Executive Committee Meeting Minutes: March 3, 2000

Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, room 162
2:15 P.M.

  1. The meeting was called to order at 2:15 P.M. Vice Provost Robert Smith presided.
  2. It was moved, seconded, and passed without dissent on a voice vote to approve as distributed the minutes of the 2-4-2000 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 about the potential impact of the new AAUP contract on procedures presently in force which allow students engaged in summer student employment to register with Graduate School support for independent study courses needed to maintain required enrollment status. It was recommended that the matter be discussed with Human Relations to determine if an exemption would be possible in this specific instance.
  5. A recommendation from the Department of Kinesiology was considered and discussed. Recommended were changing the name of Field of Study Sport, Leisure, and Exercise Science to Kinesiology as well as changing the existing Areas of Concentration from Exercise Science, Leisure Science, and Sport Science to two new Areas to be called Biophysical Science and Social Science of Sport and Leisure.
    • It was moved (P. Faghri) and seconded (J. Marsden) to approve the requested changes of name in the Field of Study and Areas of Concentration as indicated above.
    • The motion was discussed (with C. Maresh present), and it was concluded that the Field of Study would retain the existing Area of Concentration Exercise Science rather than pursuing the request to change the name to Biophysical Science (which was thought to be too similar to the name of the existing Field of Study Biophysics). The existing Areas of Leisure Science and Sport Science are to combined to form a single Area to be called Social Science of Sport and Leisure.
    • Following to discussion, it was agreed to modify the motion to approve change the name of the Field of Study to Kinesiology and to approve the newly formed Area of Concentration of Social Science of Sport and Leisure (while retaining the existing Area of Exercise Science). The modified motion passed without dissent on a voice vote.
  6. A draft document titled Best Practices in Graduate Education, Part I received from the Best Practices Task Force was considered and discussed. J. Henkel, Chair of the Task Force, explained the various sections of the draft document. He also distributed an outline indicating the expected contents of the final document when completed.
    • The following points emerged from the discussion:
      • Satisfactory performance and progress in the student's degree program must be emphasized as an important criterion for the continuation or renewal of a graduate assistantship.
      • Clarification of and guidelines concerning graduate assistantship workloads (hours per week, teaching vs. research, etc.) are important to include. Point B.2 (p. 4) should reflect that a balance needs to be struck between work hours and load and compensation.
      • The relationship between full support and time and effort devoted to scholarship needs to be emphasized (i.e., full support should result in full-time effort).
      • The language describing the employer/employee relationship should be modified.
  7. There was discussion about appointing Gregory Anderson as the liaison between the Graduate Faculty Council and the University Senate. There was unanimous agreement to do so. R. Smith noted that the Senate Executive Committee concurs. A letter of appointment will be drafted and sent to Anderson.
  8. R. Smith called attention to three Council of Graduate School (CGS) scholarly awards: The Gustave O. Arlt Award in the Humanities in the field of religious studies, The CGS/UMI Dissertation Award in the field of mathematics, The CGS/UMI Dissertation Award in the field of social sciences. There was discussion about developing an in-house award program to recognize superior scholarship. R. Smith asked T. Peters to develop a proposal and present it at a future meeting.
  9. It was agreed to call a meeting of the Graduate Faculty Council for Wednesday, March 29, 2000. Agenda items are to include: the annual resolution to confer graduate degrees, a demontration by Environmental Health and Safety of a computer-based laboratory safety training program, and discussion of a revision of the Best Practices draft document (see #6 above).
  10. Adjournment was at 4:09 PM.

Present:

  • Epling, G.
  • Faghri, P.
  • Henkel, J. (Associate Vice Provost)
  • Herzberger, D.
  • Maresh, C.
  • Marsden, J.
  • Peters, T. (Assistant Dean)
  • Smith, R. (Vice Provost)
  • Strausbaugh, L.

Regrets:

  • Anderson, G.
  • Carmichael, G.
  • Maxwell, G.
  • Pagoulatos, E.

Respectfully submitted,

Thomas B. Peters
Secretary