Executive Committee Meeting Minutes: February 5, 1999

1. The meeting was called to order at 2:05 P.M. Vice Provost Robert Smith presided.
2. R. Smith noted that Gordon Carmichael has been appointed to a three-year term on the Executive Committee. He also noted that Pouran Faghri was elected to a three-year term and Emilio Pagoulatos was reelected to a three-year term at the January meeting of the Council.
3. It was moved, seconded, and passed without dissent on a voice vote to approve as distributed the minutes of the 12/4/98 meeting.
4. It was moved, seconded, and passed without dissent on a voice vote to approve as distributed the Plans of Study and Dissertation Proposals on the attached list.
5. There was discussion about the implementation of newly-approved course GRAD 300 - Academic Writing for International Graduate Students (3 credits, S/U grading, instructor - Catherine Jarvis). J. Henkel explained that the course had been approved just recently by a mailed ballot of the Executive Committee. It is being offered for the first time this semester (Spring 1999). The course cannot be included on a graduate Plan of Study as credits toward a degree.
6. There was discussion. D. Grasso called for the creation of a regularly-offered course in technical communication. It might be appropriate to hire an "adjunct" faculty member to teach such a course and for the course to be housed in the Institute for Teaching and Learning. J. Henkel will pursue the matter with Keith Barker.
7. Mentioned also was the issue discussed with Jarvis at the group's 11/6/98 meeting - unintentional plagiarism by international students caused by cultural differences and/or lack of facility in English. R. Smith suggested implementation of a course which deals with ethical issues in research and scholarship. G. Maxwell spoke about a program already in place at the Health Center. He agreed to share the syllabus. G. Anderson recommended that consideration be given to developing a non- credit seminar covering the many aspects of "professionalism" and suggested that the new Associate Dean for Graduate Academic Affairs might include this among his or her projects.
8. There was discussion about the determination of current Graduate Assistantship stipend rates and related matters. Baki Cetegen, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, had written to the Committee on 12/15/98 to express concern about some aspects of the process . Following discussion, it was agreed that no change in the process would be recommended.
9. There was discussion about thesis and dissertation research credits at the doctoral level in the biological fields of study. The matter has been raised by a faculty member. As a result of discussion and with the recommendation of G. Anderson and L. Strausbaugh, it was agreed that the listing of the Independent Study (395), Investigation of Special Topics (396), and Research (397) courses offered by each of the three biology Departments (EEB, MCB, and PNB) should be separate from the listing on newly-implemented Graduate School thesis and dissertation research courses. T. Peters agreed to make the change in the next Catalog.
10. There was discussion about the matters of enrollment and institutional-size projections for the future. Various institutional models and growth rates were discussed. G. Anderson recommended that the matter be brought before the Graduate Faculty Council to be discussed with Chancellor Emmert.
11. R. Smith distributed a draft document entitled Forging Partnerships: Advancing Research and Graduate Education Outreach at the University of Connecticut through the Fin de Millénaire.
12. Adjournment was at 3:58 P.M.

Present:

• Anderson, G.
• Faghri, P.
• Grasso, D.
• Henkel, J. (Associate Vice Provost)
• Marsde, J.
• Maxwell, G. (Associate Dean)
• Pagoulatos, E.
• Peters, T. (Program Director)
• Sacks, S.
• Smith, R. (Vice Provost)
• Strausbaugh, L.

Regrets:

• Carmichael, G.
• Epling, G.

Respectfully submitted,

Thomas B. Peters
Secretary