COLLEGE OF GRADUATE STUDIES
GRADUATE FACULTY ANNUAL MEETING
April 25, 2013
Present: Professors Sailen Barik, Aaron Severson, Girish Shukla, Crystal Weyman, Anton
Komar, Aimin Zhou, Monica Gordon Pershey, Nolan Holland, Maureen Mitchell, Nicholas
Zingale, Joan Thoman, Diane Steinberg, Yan Xu, Kathleen McNamara, Elliott Ingersoll,
Dilani Perera-Diltz, Kate Monaghan, Graham Stead, Catherine Hansman, Jackie Vitali,
Joshua Bagaka’s, Jane Keehan, Ann Reinthal, Don Allensworth-Davies, Victor Liva, Justin
Perry, Glenn Goodman, Joel Lieske, Nigamanth Sridhar, Karen O’Loughlin, Mary
McDonald, Donna Schultheiss; Graduate College Staff Kathleen Cuthrell, Dianne Oloff,
Christine Sell, Maribeth Kralik
Dr. Zhu called the meeting to order at 12:05 p.m.
1. Copies of the Agenda were available on each table. Dr. Jianping Zhu welcomed all
attending and thanked them for coming at this busy time. The meeting is to provide
an update of changes in the Graduate College. He introduced the Graduate College
staff, mentioned their major duties, thanked them for their contributions and
encouraged faculty to contact any one of them for information.
2. While introducing Associate Dean Schultheiss, Dr. Zhu gave a brief overview of the
recruitment initiative & software program she is working on, explaining how it will
help with recruiting and tracking students for enrollment.
3. Dr. Zhu adjusted the Agenda in order to discuss the graduate faculty status item as
number 3, to accommodate those that need to leave early. The first two Agenda
items were requested by Dr. Joel Lieske.
4. Graduate Faculty Teaching Load—Dr. Lieske feels the University is moving to a tiered
system of graduate faculty, faculty, instructors, and part-time faculty. In discussions
with other universities’ faculty, Dr. Lieske has been told their teaching load is two 3credit courses, which he feels CSU is also moving toward. He would like to propose a
teaching load of no more than a 2-2 (3 credit courses) per semester for graduate
faculty members who are actively engaged in and value research.
 Dr. Zhu commented that with the revised graduate faculty guidelines, it
would not be appropriate for all three, new Levels of status to have a 2-2
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teaching load. He agrees the teaching loads should be differentiated but
discussion is still needed.
 Faculty discussion included: teaching load is determined by the Collective
Bargaining Agreement, many College graduate faculty guidelines have higher
standards than the Graduate College minimums, some faculty felt their
College had already established the 2-3 teaching load
5. Dr. Lieske’s second item concerned part-time faculty versus trained graduate
assistants for lower level undergraduate courses. The graduate students are
involved in current research with faculty and can initiate enthusiasm and
commitment to Cleveland State with students. Dr. Lieske proposes graduate
students instead of part-timers or lecturers.
 Dr. Zhu has experienced competent graduate students teaching lower level
courses in mathematics. He is not sure how this would translate for other
disciplines. However there may be accreditation requirements not allowing
those to teach without certain credentials.
 A Science faculty member stated that graduate assistants are teaching in the
science courses and labs.
 Dr. Lieske stated that in Ohio, one needs to have a degree one level higher
than the group one is teaching.
 Discussion items: Graduate students are more costly than adjuncts. This
could result in more competition for assistantship funds. Teaching would
provide professional development for graduate students.
6. By-Laws vote
 During the spring semester, graduate faculty voted for changes and revisions
to the Graduate Faculty By-Laws. From a total of 99 votes, 72 approved the
changes. A two-thirds majority is required for approval, which was reached.
The changes are moving through the University approval process, ending
with the Board of Trustees.
 The changes included grammatical corrections, removing the Research
Council section, with the major change occurring in graduate faculty
membership and duties. A summary page of the By-Laws’ revisions was
distributed and Dr. Zhu explained each point.
 The College of Graduate Studies has a minimum set of guidelines and each
College’s guidelines will need to be revised according to the new Levels.
 Accommodations will need to be established for the faculty with current
status that will be grandfathered in and will keep their status until the end of
their term. Current graduate faculty are either termed “regular” or “special.”
A suggestion was made to change the name to “G” for grandfathered. Newly
granted status under the changed guidelines will be Level I, Level II, and Level
III. Guidelines will be reviewed in five years.
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7. University Web Site
 Tina Sell gave a brief overview of the upcoming changes to the University
web site.
i. The web site is moving away from html language and moving to a
content management based software.
ii. Individual departments will be responsible for their own web sites,
content and uploading.
iii. Graduate students will no longer be given access or be allowed to
work on the web pages.
iv. Proposed time line is completion by December 2013; however
individual departments need to be completed at least one month
prior to allow IS & T time to upload.
v. If a web page is inaccurate, IS & T will not upload it. Please check and
verify your department information.
8. Thesis/dissertation procedures
 The College of Graduate Studies has decided to digitize the submission of
theses and dissertations. Graduate Council discussed the practices at other
universities and endorsed the move to electronic copies.
 Individual departments and/or students are still free to acquire paper,
bonded copies for their use.
 Dianne Oloff stated that our guidelines will be revised for students and
faculty to accommodate the electronic submission to Ohio Link.
9. Cross-listed courses across two levels
 Dean Zhu recently sent out a memo to all Colleges stating that future
submissions for new courses cross listed across two levels
(undergraduate/graduate) will not be approved without strong justification.
 Graduate Council discussed the issue and strongly feels that cross listing
across two levels compromises the quality of graduate programs.
 Discussion items included departmental practices for cross-listing, how the 4to-3 conversion may affect cross-listing, and undergraduate vs. graduate
instruction/meeting time.
10. Dr. Zhu thanked everyone for coming and adjourned the meeting at 1:30 p.m.
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