August Minutes

August 19th, 2021

The Council met remotely via Teams.

Members Present

Voting

Faculty representatives: Professors P.C. Calleja, T.P. Cronan, A.P.G. Dowling, K. Hall, C. Harris, C. Hestekin, L. Hinrichsen, V. H. Hunt, P.R. Koski, J.W. Murry, J.C. Rupe, A. Stoverink, J.D. Webb, J. Whayne

Student representatives: Ms. C. Wood, Ms. C. Barnes

Non-Voting

Professors A.E. Ellstrand, J. Gigantino, A. Gonzalez, K. Mamiseishvili, L.J. Robertson, A. Zajicek

Members Absent

Voting

Student representatives: Ms. K. Dzurilla, Ms. T. Kuykendall

Non-voting

Professor E. Goodstein-Murphree
Division of Student Affairs representative: Dr. L.M. Yingling

Secretary

Mr. Dakota Kalkstein

Guests

Professors M. Leftwich, S. King, P. McGee, S. Patton

The meeting was called to order at 2:00 p.m. by Chair James Gigantino.

  1. Minutes for the April 15, 2021 Graduate Council meeting stand approved, as no changes were suggested. (Graduate Council Minutes.)
  2. Announcements: Professor Gigantino welcomed the new Graduate Council Secretary, Dakota Kalkstein, who assumed his position on August 1 upon the retirement of longtime Secretary Terri Fisher. Professor Gigantino also welcomed new members of the Council whose terms began July 1, 2021. Finally, Professor Gigantino notified the Council that virtual thesis and dissertation defenses will continue with the regular notification of the Zoom or Teams link within the dissertation defense calendar on the Graduate School Website.
  3. Dean’s Report: Dean Koski reported that over the summer, the University joined a coalition of universities as part of an initiative from the Council of Graduate Schools to improve doctoral education in the Humanities. The University of Arkansas will be an affiliate member of this coalition and will begin to create a series of Graduate MicroCertificates to support professionalization of humanities doctoral students. In addition, Professor Koski reported that Fall 2020 was a record for graduate enrollment and Fall 2021 enrollment is looking quite strong and perhaps will be another record. Finally, Professor Koski reported that the Graduate School offered a variety of hybrid and virtual orientations for new graduate students and a TA teaching camp in August, along with an in-person RISE summer bridge program for underrepresented and first generation graduate students. She thanked Laura Moix from the Office of Graduate Student Support for her office’s efforts in this regard.
  4. The following program proposals were approved unanimously and will go next to the Faculty Senate (the name of the presenter is in parentheses):
    1. College of Education and Health Professions
      1. Proposal to create new Autism Spectrum Disorder Graduate MicroCertificate (AUSDGM) (Professor K. Mamiseishvili)
      2. Proposal to modify the Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership (EDLEED) by altering admissions requirements and program requirements (Professor K. Mamiseishvili)
      3. Proposal to modify the Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership (EDLEES) by clarifying admission requirement and altering program requirements (Professor K. Mamiseishvili)
      4. Proposal to modify the Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership (EDLEME) by clarifying admission requirements, altering program requirements, and requesting exemption of the standardized test requirement (Professor K. Mamiseishvili)
      5. Proposal to modify the Doctor of Nursing Practice (NURSDP) by altering the program requirement in Technical Writing (Professor S. Patton)
    2. Walton College of Business
      1. Proposal to modify the Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (ECONPH) by altering program requirements (Professor P. McGee)
      2. Graduate School & International Education
        1. Proposal to modify the Master of Science degree in Materials Engineering (MATEMS) by altering admission requirements and program requirements and altering program requirements in Energy Materials and Devices Concentration (MATEMS-ENMD), Mechanical and Structural Materials Concentration (MATEMS-MSTM), and Nanoscale Materials and Devices Concentration (MATEMS-NSMD) (Professor M. Leftwich)
        2. Proposal to modify the Master of Science degree in Materials Science (MATSMS) by altering admission requirements and program requirements and altering program requirements in Energy Materials and Devices Concentration (MATEMS-ENMD), Mechanical and Structural Materials Concentration (MATEMS-MSTM), and Nanoscale Materials and Devices Concentration (MATEMS-NSMD) (Professor M. Leftwich)
    Program change proposals and new program proposals may be viewed on The Registrar's Office Program and Unit Changes page or in Attachment A.
  5. New Business: The Council discussed modifications to the Graduate Student Grievance Procedures, expanding the definition of academic grievance and making alterations to the grievance process by providing a graduate student a process for appealing the dean’s decision about whether an appeal will be allowed. The Council unanimously approved the changes in (Attachment B).
  6. The course change reports contained in Attachment C were approved unanimously.
  7. The Council discussed the graduate faculty recommendations for faculty. The Council discussed the application of Martin Fiscus separately. Professor A. Ellstrand presented the application. The Council unanimously approved his application. The Council then discussed the application of Adam Putman separately. The application was presented by Professor S. King. The Council voted 13-3 in favor of the application. The Council then voted unanimously on the remainder of the recommendations presented in Attachment D. Previously graduate faculty recommendations approved by email from May to July 2021 are included in Attachment E.
  8. Other Business: The Council discussed the mode of its meeting for the Fall 2021 semester due to COVID-19. The Council voted 15-2 to continue to hold meets virtually via MS Teams.

There being no other business, the Council adjourned at 3:05PM. The Council will next meet on September 16.