March 2024 Minutes

Thursday, March 28th, 2024

The Council met via TEAMS and in MAIN 523.

Members Present

Voting

Faculty representatives: Professors P. Cronan, K. Hall, J. Lewis, E. Pohl, A. Stoverink, I. Tzanetakis, J. Veilleux *, J. Webb, and J. Whayne

Non-Voting

Faculty representatives: Professors E. Bengtson (Chair), A. Ellstrand, M. Ganio, D. McNabb, and L. Robertson*

Global Campus representative: S. Kenner*

Provost's Office representative: L. Kulczak*

Members Absent

Voting

Faculty representatives:Professors A. Alrubaye, K. Balachandran, S. Kucharczyk, M. Miller, and J. Rupe

Student representatives:   H. Awah, C. Gilmore, K. Olatunde, and M. Rodriguez

Non-Voting

Faculty representatives:  Professors A. Gonzalez, E. Goodstein-Murphree, T. Murphy, and L. Yingling

Secretary

Ms. Phyllis Howell

Guests

K. Condray, C. Harris, B. Kegley*, N. Kemper*, J.D. Miller*, K. Salter*, and S. Trudo*

*Attended via Teams

  1. Minutes from the February 15, 2024, meeting were approved since no corrections were received.
  2. Announcements: GSIE is committed to working with Graduate Coordinators to make things more efficient and will continue to host Graduate Coordinator meetings. The next one is April 8.
  3. Dean’s Report: Please remind Graduate Coordinators (reviewers) to move items out of the Admissions bins.
  4. New Business, Program Changes, Graduate School & International Education
    1. Program Change Request: SPACMS: Space & Planetary Sciences, Master of Science (Approved)

      2. Delete the requirement that students may take up to two courses at the 4000 level. The othersp changes are editorial - making the course hours add up correctly in the table.

  5. New Business, Program Changes, Bumpers College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
    1. Program Change Request: AGECMS-AGBS: Agriculture Economics, Agribusiness Concentration (Approved)

      2. Limiting the number hours that may be completed from a) those courses also offered as 4000-level undergraduate classes, and/or b) courses numbered 4000 or lower that do not have a corresponding graduate offering, to a maximum of 6 hours. Prerequisite Change: Six semester hours of mathematics (College Algebra and Survey of Calculus or Higher-Level Calculus)

    2. Program Change Request: AGECMS-INAG: Agricultural Economics: International Agribusiness Concentration (Approved)

      3. Limiting the number hours that may be completed from a) those courses also offered as 4000-level undergraduate classes, and/or b) courses numbered 4000 or lower that do not have a corresponding graduate offering, to a maximum of 6 hours. Prerequisite Change: Six semester hours of mathematics (College Algebra and Survey of Calculus or Higher-Level Calculus)

    3. Program Change Request: AGECMS: Agricultural Economics, Master of Science (Approved)

      4. Limiting the number hours that may be completed from a) those courses also offered as 4000-level undergraduate classes, and/or b) courses numbered 4000 or lower that do not have a corresponding graduate offering, to a maximum of 6 hours. Prerequisite Change: Intermediate Level Macroeconomics eliminated. Move 3 hours from Core to Controlled Electives. We are removing the specific requirement of: AGEC 5623 Quantitative Food and Agricultural Policy Analysis OR AGEC 5643 Agricultural Data Science. These courses are instead moved to a list of AGEC Controlled Electives

    4. Program Change Request: ANSCMS: Animal Science, Master of Science (Approved)

      5. Removed statement about submitting GRE scores as a requirement for application.

    5. Program Change Request: ANSCPH, Animal Science, Doctor of Philosophy (Approved)

      6. Removed statement about submitting GRE scores as a requirement for application.

    6. New Program Proposal: EXTEGM: Extension Education Graduate Micro Certificate (Approved)

      7. A new Micro certificate in Extension Education is proposed with a total of nine credit hours required. Students will take one three-credit-hour core course, three credit hours of a practicum/internship, and one three-credit-hour elective course related to extension education, leadership, and/or communication. It is expected that students in the program will be both degree- seeking and non-degree seeking graduate students interested in extension education as a career, with varied educational backgrounds.

    7. Program Change Request: HESCMS-NUTR: Human Environmental Sciences: Human Nutrition Concentration (Approved)

      8. Removed graduate biochemistry courses from the core courses and replaced with an additional Advanced Nutrition course and an additional course on human metabolism.

  6. New Business, Program Changes, College of Education & Health Professions (Attachment A)
    1. Program Change Request: OTEDP: Occupational Therapy, Doctor of Occupational Therapy (Approved)

      2. Remove Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics (CASPer) assessment (additional cost to applicants) from admissions requirements. Replace SEVI 52103 with New Course OCTH 54103

  7. New Business, Program Changes, Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences (Attachment A)
    1. Program Change Request: SOCIMA: Sociology, Master of Arts (Approved)

      2. Adding a second Non-Thesis Option, Practicum to the MA choices. This gives masters' candidates who are looking at the MA as a terminal degree another choice to prepare for a career in non-profits, for example

    2. Program Change Request: MLANMA-GERM: Modern Language: German Concentration (Approved)

      3. The proposed changes create two tracks within the MLANMA-GERM concentration. The first track, German Studies, are the same requirements as currently outlined in the German Studies concentration reformatted for clarify. The second track, German Studies and Entrepreneurship, adds a new option for students to complete the degree in partnership with WCOB.

    3. Program Change Request: JOURNMA: Journalism Master of Arts (Approved)

      4. GRE is not required but preferred for an assistantship consideration. After reviewing other journalism schools among peer institutions such as the University of Missouri, the University of Maryland, the University of Georgia, and the University of Alabama, the SJSM grad committee decided to waive the GRE for admission from Fall 2024 as all made the GRE requirement optional for admission.

  8. New Business: Program Changes, Walton College of Business (Attachment A) (Alan Ellstrand)
    1. Program Change Request: GSB Admission – 4+1/Accelerated: Graduate School of Business 4+1/Accelerated Master’s Admission Policy (Approved)

      2. Removal of 3 letters of recommendation by all 4+1 programs for admissions purposes. Each program committee has made this change to the admissions process based on the fact that all 4+1 students are internal to Walton by nature.

    2. Program Change Request: PRINMS: Product Innovation, Master of Science (Approved)

      3. Removed reference to specific elective courses and replace the same 6-hour requirement with program director consent. This adjustment to electives allows for more flexibility in student interests and product potential to serve a broader student population within the University.

  9. New Business. Program Changes, College of Engineering (Attachment A)
    1. Program Change request: EMGTMS: Engineering Management, Master of Science (Approved)

      2. Addition for accelerated program approved by department faculty. Accelerated program established to improve student access and exposure to graduate online opportunities.

    2. Program Change Request: INEGMS: Industrial Engineering, Master of Science in Industrial Engineering (Approved)

      3. In the first paragraph under the header Accelerated M.S.I.E. degree, the language "as technical electives for" is changed to "applied towards. " Deletion of the sentence noting that submission of a GRE score is waived for students with a CGPA of 3.5 or higher.

    3. Program Change Request: OPANMS: Operations Analytics, Master of Science in Operations Analytics (Approved)

      4. There are two changes proposed:
      In the first paragraph under the header Accelerated Master of Science in Operations Analytics, "OPAN course work can be taken as electives in" is changed to "courses listed as required or electives for the M.S.O.A. degree can be applied towards. " The sentence noting the waiver of GRE score submission for students with a CGPA of 3.5 or higher is deleted.

    Additional information for program change proposals and new program proposals may be viewed at https://registrar.uark.edu/program-unit-changes/index.php or in Attachment A.

  10. Proposed course changes/additions/deactivations (Attachment B) (Approved)
  11. Graduate faculty recommendations for faculty and graduate assistants (Attachment C) (Approved)
  12. Other Business
    1. Proposed change to CourseLeaf program change template. (Approved with added note in red)

      2. Several months back, the Undergraduate Council began a discussion over two of the questions currently on the program proposal form in CourseLeaf. At last month’s meeting, the Council finally took action, proposing some changes to both the verbiage and the intent behind these questions. The Undergraduate Council recognized the need for the Graduate Council to review and respond to the proposed changes before any action is taken.

      QUESTIONS AS THEY CURRENTLY APPEAR ON THE FORM:

      Screen capture of questions on the CourseLeaf form.

      1. Is this program interdisciplinary? – No
      2. Does this proposal impact any courses from another College/School? – No

    FEBRUARY UNDERGRADUATE COUNCIL MINUTES OUTLINING THE DISCUSSION/PROPOSED ACTIONS:

  13. Old Business:

    14. Follow-up discussion on the Council’s interpretation of two questions on the program proposal form in CourseLeaf.
    Acting Vice Provost Matt Ganio was in attendance to provide some context for considering how these questions might be interpreted/clarified going forward. The Council passed a motion to task Chair Alan Ellstrand, Acting Vice Provost Ganio, and the Director of Curriculum Review and Program Assessment to implement the following changes in CourseLeaf Program Management, pending Graduate Council adoption of the changes proposed by Undergraduate Council. Additionally, the Director of Curriculum Review and Program Assessment will work with the Registrar’s Office to clear up existing programs indicated as interdisciplinary but that do not meet the criteria of the newly defined question. The Director will also monitor the response to this question in all proposals going forward.

    1. “Is this program interdisciplinary?”

      2. After discussion, the Council agreed to the following verbiage change for this question: “Is this program interdisciplinary between two or more colleges or schools?”

      Additional clarification regarding the expectation that an agreement exists between all relevant parties will be provided via the following Help Bubble text: Programs are interdisciplinary when an agreement exists between at least two departments/programs across multiple colleges/schools to collaborate on determining and managing curriculum requirements for an academic program.

    2. “Does this proposal impact any courses from another College/School?”

      3. The current working definition for this question is when a course from another college is added or removed from core program requirements.

      Should this also include:

      1. Courses from another college added or removed from a list of electives?
      2. Courses from another college rescheduled from one semester to another in the 8 Semester Degree Plan?
      3. Another situation?

      The Council discussed and agreed to modify the second question to: “Do the proposed changes impact any specific course(s) from another college or school?” The Council also agreed that changes referenced in items a and b above should prompt a “Yes” response to this question. Additional clarification for these specific scenarios will be added via the following Help Bubble text: This includes courses added or removed from core or elective requirements as well as courses that are rescheduled from one semester to another in the eight-semester degree plan (if applicable).

      Responses to this question should reset with each new proposal but are currently being carried over from the previous submission; the Registrar’s Office is following up with CourseLeaf to see if this functionality can be adjusted.

    3. Results of degree time-to completion extension policy survey.
      1. A survey was sent to the Graduate Coordinators. A majority of the responses indicated the policy should remain the same. Several commented that having a time requirement motivates students to complete degrees in a timely manner.
      2. A motion was made for the current policy to be maintained. The motion was approved.

Meeting adjourned.

Minutes submitted by Phyllis Howell.