December Minutes

December 18, 2014

MEMBERS PRESENT

Voting: Professors K. Collins, T. P. Cronan, N.D. Dennis A.J. Dowdle, K.S. Grover, V.H. Hunt, K.L. Needy, R. Warren, J.D. Wiersma; Ms. J. Gorham, Mr. T. Talafuse

Non-Voting: Professors L.L. Coon, J. Ganson, P.R. Koski, M.T. Miller, A. O’Leary Kelly, L.J. Robertson

MEMBERS ABSENT

Voting: Professor V. Anand, J.T. Scott, F. Spiegel, J.D. Wiersma

Non-Voting: Ms. M. Harwood-Rom

GUESTS: Professors A. Griffin, T. Martin, R. Wise

SECRETARY: Ms. T. M. Fisher

The meeting was called to order at 2:00 p.m. by Chair Patricia Koski

  1. Minutes for the November 20, 2014, Graduate Council meeting stand approved, as no changes were suggested. (Please review the Graduate Council Minutes).
  2. Professor Koski reminded the Council that the All-University Commencement ceremony will be this Saturday, December 20th.
  3. Committee Reports: The Academic Appeals Committee heard one time extension appeal this month. The Teaching Assistant Effectiveness Advisory Committee had no report. Professor Warren reported for the Library Committee: at their meeting, they discussed the State of the Library report which Dean Allen presented at the November Faculty Senate meeting.
  4. There was no old business.
  5. New Business, Program Changes, Graduate School.

    (1). Program in Microelectronics-Photonics, proposal to modify the M.S. degree (MEPHMS) by changing the timing of MEPH 5811/6811/6911.

  6. Program in Public Policy, proposal to modify the Ph.D. degree (PUBPPH) in two ways: a) replace PLSC 5163 with PUBP 6013; and b) make it an option for students, under certain conditions, to use Social Work electives taken for the MSW degree to fulfill specialization requirements.
    Following discussion, all proposals were unanimously approved and will go next to the Faculty Senate. Program proposals may be viewed at https://nextcatalog.uark.edu/programadmin.
  7. The Council considered this issue: ADHE requires a “minimum of 30 semester credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree that includes 50 percent graduate-only semester hours in the field of study.” We require six hours of thesis, which is also currently the maximum number of thesis hours that will count toward the degree. This effectively requires a minimum of 24 graded course hours. However, there is no explicit rule about the minimum number of hours that are required, and theoretically a program could request that all 30 hours of the “semester credit hours” be in thesis credit. Should we create a policy about this? Following discussion, the Council agreed to poll their constituencies.
  8. The course change report from the University Course and Programs Committee (UCPC) was approved unanimously.
  9. The graduate faculty recommendations contained in Attachment A were approved.

There being no other business, the Council adjourned at 3:39 p.m. The Council will meet next on Thursday, January 15th, 2014 at 2:00 in Upchurch Conference Room of Bell Engineering.