Date: May 7, 2001

To: ECOS

From: Graduate Council, Teresa Beed, Chair

RE: 2000-2001 Graduate Council Report of Activities

1. Curriculum Review

Much of Fall Semester’s activity is to review UM curriculum proposals. They are first sent to one of the Graduate Council (GC) subcommittees: Humanities, Schools, Sciences, Social Sciences and Behavior Sciences. These committees work with the requesting department to ensure that all information is correct and complete on the proposal forms. Once a subcommittee has voted to accept a proposal, it is taken to GC as a seconded motion. If questions arise at GC, people from the requesting department are invited to answer questions about the request before it is voted on and forwarded to FacSen.

2. New Suggestion for Timing of Proposals

Historically, all proposals came in during the month of September. This caused a bottleneck of activity for GC and made it difficult for the Council to even address issues other than proposals during most of fall semester. Therefore, it was suggested at several FacSen meetings that departments turn in proposals all year. Once voted on at FacSen, the proposals can be implemented, even though they may not make the UM catalog until the year after next. This request lead to many proposals being brought to GC and FacSen during all of spring semester and this should reduce the bottleneck of activity next fall.

3. TA Allocation Criteria Recommendation Sent to Administration

After working on this topic for more than one academic year, GC forwarded its final recommendation to UM Administration late Fall Semester.

4. Recommendation Regarding Graduate Priorities for the Future

In response to the UM Mission and Vision Statement, GC structured a response regarding priorities for graduate activities at UM. This response will be shared with Academic Planning Council, ECOS, and Faculty Senate. President Dennison was invited to GC to answer questions to assist GC in this process.

5. Forms Revision

A subcommittee, made up of GC and ASCRC members, completed a new set of forms for course proposal changes. This form was presented to GC and ASCRC for review. Some changes were made. The forms will be used for the 2001-2002 academic year and additional comments may be made based on their usefulness.

6. Selection of Bertha Morton recipients

GC selects the Bertha Morton recipients each spring semester.

7. Recommendations Due to the Ombudsman/Liaison role of GC

• Quality for students is greatly compromised when faculty, (fulltime or adjunct) and for whatever reason, are put in classes where they teach out of their areas of expertise
• An audio/visual lab and computer lab were forced to reduce hours and cannot meet the student demand/need
• To solve curriculum problems, regardless of how they happened, many faculty may be offering independent studies to cover closed classes and this reduces their ability to perform their other faculty responsibilities.

1. The Chair of GC represents GC on the APC