Graduate Council Meeting
Old Main Board Room
3:00 P.M.
January 16, 2015
Minutes
Members Present: Amy Fatzinger, Barry Goldman, Betul Czerkawski, Cindy Elliott, Hongwei Luo, James
Field, Janet Sturman, John Koshel, John Umbreit, Katia Bezerra, Kelley Merriam-Castro, Kirsten Limesand,
Koen Visscher, Lois Loescher, Mary Beth Haralovich, Robert Ariew, Ryan Perkl, Steve Kuhn, Tom Kennedy,
Walter Klimecki, Pam Coonan, Denise Roe, Dianne Horgan, Franci Washburn and Maria Teresa Velez,
Members Not Present/Excused: Andrew Carnie, Anne Cione, Jerel Slaughter, Kathy Godwin, Leisy Wyman,
Marcela Vasquez-Leon, Robert Torres, Timothy Secomb, Rohan Beri, Sarah Meggison and Wendell Ella.
I.
Call to Order and Roll Call. The meeting was called to order by Chair Koen Visscher at 3:04 p.m.
Chair Visscher welcomed everyone to the new semester.
a. Attendance was taken using a roll call sheet.
II.
Approval of Minutes. Walter Klimecki moved to accept the minutes as presented and Kelley Merriam
Castro seconded. The October 17, 2014 minutes were approved as presented.
III.
Dean’s Report – Sturman –
a. GRAD CAT Newsletter –
Member Sturman gave an overview of the recent GRAD CAT newsletters and recommended
that faculty and graduate students subscribe.
b. Master’s Student –
ABOR urges the UA to increase the number of students in Master’s programs. To that end
the Graduate College has developed the Workforce Master’s program in 2014 and the new
version for 2015 is Arizona Works. This program will work with 3 individual colleges to recruit
master’s students. The colleges will be rotated every year to give all colleges a chance in the
program.
c. Professional Development Workshops for Graduate Students –
The Graduate College is offering professional development workshops to help students
prepare to present research. For more information see the Graduate Center Grad Slam web
page at http://gradcenter.arizona.edu/ua-grad-slam
IV.
Chairs Report – Chair Visscher –
a. No report
V.
GPSC Report: - Luo a. Fee Transparency (ITSAB and University Fees Committee)
Amongst many concerns GPSC has about student fees, the council has been specifically
researching the newly implemented i Course fee that went into effect this semester.
.
b. GA Raise
GPSC wants to work to increase the salary of graduate assistants
c. Childcare grant through SSFAB
This semester, GPSC plans to ask for $100,000 from the Student Services Fee Board, as
opposed to the usual $26,000, to give immediate assistance to students who are in need of
childcare.
d. Students Events
There will be a number of events that promote student engagement on behalf of GPSC, such
as Grad Slam, where students will get the chance to present their research in front of a panel of
judges for three minutes, and finalists have to chance to win prizes.
VI.
Action Items: Civil Engineering Accelerated Masters Program proposal – Field
a. Civil Engineering is seeking ABOR and internal approval for the Accelerated Master’s Program
with Foreign Universities: A UA AMP Hybrid of Distance and Face-to-Face Classes. This initial
pilot program will be between the Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Department at
the University of Arizona and the Civil Engineering Department at Tongji University in Shanghai,
China. This pilot program could serve as a model and template for future similar AMP programs
with foreign universities, and this program could eventually be applied to all departments at the
College of Engineering as well as to all STEM fields at the University of Arizona.
Discussion ensued among Graduate Council members, suggestions were made. It was suggested that
the proposal be tightened and more information included to be brought back to Graduate Council for a
vote.
VII.
Information Items:
a. Grievance Chart - Horgan –
Member Horgan handed out a grievance chart that she had created to be used for
referral. This form outlined typical problems that could arise, links to go to for information and
contact resources.
b. Grad Assistantships Low GPA Waiver Form – Sturman
Member Sturman discussed the Graduate College Justification Waiver Request Form
for continuing Graduate Assistantships for Underperforming Graduate Students. She
explained the need for the form and all it entailed but most important was the mentoring
aspect of this process. Discussion ensued among Grad Council members.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:22 p.m. The next Graduate Council meeting will take place on February 20th,
2015 in the Old Main Board Room.
Respectfully submitted,
Cynthia Ann Bjerk-Plocke
Graduate Council Secretary