BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY
MINUTES OF THE December 15, 2008 MEETING OF THE GRADUATE COUNCIL
PLACE:
Couper Administration Building, Room 148
PRESIDING:
Nancy E. Stamp, Vice Provost and Dean of the
Graduate School
MEMBERS:
Jacques Beaumont, David Campbell, Michael
Conlon, James Fang, Mark Fowler, Robert Guay,
William Haver, William Heller, Sarah Lam, Edward Li,
Weiyi Meng, Susan Pollock, Maria-Teresa Romero,
Olga Shvetsova, Pamela Stewart Fahs, Lindsay
Tremain, Diane Wiener
EX OFFICIO
MEMBERS:
Stephen Gilje, Dara Silberstein, Lindsay Tremain
EXCUSED:
Gerald Sonnenfeld, Andrew Merriwether, Tom
McDonough, Marilyn Tallerico
GUESTS:
Pamela Smart
ABSENT:
Wendy Martinek, Max Pensky, Nan Zhou, Susan Currie
I. CALL TO ORDER:
Vice Provost and Dean Nancy Stamp called the meeting to order at 3:00 pm.
II. MINUTES:
The minutes of the December 15, 2008 were approved as written.
III. COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Academic Standards Committee
Academic Standards Committee met on December 9, 2008. The committee continues
to discuss the preparation and training of teaching assistants.
Advisory Committee for Scholarship and Research
Advisory Committee for Scholarship and Research met and reviewed proposals for the
Provost Interdisciplinary Symposium. There were 5 proposals, 2 were highly
recommended, 1 accepted, 2 were declined.
Budget Advisory Committee
This Committee has not met.
Clark Fellowship Advisory Committee
The Clark Fellowship Advisory Committee met on Monday, December 1st, 2008.
Starting in the Fall 2009 semester, Clark students will be required to be a TA/GA in the
first semester as opposed to either Fall or Spring semester. This change is due to
health insurance coverage for the Clark students.
Curriculum Committee
This Committee met on Monday, December 8th, 2008. The committee accepted all the
following proposals in Anthropology:
1) Combined Degree Program in Anthropology BA & MA
2) Combined Degree Program in Anthropology BA & MS
3) Combined Degree Program in Anthropology BS & Biomedical Anthro MS
4) Combined Degree Program in Anthropology BS & MA
In Combined degree Programs, undergraduate students complete their general
education and major requirements before their senior year. This allows them to take
some graduate courses in their senior year and it to take all graduate courses in their 5th
year.
The descriptions of the anthropology proposals, the economics and finance proposal,
and the proposal to have TRIP move into the Comparative Literature department will be
sent to graduate council for review before the February meeting.
Grievance Committee
This Committee has not met.
Strategic Planning Committee
This committee has not met.
NEW BUSINESS
Dean Stamp gave an update on the budget. The SUNY Board of trustees has raised
tuition. The board of trustees’ controls the tuition rate.
Dean Stamp discussed how public doctoral research universities are handling budget
issues. At the national annual meeting of the Council of Graduate Schools, which
consisted of about 500 graduate deans discussing graduate education nationally, the
Deans expressed cuts of 5% to 15% in their budgets. They are focusing mainly on
funding doctoral students. Most of them are adding professional master’s programs, in
hopes of making students more marketable. They also talked about streamlining their
curriculum, both master and doctoral programs. They expressed reducing the teaching
burden for graduate students in doctoral programs so students could focus more on their
research and graduate as soon as possible (time to degree). They were also very
concerned about reducing attrition.
Dean Stamp discussed the financial future, which is a budget crisis for the next 2 to 3
years. We need to focus on quality and keep an eye on what other universities are
doing so as to stay competitive. Discussion ensued as to the job market being rather
bleak. Dean Stamp made the point that undergraduate students who cannot find a job,
might apply for graduate school to further their skills and then will be in a good position
when the job market opens up.
Dean Stamp stated that she has not been given a budget for next year’s TA allocation or
for the Tuition Scholarship Fund. She reiterated that we are trying to protect graduate
education; however, there are other considerations. Cuts are likely but we will not know
until mid January. If the state’s economic situation continues to deteriorate, there is the
possibility of a mid-year cut. Dean Stamp stated that we have to move forward; stay
focused and realize we will come out of this and, hopefully, be in a good position to start
re-building.
Dean Stamp gave an update on status of The National Research Council Doctoral
Study. The data for this study were submitted in Fall 2006, and after another
postponement; NRC now says the data will be released in mid-February.
IV. ADJOURNMENT:
The meeting was adjourned at 4:00 on a motion by Professor Olga Shvetsova and
seconded by Associate Vice President Stephen Gilje.
_____________________________
Minutes recorded by Cheryl McGowan,
Secretary to the Vice Provost and Dean
of the Graduate School