Graduate Council Minutes

April 21, 2016

MEMBERS PRESENT

Voting: Professors V. Anand, J.R. Chimka, T.P. Cronan, N.D. Dennis, K.S. Grover, V.H. Hunt, J.B. Kerr, K. Korth, K.L. Needy, D. Shirey, R. Warren; Mr. T. Talafuse

Non-Voting: Professors P.R. Koski, A. O’Leary-Kelly

MEMBERS ABSENT

Voting: Professors J.T. Scott, F. Spiegel; one representative from the Graduate Dean’s Student Advisory Board

Non-Voting: Professors J. Ganson, M.T. Miller, Y. Murphy-Erby, L.J. Robertson; Dr. S. Adams

SECRETARY: Ms. T. M. Fisher

GUESTS Professor D. Graham

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

  1. Minutes for the March 17th, 2016, Graduate Council meeting stand approved, as no changes were suggested (The minutes of the Graduate Council may be found at http://grad.uark.edu/dean/gradcouncil/minutes).
  2. Dean Needy gave a report:
    • Tom Talafuse was given the 2015 Graduate Student Research Award and was honored by the Industrial Engineering faculty
    • The Chancellor has initiated the formation of three focus groups (on teaching/learning, discovery/research, outreach/engagement) to begin the process of campus planning. Deans have been invited to nominate up to five faculty and two staff members to serve on these committees. Dean Needy encouraged the Council to be involved in this process and to advocate for the importance of graduate education on this campus.
  3. Professor Koski reported that the Academic Appeals Committee heard a case this month. There were no other committee reports.
  4. There was no old business.
  5. New Business, Program Changes
    1. Professor D. Graham presented a proposal to modify the MS degree in Agricultural and Extension Education by removing AGED 5563, Thesis Proposal Development, as a required course and adding three credits to the concentration electives for thesis students.
      This proposal was approved and will go next to the Faculty Senate.
    Program changes may be viewed at https://nextcatalog.uark.edu/programadmin/). This change can also be viewed in Attachment A.
  6. Professor Koski presented for discussion a request to consider eliminating the prohibition on international transfer credit for master’s students. Council members were asked to poll their constituencies and report back at the May meeting.
  7. The course change reports listed in Attachment B were approved unanimously.
  8. The graduate faculty recommendations contained in Attachment C were approved unanimously.

There being no other business, the Council adjourned at 2:27 p.m. The Council will meet next on Thursday, May 19th, 2016, in the Upchurch Conference Room of Bell Engineering.

Submitted by: Patricia R. Koski, Chair

Approved by: Kim Needy, Dean