[VPAAEtal] Graduate Council Minutes

[Academic Affairs]

GRADUATE COUNCIL MINUTES

September 8, 2009

 

The Graduate Council met Tuesday, September 8, 2009, in the Rayburn
Student Center Pride Conference Room (#231) at 3:00 p.m. with Dean Allan
Headley presiding.  Present were: Dr. Ben Cranor, Dr. Donna Dunbar-Odom,
Dr. John Hanners, Dr. John Humphreys, Dr. Ben Jang, Dr. Sharon Kowalsky,
Dr. Joyce Miller, Dr. Linda Openshaw, Dr. Steven Shwiff, Dr. Jon Travis,
and Dr. Janet Walker.  Dr. Ken Alford and Dr. Jeff Kopachena were
absent.  Dr. Mary Beth Sampson, Vice Chair, was also in attendance.

 

Graduate School Staff was introduced to the Council by Dr. Headley.

 

Provost Larry Lemanski addressed the Council on important topics
pertaining to graduate education and research.  It was emphasized that
it was important for the University to elevate research funding.  Dr.
Lemanski discussed the development of Interdisciplinary programs and
that we should consider the possibility of involving other universities.
He also touched on the topic of recruiting and retaining outstanding
faculty members.  Stating that outstanding faculty will lead to the
recruitment of outstanding students, and that faculty need the
opportunity to succeed and to compete for grant funding.  This means
that heavy faculty course loads must be addressed.  The question was
raised regarding how to increase grant funding.  Suggestions were made
to bring in seminar speakers and outside consulting groups to review
grants before they are submitted.  He also hoped to reach the goal of 20
to 25 million within the next 5 years.

 

Dr. Headley briefly discussed the role and responsibility of the
Graduate Council and welcomed new members.

 

Dr. Sampson discussed the reporting of the 18 Characteristics of Texas
Public Doctoral Programs.  These will be available on the web by
December 1st.  She also mentioned the new form required by the Graduate
School for Adviser Approval to submit a proposal, thesis or dissertation
for Graduate School review.

 

Action Items

            The minutes from the last Graduate Council, April 28, 2009,
were approved.

 

Amended Research Tools Procedure: The Graduate Council unanimously
approved a proposed change to the research tools procedure
11.04.99.R0.22 Doctoral Research Tools.  When the proposal for changes
to the doctoral research tools was submitted to the Council in April
2009, one course was inadvertently left off the proposal.  EDAD 698, a
basic qualitative research class (similar to HIED 696), which is already
in the catalog as an approved research tool, needed to be added to the
list of doctoral research tools. 

 

Committee Reports

 

Committee on Curriculum

Dr. Hanners introduced his committee and discussed the role of the
Curriculum Committee.  He stated that 196 curriculum changes were
approved during the last cycle.  

 

He announced that a 2009-10 curriculum change--a request to change the
title for HHPK 593 Advanced Biomechanics to Biomechanics, was approved
by the Graduate Dean after the April 28, 2009, Council Meeting.

 

Committee on Administration

Dr. Travis introduced his committee and discussed the role of the
Administration Committee.

 

Committee on Faculty, Research and Instruction

Dr. Openshaw introduced her committee and discussed the role of the
Faculty, Research and Instruction Committee.  

 

Application Deadline:  Applications for associate and senior membership
are due September 25, 2009.  Applications will be on a secure website
for Committee review.

 

Discussion Items

Dr. Travis briefly discussed Dissertation Workload and Dissertation
release time credits.  What compensation should faculty receive for
advising doctoral students?  Many faculty feel that time is more useful
than money.  It was suggested that the proposal sent to Deans Council
last year be revisited as well as the topic in general.

 

Information Items

            Graduate Council Student Elections 

*         Deadline for nominations from department heads- Monday,
September 14th

*         Election- Monday, September 21 - Sunday, September 27

Graduate Assistantship Remissions - a new program whereby a limited
number of GAs receive remission for up to 6 hours of tuition

Thesis/Dissertation Summer Fellowships - 9 doctoral and 7 master's

Keith & Nancy McFarland Scholarship

            Scott Hyde (MBA/Finance)

            Katherine Ashby (Training and Development)

H.M. Lafferty Doctoral Scholarship

            Sergio Pizziconi (English)

            Fernando Fuentes (Counseling)

            Sandra Liu (English)

Pathways Research Symposium (November 13 & 14, 2009, at A&M
International)

Update on Graduate Program Reviews

Enrollment Report

 

ADJOURNMENT

The Council adjourned at 4:17

 

Amy Sims for 

Louise Skinner, Secretary to the Graduate Council

 

 

 

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