Graduate Council Meeting
Regent’s Room
3:00 PM
September 16, 2011
Minutes
Invited Guests: Paul Robbins, Paulette Kurzer
Members Present: Katherine Morrissey, Barry Pryor,Robert Torres, Eliane Rubinstein-Avila, Jerel Slaughter, Steven Dvorak, William Epstein,Dianne Horgan, John Brobeck,Meg Lota Brown, Tim Secomb, Carl Maes, Nathan Cherrington, Denise Roe, Amy Fatzinger, Marcela Vasquez-Leon, Katie Angus, Maria Teresa Velez, Dorian Voorhees
Members Not Present/Excused: Rose Ylimaki, Andrew Comrie, Matthew Cordes, Betul Ozkan, Lois Loescher, Koen Visscher, Ivy Pike, Gail Varin, John Williams, Clarissa Sema, Dianne Horgan
Call to Order and Roll Call. The meeting was called to order by Chair Morrissey at 3:04 P.M. A member sign-in sheet was passed. The minutes of the April 2011 meeting were approved as read.
Welcome and Introduction of Members. Chair, Morrissey welcomed back council members and welcomed new members
Dean’s Report. Associate Dean, Velez reported that enrollment looks about the same, admits look a little higher. Update was given on Graduate Diversity Fellowships. Asst. Dean, Voorhees gave update on RCM – budgets went out to the Deans in Aug. There was a largemistake which has been resolved. The Grad portion is not set. Issues are being resolved now.
Pres. Sander has new perspective on Grad funding and we will remain positive and focus on where grad education is. Dean Voorhees also mentioned that it is time to revisit and clarify ERE and how it is incentivized when it comes to post doc hires rather than grad students.
Review of Graduate Council Duties. Katherine Morrissey
GPSC Report. Member Katie Angus updated council on the following:
- Graduate orientation happened: 575 students (Aug 17)
- Social: 540 students (Aug 19)
- Information session/social for LGBTQIA (Aug 16)
- Special elections are going on now to fill seats
- Travel grant information sessions happened recently (38% of newly approved budget is for travel grants = $155,000) monthly deadlines
- Lots of money for clubs as well. (Initial Club Funding, Special Club Finding, Professional Opportunity Development Grants) = $40,000 monthly deadlines
- GPSC is not included in NEW President Search; President Sander will attend the October 12 meeting.
New Business.
- TA policy - Associate Dean, Velez gave update on TA policy and Fed Aid news, said there was no real change. Amounts remain the same.
- MDP proposal Paul Robbins –Paul Robbinsproposed new academic degree program and fielded questions from council. Council made very positive comments about the proposal. All voted in favor with one abstention.
- Collaborative Gov certificate Paulette Kurzer–proposed online certificate. Fielded questions. Council suggested that a vote not be made until Dr. Horgan can meet with them. Voted to table issue. All in favor.
- Fees for Dual Degrees- Dean Voorhees mentioned the need for a mechanism that accesses tuition fairly so that the students should not be over penalized for seeking 2 degrees at one time; this affects only differential fees and 25 programs. Denise Roe asked “what if one does have differential fees and one doesn’t?” Dianne Horgan will report back on this.
Information items
Tom Rhodes provided a very informative presentation on milestones in UAccess and Dashboards.
Council found the information exciting and feel that system will be a very useful tool.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:46 p.m. The next meeting of the Graduate Council is October 21, 2011.
Respectfully submitted,
Connie Garcia
Graduate Council Secretary