MINUTES
Graduate School Administrative Board Meeting
Monday, October 6, 2008
3:30PM
1511 Greenville Centre
MEMBERS PRESENT: Susan Beck-Frazier, Sharon Bland, Scott Dellana, Stan Eakins, Rick Ericson, Hamid Fonooni, Linner Griffin, Jim Holte, Monica Hough, George Kasperek, Vivian Mott, Belinda Patterson, Hattie Peele, Pat Pellicane, Marie Pokorny, Heather Ries, Art Rouse, and Terry West.
MEMBERS ABSENT: Ron Newton, Brenda Eastman, and Marianna Walker.
AGENDA
Call to Order and Approval of September 22, 2008, GSAB Meeting Minutes
The October 6, 2008, meeting of the Graduate School Administrative Board (GSAB) was called to order by Patrick Pellicane, dean of graduate studies. The minutes of the September 22, 2008, GSAB meeting were approved as amended to include the presence of Linner Griffin, who was listed as absent.
Graduate Curriculum Committee (GCC) Minutes of September 17, 2008
Scott Dellana presented the minutes of the GCC September 17, 2008, meeting during which new courses and degree requirements for the master of science in sustainable tourism were approved. The minutes were approved as submitted.
Information Items
Pat Pellicane offered the following announcements:
a) Graduate School policy manuals are forthcoming.
b) In late October 2008 the Graduate School will undergo an external review and GSAB members may be asked to participate. At the present time Ron Newton and Belinda Patterson are working with Pat Pellicane to develop the appropriate documents for the review.
Belinda Patterson gave a residency update (agenda item 4.c.) and reported that at a system-wide meeting at GA last week, the residency classification procedures were highly debated due to inconsistencies among UNC institutions. Other issues discussed included the application deadline, avoiding mid-semester student status changes, ensuring that students have been residents at least twelve months before making a decision on residence, and safeguarding against coaching students on how to be considered residents. More meetings via conference calls are anticipated.
Pat Pellicane reported on the September General Administration visit to the ECU Graduate School
(agenda item 4.d.i.). One of the decisions derived from the visit is that the Graduate School will no longer process applications for teacher licensure students.
Discussion ensued regarding financial aid eligibility for various types of non-degree students (agenda item 4.d.ii). Pat Pellicane categorized the non-degree students as a) teacher licensure students, b) student who do not meet the requirements for admission to a specific program, and c) those enrolled in coursework for personal enrichment, with those in category b being the most problematic in terms of financial aid issues. Several points were clarified during the discussion, including the fact that an ECU program can prohibit non-degree students from enrolling in the unit’s graduate courses and that can be done by placing a particular code on the course in Banner. Pat also indicated that he is developing an admission form on which potential non-degree students can more closely identify their status by identifying prerequisite courses needed prior to admission to a degree program. He commented that these students then could be easily identified and advised (by the program advisor) as to what is needed for completion prior to application for financial aid.
Other announcements (agenda item 4.e.) included receipt of the productivity study from UNC-GA which requires a response by December 15, 2008 and the recognition that there will not be a formal UNC Graduate Deans Council meeting at GA this semester.
Jim Holte inquired about the possibility of unbanking a 5000-level course. George Kasperek responded that during his time on the GCC that had not been allowed. Scott Dellana, the current GCC chair, indicated that the committee would consider unbanking a 5000-level course if there was a compelling reason to do so. Issues around program requirements for undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in 5000-level courses were discussed as well as the administrative problems associated with reporting 5000-level course data to GA. Pat Pellicane indicated that he would speak with Claudia McCann, IPR, to discuss data reporting.
Admission Policy
A draft of the admission policy under consideration was distributed to the GSAB members along with a copy of a suggested rewrite from Terry West. The new policy outlines three tracks through which a potential student may apply for admission: Track 1) Regular Admission, Track II) Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s Program, and Track III) Professional Admission.
Heather Ries raised the question of who would decide the appropriate category for the student’s application. Pat Pellicane indicated that it is the unit’s call and that the Graduate School application and website would indicate that the student should contact the unit to discuss eligibility requirements for the three tracks.
Stan Eakins raised a concern about the number of years stipulated between undergraduate degree completion and application to the Graduate School through Track III. Professional Admission. There was some discussion around leaving the time period as five years on the Graduate School application criteria, but allowing each unit to determine a longer period of time if appropriate. Stan Eakins moved and Monica Hough seconded that the document be amended to extend the number of years for the Graduate School application criteria to ten years and that the text be revised by replacing five (5) years with ten (10) years in the first sentence under Professional Development (Track III). The amendment to the proposed document passed by a 5 to 4 vote.
Stan Eakins moved and Rick Ericson seconded the approval of the amended document to include the following edits:
1) The red-font text and strikethroughs in the copy distributed,
2) Page 1, Regular Admission (Track I), second paragraph, first sentence, change “recommend” to “recommended”.
3) Page 4, Professional Admission (Track III), first paragraph to include the edits suggested by Terry West and the amendment regarding number of years as approved earlier. The first paragraph would then read as follows:
It is common to find applicants to graduate degree and certificate programs whose baccalaureate degree is more than ten (10) years old and who have had professional and personal growth and development in the working world for at least ten (10) years. For these individuals, Track I entry requirements into the Graduate
School often do not reflect the potential of the applicants. In recognition of the unique attributes of applicants with significant professional experience, Track III admission is a viable admission alternative to some, but not all, graduate programs at ECU. Nevertheless, upon admission students are expected to fully participate in all dimensions of their program of study and meet all requirements for their degree, and to do so within a time frame consistent with that of Track I or Track II students, regardless of any professional obligations and responsibilities they may obtain outside of the university. In addition to the application and the $60 non-refundable application fee that must be submitted, the application packet must include: (continue text as distributed through 4.e.)
The motion was approved.
Graduate Faculty Criteria
Proposals for graduate faculty criteria from the Mathematics Department, the Anthropology Department and the College of Technology and Computer Science were reviewed and informally discussed as to strengths and weaknesses. Dr. Pellicane will revisit proposals with departments before presenting them to GSAB for vote. The proposal from the College of Technology and Computer Science will be voted on at next GSAB meeting.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:05 PM.
Respectfully submitted by
Sharon Bland for Ron Newton
