Graduate Studies

Graduate Council Minutes - September 14, 2015

3:00 – 5:00 p.m., Horrabin Hall 60

Members Present: J. Averbeck (Vice Chair), P.K. Babu, V. Diehl, J. Ehrlich, K. Pawelko (Chair), S. Sanders, M. Stinnett, M. Stryker

Guests Present: K. Mayborn

Ex-Officio Present: N. Parsons

Others Present: A. Schulz

I. STUDENT APPEALS

A. Business Administration

1. Request to waive the 6-hour “C” rule

Student was present. He explained that he received his undergraduate degree at WIU and then took a full-time position before beginning his graduate degree. He took on more than he could handle and it showed in his grades. The student petitioned for grade replacement but did not fully read the policy and misunderstood it thinking that the low grade would come off of the transcript. The Council asked about course load and anticipated graduate date if appeal was approved. The Council also discussed current working conditions and future plans.

Motion: To approve the request to waive the 6-hour “C” rule. (Babu/Stryker). MOTION CARRIED 8 YES – 0 NO – 0 AB

B. Computer Science

1. Request to waive the 6-hour “C” rule

The student and department were unable to attend. The provided documentation was discussed by the Council.

Motion: To approve the request to waive the 6-hour “C” rule. (Averbeck/Stinnett). MOTION CARRIED 8 YES – 0 NO – 0 AB

C. Elementary Education

1. Request to waive the 6-hour “C” rule

The student was not able to attend. Dr. Stinnett provided additional information on behalf of the department. Documentation that was provided by the student was reviewed by Council members.

Motion: To approve the request to waive the 6-hour “C” rule. (Diehl/Stryker). MOTION CARRIED 8 YES – 0 NO – 0 AB

II. ANNOUNCEMENTS

A. Academic integrity incident reports filed in the School of Graduate Studies, April – August 2015 (3)

1. Resolved at the instructor level - 3

B. Requests to serve as a reader on exit option committee, April – August 2015 (0)

C. Graduate Committee Chair fall semester meeting – September 30, 2015

Ms. Schulz announced that the fall meeting of the Graduate Committee Chairs will be held on Wednesday, September 30 in Horrabin Hall 1 from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. Agenda items are still to be determined but could include assistantship funding, recruitment, and exit option committees among other topics. Ms. Schulz will include member of the Council on the meeting notice.

D. Temporary Graduate Faculty approvals for 2015-2016

Ms. Schulz provided Council members with a list of all faculty members that have been approved for temporary graduate faculty status for the 2015-2016 academic year. An updated list will be provided at the first regular meeting of the Spring 2016 semester.

III. GRADUATE FACULTY – FULL MEMBERSHIP

A. Christopher Jacques, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences

Motion: To approve the request. (Babu/Stryker). MOTION CARRIED 8 YES – 0 NO – 0 AB

IV. OLD BUSINESS

A. Grade Point Average requirements sub-committee

Dr. Sanders provided background information on the sub-committee. He reported that one option that the committee had considered was requiring a 3.0 GPA on the degree plan. Dr. Diehl asked about the downsides to implementing this policy change. Dr. Parsons noted that it would be beneficial to invite Ms. Tygrett from the School of Graduate Studies to talk about this proposal as she deals directly with degree plans and degree conferrals. Dr. Sanders agreed to remain on the sub-committee with former Council member Dr. McQuillan. Additional faculty members to serve on the sub-committee will be sought. 

B. Full Graduate Faculty status requirements sub-committee

Drs. Averbeck, Babu, and Diehl served on this sub-committee and provided information to the new Council members. Dr. Diehl noted that she believes that the packaging of the proposed changes could have been clearer and that the sub-committee will focus on that moving forward. Dr. Stryker volunteered to join this sub-committee.

V. NEW BUSINESS

A. Graduate Student Research and Professional Development sub-committee for Fall 2015

Ms. Schulz requested a sub-committee of one member from each college be formed to review the fall applications for the Graduate Student Research and Professional Development award recipients.

Sub-committee for fall will include Graduate Council members Babu, Sanders, Stinnett, and Stryker; spring will include members Averbeck, Diehl, Ehrlich, and Pawelko. A date in mid-October will be established for the fall selection meeting. Ms. Schulz will provide copies of the applications and evaluation forms. She will also schedule a location for the meeting and notify all involved.

B. School of Graduate Studies Professional Development Program sub-committee

Ms. Schulz reported that it was approved at the last Graduate Council meeting of the spring semester to form a sub-committee to review this program request. Drs. Stinnett and Averbeck volunteered to be on the sub-committee and will ask other graduate faculty to join including Drs. McNabb and Runquist.

VI. OTHER BUSINESS

Dr. Parsons provided copies of the form to serve as a reader on an exit option committee to Council members. She had been approached by a department that would like to have an option for qualified WIU employees to serve as a chair of an exit option committee. Dr. Parsons presented one possible amendment to the current form and process. The form could be changed to include the options of “reader” and “chair” of the exit option. If “reader” is selected, the process would remain the same and Dr. Parsons would approve/deny. If “chair” is selected, the application could come to the Council for review. Dr. Parsons explained that there are areas at the University where more Unit B faculty are being hired to replace Unit A positions and with the current structure, the Unit B hires are not eligible to chair exit option committees. Dr. Averbeck expressed concern over the possibility of non-department members chairing exit option committees. Dr. Parsons will modify the form as an example and invite the department chair that initiated the request to the next meeting.

Meeting adjourned: 4:25 p.m.