MINUTES
Graduate School Administrative Board Meeting
Monday, February 23, 2009
3:30 PM
1511 Greenville Centre
Present
Voting Members: Beck-Frazier, Susan; Decker, Jim; Dickers, Anne (representative for Monica Hough); Eakins, Stan; Holte, James; Gallagher, Margie; Gemperline, Paul; Kasperek, George; Pokorny, Marie; and West, Terry
Ex-officio Members: Dellana, Scott; Griffin, Linner; and Wilson, Ken
Regular Guests: Patterson, Belinda; and Ries, Heather
Absent
Voting members: Ericson, Richard; Fonooni, Hamid; Mott, Vivian; Rouse, Art; and Graduate Student Council representative
Ex-officio members absent: Cistola, David
Dean Gemperline introduced Dr. Diana Carlin, a Graduate School consultant from the University of Kansas. Dean Gemperline explained how Dr. Carlin will work with him to address issues within the Graduate School such as graduate enrollment strategies, best practices regarding graduate admissions, and assistantship policies with respect to graduate contracts. Dr. Carlin will also advise Dr. Gemperline on best practices at other Universities for the allocation of graduate assistantships and remissions. These issues will be discussed at the Dean’s Council this spring.
Dr. Carlin thanked the Graduate School Administrative Board or GSAB for the invitation to attend and for their assistance in the report that she helped prepare last fall.
Agenda Item I. Call meeting to order
Dean Gemperline called the meeting to order at 3:38 p.m.
Agenda Item II. Approval of February 9, 2009 minutes
February 9, 2009 GSAB minutes were approved as submitted.
Agenda Item III. Approval of February 11, 2009 minutes
February 11, 2009 GSAB minutes were approved as submitted.
Agenda Item III. Consideration of Childhood Development and Family Relations (CDFR) criteria for election to graduate faculty status
Dean Gemperline introduced Dr. Mark White, unit representative for CDFR, who was present to answer questions.
Dr. Margie Gallagher (College of Human Ecology) informed the GSAB that the criteria had not been reviewed by the Dean or Associate Dean of the College before being forwarded to the Graduate School and for consideration by the GSAB.
Dr. White was brought into the room and introduced to all GSAB members.
Dr. White explained that a faculty member hired with a terminal degree in a tenure track position would be appointed as an Associate Graduate Faculty member and after five years would have their status rereviewed. CDFR unit began the process for developing unit standards by reviewing documents prepared by the College of Arts and Sciences. The first proposed unit criteria for election to Graduate Faculty status was rejected due to a lack of objectivity. The new criteria have been revised to include more objectivity by expanding the point system in order to recognize the broad array of scholarly work done by faculty members.
Dr. White explained, under the proposed criteria, when a newly hired faculty member wishes to be considered for full Graduate Faculty membership, the unit would use the prior years the faculty member has been at ECU (up to five) to average points earned in order to see if the faculty member qualified for Graduate Faculty status. Dr. White explained that PhD dissertations were weighted higher than publications. A motion to approve the CDFR criteria was made and seconded. The criteria were approved by voice vote with no dissenting votes.
Agenda Item IV. Approval of GCC minutes February 4th, 2009
GCC minutes were approved as submitted.
GCC ‘Action Items’
Proposal of new course: PSYC 6423
Proposal of new courses: LEED 6832, LEED 6833, LEED 6834; Cross-listing of new courses: SPED 6832, SPED 6833, SPED 6844
Revision to existing course: PTHE 8302
Proposal of new course: BITE 6100
Agenda Item V. Graduate Admissions Update
Hold versus release applications with incomplete letters of recommendation, personal statements of other documents
Dr. Gemperline distributed a document the Admissions staff uses to determine the application items required by each degree program along with instructions: 1) Hold the application materials until all supplemental items (letters of recommendation, writing samples, etc) are received or 2) send applications as soon as mandatory items are received and send supplemental items piece-wise as they are received. The Graduate School staff report that individualized instructions to release applications by programs makes processing of applications difficult. Thus, the preference of the Graduate School staff is either to hold all applications until they are complete, including all supplemental materials, or send them as soon as mandatory materials are received including standardized test scores and official transcripts from all colleges attended. At a previous Graduate Assembly meeting, a majority of members indicated they preferred to receive application materials as soon as they come in, even though supplemental items such as letters of recommendations and writing samples may not have been received.
Graduate Enrollment Update
Dr. Gemperline distributed a document showing graduate enrollment by program from the office of the Registrar. Dr. Gemperline alerted the body to the noticeable decrease in graduate non-degree students which was offset by a cumulative increase in all other degree programs. Dr. Gemperline asked the Graduate Assembly to review this information and provide feedback on why these numbers are shifting.
Non-degree Admissions
Dr. Gemperline noted that non-degree graduate students may self-register in courses without receiving any form of advising. Dr. Gemperline suggested that program directors may restrict registration by non-degree students on a course by course basis by contacting the Registrar’s office and notifying the Graduate Curriculum Committee of an appropriate statement describing registration restrictions in the catalog description.
Accept/Reject Form
The Accept/Reject Form has been revised. The Graduate School no longer calculates senior year GPA. Instead, the Graduate School calculates undergraduate GPA (overall) and post baccalaureate GPA. The higher of the two GPAs is used in determining minimum admissions standard. The post baccalaureate GPA is only computed for students who have earned fifteen or more graduate credit hours.
Dr. Laura Prividera (Communication) is chairing a task force examining probation and termination standards. Dr. Bob Thompson (Political Science) is chairing a task force examining admissions standards. Both groups will examine the best practices of peer and sister institutions regarding probation and termination standards and admissions standards and report their recommendations to the Graduate Assembly.
Changes would be implemented for spring 2010 enrollment.
Other
Graduate Faculty Status
Dr. Ken Wilson (Faculty Senate) asked how individuals might be listed as having Graduate Faculty status in the Graduate Catalog but not recognized as having Graduate Faculty status by the Graduate School. Dr. Gemperline reported that record-keeping in the Graduate School has been faulty. For programs that do not have approved graduate faculty criteria, Dr. Gemperline is approving Graduate Faculty nominations on a provisional basis. Dr. Gemperline reported he is working with departments to help retrieve documentation of faculty members not listed as Graduate Faculty by the Graduate School. Once records are retrieved, the Graduate School will honor those records. In the future, the Graduate School will remind graduate directors in individual units to submit nominations for faculty they wish to have elected to graduate faculty status on an annual basis. Guidance for units struggling to develop criteria for the GSAB will be put on hold until feedback is provided by the Dean’s Council. Thus far, the Graduate School Administrative Board has approved criteria from eight units that utilize a check list or point system.
Graduate Faculty Responsibilities
Dr. Gemperline noted that in many universities graduate faculty are called upon by the Graduate School to serve as the Graduate School’s representative on a student’s thesis. GSAB guest, Dr. Carlin explained that many research universities follow this standard to ensure fairness to students.
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Beginning in the Spring of 2010, all theses and dissertations will be submitted in electronic format and available online.
Meeting adjourned at 5:25 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Amy E. Tripp
Recorder
