BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY
MINUTES OF THE September 18, 2006 MEETING OF THE GRADUATE COUNCIL
PLACE: Couper Administration Building, Room 148
PRESIDING: Nancy E. Stamp, Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
MEMBERS: Ben Brewster, John Bridge, David Campbell, Jim Constable, Theresa Grabo, Maria-Theresia Holub, Tom McDonough, Weiyi Meng, Susan Pollock, Karen Salvage, Eugene Stevens, Marilyn Tallerico, Steve Tammariello, Diane Wiener, Tom Wilson
EX OFFICIO
MEMBERS: Lindsay Tremain
EXCUSED: Gisela Brinker-Gabler, Susan Currie, Stephen Gilje, Maneesha Lal,
Gerald Sonnenfeld
ABSENT: Murali Jagannathan, Ed Kokkelenberg, Steven Schwartz
GUESTS: Cheryl Foster, Cathy Smith, Karen Bromley
I. CALL TO ORDER:
Vice Provost and Dean Nancy Stamp called the meeting to order at 3:01 p.m.
II. ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Introductions of the members were made.
Dean Stamp explained what Graduate Council is, what it does and what each committees does.
III. MINUTES:
The minutes of the May 8, 2006 meeting were approved as written.
IV. COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Academic Standards Committee
Dean Stamp gave an overview of what the committee does. This committee considers new policies and reviews any revisions on current policies. This committee will be considering the revisions in the By-Laws to reflect the division of SEHD so there will be proper representation on the Council from the School of Education and CCPA.
Advisory Committee for Scholarship and Research
This committee is a joint committee between the Graduate Council and the Division of Research. This committee reviews the organized research centers proposals. They also review the nominations for Faculty Excellence in Research awards.
Budget Advisory Committee
This committee advises the Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School about budgetary or financial issues. They also review the applications for the travel award for graduate students and select recipients of the award.
Curriculum Committee
1. Changes in three Teacher Preparation Programs:
a) Additional Certification Program in Literacy
b) Changes and Rationale in the Childhood Education Program
c) Rationale for Changes in Inclusive Childhood Education Program
Karen Bromley attended to explain the changes and answer any questions.
Prof. Susan Pollock questioned if “American” in the title of the course ELED 501: Perspectives in American Education accurately represented course content to meet NYSED guidelines. Is NYS asking specifically for a background in American education or something broader. Prof. Bromley will go back to the department for clarification. There was a vote to approve the changes in the programs with clarification from the department. Vote: 12 yes; 2 abstentions; 0 no.
The Curriculum Committee drafted a Template for proposal for a dual-diploma master’s degree program. This will be posted on the Graduate School website so departments will have easy access to it.
Grievance Committee
This committee hears student grievances. This committee will be reviewing department grievance procedures and develop a template of grievance procedures to help departments that currently do not have procedures development them.
Strategic Planning Committee
This committee has spent the last two years developing the Mission Statement of the Graduate School, Core Values, Vision Statement and Strategic Plan. This year they will be working on some action items.
V. NEW BUSINESS:
· Dean Stamp gave an overview of graduate education issues (nationally, internationally, SUNY and campus). Nationally, there is a focus on making Congress aware of graduate education. There are serious concerns that are not being dealt with nationally. There is concern about the retention rate and time-to-degree statistics. National studies show that times-to-degree are getting longer. The National Research Council study is coming in the fall.
On the international scene the European union is working on programs that allow students to attend universities across the countries of the European union streamlining their programs and making the research part more Americanized. They are moving toward 3-2-3, which is 3 years for baccalaureate, 2 years for master’s and 3 years for the doctorate. This will make recruitment easier for them.
New York State is gradually reducing the amount of money that is going to higher education.
Campus—the University increased stipends for 2006-07. A document, “Stipend analysis and targets for first year graduate students,” was distributed to discuss how the target is calculated and then the stipend base set.
· Student fees for courses: agreements with Student Accounts. Dean Stamp explained this handout. The 5-year agreement where funded students must register for 9 credits, even though they only needed 1 credit to maintain registration and only be charged fees for one credit of thesis/dissertation research has expired. Fees are set by the University, not the Graduate School and the Graduate School cannot waive them.
· Graduate School Five-Year Limits. A handout explaining the five-year limits was distributed and discussed. The Graduate School sent out letters this summer reminding students they are nearing or beyond their five year limit and asking them to see their advisor and establish a contract describing a schedule and plans of finishing. There was some discussion that one of the departments objected to the letters that went to the students mainly because it called for students having a contract. Dean Stamp suggested having the Academic Standards Committee look at the letters that went out and discuss the issue of requiring a plan of completion by the student.
VI. ADJOURNMENT:
The meeting was adjourned at 4:32 p.m. on a motion by Professor Stevens and seconded by Professor Salvage.
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Minutes recorded by Alta Hooker,
Secretary to the Vice Provost and Dean
of the Graduate School