1. Minutes

The minutes of the April 5, 2001 meeting were approved.
 

2. Candidates for Degrees

The candidates for the Fall 2001 commencement were approved pending completion of all degree requirements.
 

3. Graduate Faculty Nominating Committee

The Graduate Faculty nominated the following faculty to serve on the 2001-02 Graduate Faculty Nominating Committee.

Paul Roth, Humanities
Ray Balbes, Math/Physical Sciences
J. Martin Rochester, Social Sciences
Tom Eyssell, Business
Mark Pope, Education
Anne Fish, Nursing
Bill Long, Optometry
Rita Csapo-Sweet, Fine Arts/Communication

The Graduate office will notify nominees of their election and verify their willingness to serve.
 

4. Report from the Graduate Council - David Rose

Dr. Rose presented three suggested changes in the Graduate Faculty Rules and Regulations.

The first change relates to the process of appointing faculty to the Graduate Faculty. The proposal would eliminate unnecessary paperwork and allow all tenured and tenure-track faculty to be appointed automatically to the Graduate Faculty. Only non-regular faculty appointments would need review by the Graduate Council.

The revised wording for section 2.1 is as follows:

2.1 The Graduate Faculty.

The Graduate Faculty will consist of all tenured and tenure-track faculty. Visiting and part-time faculty will not normally be members of the Graduate Faculty. Exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis per approval of the Graduate Council. Upon recommendation by a department chair, area coordinator, or dean, qualified adjunct faculty may be approved by the Graduate Dean to teach graduate courses for a period of up to five years.

All members of the Graduate Faculty can serve as members of comprehensive exam committees, exit project committees, and master's thesis committees. In general, only those members of the Graduate Faculty with a tenured or tenure-track position may chair master's thesis committees and serve on doctoral dissertation committees. With the approval of the Graduate Dean, non-regular Graduate Faculty who bring a particular expertise to a committee may also serve in these capacities.

Council unanimously approved the revision.

The second item relates to course equivalency hours. The programs in clinical psychology and nursing have requested either deletions or additions to the current equivalency hours.

The revised wording for section 3.4 deletes the four current Clinical Psychology equivalency hours, adds three new clinical psychology equivalency options and adds one new Nursing equivalency option. The revised section is as follows:

3.4 Course Loads

Full-time enrollment is defined as nine credit hours during a semester and five credit hours during the summer. In calculating credit hours for full-time enrollment, students may include the following semester hour equivalents:

3 equivalency hours for holding a 0.5 FTE Graduate Teaching Assistantship or Graduate Research Assistantship; up to 2 equivalency hours for appointments between 0.25 and 0.49 FTE.

3 equivalency hours in the semester the student is preparing for comprehensive examinations (this semester hour equivalency is allowed for a maximum of two semesters)

8 equivalency hours after achieving candidacy (this semester hour equivalency is allowed for a maximum of eight semesters)

Equivalency hours upon enrollment in Clinical Supervision, PSY 431 (maximum of 3 credit hours, available 4 semesters and 2 summer terms)

Equivalency credit hours upon enrollment in Clinical Internship, PSY 450 (maximum of 5 credit hours for one summer session)

Equivalency credit hours upon enrollment in Clinical Internship, PSY 451 (maximum of 8 credit hours for two terms)

Equivalency hours upon enrollment in Advanced Practice Nursing

Students wishing to obtain equivalency hours need to complete the Graduate Equivalency Credit form.

Council unanimously approved the revision.
 

The third item of business relates to Section 9 of the rules and regulations regarding doctoral degrees. These suggested changes were recommended by last year=s Rules and Regulations committee but were approved by Council after the Spring meeting of the Graduate Faculty. The changes are mostly housekeeping and cleaning up the section so that it flows in a logical format. Only those sections with changes are listed below.
 

Section 9. Doctoral Degrees

9.1. Credit Requirements

A minimum of 60 semester hours carrying graduate credit is required for every doctoral degree program. Units* may require a greater number of hours for their programs.

[*Unit is operationally defined as the appropriate governing body (e.g., department, school, division or area).]
 

9.4. Time Limitation

The maximum amount of time allowed for completion of a doctoral degree will be eight years after the first course enrollment.

Work completed as a post-master's-degree student, prior to admission to a doctoral program, may be counted toward a doctoral degree, up to a maximum of 12 hours. Inclusion of such course work is subject to unit approval and must have been completed within eight years of the time the doctoral degree is awarded. Exceptions to this regulation must be justified on academically defensible grounds and must be approved by the Graduate Dean prior to filing the program.

When doctoral students have earned a master's degree at UM-St. Louis or at another institution, appropriate credits may be applied toward meeting the requirement for the doctoral degree, subject to unit approval. Such credits must constitute less than half of the total credits required for the doctorate. For example, for a doctoral degree requiring 90 hours of work beyond the bachelor's degree, no more than 44 credits from a master's degree may apply to the doctoral degree. Credit for courses taken for a master's degree is exempt from the eight-year time limitation.
 

9.5. Residence Requirement

The majority of credits used to satisfy requirements for a doctoral degree must be completed in residence at UM-St. Louis. For example, for a doctoral degree requiring 90 hours of work beyond the bachelor's degree, at least 46 hours must be completed at UM-St. Louis. These 46 hours may include credit hours taken for the dissertation. Special courses such as graduate institutes and workshops, as well as courses taken through Continuing Education-Extension, may be included as part of the residence requirement.

Students who enter the Ed.D. or Ph.D. in Education degree programs with an Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree from an accredited university, or with an Advanced Certificate approved by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, can satisfy the residence requirement by completing one-third of the required credits at UM-St. Louis.

At some point in their course work, doctoral students must successfully complete a minimum of 15 hours over two consecutive terms ("term" meaning a regular semester or a summer session). The 15 hours may not all be taken in one term.
 

9.6. Enrollment

Full-time status is defined in Section 3.4. Units may require higher enrollments than this.

After students achieve candidacy and complete the residence requirement, they must remain enrolled during fall and winter semesters until the degree is completed. Failure to register in any regular semester will result in termination from the Graduate School. If students so terminated decide to reapply and if they are readmitted, they will be subject to all regulations in effect at the time of readmission and will be required to enroll for at least one credit hour in each semester since their last enrollment.

When doctoral students are enrolled for research credit, the credit amount may vary, but the student must register for all work required, and the credit total may exceed the minimum requirements.

9.7. Comprehensive Examinations

Each unit will determine the number of times a comprehensive examination may be taken by a student. The unit must file with the Graduate School a statement specifying (a) the number of times the unit will allow its students to take a comprehensive examination, and (b) the maximum and/or minimum period of time the unit will allow between the first and final attempt to pass the comprehensive examination.

The Comprehensive Examination Committee will consist of no fewer than three members of the UM-St. Louis graduate faculty appointed by the Graduate Dean upon recommendation of the unit. The committee is proposed by the unit using the Appointment of Comprehensive Examination Committee form.

An oral examination may not substitute for the standard written portion.

9.8 Doctoral Dissertation Advisor

As early as possible in a doctoral student's program, the unit will recommend, in consultation with the student, a doctoral dissertation advisor. The doctoral dissertation advisor must be a member of the Doctoral Faculty. This recommendation will be forwarded to the Graduate School using the Appointment of Doctoral Dissertation Advisor form. Appointment of a doctoral dissertation advisor must be made no later than the time of filing the Application for Candidacy form. The Graduate Program Director or another faculty member who holds Graduate Faculty status should serve as the graduate program advisor prior to the appointment of a Doctoral Dissertation Advisor.

9.9. Application for Candidacy

An Application for Candidacy should be filed immediately after the student has passed all comprehensive and language examinations, written or oral, as required by the department unit and completed all course work.

9.10. Dissertation Committee

The Dissertation Committee will consist of no fewer than four members of the UM-St. Louis graduate faculty appointed by the Graduate Dean upon the recommendation of the unit, except that units may replace, with the Graduate Dean=s permission, one of the members of the graduate faculty by a recognized scholar or professional. One member of the committee must be a member of the UM-St. Louis graduate faculty from outside the unit. This individual cannot be considered the outside member if he or she holds a joint appointment in the unit. The committee is proposed by the unit using the Appointment of Dissertation Committee form. Changes in its composition must be approved by the Graduate Dean using the same form.

B. Defense of Dissertation (moved to 9.11.3.)

9.11. Doctoral Dissertation

9.11.1. Dissertation Proposal

A Doctoral Dissertation Proposal should be filed before the student conducts any substantial research. Prior to this filing, the dissertation committee will meet with the student for an oral defense of the proposal. The dissertation proposal must be accepted by the Graduate Dean 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.

It is understood that the dissertation research may evolve in directions quite different from the Dissertation Proposal, and the proposal is not intended to restrict the normal development of a research project. The Dissertation Proposal is in no way a contract between the University and the student. Depending on the outcome of the research, the dissertation may require substantially more work than anticipated at the stage of the Dissertation Proposal. The termination of a line of research and the adoption of a substantially new dissertation project will require the preparation, oral defense, and acceptance by the Graduate Dean of a new dissertation proposal.

9.11.2. Preliminary Dissertation Approval

One copy of the dissertation, certified as complete and provisionally acceptable to the committee, will be submitted to the Graduate Dean at least six weeks prior to commencement. A Preliminary Approval of Dissertation and Preliminary Application for Doctoral Degree form, an Appointment of Defense of Dissertation Committee form, an Oral Defense form, and a camera-ready copy (or pc text file) of the oral defense announcement with the dissertation abstract should be submitted with the copy of the dissertation. The Dean of the Graduate School may seek advice, and make suggestions to the committee about dissertation content and style. If all procedures have been followed and the dissertation has been approved by the Dissertation Committee, the Graduate Dean will sign the Preliminary Approval of Dissertation and Preliminary Application for Doctoral Degree form.

9.11.3. Defense of Dissertation

The Graduate Dean appoints the Defense of Dissertation Committee, in accordance with the recommendation of the unit and using the Appointment of Defense of Dissertation Committee form. The Graduate Dean may appoint one additional qualified voting member to the Defense of Dissertation Committee. This individual should be a member of the Graduate Faculty within the University of Missouri System.

When the Defense of Dissertation Committee deliberates on the oral defense of the dissertation, two negative votes are sufficient for failure, even if outnumbered by positive votes. An abstention will be considered a negative vote. A student failing an oral defense should be provided with an opportunity for one additional defense. The timing and format of the subsequent defense will be determined by the Defense of Dissertation Committee and the second defense will take place before the same committee.

Final examinations are open to the public.

The decision of the Defense of Dissertation Committee is final. The report of the final examination is due in the Graduate School office not later than 2 days after the examination.

9.11.4. Dissertation Abstracts

Three different abstracts are required. UMI requires an abstract of a maximum of 350 words. The abstract forming the second page of the dissertation should be no more than 600 words. The abstract submitted for the dissertation defense announcement is limited by the requirement that it must fit the half page as illustrated on the form, Sample Oral Defense Announcement, and cannot be smaller than 12 point.

9.11.5. Dissertation Format

Original copies of the dissertation must be typed on good quality paper, and they must be legible and neat in order to be accepted by the Graduate School. Only high quality copies are acceptable. Dot-matrix printers produce unacceptable copies. Any conventional type may be used.

The following margins are to be employed: left margin, 11/2 inches; top, bottom, and right margins, 1 inch.

In matters of style and documentation, the custom of the discipline should be followed.

Prior to preparation of the final draft of the dissertation, the prudent student will meet with the library representative, who can give preliminary approval to the dissertation format.

9.11.6. Official Copies of Dissertation

The chairperson of the dissertation committee is responsible for verifying that all the changes suggested by the Graduate Dean and the dissertation committee have been incorporated in the final draft of the dissertation or have been discussed further with the Graduate Dean or the committee. This certification is made by signing the Final Approval of Doctoral Dissertation form.

The student is then responsible for taking this form along with three deposit copies of the dissertation to the Thomas Jefferson Library. The library representative will verify dissertation format, the receipt of three copies, and the receipt of the abstract for UMI. The library representative will also sign the Final Approval of Doctoral Dissertation form. The student will then file this form with the Graduate School.

The library will charge the student for microfilming one copy by UMI and for filing for copyright registration of the dissertation. The microfilming is a requirement of the Graduate School; the filing for copyright registration is an option of the student. Information from the Thomas Jefferson Library on processing of dissertations is found in Appendix 2.

Graduate Faculty unanimously approved the changes.
 

V. Dean=s Report

The Fall 2001 enrollment is 2460, compared with the Fall 2000 enrollment of 2,333, for an increase of 5.4%. The enrollment grew by 4% in Arts and Sciences, 15.4% in Business, and 5% in Education. Nursing and and Physiological Optics each had one less student this Fall.

We anticipate that 239 master=s degree students and 28 doctoral degree students will graduate this January, compared to 173 master=s degree students and 18 doctoral students last January.

Graduate Council approved 20 new members to the Graduate Faculty; approved 18 course additions, deletions and changes; recommended approval of a new MS in Biochemistry and Biotechnology and a new Graduate Certificate in Trauma Studies; and recommended dropping the Graduate Certificate in Gerontological Social Work. Last year the Graduate Council approved a new graduate certificate in Forensic Economics and a Master of Health Sciences degree.

The Dean had previously discussed with the Graduate School Advisory committee, Graduate Council, the Graduate Program Directors and the Graduate Chairs the problem of the funding shortfall for full tuition remission. Since tuition remission was increased from 75% to 100% in the previous year without any new mission enhancement money, there was a shortfall of about $125,000. (This was due to the fact that the credit hours covered by the program had increased by 17% and the dollar cost of tuition remission had increased by 20% over the previous Fall.) The Dean then discussed remedies for the shortfall that include the following:

The Office of Financial Aid has agreed to reimburse eligible GTAs and GRAs through the Work Study program. The commitment is for $300,000 per year for the next two years. The amounts reimbursed by the Work-Study program will then be transferred to the Graduate School to be used for tuition coverage.

Plans are underway to gradually move GRAs tuition costs onto faculty research grants. It is expected that this option will take about 3 years to be fully implemented. The only exceptions are GRAs funded on Research Board grants. Tuition is not an allowable expense on these grants; therefore the Graduate School will continue to cover the tuition of these RAs.

With these options in place, it is anticipated that we will meet our obligations and eventually have monies available to fund dissertation fellowships, Graduate School Fellowships, Summer Research Fellowships, and travel fellowships.

Dr. Arshadi agreed that international students would not be eligible to apply for work-study money, but departments and students are encouraged to talk to the ORA grant writer (Jane Cocalis, phone: 6336; e-mail: cocalis@umsl.edu) about obtaining external funding for these students.

There being no other business, the meeting adjourned at 3:40 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Gwen Turner
Graduate Faculty Secretary
 
 
 

GT:meh