Graduate Program Directors and Coordinators Minutes
October 9, 2013
3:30-5:00 p.m.
Mendenhall 244
Present: Avenarius, Christine; Aziz, Shahnaz; Bass, Kelly; Bell, Paul; Chambers, Crystal; Cox, Kathy; Curtis,
Scott; Dingfelder, Michael; Eble, Michelle; Espinosa Dana; Frank, Amy; Franklin, Rich; Gemperline, Paul;
Keiper, Brett; Kisling, Eric; Jones, Terry; Mallinson, David; McConnell, Tom; McDowelle, Jim; Monroe,
Richard; Oliver, Jay; Prividera, Laura; Rodgers, Brad; Sorensen, Jon; Swanson, Carl; Sua, Lou; Tabrizi,
Nasseh; Taylor, Alan; Trujillo, Leonard; Walcott, Christy; West, Terry; Williams, Tina;
Guests Present: Debra Bailey and Julie Poorman
1. Call to order
 3:33 PM
 Introduction of new members
2. Approval of minutes from September 5, 2013
Approved
3. Ron Mitchelson, Interim Vice Chancellor for Research & Graduate Studies – nominations of
graduate students for Phi Kappa Phi membership
 Expressed appreciation for the hard work of the graduate program directors
 Graduate students are eligible for Phi Kappa Phi membership
 Dr. Gemperline will request up to 10% of graduate enrollment be nominated
 Nominate students by November 4th
 Send nominations to Jeanne Watkins (watkinsj@ecu.edu)
4. Financial Aid – Julie Poorman
 Every student checked for satisfactory academic progress
 A student with an incomplete should set up a completion plan (this serves as a
documented leave of absence)
 FA will notify faculty of students that have accumulated 0 hours
 If student drops all of their classes they have officially withdrawn from the university
o Please contact Julie Poorman upon student’s notifying you of withdrawal intent
 Regularly admitted students are financial aid eligible
 Students admitted by exception are financial aid eligible though first term ( a hold is
placed on the student’s account to check grades and evaluate first term progress; hold is
released after the second term
 Student admitted by provision receive no financial aid until they are approved
 Ask directors to make financial aid awarding decisions as early in February and March as
possible
 The Office of Financial Aid relies on graduate program directors to notify and remind
students of their academic standing
5. Graduate Student Tuition & Fees Billing & Payments – Debra Bailey
 Holds are placed on student’s accounts that owe money prior to registration
 Student cannot register with a balance
 Ask program directors to encourage students to read emails from the cashier’s office
 Bills are updated on OneStop every Monday
 Visa is now an accepted form of payment
6. Draft Time Limitations statement – discussion/vote
 Graduate doctoral program directors are meeting to work on time limits and candidacy
requirements
 Additional language is provided by the University Attorney
 Intention to take a proactive stance and send notices to students of time limit expiration
at the beginning of their 6th year for Master’s students and 10th year for doctoral
students
 The GPDs recommend approval of the time limit portion of the document to the
Graduate Council
7. SACS 18 hour rule, in-class assessment/evaluation plans, and official records for graduate
student instructors-of-record
 On-site reviewers requested teaching evaluations of graduate teaching assistants
 Graduate programs with graduate teaching assistants as instructors of record must have
a record of in-class teaching observations and assessments
 The Graduate School will randomly audit assessments of graduate teaching assistants at
the end of each term. If a program doesn’t have teaching assessments on file when
randomly audited , they will be requested to show 100% of the classroom observations
for all graduate teaching assistants the subsequent semester
 Students who don’t have 18 hours graduate credit in subject area will need alternative
credentials documented in order to teach, perhaps regardless of not being the
instructor-of-record (more clarification to follow in the near future)
8. Announcements
1) Plus/Minus grading, results-to-date
 330 responses – 40% in favor of instituting +/- grading; 49% NOT in favor of
instituting +/- grading for graduate courses
 Overwhelming vote of GPDs present to NOT institute +/- grading of graduate
courses, and thus maintaining the present system, at ECU; recommendation to
bring this recommendation to the Graduate Council
2) Graduate Recruitment & Enrollment 3-Year Plans
 Graduate School has received follow up reports and is reviewing
 Workshop scheduled October 24th
3) Nomination of graduate students for committee work – Thank you! Any new specific
additions for the Distinguished Faculty Mentor Award committee, please send also
4) Changes in Program Review (see page 4, Procedures for Unit Academic Program Review)
- Review of capstone or other student products; theses and dissertations will be
randomly provided by the Graduate School
9. Next meeting –Monday, November 11, 3 – 4:30 pm, MSC 221; GPDC site for spring meetings will
be posted as soon as confirmed: http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/gradschool/GPDCMainSite.cfm
10. Meeting adjourned
5:00 PM
Respectfully submitted,
Amy Tripp