Graduate Council Minutes

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• Graduate Council Minutes

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

1. Minutes for the August 18th, 2016, Graduate Council meeting stand approved, as no changes were suggested. (Graduate Council Minutes). Note: The Council did not meet in September.
2. Professor Koski introduced the student members of the Council: Martin Christie, Jama Grove and Scout Johnson.
3. Professor Koski:
   • Asked Council members to submit pictures for the Graduate Council website if their picture is not already there;
   • Told the Council that we will no longer accept electronic signatures of the applicant on graduate faculty applications;
   • Asked Council members to introduce themselves.
4. There was no old business.
5. Professor J. Penner-Williams proposed to offer the Building-Level Administration graduate certificate and the District-level Administration graduate certificate on-line. Following discussion, the proposal was approved and will go next to the Faculty Senate.
6. Professor C. Murphy presented a proposal for a new graduate certificate in K-12 Online Teaching. Following discussion and questions, the proposal was approved and will go next to the Faculty Senate. Program proposals may be seen in Attachment A.
7. Scout Johnson, Speaker of the Graduate Student Congress, presented a resolution from the Congress requesting the Council to investigate the feasibility of implementing a Life Event and Medical Leave policy for university-funded undergraduate and graduate students, and until such a policy is in place, to encourage all colleges on campus to implement a policy of accommodation for university-funded student life events. Following considerable discussion, the Council unanimously approved this motion: While generally supportive of the resolution, the Graduate Council recommends that the Faculty Senate establish a committee to study and make comprehensive recommendations to the University administration regarding this resolution. The Council also asked that Dean Needy address the second resolution (encouraging all colleges to implement a policy of accommodation) with the other campus deans. See Attachment B. Note: The Council requested some benchmarking information and this was provided after the meeting. It is included as Attachment C and Attachment D.
8. Professor Koski asked the Council to consider whether we should change graduate faculty status for instructors from temporary to permanent. Following discussion, the proposal was tabled to allow Council members to poll their constituencies. This will be placed on the November Council agenda.
9. Professor Koski asked the Council to consider whether we should require background checks for all graduate assistants. After considerable discussion, the Council asked the Chair to gather some additional information about University policy on background checks for faculty and staff and bring this information back to the Council. Note: The Council asked for information about the current background check policy for faculty and staff. After the meeting, this was located and can be found at http://vcfa.uark.edu/policies/fayetteville/hmrs/4021.php.
10. Professor Koski asked the Council to poll their constituencies on whether we should eliminate the requirement of enrollment during the summer term for post-candidacy doctoral students. This will be placed on the November Council agenda.
11. The course change report from the University Course and Programs Committee was unanimously approved (Attachment E).
12. The graduate faculty recommendations contained in Attachment F were unanimously approved.

There being no other business, the Council adjourned at 3:20 p.m. The Council will meet next on Thursday, November 16th, 2016, at 2:00 p.m., in the Upchurch Conference Room of Bell Engineering.