Graduate Council Meeting Minutes
September 8, 2010
GBB 202, 12:10-1:00 p.m.
Members Present: C. Anderson, A. Borgmann, K. Canty, D. Erickson, J. Hirstein, J.
Hodgin, N. Moisey, C. Palmer, G. Quintero
Members Absent/Excused: S. Sprang, J. Waltz
Ex-officio members Present: P. Brown, S. Ross
The meeting was called to order at 12:15 p.m.
The 5/5/10 minutes were amended and approved.
Communications

Members introduced themselves and new members were welcomed to the
committee.

Sandy Ross was congratulated on his new position as Associate Dean of the
Graduate School.

The Graduate Student Association (GSA) has nominated two graduate students to
serve on the Council. The GSA President forwarded the names to ASUM and
questioned whether this was the appropriate procedure. According to Associate
Provost Brown ASUM is the representative body for all students and endorses the
GSA nominations.

Department Chairs and Graduate Program Directors were informed of the
elimination of the G from 300 UG courses effective fall 2011. This will allow
programs to submit course change forms if they decide to move the courses to 400
UG or create co-convening courses. This item will be under the chairs report at
the upcoming Faculty Senate meeting as well.

Program review materials for Modern and Classical Language and Philosophy are
available on Blackboard for the Humanities Subcommittee to review. English is
also scheduled for review this year. The site visit is taking place this week. Other
programs scheduled for review are in the School of Business. Associate Provost
Brown will check with Associate Provost Walker Andrews regarding the time
line.

One of the recommendations from the accreditation review was to ensure
graduate student orientation. Each program indicates they will provide
orientation. Orientation information will also be on the Graduate School’s web
page (currently under construction). The Graduate School will communicate with
students as well and is available to help departments. A follow-up report is due
to Northwest Accreditation in the spring. Measures will be in place, but students
cannot be forced to utilize them.

Associate Provost Brown informed the council that four proposals for new
programs will be submitted this fall for review. These include:
o Material Science PhD with collaboration with Chemistry and Physics and
Tech (Butte) Chemistry and Engineering
o Systems Ecology PhD
o Middle School Mathematics MS
o Water Resources Masters of Professional Science –involves collaboration
from Forestry, Law, and Business

Members were reminded of:
o Meeting with the Presidential Finalist on Monday, September 13th from
1:45-2:45 PM in UC 330-331. There is an Open Forum at 3:30-5:00 in the
UC Theatre.
o Faculty Senate reception on Thursday, September 9th at 5:00 PM in the
Gallagher Piazza.
Business Items

The following Subcommittee Chairs were identified:
Humanities: Chris Anderson
Sciences: Chris Palmer
Schools: David Erickson
Social Sciences; Gilbert Quintero

Neil Moisey agreed to serve as short-term chair of the IIP Oversight Committee in
order to facilitate review of the revised procedures. Efforts to revise the
admissions procedures took place last year. The draft document has been
reviewed by Associate Provost Brown and now requires review by the IIP
Oversight Committee.

The Executive Committee of the Senate is currently revising the Faculty Senate
Articles and Bylaws. The revision is intended to update the language for accuracy
and remove procedures from the governing documents. A procedures manual will
be created as a result. Thus, Graduate Council should review its charge as well as
all its policies /procedures. Current procedures were put into a standard format
and require review. Graduate Council will need to determine whether the format
is appropriate (titles, number, reference, approval required, language) and whether
the content is accurate.
The bylaws require standing committees to adopt operating procedures and
guidelines, which will be incorporated into the Faculty Senate Procedures
Manual. Committees shall review their operating procedures annually and provide
changes to the Senate Office by November 15 each year. The committee Chair
must notify the Senate at the next meeting of any changes to procedures made
after that date. Senate must approve committee procedures that require the Senate
to vote.

Last year Associate Provost Brown drafted graduate certificate procedures. These
will need to be reviewed and approved by the Council.

The flat spot change request has not yet gone to the Board of Regents. The
Council’s concerns regarding the inclusion of graduate students in the request
went to the Faculty Senate last May. At which time the President indicated the
proposal is designed to increase part-time students’ share of the cost. Subsequent
to that meeting the Office of Planning Budgeting and Analysis conducted another
review that apparently persuaded the President not to include graduate students in
the request. In the State of the University Address the president indicated the
move of the flat spot from 12 to 9 credits is for baccalaureate –seeking students.
Regarding graduate students he indicated that we would seek a change in policy
that would count full-time doctoral students as 9 credits (rather than 12). In
effect, this would give us more credit for doctoral students than we now get when
student FTE is calculated (we would divide SCH by 9 instead of 12).

The Council will need to develop guidelines for co-convening courses quickly as
there will likely to proposals for new co-convening courses this fall.
Professors Hodgins, Moisey, and Palmer agreed to serve. Professor Anderson
will find a volunteer from MCLL. Professors Heron and Winkler who previously
worked on the matter will be asked to serve as well. This committee will develop
the assessment procedure for co-convening and UG systems as well.

The MIS oversight committee submitted a report that included recommendations
to Associate Provost Brown last spring. The Council should review this
document in coordination with the IIP procedures.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:00.