November Minutes

November 19, 2015

MEMBERS PRESENT

Voting: Professors V. Anand, J.R. Chimka, T.P. Cronan, N.D. Dennis, P.K. Dowe, V.H. Hunt, K. Korth, K.L. Needy, J.T. Scott, D. Shirey, F. Spiegel; R. Warren; Mr. T. Talafuse

Non-Voting: Professors P.R. Koski, Y. Murphy-Erby

MEMBERS ABSENT

Voting: Professor K.S. Grover; second representative from the Graduate Dean’s Student Advisory Board

Non-Voting: Professors S. Adams, J. Ganson, M.T. Miller, A. O’Leary-Kelly, L.J. Robertson

SECRETARY: Ms. T. M. Fisher

GUESTS Professors R. Brady, L. Hinrichsen, J. Hulen, E. Kahng, T. Jensen, E. Minar, S. Morris, L. Sparks, J. Wicks

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

  1. Minutes for the October 15th, 2015, Graduate Council meeting stand approved, as no changes were suggested. (Please review the Graduate Council Minutes).
  2. Dean K. Needy reminded the Council that the name of Ozark Hall will change to Gearhart Hall, and the official ceremony for the name change will be the next day (Friday, November 20th). She also told the Council that Chancellor-elect Steinmetz will be on campus tomorrow for the meeting of the Board of Trustees and will also be meeting with the academic deans next Monday and Tuesday.
  3. Professor F. Spiegel presented a report from the Library Committee: the University is creating an institutional repository for data which will be open access. An effort is also being made to make more textbooks available at more reasonable prices through open-access educational resources. Three new study rooms have been created on the third floor of Mullins Library. However, compared to our peer institutions, our library continues to be ranked near the bottom in terms of resources available.
  4. There was no old business.
  5. New Business:
    1. Professor J. Hulen presented a proposal to modify the MFA degree in Art (ARTMFA) by requiring students to enroll in at least three hours in their concentration area every Fall and Spring semester, except the final semester; adding a requirement to submit regular thesis progress reports to the thesis chair and committee in the final year prior to graduation. The proposal was approved and will go next to the Faculty Senate.
    2. Professor R. Brady presented a proposal to modify the MA degree in Communication (COMMMA) by changing the focus to Civic Engagement; increasing program requirements from 30 to 33 hours; adding different methods courses; adding an Introduction of Paradigms in Communication class (COMM 5163) as a requirement; and requiring a capstone course as an exit experience for students not writing a thesis. The proposal was approved and will go next to the Faculty Senate.
    3. Professor T. Jensen presented a proposal to modify the MFA in Creative Writing (CRWRMF) by requiring two specific requirements within advanced coursework, deleting different course work requirements for students in the translation concentration, and specifying that the comprehensive exam is oral, not written. However, there was some confusion about whether a new graduation GPA was being proposed and the proposal was tabled.
    4. Professors L. Hinrichsen and L. Sparks presented a proposal to modify the MA degree in English (ENGLMA) to offer a generalist concentration and a specialist concentration, delete the concentration in Rhetoric, Composition, and Literacy, add an option for students to choose a portfolio track (in addition to the existing thesis track), and delete the exam track. The proposal was approved but some editorial changes were proposed and have been incorporated. The revised proposal will go next to the Faculty Senate.
    5. Professor J. Wicks presented a proposal to modify the M.A. degree in Journalism (JOURMA) by changing the number of hours required in journalism from 12 to 18 and reducing the number of hours taken in a second field from 12 to 6, and adding JOUR 5023 Journalism Theory as a required course. Total hours required for the degree remain the same at 30. The proposal was approved and will go next to the Faculty Senate.
    6. Professors S. Morris and E. Kahng presented a proposal to modify the MM degree in Music (MUSCMM), Instrumental Concentration and Music History Concentration, by deleting MUHS 5753, 5773, 5778, 5793 as program requirements and replacing them with MUHS 5903, Seminar in Musicology. The two proposals were approved and will go next to the Faculty Senate.
    7. Professor E. Minar presented a proposal to modify the MA degree in Philosophy (PHILMA) by removing the extra course requirement in history of philosophy and replacing it by changing the number of required graduate seminar hours from six to nine. The proposal was approved and will go next to the Faculty Senate.
    8. A proposal to change the MAT degree in Secondary Education (SEEDMA) to Teacher Education (EDUCMA) and add two concentrations in Secondary Education and Multiple Level Education was tabled as there was no representative from the College who could present it.
    9. Professor N. Dennis presented a proposal to modify the M.S. degree in Civil Engineering (CVEGMS) by eliminating the report option and creating a course work-only option. Thirty hours will be required for the thesis option and 36 hours will be required for the course work-only option. The proposal was approved and will go next to the Faculty Senate.
    10. Professor N. Dennis presented a proposal to modify the Ph.D. degree in Engineering with a concentration in Civil Engineering (CVEGPH) by reducing the required hours from 48 to 36 and requiring that students take CVEG 5100, Graduate Seminar in Civil Engineering, for two semesters instead of one. The proposal was approved and will go next to the Faculty Senate.

      Program proposals may be viewed at https://nextcatalog.uark.edu/programadmin/ and in Attachment A. Attachment A does not reflect the edits made to Item 5.d. (ENGLMA), but those changes can be viewed at the website.
  6. Following considerable discussion and some editorial changes from a proposal brought forward from the Academic Appeals Committee, the Graduate Council adopted this resolution:

    In accordance with ADHE rules (Attachment B), the Graduate Council:
    • Adheres to the rule that, for a master’s degree, at least 50% of the credits (whether coursework or research) presented for the degree must be at the 5000 level or above
    • Adheres to the rule that, for doctoral degrees, a minimum of 50% of the first 30 hours and at least 42 of the final credit hours presented for the degree must be at the 5000 level or above
    • Encourages departments/programs to eliminate the use of dual credit 4000-level classes and replace them with 4000/5000 level pairs
    • Reminds departments/programs that if they continue to use dual credit 4000-level classes, they must be vigilant to ensure that students have sufficient numbers of 5000-level or above credit hours to be able to graduate
    ADHE rules with regard to graduate course work will be effective with the 2016-17 Graduate Catalog.
  7. The course change reports listed in Attachment C were approved unanimously.
  8. The graduate faculty recommendations contained in Attachment D were approved unanimously.

There being no other business, the Council adjourned at 3:29 p.m. The Council will meet next on Thursday, December 17th, 2015, in Upchurch Conference Room of Bell Engineering.

Submitted by: Patricia R. Koski, Chair

Approved by: Kim Needy, Dean