Graduate Council Executive Committee
May 5, 2014
Ragsdale 211
3:30 – 5:00 PM
Present: Cox, Kathy; Gemperline, Paul; Keiper, Brett; Ries, Heather; Schwager, Paul;
and Thompson, Bob
Absent: Decker, Jim and McFadden Cheryl
Guests: McConnell, Tom; Patterson, Belinda; and Ringler, Marjorie
1.
Call meeting to order
3:35 pm
2. Minutes
a. Approval of 4/7/2014 GCEC minutes
approved
b. Reviewed of 4/21/2014 GC minutes
no changes suggested
3. Motion to go in closed session 3:41 pm
Moved out of closed session 4:23 pm
4. Discussion of dissertation/thesis chair credentials. At this point there is no
written policy to describe the degree required for chairs of dissertation. This
item will be considered in the study conducted by Brett Keiper.
4. Assistantship policy & Contract
a. Revised draft, based on discussion from 4/21/2014 GC meeting.
Additional revisions suggested.
5. Graduate School strategic planning retreat
a. June 23 and 24 one and half days, West Research Campus (Old
VoA site), also invite graduate program directors
b. Agenda items to consider:
i. Graduate School response to university’s strategic plans
ii. What is an appropriate and sustainable population of
graduate students at ECU?
iii. Which programs might continue to experience declining
enrollments, and which programs will we need to
replace them, given justifiable society and student
demand?
iv.
6.
7.
Need for space planning – Graduate Education Center
(see UNC-C Center for Graduate Life)
Report: thesis/dissertation oversight committee – Brett Keiper
a. Policy development is needed, see for example NCSU policy
b. Response rate 90%: 57 responders had programs with
thesis/dissertation options. Committee summarized best
practices on candidacy (intermediate steps) to qualify to move to
thesis/dissertation stage. Next steps: review committee
membership qualifications and/or roles. Review best practices in
advising throughout dissertation/thesis process.
Meeting adjourned 5:04 pm
Respectfully submitted,
Marjorie Ringler
1.
================================ Pending items
================================
List of possible agenda items for 2014 fall semester Graduate Council
meetings (please add to this list as you see fit)
a. Report on Graduate Fact Book project
b. Report on enrollment in Graduate Certificate programs
2.
Pending summer agenda items (to-do list, no action to report, more
background work needed)
3.
Graduate Council meeting attendance problems– develop follow up plan
a. Notification of represented bodies / units with high rates of
absenteeism
b. Notification of councilors with high rates of absenteeism
c. Encourage election of alternates
d. Draft revision to Part II Section IV of faculty manual to include
attendance policy (attached)
Policies in need of review/improvement
a. Exception to GPA requirements for graduation upon readmission
to a new program
b. Schedule changes (dropping courses)
c. Revision to grading policy – harmonize use of “W” grades with
4.
d.
e.
proposal by ad hoc committee on Fostering Undergraduate
Student Success (FUSSy committee) recommendation to Faculty
Senate (copy forthcoming)
Per Andrew Morehead, should we make provisions to apply
grades of “W” to S/U courses?
Dual, joint and interdisciplinary programs