open ended but it does emphasize the strength of the faculty. A total of fifty faculty are identified as core faculty for the interdisciplinary degree.

There being no other business the meeting adjourned at 2:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Mary Ellen Heckel
on behalf of Piers Rawling
Secretary and Vice-Chairperson