Minutes of the Graduate Council Meeting

March 29, 2006
3:30 p.m.
Cashion, Room 303

Larry Lyon, Presiding

Members present at Waco campus:
Allman, Dwight; Atchley, Stacy; Bowery, Anne-Marie; Bratcher, Tom; Brooks, Gary; Carini, Gary; Conaway, Betty; Garrett, David; Garza, Baudelio; Hafertepe, Kenneth; Hankins, Barry; Kearney, Chris; Manzanares, Carlos; Marks, Robert; Maurer, Peter; McEntire, Elizabeth; Mencken, Carson; Music, David; Park, Ken; Patterson, Bob (for Bellinger);Roark, Carolyn (for Marion Castleberry); Schlueter, David; Stanford, Matthew; Stanke, Ron; Strodtbeck, Frances; Van Walsum, Peter; Wilkins, Ken

Others present at Waco campus:
Brittain, Diane; Scales, Laine; Sims, Sherry

San Antonio Location:
Yap, Glenn (for Nicholas Coppola); Rendeiro, Dan

Videoconferencing Technician:
Krey, Conner

Dr. Bob Patterson gave the invocation.

Dr. Matthew Stanford, graduate program director in Neuroscience, proposed to change the name of the Ph.D. program from Neuroscience to Psychology and to adjust the graduate curriculum to offer two doctoral tracks. Those two tracks would be Behavioral Neuroscience and Social Psychology. One significant reason for renaming the program is that the vast majority of neuroscience doctoral programs are affiliated with medical schools and, therefore, students may overlook the Baylor program. This name change may result in an increased number of graduate applications.

The Council voted unanimously to approve the name change. This proposal will be sent to the Provost for his review.

Dr. Lyon observed that Baylor graduate programs could be doing a better job of keeping in contact with their alumni. Dr. Lyon introduced Dr. Gary Carini, graduate program director for the Hankamer School of Business, who presented an overview of what they do to promote connections and relationships with their alumni. Dr. Carini expressed his willingness to work with any graduate program director to share information regarding what activities they use to create and maintain connections with their alumni.

Dr. Lyon presented recruitment information. He mentioned that April 15 is the "official" signing date for colleges and universities affiliated with the Council of Graduate Schools adhere to for commitments for graduate assistantships. He reviewed various data showing both qualitative and quantitative increases, pointing out to the members how to access the information using BearHaus.

An e-mail of appreciation has been sent by Dr. Lyon to all the recommenders of students who have been offered an enhanced stipend award for the 2007 FY. Dr. Lyon wanted to express appreciation to these recommenders for preparing such outstanding students for our graduate programs and suggesting that they refer other top students to us.

Dr. Carlos Manzanares, graduate program director in Chemistry/Biochemistry, mentioned that he had not received the paper GRE scores. He stated that he finds those scores useful and if there is a student whose scores have been sent to Baylor, but who has not applied, he will often contact that student to see if he can interest them in Baylor. Dr. Wilkins, graduate program director in Biology, also mentioned that he, too, has not been receiving those paper scores and would like to get them.

Dr. Lyon said that those paper scores that are in the GraduateSchool will be sent out promptly to the departments. He acknowledged that certain parts of the application process have not been as efficient as he would like for them to be. The application processes will be reviewed and hopefully changed so that the process is more efficient and effective. He asked that if any member has suggestions that he/she could email him with suggestions. A committee may be formed to look at the application process.

Dr. Laine Scales, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Professional Development, told the members that the Doctoral Advisory Council would be meeting soon. An ad hoc committee has been reviewing the training and preparation for the graduate students who are "teachers of record". Due to SACS requirements, Baylor needs to be certain that these graduate students have the appropriate preparation to be teaching. A proposal for a comprehensive program to prepare graduate assistants to teach is being created.

Regarding the graduate student housing at The Quadrangle, Dr. Scales stated that over 30 leases have been signed. Bracy Hill, who will be the community coordinator, has attended several departments' recruiting weekend events had in order to publicize the new housing opportunity for graduate students. The response has been positive and Dr. Scales encouraged the members to continue to help get the information out to new students who might be interested.

The Graduate Student Association (GSA) officers have met with President Lilley, according to Dr. Scales. The students found Dr. Lilley receptive to their ideas and interested in the activities that were and are being planned. He views graduate students as an important part of Vision 2012. Dr. Lilley will attend the next GSA meeting on Thursday, April 27 [5:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m., Morrison Hall, #100] and Dr. Lyon encouraged the members to remind their representatives to attend the meeting. During the spring or summer, the GSA officers will be asking the graduate program directors for the name of the representative for their program.

The GSA will once again have a day-long orientation event prior to the beginning of the fall semester; the orientation will be on Wednesday, August 16^th. Details of the event will be sent at a later date. The GraduateSchool and the GSA have set the Wednesday before classes begin as the day for the orientation so that the departments can plan their own orientation sessions without conflict with the GSA event.

Dr. Scales also announced that Dr. Bill Bellinger was able to negotiate with Interim President Bill Underwood that doctoral students who are enrolled during the spring semester and are pre-enrolled for the fall semester will not have to pay a summer access fee to use the library.

Dr. Ken Wilkins, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, presented a report regarding new initiatives between Baylor and the U.S. Military. One new degree will be the Master of Science in Nutrition. This proposed degree will be considered by the Curriculum Committee in April and if approved by that committee, will be considered by the Graduate Council in April, also. This is a 21 month program which includes 9 months of didactic classes at Fort Sam Houston and a 12 month internship and research. Hopefully, the first class will begin in October 2006.

Another group of classes will be for the transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy (tDPT). These classes will allow U.S. Army/Baylor Master's of Physical Therapy to take classes that will enable them to earn the DPT. These classes will fill the gap between the MPT degree that they received and allow them to earn the DPT. The curriculum will be 10-11 hours of online curriculum taught by former graduate program directors and colleagues in the MPT and DPT programs. There will be no expense to Baylor because the transitional classes will be fully funded by student fees.

Dr. Wilkins also announced that the science departments are preparing to produce a viewbook which will be used to help recruit potential graduate students. The deadline for the written information for the program brochures is June 1 so that the brochures/viewbook can be produced for availability in October or November of 2006.

The graduate programs directors and chairs can expect to hear from Dr. Wilkins about what is needed for this viewbook. The chairs of the science programs were given brochures and viewbooks that have been recently printed so that the departments can see what type of information and layout is needed. Chip Tate will be heading up this effort for the new viewbook.

The meeting adjourned at 4:40 p.m.