Graduate Studies

Graduate Council Minutes - October 7, 2024

3:00 p.m., Virtual

Members Present: P.K. Babu (Vice Chair), Roberta Di Carmine, Niyazi Ekici,  Todd Lough, Jim McQuillan (Chair), Gina Yi, Chunying Zhao, Danyang Zhao

Guests Present: Rashmi Sharma, Renee Polubinsky, Dinesh Ekanayake, Tawnya Adkins Covert

Ex-officio Present: Christopher Pynes

Others Present: Amanda Schulz

 

I. GRADUATE FACULTY – FULL MEMBERSHIP

A. Rashmi Sharma, Assistant Professor, Education

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

B. Maggie MacPherson, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences

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

C. Vaskar Nepal, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences   

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


II. ANNOUNCEMENTS

A. Academic integrity incident reports filed in the School of Graduate Studies, September 2024 (3)

B. Graduate Student Research and Professional Development Fund

Ms. Schulz announced that the School of Graduate Studies would once again be offering the fund to current students. The applications are due to the Grad Office by October 15 after which a sub-committee of the Graduate Council will be formed a review meeting held to select the recipients. All notifications are emailed to students and their advisors.

 

III. GRADUATE CURRICULUM

A. Kinesiology

1. Request to change graduate program requirements

a. Master of Public Health

Dr. Polubinsky explained that the departments merged over the summer and that they cross-listed some courses during the spring semester but didn’t catch that they were part of the program requirements so the formal paperwork was required.

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

b. Master of Science in Kinesiology

Dr. Polubinsky noted that this is the same as the request for Public Health.

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

B. Mathematics

1. Request for a 400-G level course

a. MATH 489, Numerical Optimization, 3 s.h.

Dr. Ekanayake explained the course and need for it to be offered at the graduate level. Dr. Babu asked if the course is different from MATH 583. Dr. Ekanayake explained that it is not 100% but does have a different primary focus area and eliminates the prerequisite that is required for MATH 583. Dr. McQuillan noted that the prerequisites must match at the undergrad and graduate levels and provided instructions on how to change them.

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

C. Sociology

1. Request to change graduate program requirements

a. Master of Arts in Sociology

Dr. Adkins Covert explained that the program would like to allow up to nine hours of 400G-level courses instead of the current six hours that they allow for the program because of a lack of 500-level courses available.

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

D. Political Science

1. Request for a new graduate (500 or 600-level) course

a. POLS 605, Manual, 0 s.h.

Dr. LaFrance provided information about offering new exit options to better serve the students and the skills they will need in the job market. Dr. Babu asked if these new courses were required for all students or if this was a separate exit option. Dr. LaFrance responded that this is part of the new exit option. Dr. McQuillan asked about the prerequisites for the course. Dr. LaFrance explained that they wanted to leave it somewhat vague to allow for any adjustments with faculty in the future.

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

b. POLS 606, Portfolio, 0 s.h.

Dr. LaFrance explained this course is also part of the new exit option so has the same rationale as POLS 505.

Motion: To approve the request. (Lough/D. Zhao)
MOTION CARRIED 8 YES – 0 NO – 0 AB

IV. OTHER BUSINESS

None reported.

Meeting adjourned: 3:26 p.m.