Minutes of the Graduate Council
September 2, 2008
As approved by the Graduate Council, October 7, 2008
Members present: K. Adhikari, S. Bossmann, S. Brown, R. Collins, K. Dillard, M. Donnelly, T. Easton, J. Fliter,
K. Getty, S. Garimella, D. Goodin, C. Griffin, D. Gruenbacher, L. Hoag, M. Hossain, M. Kaff, J. Keller, Z. Lin,
M. Linville (also served as proxy for J. Katz), M. O’Shea (proxy for B. DePaola), J. Reese, B. Rowland, R.
Schaeffer, B. Schultz, G. Shroyer, J. Steichen, K. Taylor, F. White, M. Zolkiewski
Members absent: F. Burrack, J. Faubion, S. Haar, V. Krstic
Graduate School staff present: S. Fox, J. Guikema, S. Schlender, C. Shanklin
1) Opening remarks
Carol Shanklin announced that university administrators have indicated the national search for a permanent
Graduate School Dean will be initiated during the 2008-2009 academic year.
2) Minutes of the May 6, 2008 meeting were approved as presented.
3) Graduate School Actions and Announcements
The following appointments for graduate faculty membership were approved by the Dean of the Graduate
School:
Appointments for Graduate Faculty Membership
Date approved
Name
Position
Department/Program
by Graduate School
Kevin Roberts
Assistant Professor
Hospitality Mangt. & Dietetics
07/09/08
Lotta Larson
Assistant Professor
Elementary Education
08/25/08
Laurie Curtis
Assistant Professor
Elementary Education
08/25/08
Shannon Washburn Associate Professor
Communications
08/26/08
Brandonn Harris
Assistant Professor
Special Education, Counseling
08/27/08
and Student Affairs
4) Graduate Council Academic Affairs Committee
- Report of Graduate Faculty Membership Categories Task Force
Frank White presented a brief overview of the graduate faculty membership categories task force report. The
task force presented a recommendation for a new category of the Graduate Faculty, Graduate Faculty Associate
(GFA). A GFA is a professional faculty member who, while lacking the appropriate terminal degree, possesses
specialized training, experience or certification required for specific teaching or committee service that is not
found among the regularly appointed faculty. The task force is proposing the GFA member would be permitted
to limited graduate faculty membership for teaching and advising activities in graduate degree programs of the
University. The task force invited feedback from other Council members via email to Shannon Fox at
gradinfo@ksu.edu. Feedback should be received no later than Friday, September 12, 2008. The GFA
recommendation will be presented for approval at the September Academic Affairs Committee meeting and if
approved, will be presented for final approval at the October 7, 2008 Graduate Council meeting.
- Course and Curriculum Process
Shannon Fox presented a brief update of the revised course and curriculum procedure. The Course and
Curriculum Approval Manual and iSIS course and curriculum forms can be found on the Registrar’s Website at:
http://www.k-state.edu/registrar/ccap/ .
5) Student Affairs Committee
Carol Shanklin reminded Council members that the revised ETDR ballot was implemented summer 2008. The
revised ballot incorporated signature lines for the student’s examining committee indicating they have read and
approved the final document (thesis, report or dissertation).
6) Committee on Planning
No report.
7) Committee on Assessment and Review
Carol Shanklin presented an update of the Board of Regents review. Final Board of Regents and mid-cycle
reports are currently being submitted to the Graduate School. The committee will begin reviewing the reports in
their September meeting and provide feedback to programs.
8) Graduate Student Council Information
Shiva Garimella presented the following update of the Graduate Student Council’s (GSC) activities.
- Graduate Student Council Meeting
The Graduate Student Council is scheduled to meet September 8, 2008 at 12:00 pm in Waters Hall 137.
- Travel Grant
The deadline to submit travel grants for the November 1, 2008 – February 28, 2009 travel period is September
15, 2008. Travel grants may be submitted online at: http://www.k-state.edu/grad/gspeopleorg/gsc/tginst.htm.
- Friends of McCain
GSC will co-host Friends of McCain on September 18, 2008 at 5:30 pm in the Bluemont Room of the K-State
Union. Further details will be emailed to graduate students via the GSC listserv.
- Ice Cream Social
The GSC ice cream social will be held October 9, 2008 at 12:00 pm on the east side of Fairchild Hall.
9) University Research and Scholarship
- NRC Update
Carol Shanklin indicated the results from the National Research Council are now expected to be released October
2008.
- NBAF
Jim Guikema briefly discussed the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility. This will be a $450 million research
facility, at the biological level-4 containment, owned and operated jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture
and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The K-State proposal was selected as one of five finalists by the
NBAF team. The Department of Homeland Security will make the final selection in October of 2008. Jim
invited Council members to provide comments pertaining to NBAF to him via email at guikema@ksu.edu.
10) Other business
- Personal Background Checks
Carol Shanklin presented a brief overview of the recently required personal background checks. Detailed
information can be found on the Graduate School secure website at:
http://www.k-state.edu/grad/deptinfo/studemployment/background%20checks/backgroundchecks.htm.
- Graduate Catalog Preview
Shannon Fox presented a brief overview of the new Graduate Catalog. The catalog can be accessed at
http://catalog.k-state.edu/index.php?catoid=2. For additional details and features of the catalog please view the
Online Catalog Tutorial at: http://catalog.k-state.edu/content.php?catoid=2&navoid=1158.
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- iSIS Update
Scott Schlender presented a brief overview of the Graduate School milestones in iSIS. For specific Graduate
School related iSIS questions, please contact Scott at scottsch@ksu.edu or 532-6191.
- Graduate School Calendar
A copy of the 2008-2009 Graduate School Calendar was provided for informational purposes. The 2008-2009
calendar can be found on the Graduate School website at: http://www.k-state.edu/grad/gshome/calendar.pdf.
- 2008-2009 Graduate Council Directory
A copy of the 2008-2009 Graduate Council Directory was provided for informational purposes. Graduate
Council contact information can be found on the Graduate School website at:
http://www.k-state.edu/grad/gspeopleorg/council/counmemb.htm.
11) Caucus meetings
- Academic Area Caucus Committee Assignments
A short meeting was held for each caucus to decide on representation from the caucus on each of the four policy
committees. Each committee must have at least one member from each caucus. The tables below identify the
committee assignments for the 2008-2009 academic year:
APPLIED NATURAL SCIENCE ACADEMIC AREA CAUCUS
Name
Department
Koushik Adhikari
Human Nutrition
Jon Faubion
Grain Science and Industry
Kelly Getty
Food Science
John Reese
Entomology
Frank White
Plant Pathology
Academic
Affairs
Student
Affairs
Committee
on Planning
Assessment
and Review
ARTS AND HUMANITIES ACADEMIC AREA CAUCUS
Name
Department
Fred Burrack
Music
Michael Donnelly
English
Charles Griffin
Speech Communication,
Theatre & Dance
John Keller
Landscape Architecture
Vladimir Krstic
Architecture
Academic
Affairs
3
Student
Affairs
Committee
on Planning
Assessment
and Review
BASIC NATURAL SCIENCE ACADEMIC AREA CAUCUS
Name
Department
Stefan Bossmann
Chemistry
Sue Brown
Biology
Brett DePaola
Physics
Bob Rowland
Diagnostic Medicine/
Pathobiology
Bruce Schultz
Anatomy & Physiology
Michal Zolkiewski
Biochemisty
Academic
Affairs
Student
Affairs
Committee
on Planning
Assessment
and Review
BUSINESS AND EDUCATION ACADEMIC AREA CAUCUS
Name
Department
Royce Ann Collins
Educational Leadership
Marilyn Kaff
Special Education
Jeff Katz
Management
Mark Linville
Accounting
Gail Shroyer
Elementary Education
Kay Ann Taylor
Secondary Education
Academic
Affairs
Student
Affairs
Committee
on Planning
Assessment
and Review
MATHEMATICS AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES ACADEMIC AREA CAUCUS
Name
Department
Todd Easton
Industrial and
Manufacturing Systems
Engineering
Don Gruenbacher
Electrical and Computer
Engineering
Mustaque Hossain
Civil Engineering
Zongzhu Lin
Mathematics
James Steichen
Biological and Agricultural
Engineering
Academic
Affairs
4
Student
Affairs
Committee
on Planning
Assessment
and Review
SOCIAL SCIENCES ACADEMIC AREA CAUCUS
Name
Department
John Fliter
Political Science
Doug Goodin
Geography
Sherry Haar
Apparel, Textiles and
Interior Design
Linda Hoag
Family Studies and Human
Services
Robert Schaeffer
Sociology, Anthropology
and Social Work
Academic
Affairs
Student
Affairs
Committee
on Planning
Assessment
and Review
Graduate Council and policy committee meeting schedules can be found on the Graduate School website at:
http://www.k-state.edu/grad/gspeopleorg/council/meetings.htm.
Council was adjourned at 4:40 p.m.
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