Graduate Studies Committee
Minutes of March 10, 2009
Members present: Debi Prasad Choudhary, Philip Gorman, Leilani Hall, Vickie Jensen,
David Moguel, Bruno Osorno, Jared Rappaport, Jennifer Romack, Jackie Stallcup, Merril
Simon, Mary Woodley
Excused: Thomas Devine
Executive Secretary: Mack Johnson
Guests: Robert Espinoza, Marilynn Filbeck, Julia Heinen, Judy Hennessey, Victoria
Jaque, Karen Kearns, Diane Schwartz, Kathryn Sorrells, Paula Thomson, Christina von
Mayrhauser
Staff: Hedy Carpenter, Gloria Roberts
I.
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 2:03 p.m.
II.
Approval of Minutes
Minutes of the February 10th meeting minutes were approved.
III.
Announcements
Mary Woodley announced that the Senate Executive Committee reviewed the
Certificate Program Policy. The Senate had minor changes to the proposal.
The Faculty Senate Committee will review the revised Certificate Program
Policy on March 12th.
Gloria Roberts reported that about 130 students participated in the 13th Annual
Creative Works and Research Symposium on February 20th. She announced
that there were 26 winners from the 10 oral sessions and poster presentations.
From the 26 winners, ten students will be selected to compete at the CSU
Research Symposium at CSU, Los Angeles on May 1-2, 2009.
IV.
Experimental Topics Course
College of Health and Human Development
Kinesiology
1. KIN 695DPA-Dance Performance Analysis (1st offering) approved with
consultation with the Psychology Department.
V.
Curriculum Review
A. College of Arts, Media, and Communication
Communication Studies
1. Course modification proposal in COMS 345-Rhetoric of Popular Culture to
change course title, course abbreviation, course description, and subject
abbreviation number was approved.
Music
1. Course modification proposal in MUS 653B, 654B, 655B, 656B, 657B,
658B, and 659B-Individual Performance Lessons to change the number of
times the course may be taken were approved.
2. New course proposal in MUS 483ME-Music Entreprenurship was
approved.
B. College of Business and Economics
Accounting and IS
1. New course proposal in ACCT 668-Selected Topics in Taxation was
approved with the following caveat:
 Change title of course by not using the term “Selected.”
2. Program modification proposal in the M.S. in Taxation to change program
requirements with no change in total units in the program by adding a course
that could be used to satisfy an existing requirement of the program was
approved.
Business Administration
1. New course proposal in GBUS 598C-MBA Internship was approved with
the following caveat:
 Clarify that the business internships are in the School of Business not
in the “Graduate Office” within the Course Outline and Syllabus.
C. College of Science and Mathematics
Biology
1. New course proposal BIOL 431/L-Food Microbiology and Lab was
approved with the following caveat:
 Add “Available for graduate credit” to the course description and add
a statement to describe the difference in expectations of graduates and
undergraduates.
2. New course proposal in BIOL 509/592U-Tropical Biodiversity and Field
Study was tabled until the next meeting for the following revisions:
 Revise language to the Proposed Catalog Copy for 509 where it states,
“students taking this course must also be enrolled in other linked
courses that are part of the Tropical Biology semester.”
 Under item #17 for the Methods of Assessment, explain how and what
will be done “via the lecture exam” to the Assessment of Program
SLO #2.
 Under item #17, revise SLOs #3 and #4 because attendance is not
good assessment tool.
 Delete item #8 on page 3/10 because items #8 and #14 for Measurable
Student Learning Outcomes has a duplication of statements.
3. New course proposal in BIOL 551/L-Computer Modeling in Biology and
Lab was approved.
Geology
1. Course modification proposal in GEOL 464/L-Applied Geophysics and
Lab was approved.
2. New course proposal in GEOL 452/L-Mathematical Tools in Geology and
Lab was approved with the following caveat:
 Revise item #12 Estimate of Impact on Resources.
3. New program proposal in M.S. in Geology to add Option II Geophysics in
the Master’s Degree Program was approved with the following caveat:
 Add impact of resources to the Justification of Request.
4. Program modification proposal in M.S. in Geology to modify unit
designations for several core courses in all the options of the major was
approved.
VI.
Discussion Items
Phil Gorman reported that the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences has
completed the curriculum changes that were requested in Fall 2008.
Roberts informed the GSC that the MPA is adding 2 additional electives in the
Public Sector Management and Leadership option, which are MPA 642AEthics and Professionalism and MPA 640-Public Policy Analysis. In addition,
Roberts informed the committee that the Chicana/o Studies Department
submitted a program modification proposal to change the language in the
printed catalog regarding the number of units for the program. The number of
units necessary to graduate from the program is incorrectly listed as 30 units
rather than 33 units to include the thesis or graduate project. The proposal is
also requesting to provide further clarification on electives.
Woodley requested that the GSC review the suggestions from the meeting
with Provost Hellenbrand to discuss at the next meeting. The committee can
decide whether or not to pursue the items listed in order to evaluate statistical
data relating to graduate studies.
VII.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 3:15 p.m.