The Fletcher School PhD Committee Meeting Minutes

Tuesday, April 4, 2017 (postponed from March 14th) in C-407 from 11am-12:30pm

Present: Bacon, Burckett-Picker, Daniels, Decembrele, Jacobsen, Pfaltzgraff, Rouhana,

Rounseville

Absent: Bulutgil

A.  Approval of Minutes of January 24, 2017 APPROVED

B.  Petitions--Consent Agenda (Non-controversial items that you can approve BEFORE the meeting by sending Jenifer an email ‘okay’ by Friday before meeting. If you ever want to hold an item out to discuss at meeting, please also let Jenifer know that.)

1.  Stephen Bergey APPROVED

He petitions for an extension of time until August 1, 2017 to defend his dissertation proposal. He passed comps in April 2016 and proposal was due by Feb. 1, 2017. This is his first extension, approved by advisor Jacque.

2.  Shotaro Sasaki APPROVED

He petitions for a year’s extension until Dec. 22, 2017 to defend and submit his dissertation. Passed comps in Nov. 2011.This is his first extension for dissertation. See attached petition and timeline. Approved by chair William Moomaw.

C.  Regular Agenda

3.  Andrea Walther-Puri APPROVED, must complete by June 1, 2018

She petitions to be allowed to take her comprehensive exams in May 2017 before finishing her coursework—Econometrics requirement. In April 2016 she petitioned to complete Econometrics requirement in summer 2016. New petition granted contingent on certain conditions. Approved by adviser Shultz.

4.  Jamilah Welch Approved, and requested to complete these two outstanding courses by end of this semester

She petitions to be allowed to take her comprehensive exams in April 2017 before finishing her spring 2016 independent study with Prof. Kim Wilson. Approved by Prof. Wilson. She also petitions to take her exams before finishing the final paper for Prof. Bulutgil’s P210 class. Approved by Prof. Bulutgil, who urges her to complete P210 work ASAP after exams this semester.

D.  Other Business

1.  PhD Admissions update (Jenifer)—admission offered to 8 internal and 5 external applicants. To date 5 internals and 2 externals are “yes”, 1 external is “no” and still waiting to hear from the others.

2.  Advanced Field Research Methods course update (Karen)- Karen will form a “PhD Methodology Requirements” committee and come up with a plan for what we should aspire to offer PhDs for methodology courses at Fletcher by our April 25th meeting. This would be discussed and then passed to Academic Dean and Academic Council for discussion/approval.

3.  Faculty Mentors update and Academic Track Speed Mentoring

(Karen and Jenifer) Karen organized a very successful session last month with Zeynep Bulutgil, Kimberly Theidon, Alnoor Ebrahim, and herself speaking. Jenifer and Elana Givens are organizing an “Academic Track Speed Mentoring” event with dinner on April 19th from 5:30-7:30pm on Cabot 7.

4.  GMAP petition for an Executive PhD Program (Jenifer)—Committee agreed unanimously that this was not a desirable option for PHD.

5.  Update on PhD Strategic Planning Committee (Nadim Rouhana, Jenifer Burckett-Picker, Jeff Bacon) Data has been collected (student memo, faculty survey, BOA briefing) and a draft SP will be presented at next PSPC mtg on April 19th.

Future Ph.D. Committee Mtgs.

April 25 from 11-12:30 in C407

Thursday, May 18, 1:30-3pm (just before Faculty Mtg.) in C 407

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