Members present at Waco campus: Dwight Allman (for Hankins, also); Rodney Bowden; Anne Marie Bowery; Tom Bratcher; Marion Castleberry; Baudelio Garza; Chris Kearney; Rafer Lutz; Carlos Manzanares; Chris Marsh; Carson Mencken; Ken Park; Bill Pitts; Robert Ray; Matthew Stanford; Ron Stanke; Amanda Sturgill; David Sturgill; Michael Thompson

Others present at Waco campus: Diane Brittain, Betty Fornelius, Bracy Hill, Laine Scales, Sherry Sims, Rosemary Townsend, Ken Wilkins

San Antonio Location: Nicholas Coppola, Dan Rendeiro

Teleconferencing Technician: Chad Owens

Dr. Dwight Allman gave the invocation.

I. Graduate Students' Health Insurance Coverage: Ms. Rosemary Townsend

• Health insurance premiums for graduate students will remain at the same rate as 2006/2007.
• Ms. Townsend is working closely with Mike Morrison from the International Office to resolve issues with international students regarding health insurance coverage and rates.
• Upon careful review of alternate policies, often the Baylor policy is better.
• It is critical for international students to have a current and correct mailing address on file with the University.
• The international student is responsible for having health insurance and, in some cases, Baylor can be held responsible if he or she does not.
• The Health Center makes multiple attempts to let the student know about critical deadlines.
• Important to give students a realistic idea of the costs of living for one year in Waco while attending Baylor.
• Baylor includes many people to review the various policies that are available to students in order to choose the best one.
• Last year Ms. Townsend reviewed 87 requests for waivers from international students to choose an alternate policy other than the one offered through Baylor. Of those 87 waivers that were submitted, 37 waivers were approved and 50 were denied. The approval rate was 42.5%.
• Dr. Lyon indicated that there is a proposal being considered that would offer some monetary assistance for those graduate students who need spousal coverage.
• The Big 12 Schools will address the issue of health care for graduate students at their summer meeting.

II. Report from Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Professional Development: Dr. Laine Scales

• The GSA Graduate Program Director of the Year (2006/2007) is Dr. Carson Mencken, Department of Sociology. The Graduate Student Association honored him this month.
• Teaching Assistant Preparation Program (TAPP)
  • Each workshop was evaluated by participants and all dimensions averaged four or above on a 5-point scale; a very positive rating.
  • TAPP will continue to balance providing broad concepts and specific techniques in the workshops.
  • Improvements will continue based on feedback from participants.
  • Part time faculty will be invited to attend workshops starting this Fall.

III. Report from Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Research: Dr. Ken Wilkins

• Travel awards:
  • The number of travel awards is at an all time high and more money was distributed than in previous years.
  • Funds collected for the BUGS calendars are helping provide funding for travel awards.
• Curriculum Committee:
  • Sandra Harman, Sherry Sims, and Ken Wilkins from the Graduate School serve as ex officio on the Graduate Curriculum Committee.
  • Please send a representative from the program making a proposal to attend the Curriculum Committee meeting to answer specific questions.
• The National Research Council Doctoral Assessment Project is finished and, in terms of level of participation by faculty, Baylor compared very favorably with other universities.

IV. Report from the Dean: Dr. Larry Lyon

• The Committee to study the stipend/tuition request process and the graduate student health insurance concerns met. The issues are financially and politically complex, but we are making progress.
• There are strong applicants for the position of Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management and Academic Technology.
• Dr. Lyon has a "Dean's Assessment" each year which goes to all Graduate Faculty. We may develop an assessment for graduate programs directors to assess the Dean.
• Graduate students who are teaching continue to get high evaluations that are higher than or equal to evaluations of the faculty.

The meeting concluded at 4:55 p.m.