Executive Committee Meeting Minutes: April 8, 2003

Whetten Graduate Center - Giolas Conference Room
2:00 P.M.

1. The meeting was called to order at 2:05 P.M. Vice Provost Janet L. Greger presided.
   
   
2. It was moved, seconded, and passed without dissent on a voice vote to approve as distributed the minutes of the 3-14-2003 meeting.
   
   
3. It was moved, seconded, and passed without dissent on a voice vote to approve the list of Plans of Study and Dissertation Proposals.
   
   
4. There was discussion concerning incidents of confirmed academic misconduct by members of the Graduate Faculty. As a result of the discussion, it was moved, seconded, and passed to adopt this policy statement:

   The following policy is motivated by our profound concern for the academic welfare of our graduate students. In cases of confirmed scientific or academic misconduct on the part of a member of the Graduate Faculty, the Dean of the Graduate School, with the advice of the Executive Committee of the Graduate Faculty Council, must review the circumstances and prepare an appropriate response. That response may include, among other things, the requirement of a Co-Major Advisor on the advisory committee of any student for whom the faculty member serves as Major Advisor or removal from Graduate Faculty status (at least for the period of any grant suspension that is imposed).

   A specific case involving confirmed scientific misconduct by a member of the Graduate Faculty was discussed. It was noted that the faculty member currently serves as Major Advisor to a doctoral student, and it was agreed that a Co-Major Advisor will be appointed to the student's committee.

5. There was discussion about the continuing work of the Admissions and Records, Program Review, and the Graduate School Student Services Task Forces.

   Concerning Admissions and Records, there was discussion about doctoral foreign language and related area requirements. It was agreed that individual Fields of Study should be able to determine whether or not one or both would be required. This would become an element of the program review template that would be approved by the Executive Committee. There was discussion concerning the specifications for preparation of dissertations and theses. Members agreed that ProQuest's minimum requirements for dissertation submission be used. There also was discussion about whether or not master's theses should be filed in Babbidge Library. G. Anderson recommended that they be filed in the Library since academic departments may change over time. And, there was discussion about on-line vs. hard copy submission and processing of applications for admission.

   Five-year cycles appear to be optimal for program reviews. Concerning placement of graduates and later follow-up on their careers, it was noted that information concerning new or continuing employment and contact information needs to be gathered at the time of degree completion. Several key student services were discussed including among others: career services, orientation programs, student housing, and a means of addressing student grievances.
   

6. J. Greger introduced Veronica Makowsky and Debra Kendall who are members of a sub-committee of the Chancellor's Academic Plan Task Force. They asked members for their thoughts about benchmarks for assessing graduate student excellence. A variety of points were raised during the discussion, including: need to follow-up on alumni jobs and career ladders, time to degree, stability of graduate student support, importance of support for students to attend conferences, need for recruitment programs, diversity concerns, survival skills, career services concerns, and the like.
   
   
7. A proposal from the Department of Psychology to implement a Graduate Certificate Program in Quantitative Research Methods in Psychology was considered and discussed. It was moved, seconded, and passed without dissent on a voice vote to approve the proposal.
   
   
8. A proposal from the School of Business to change the name of the Area of Concentration currently called Interactive Marketing to Marketing Intelligence and Interactivity was considered and discussed. It was moved, seconded, and passed without dissent on a voice vote to approve the proposal.
   
   

9. It was agreed that a meeting of the Graduate Faculty Council would not be called for April 30, 2003, but that a special meeting of the Executive Committee would be held that day at 3:00 PM.

10. It was agreed to add the membership of the GFC Executive Committee to the distribution list for Helpline meeting notices.

11. Adjournment was at 4:20 PM.
    

Present:

• Anderson, G.
• Clifford, J.G.
• Cournoyer, D.
• Greger, J. (Vice Provost)
• Henkel, J. (Associate Vice Provost)
• Marsden, J.
• Maxwell, G. (Associate Dean)
• Pagoulatos, E.
• Peters, T.(Assistant Dean)
  
  

Regrets:

• Baldwin, A.
• Herzberger, D.
• Smith, E.
• Strausbaugh, L.

Respectfully submitted,

Thomas B. Peters
Secretary