COLLEGE OF GRADUATE STUDIES

 

 

Attention Department Chairs:

Please circulate a copy of these minutes to your faculty

 

To:������ TAMUK Faculty

From:��� Dr. Hector Estrada, Graduate Council Secretary (x2269, Hector.Estrada@tamuk.edu)

Topic:�� Minutes from the regular Graduate Council Meeting of January 21, 2003

 

 

Faculty Present: Dr. Yousri Elkassabgi, Dr. Hector Estrada,� Dr. Dean Ferguson, Dr. Maribel Gonzalez-Garcia, Dr. David Hewett, Dr. Craig Hollingshead, Dr. Steven Lukefahr, Dr. Robert Marshall, Dr. Alberto Olivares, , Dr. Ali Pilehvari, Dr. Fred Ponder, Dr. David Sabrio, Dr. Nestor Sherman, Dr. Chu-Sheng Tai.

 

Faculty Absent : Dr. Charles Alworth, Dr. Randy Stanko.

 

Graduate Student Representatives Present: Jennifer Elston, Lorie Ann Gonzalez, Katie Turner, and Judy Vandervest.

 

Graduate Student Representatives Absent: Mustafa Shaik.


 

I.��������� The meeting was held in the Blue Room of Sam Fore Hall and was called to order at 2:45 p.m. The minutes from the meeting of November 26, 2002 were approved with one correction.

 

II.�������� Standing committee reports

 

A.� Executive Committee

 

����� Dr. Marshall reminded the Graduate Council members to respond to the survey emailed on January 14 by Dr. Olivares. A composite response from the Graduate Council will be summarized and returned to Dr. Olivares.�

 

B.�� Membership Committee

 

����������������� Dr. Gonzalez-Garcia noted that the office of Graduate Studies sent a call for graduate faculty nominations to the Academic Deans, Department Chairs, and Graduate Program Directors in December 2002. The deadline for submitting the graduate faculty nominations to the Graduate Office is January 27, 2003. Dr. Olivares noted that in the memo that went with the call for graduate faculty nominations, he included the names of the faculty whose Graduate Faculty membership expires in August 2003.

 

C.�� Curriculum Committee

 

None

 

D.     D.     Program Review Committee

 

Dr. Lukefahr reported that the Program Review Committee is currently reviewing four master�s degree programs and the final reports will be presented to the Graduate Council at the next meeting.

 

III.               III.               Dean's Report

 

Dean Olivares reported on the following items:

 

1.TAMUS has been working with the System graduate deans for the past two years in developing graduate pathway programs for our students. Several incentives for faculty to participate in these cooperative programs are being investigated. In addition, a System Graduate Faculty concept is being investigated.

2. INS requires all graduate students to be enrolled for a minimum of 9 SCH during the fall and spring semesters.

3. Dr. Jackie Thomas, Director for the Center for Teaching Effectiveness, will soon announce the GTA workshops. All graduate teaching assistants are required to attend. Your assistance in enforcing this requirement within your academic department is necessary. Dr. Olivares reminds Deans and Department Chairs that this is a SACS requirement.

 

����������� Dr. Olivares invited Miss Millie Slaughter from International Student Services to discuss item 2 above. The INS requires all foreign students to be enrolled for a �full course load�, which can be defined by the institution. A �full course load� is not necessarily 9 SCH during fall/spring semesters, but the institution must have a clear definition of� �full course load� in place. The Graduate Catalog change in the New Business below is intended to clarify TAMUK�s definition of �full course load�. In any event, should anybody have any questions about INS regulations as they apply to TAMUK, please contact Miss Slaughter to get answers or clarification. She is the best person to address these questions because she is the INS liaison on campus.

 

IV.              IV.              Student Representatives

 

Dr. Maribel Gonzalez-Garcia announced that Lorie Ann Gonzalez replaces Srinivas Malladi as the student representative from the college of Arts and Science.

 

V.                 V.                 Old Business

 

None

 

VI.              VI.              New Business

 

Dr. Olivares requested a vote to approve a change to the 2002-2004 Graduate Catalog, in the Normal Course Load section at the bottom of page 69 and top of page 70. This change deals with the classification of �full course load� for those students registered for project, thesis, or dissertation work. The proposed change to the statement, which will be sent to the provost for her approval was approved by the graduate council, unanimously.

 

VII.            VII.            A motion was made to adjourn the meeting at 3:35 p.m.� The motion was seconded and passed. The next meeting of the Graduate Council is scheduled for February 18, 2003.

 

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Dr. Hector Estrada, Secretary