Graduate Council Meeting - Minutes
April 04, 2003

Graduate Council Members:

Ken Bowers, College of Letters & Science; Janice Bowman, College of Agriculture; Doug Cairns, College of Engineering; Katie Daughenbaugh, Graduate Students; Marc Giullian, College of Business; Richard Helzer, College of Arts & Architecture; Bruce McLeod, Graduate Dean; Gretchen McNeely, College of Nursing; Craig Stewart, College of Education, Health & Human Development

 

      Present: Chair Bruce McLeod, Janice Bowman, Mark Giullian, Ken Bowers, Craig Stewart, Doug Cairns, Lynn Taylor (for Gretchen McNeely), Katie Daughenbaugh, Peter Kommers (Architecture), Warren Jones (Civil Engineering),  Donna Negaard (College of Graduate Studies)

Meeting commenced at 9:00.

 

Graduate Council Agenda Items:

 

Item 1:  Criteria to be qualified for teaching a graduate course (i.e. to be the instructor of a graduate course)

 

            Concerns discussed:

·         Can an adjunct professor teach a graduate course?

·         Are instructor’s qualifications being reviewed in the department?

·         Should the department send a letter of verification for the instructor to CGS?

·         If information on submitted course requests isn’t clear, CGS will request additional information.

·         Many times the department head or designee signs off without reviewing the information contained in the course request.

·         CGS is involved with new requests only; CGS is not involved with existing courses.

·         The possibility of forming a committee to review course requests may need to done in order to prevent problems.

·         Many course requests are turned in after the deadline and the students get caught in the middle.  The departments need to follow deadlines.

 

The College of Graduate Studies will have to consider revising the process if departments continue to turn in information incomplete and/or late.

 

Item 2:  Professional International Transcript Evaluations

 

Concerns discussed:

·         It is sometimes difficult to determine if a student has graduated from a three or four year international program. 

·         Should an evaluation be completed by a professional service, department or the CGS?

·         It is important to maintain the high academic quality of students and to be careful of language barriers.

·         If the department says the student’s transcript is okay, the burden is on the department.

·         Should the student or department pay for a professional evaluation?

·         Should all foreign student transcripts be evaluated by a professional evaluator or should an individual transcript be evaluated after questions arise?

·         A liability to MSU exists, if an I-20 is issued based upon our incorrect understanding of the transcript.

·         Will the process be slowed down by a professional evaluation?

·         Will professional evaluations affect the pool of applicants qualified for fee waivers?

 

            McLeod will meet with Norm Peterson for more information about the CGS office working with international programs.

 

            Action:  Tabled until more information is available.

 

Item 3:  Double-listed courses (Courses in which undergraduates and graduates are taught at the same time but students receive either graduate or undergraduate credit are “double listed.”  Where used, graduate students may be required to take different laboratory sections, different examinations or attend extra mentoring sessions.)  Double listed courses have never been approved at MSU because most graduate deans and Graduate Council members felt double listing reduces the quality of the graduate experience.

 

·         Most double-listed courses do not have distinct undergraduate and graduate requirements to maintain the quality of the graduate program.

·         Most 4xx level courses can be used on a student’s program as long as they do not to exceed the maximum requirements for a program.

·         A graduate program should have an adequate number of graduate courses.

 

            Action:  Graduate Committee agreed to maintain the policy of not allowing a course         to be double listed.

 

            Item 4:  Continuous enrollment

   

            Action:  Tabled for a future meeting.

Meeting adjourned at 10:00.