Faculty Senate

Graduate Council Meeting Minutes

December 3, 2008

GBB 202, 12:10-1:00 p.m.

Members Present: L. Ametsbichler, R. Bolton, L. Frey, T. Herron, J. Hirstein, M. McGuirl, N. Moisey, G. Quintero, G. Stanley, C. VonReichert C. Watson

Members Absent/Excused: R. Baker K. Meusel M. Moore C. Winkler

Ex-officio members Present:

The meeting was called to order at 12:15 p.m.

The 11/19/08 minutes were amended and approved.

Communication

• Professor Ross - Chemistry resigned from the IIP Admissions Committee because of his position in the Graduate School. The Admissions Committee includes a representative from each of the discipline areas so it was not necessary to find a replacement member.
  
  
• The proposal to offer the didactic courses for the Ed Leadership PhD online was pulled from the consent agenda. The proposal did not include a correct list of courses, several courses listed were experimental and the department of Curriculum and Instruction was not consulted. Several of their courses would be affected. The Council voted unanimously to officially rescind its approval of the proposal.
• A Geosciences faculty member on ECOS requested that the MS in Geography be removed from the consent agenda because the department of Geosciences was not consulted. The memo from Geosciences dated 12/1 recommended non-approval of both the BS and MS. Discussions took place after the memo was distributed and the item was put back on the consent agenda. Professor Stanley from Geosciences was not aware of the subsequent discussion. A motion to remove the item from the consent agenda failed 4 to 7.

Business Items:

• Curriculum follow-up: Professional Schools
  The following items were approved:

• The Science Subcommittee has not yet reviewed the admissions standards submitted by Public and Community Health Science. This will be a priority spring semester.
• The Dual Listing Workgroup researched other universities' practices in terms of undergraduate/graduate courses. Several schools had parallel listings (including MSU) and some allowed 400 level courses under certain conditions, none had a UG designation. The Workgroup will recommend the elimination of the UG designation in favor of cross listing and limiting 400 level courses to 10 credits. The following describes the differences between graduate and undergraduate courses:

Graduate programs differ from undergraduate programs in requiring a greater depth of study and increased demands on student intellectual or creative capacities beyond the undergraduate level.  Graduate courses should include content above that expected from one who already possesses knowledge of the discipline equal to that of a typical undergraduate degree in the field.  A graduate student should not receive credit for a graduate course if a commensurate undergraduate course has also been completed.

Graduate courses should include opportunity for significant interaction amongst graduate students as well as with the faculty member teaching the course.  Graduate courses should require a higher level of cognitive processing.  Frequently, graduate courses will contain significant communication, writing, and speaking requirements, as well as required and suggested readings of research and scholarship in the discipline.  Characteristics of graduate courses may include, for example: requiring upper division prerequisites; requiring and extensive theoretical base in the discipline; or presenting course or important peripheral components of the discipline at an advanced level.

The current UG system does not provide an effective graduate experience; the change should provide a better quality experience for graduate students.  These courses will be more attractive to students.  There are concerns regarding low enrollment courses.  It was suggested that the Registrar be consulted regarding how this would be handled in the system.  He could contact the MSU Registrar.  Camie will also check with the Office of Planning, Budgeting and Analysis regarding any impacts to reporting. 

Good and Welfare: None

The meeting was adjourned at 1:00 p.m.