Members present at Waco campus:
Dwight Allman; Stacy Atchley; Robert Baird (for Bowery); Rodney Bowden; Tom Bratcher; Baudelio Garza; Susan Johnsen; Chris Kearney; Rafer Lutz; Chris Marsh; Carson Mencken; Karen Mittendorf (for Carini); David Music; Michael Parrish (for Hankins & Thompson); Robert Ray; David Schlueter; Al Smith; Matthew Stanford; David Sturgill; Peter Van Walsum

Others present at Waco campus:
Diane Brittain, Bracy Hill, Tom & Kristen Pope, Laine Scales, Sherry Sims, Chip Tate, Ken Wilkins

San Antonio Location:
Nicholas Coppola

Teleconferencing Technician:
Chad Owens

Dr. Bob Baird gave the invocation.

I. Council of Southern Graduate School's award for New Scholars in Humanities and Fine Arts: Dr. Larry Lyon.

• Congratulations to Richard Russell, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of English has won the award for 2007; this prestigious regional award given every three years. Dr. Ray, the GPD from English, made the nomination.

II. Travel Award for Graduate Students: Dr. Ken Wilkins.

• 20 different academic programs have had students receive travel award this year.
• 80 students have received travel awards so far this year compared to 50 at this time last year.
• Four times as many doctoral students have participated than master's students.
• Six travel awards have been given for international travel.
• A student may receive up to 2 awards per year.
• Doctoral students receive $300.00 per award and master's students receive $200.00.

III. National Research Council Doctoral Assessment Project: Dr. Ken Wilkins.

• Nine departments are participating in the NRC project:
  Biomedical
  Chemistry/Biochemistry
  English
  Mathematics
  Physics
  Psychology
  Religion
  Sociology
  Statistical Science
  
• All departments are making substantial progress toward the deadlines.
• Jana Marak of IRT and Sandra Harman of the Graduate School are contributing significantly to make this project successful.
• Data collected is critical since this assessment project may not be conducted by the NRC again.

IV. Graduate Housing Community at the Quadrangle: Dr. Laine Scales.

• A wide variety of events have been held at the Quadrangle Apartments this year (pot-Luck dinners, football game events, lectures/discussion by faculty, screening of films and discussion.)
• Tom and Kristen Pope – live at the Quadrangle and highly recommend it for graduate students; enables graduate students to have safe and affordable housing near campus; provides fellowship and community support; provides camaraderie with other graduate students and/or spouses of graduate students.
• Bracy Hill will send an email to all graduate program directors with an attachment of a pamphlet entitled "Graduate Student Housing Community" which can be printed and distributed or attached to an email for a prospective student.
• Graduate School encourages the graduate program directors to communicate with prospective students and applicants regarding this housing opportunity.

V. Teaching Scores for Graduate Students: Dr. Laine Scales.

• Graduate program directors are encouraged to discuss the teaching scores with their TAs; reward those who have high scores; work with those who need improvement.
• Environmental Science has a program to acknowledge and recognize their TAs who have high teaching scores.

VI. Teaching Assistant Preparation Program (TAPP): Dr. Laine Scales.

• Six TAPP workshops and Core I and Core II seminars will be held during the spring 2007 semester.
• If spaces are available, graduate students who are not required to take the workshops and faculty may attend.

VII. Admissions Update: Mr. Chip Tate.

• Ms. Melinda Reynolds, Admissions Coordinator, is doing excellent job of processing the high volume of applications and getting materials entered into the system for departments.
• Ms. Tracy Freeman is a part time assistant who is now working in the Graduate School with admissions, which helps with the high volume.
• Technological improvements have helped the process be more efficient.
• ITS has provided support and improvements that have increased the efficiency of the on-line application process.

VIII. Stipend & Tuition Awards for 2007/2008: Dr. Larry Lyon.

• Process to request stipend and tuition funds will be different for the 2008/2009 year; will require an operational request or a major strategic proposal.
• These requests for assistantship funds need to be presented via a major strategic plan and/or an operational request.
• To volunteer for a committee that will work on the processes, please email Dr. Lyon.

IX. Request for Recruitment Funds: Dr. Larry Lyon

• A request has been made for recruitment funds for graduate programs.
• If funds become available, Dr. Lyon will notify departments.

X. Possible Increase in Insurance Coverage: Dr. Larry Lyon

• A proposal will be submitted via Project Office for an increase in health insurance benefits for married graduate students.
• If the lack of this insurance has been a problem for a department, the graduate program director should email Dr. Lyon to outline how the problem impacted their recruitment efforts.
• To volunteer for a committee that will work on the health insurance issue, please email Dr. Lyon.

The meeting concluded at 4:45 p.m.