GRADUATE COUNCIL

Minutes of the Meeting

November 19, 2004

The meeting was called to order by Dean Judith Walker de Felix at 1:30 p.m. Members in attendance: Joseph Carroll, Ta Pei Cheng, Thomas Eyssell, Bill Kyle, Therese Macan, Carol Peck, Nancy Shields, Zuleyma-Tang Martinez. Members absent: Elisha Chambers, David Curry, Peggy Ellis, Wes Harris, Richard Wright. Vacant positions: Business, Fine Arts.

I. Minutes

The minutes of the October 15, 2004 meeting were approved as written. The. Dean mentioned the international teaching assistants and language requirements issue remains unresolved.

II. Committee Reports

Admissions and Scholarship

The Dean will ask Graduate Council’s input on how to spend new scholarship money. It is estimated that 25% of any new funds would be used for graduate students. Dr. Ellis’s committee will look at how the money was used in the past (Graduate Fellowships, Dissertation Fellowships, Tuition Scholarships, Travel Awards). There are two points of view on distributing the money: one is to give the money to the Deans to increase stipends; the other is to keep the money in a centralized location, such as the Graduate School to monitor equality of funds.

Dr. Peck noted that the former Graduate School Dissertation Fellowships awards really made a difference to the recipients. Dr. Eyssell asked if the Graduate School received 1/2 of the supplemental fees and how will they be used? The Dean has not received any such funding but will check into it.

Council believed the Graduate School should provide tuition scholarships to students who apply for and receive outside grants. The Dean agreed and has been doing so. She has also given a few diversity scholarships – adding $2000 to some new students’ stipend package when asked for funding. These types of scholarships will be formalized and all departments will be notified once there is money available. The unexpected funds came from previous Graduate Fellowship commitments that expired.

Curriculum and Instruction

John Blake and Elisha Chambers, co-chairs, reviewed the course proposals but we did not receive the report in time for Council’s meeting. Ta Pei Cheng moved and Therese Macan seconded that Council would vote to approve the committee’s report contingent upon verification that the committee reviewed and approved the course. Council approved the motion.

Program Development Committee - Ta Pei Cheng

The committee met on October 28 and reviewed the following items.

The committee recommends that the Doctoral Residency Requirement (Graduate School Policy 9.6) be modified to read:

“…Residency normally requires that doctoral students successfully complete a minimum of 15 hours over THREE consecutive terms, which may include summer. The Dean of the Graduate School may grant exceptions upon recommendation by the program.”

Rationale: The committee recognizes that many of our graduate students work at regular jobs and often find the requirement of “complete a minimum of 15 hours over two consecutive terms” difficult to comply. However, the committee recommends that we not neglect the historical rationale for a residency requirement. We urge the Graduate Dean to convey this sense to the Directors of Graduate Programs in various units that they find ways to uphold the “spirit of the residency requirement”, emphasizing the importance of a period of focused activities in the students’ chosen field.

Discussion: Units could still require 2 consecutive semesters even though the Graduate policy would state 3. Units may opt to place more stringent policies on their students than the Graduate policy dictates. Council voted to approve the revision to 9.6. It will be presented to the Graduate Faculty for a vote.

Dissertation Proposal Time Limit. The committee reviewed the current policy and believes it is too complicated (see 9.11.1). The committee recommends revising the policy to read:

“A dissertation proposal must be accepted by the Graduate School no later than eight years after the student’s first registration as a doctoral student at the University. The Dean of the Graduate School may grant exceptions upon recommendation by the student’s dissertation committee.”

Students’ vary by full-time or part-time status depending upon their degree program. Also, some students take longer to finish because they run out of support or they work on their doctorate while obtaining the Master’s along the way. Why is there a rule if there is no consequence to those who do not comply? Make it a directive by the department, not by the Graduate School. Dr. Tang-Martinez made a motion and Dr. Eyssell seconded to delete paragraph two of section 9.11.1. Council approved the motion and will present it to the Graduate Faculty for a vote.

9.11.1

Before a student may conduct substantial research for the dissertation, the dissertation committee may approve a proposal after a formal defense. The student submits the approved proposal for review and approval by the dean of the Graduate School

The dissertation proposal must be accepted by the GraduateSchool before a doctoral student completes the sixth semester of study, or before the student takes more than four hours of dissertation credit, whichever comes later. That is, students who have taken more than four hours of dissertation credit by the end of the sixth semester must have successfully filed their dissertation proposal by that point. Students who have taken no more than four hours of dissertation credit by the end of the sixth semester have a later deadline: the point at which they intend to take their fifth dissertation credit.

An approved dissertation proposal in no way implies a contract between the university and the student. Depending on the outcome of the research, the dissertation may require substantially more work than anticipated when the proposal was approved. The termination of a line of research and the adoption of a substantially new dissertation project requires the preparation, formal defense, and acceptance by the Graduate School of a new dissertation proposal.

Rules and Regulations Committee – Bill Kyle

The committee received a memo from the Chemistry chair about parking issues for graduate students. 1) there is no shuttle available in the summer; 2) revisit the Senate policy of only GTAs teaching a course or section being offered faculty/staff parking; and 3) the high cost of parking. Student stickers are not available between semesters and in the summer many students are working but not enrolled in classes. Could there be a separate status or parking permit for GTAs/GRAs so they can park year round? The Graduate Dean will get more information from the Chemistry chair and forward it to Dr. Kyle’s committee.

The committee reviewed the following proposals and recommends their approval:

· Changes in degree requirements for the Master of Arts in Philosophy

· 2 + 3 Program in Philosophy (new)

· Changes in degree requirements for the Master of Science in Computer Science

· 2 + 3 Program in Psychology and Gerontology

· Change in degree requirements for the Master of Education: Elementary Education (Early Childhood Education option)

· Changes to Graduate Certificate in Managerial Economics

· Graduate Certificate in Long-Term Care Administration (new)

· Change in degree requirements for Graduate Study in Chemistry

Council accepted the committee’s report to approve the above mentioned proposals.

III. Dean’s Report

The student handbook is now on-line. It can be found on the Graduate School’s website as an option under “Current Students”. Please read it and provide feedback to the Dean. The advisors handbook should be available on-line in Winter 2005. The Dean will add to the policies a statement such as “a graduate program may have stricter regulations that the Graduate School policies”.

International Teaching Assistants. The Dean will look into the policies and practices regarding international teaching assistants, the required orientation by International Student Services, and the ESL testing and recommendations made by the Center for Academic Development. The departments should have the final say what courses their TAs need. It seems that ISS and CAD are operating without a specific policy in place.

Program Review. The Dean distributed two items related to the upcoming review of the Graduate School. UM faculty will be on the review team. The Dean asked Council to review the documents and provide her with input. How do we obtain these data? Should there be a survey? The review is due by December 6. When the reviewers come to campus in the Spring, we will have the data available.

Graduate Faculty Meeting. The Graduate Faculty will meet on Tuesday, November 30, at 3:30 p.m. in 126 Penney. The Dean asked Council to think about the role of the Graduate Faculty meeting. Is there any value added? Should we hold a yearly meeting instead of once each semester?

With no other business, the meeting adjourned at 2:50 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Therese Macan

Secretary and Vice-Chairperson

TM:meh