Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Council in Attendance:
Mike Wittie (Engineering)
Christopher Livingston (Architecture)                       
Scott Creel (Letters & Science)
Sweeney Windchief (Education)
Michael Brody (Faculty Senate)
Marc Giullian (Business)
Dawn Tarabochia (Health & Human Development)
Catherine Dunlop (Letters & Science)
Dennis Aig (Arts)
Hannah McKelvey (Library)
Jane Mangold (Agriculture)
Craig Ogilvie (Dean of The Graduate School)

 

Also in Attendance:             
Lauren Cerretti (Graduate School)

 

Absent:
Maureen Kessler (Student Representative)
Wade Hill (Nursing)

Meeting started at 11:01 am on WebEx

November 9, 2021 minutes

  • Motion to approve by Mangold, 2nd by Tarabochia, motion passes: unanimous pass

Announcements

  • Update from the Dean
    • Provost would like more oversight of UGC/ Grad School policy updates
      • Would like some items discussed at Academic Council and Faculty Senate
      • Dean met with FS Chair
      • Not all items need to be reviewed, but any policies that overlap with other bodies on campus should be sent to FS and Academic Council
        • Examples:
          • Associate Graduate Faculty policy will likely need to be reviewed by others
          • Provisional Admission procedure won’t need to be reviewed
        • Still need to workout procedural aspects of shared oversight
        • Q: Is this retroactive? E.g. would co-convene policy need to be reviewed?
          • Dean will inquire
        • Vice Chair
          • Tricia Seifert stepping down from role and Council to head Department of Education
            • Sweeney Windchief will serve as member in her place
          • Catherine Dunlop to serve as Vice Chair moving forward
          • Dean suggests UGC review bylaws to potentially create system to elect officers
  • Faculty Senate update (Brody)
          • Looking to pass a faculty climate resolution to address the climate crisis
            • Would be addressed in faculty curriculums
            • Meeting is tomorrow

Old Business

  • Associate Graduate Faculty, Revised Policy Proposal
    • Faculty Handbook is linked in policy and allows research faculty to chair committees as long as it meets GS policy.
    • This policy would bring us closer to alignment with Faculty Handbook and define a process by which a research faculty could be a sole chair
    • Would like more input from the larger faculty group on campus
    • Not sure faculty handbook states RF “do” have privileges, but that they “may” if it is consistent with other stated rules
    • Wittie moves to vote to approve proposal as written, Dunlop 2nd
      • For: 6, against: 3, abstain: 0
      • Will go to Faculty Senate for review and vote
    • Name changed to “Graduate Faculty Associate”
    • Q: How does this fit in the faculty handbook?
    • Some College of Agriculture feedback has not been in favor of NTT research faculty chairing committees; not because of capability, but concerned about erosion of tenure, availability of research faculty, concern RF not as embedded in the academic portions of a college or program, salary concerns for research faculty.
    • Echoing above. Not a concern of competence but concern over erosion of tenure track appointments. Does not seem the correct way to grow the graduate program for College of Letters & Science
    • Chair calls for motion on proposal

 

  • Graduate Certificate in Science Teaching in STEM, Level I Proposal
    • Yes, including a new MSSE 511 course that has already been approved and will be offered spring 2022 (concern about cost to develop course now moot)
    • Giullian moves to accept proposal, Wittie 2nd
      • For: 9 , against: o, abstain: 0; unanimous pass
    • Discussion
    • Q: does this contain all of the elements that the Provost Office requested at last meeting?
    • Chair calls for motion on proposal

 

  • Graduate Certificate in Applied Economic Analysis, Level I Proposal
    • Dean will suggest revise to show 460 as reserved for GR credit and change UG credits for that semester to 12 (18 total cr)
    • Comment: this assumes a UG will need 12 UG credits that semester (and others when they reserve) and might not.
      • Currently about 40% of MSU students have fin aid and are required to enroll in 12 UG credits
      • Provost Office is okay with individual student situations (discussed with advisor and Fin Aid) but the general requirement is 12 cr
    • Dean will bring to proposer for revision
    • Wittie moves to approve, Creel 2nd
    • For: 8, against: 0, abstain: 1
    • Discussion
    • Curriculum section (pg 5): ECNS 460 listed as to be used fall of senior year for UG degree, but also list it as required for the GR certificate
    • “B or better” requirement might not ensure GPA required to reserve credits for graduate use (req is 3.25)
    • Chair calls for motion

New Business

  • Update to WWAMI Curriculum
    • Informational item; changes are extensive
    • Curriculum largely set by Univ of Washington medical school; UW initiated changes
    • ~20 course revisions have gone through CiM system and are with Faculty Senate

 

Adjourned at 12:31 pm

Next scheduled meeting – Spring 2022 TBD