UAA Graduate Council Minutes

Friday, September 22, 2017 / 1:30 PM-2:30 pm / RH 204
Audio Attendance: (866) 832-7806 /Participant Code: 3348181

UAA's Graduate Council advises the Dean of the Graduate School in policy matters and promotes general advocacy of programs throughout the University community. The Council reviews, determines, and recommends policies for graduate programs. Its members consist of graduate chairs, directors, and a graduate student representative.

Members:

TBD
Chair / TBD
Vice Chair / X / Aaron Dotson / X / Amanda Walch / X / Anthony Paris
X / Cassie Wells / X / Clare Dannenberg / X / David Stevenson / X / Gabe Garcia / X / Grant Sasse
X / Greg Protasel / X / Jill Janke / X / Jonathan Stecyk / X / LuAnn Piccard / X / Mary Dallas Allen
X / sally Carraher / X / Simon Kattenhorn / X / Terry Nelson / Tim Jester
/ X / Vivian Gonzalez
Graduate Student Rep: / X / Brionne Elkins
Graduate School: / X / Helena S. Wisniewski / X / Elisa Mattison
Ex Officio: / Andre Rosay
(COH) / Bogdan Hoanca
(CBPP) / Patricia Linton
(CAS) / Paul Deputy
(COE)
Rob Lang
(COEng) / X / Anthony Paris
(GAB) / Jane Shelby
(WWAMI)
Registrar/
Admissions / Alyona Selhay / X / Cathy Ewing

1) Roll Call and Approval of Agenda/Approval of Minutes

  • Agenda Approved
  • April 2017 minutes were not distributed. Approval will move to the October 2017 meeting agenda.

2) Remarks/Report from Chair (see attached 2016-17 Year in Review)

3) Reports:

  1. Dean’s Report (Helena Wisniewski)
  2. Director’s Report (Elisa Mattison)

Email Elisa if you are interested in assisting with the 3-Minute Thesis Competition planning committee.

  1. Registrar’s Report (Alyona Selhay)

1. Students can still register in practicum, thesis, research and directed/independent studies courses this fall. The deadline is Oct. 27. This also includes continuous registration (EX _ _ courses).
2. Spring 2018 schedule schedule proofs are due today.
3. Summer 2018 schedule proofs will be made available to departments next week.

  1. Admissions Report (Cathy Ewing)
  2. Graduate Student Report (Brionne Elkins)
  • Graduate Student Association is planning a mixer for students and faculty at the Varsity Grille.

4) Old Business:

  1. Elect New Chair & Vice Chair (see Bylaws)
  • Motion: Amanda Walch was nominated for Chair; Mary Dallas Allen was nominated for Vice Chair. Motion passed.
  • Amanda agreed to serve as chair for fall semester with the option to reassess for spring semester.
  • 3-Minute Thesis Competition
  • Contact Elisa if you are interested in assisting with planning.
  • Proposal to remove inactive students & reinstatement catalog copy (see below)—we discussed these in April and made some revisions, but did not vote
  • Discussion moved to October meeting.

5) New Business:

  1. Recruitment--For October’s Graduate Council meeting:
  2. report how your program currently recruits new students.
  3. report, how you would like to see recruiting of new students for your program
  4. Do you think your program is currently at capacity of graduate students/faculty advisor and committee members available. Why or why not?
  5. Organize working groups:
  6. Catalog updates
  7. 3-Minute Thesis competition
  8. INDS program
  9. Student support & employment
  10. Other ideas: Graduate student recruitment and retention; Graduate student stipend and tuition.

Motion to Remove Inactive Students

The Graduate Council resolves that the Graduate School should remove students from degree-seeking status who have failed to either: (1) maintain continuous registration as appropriate to the program or (2) obtained a temporary leave of absence for at least one year. Students who are removed from programs would need to follow the reinstatement or reinstatement policies before resuming graduate studies.

Prior to beginning the removal process, the Graduate School should contact individual programs and work with programs to determine appropriate action.

Reinstatement to Graduate Degree-Seeking Status

If you fail to register for at least 1 graduate or 400-level credit as listed your official GSP in fall and spring semester (or summer semester) depending upon your program, or to obtain a leave of absence, you will be dropped from graduate study and will have to be reinstated before resuming graduate studies.

  • To be reinstated, you must be a graduate student in good standing (overall GPA and most recent semester GSP of 3.0 or higher)
  • Your last enrollment at UAA was less than 2 years ago.
  • See Reinstatement Form on the Graduate School website.

[Add title that’s parallel to undergraduate]

Students who have been removed from graduate degree-seeking status for failure to make satisfactory academic progress or because their last enrollment was 2 or more years ago must submit a new application to the Graduate School and their prior program and pay the appropriate fee. Readmission may be provisional on maintaining minimum academic standards within the first semester of study.

Continuous Registration

Continuous registration is expected every semester as appropriate for the program, from admission through graduation, until all requirements for the degree are completed.
To make continuous progress in a graduate program, students have the following options:

  • Register for at least 1 graduate-level credit applicable to their graduate degree, or
  • Pay the continuous registration fee to remain active in the graduate program although not registered in any courses. Students are also expected to register or pay the continuous registration fee for the summer if they use university facilities or consult with faculty during the summer. The continuous registration deadline is the same as the deadline for registration for thesis, research and independent study courses, i.e., the end of the ninth week of fall and spring semesters or the end of the seventh week of the summer semester. Failure to undertake continuous registration may result in previously deferred (DF) grades taken for thesis research becoming permanent grades. Students not making continuous progress or not on an approved leave of absence (see Leave of Absence on this page) may be placed on academic probation (see Academic Standing on this page). or, in some cases, removed from graduate degree-seeking status. (See Reinstatement Policy).

Temporary Leave of Absence
Graduate students are expected to make continuous progress toward completion of their graduate programs, but there are instances where continuous registration is not possible. Students who need to temporarily suspend studies while earning a graduate degree must obtain an approved leave of absence. A Request for Approved Leave of Absence must be submitted by the Continuous Registration deadline (Form can be found on the Graduate School website).

Students who fail to obtain a leave of absence will be dropped from degree seeking status after one year. Students who are dropped must either apply for reinstatement or reapply for admission before resuming graduate studies. (See Reinstatement Policy and [Reapplication] Policy)