Minutes of Graduate Council

March 27, 2002
3:30 p.m.
Draper, Rm. 139

Ken Wilkins, Presiding

Members present at Waco campus: Tom Bratcher; Susan Bratton; Marion Castleberry; Jim Diaz-Granados; Richard Duhrkopf; Harry Elzinga; David Garrett; Baudelio Garza; Steve Green; Ken Hafertepe; Bob Kane; Carlos Manzanares; Dennis Myers; Bob Patterson; Andy Pittman; Bob Piziak (for Mathis); Robert Ray; Stuart Rosenbaum; David Rudd; Dwight Russell; David Schlueter; Al Smith; Jonathan Trower (and for Livingstone)

Others present at Waco: Diane Brittain; Sherry Sims; Ken Wilkins

Fort Sam Houston: Dan Dominguez; Tim Flynn; Matthew Garber

Dallas Site: Pauline Johnson

Dr. Susan Bratton (Environmental Studies) led in opening prayer.

Dr. Wilkins presented the two proposals regarding Graduate Faculty. Dr. Wilkins explained that current members of graduate faculty would not be required to go through the process. All current associate members would be grandfathered in with the new guidelines. Each department would evaluate and quantify the appropriate publication record for their faculty. Some council members were concerned that it might be difficult for the Dean to turn down a request for an "A" faculty member to direct a thesis or dissertation. The two proposals listed below were approved with the additional statement in item B. One member voted disapproval of the proposals.

PROPOSALS FOR CHANGING THE STATUS OF GRADUATE FACULTY

A. No distinction will be made between "full" and "associate" members of the Graduate Faculty.
All current members of the Graduate Faculty regardless of classification will become simply members of the Graduate Faculty. A faculty member who is tenured, on tenure track, or is a senior lecturer will be automatically granted Graduate Faculty status upon the Graduate Dean receiving a nomination from a majority of the graduate faculty within the faculty member's home department.

B. All dissertations will be directed by Graduate Faculty who are in "Category B" according to Baylor's new faculty categorization model. Exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis when the request for an exception:
1. is supported by a majority of the departmental/program graduate faculty and
2. receives written concurrence from the Dean of the Graduate School.

LTC Flynn from the master's program in Physical Therapy made a PowerPoint presentation regarding the change of their program to a DPT. He began with a brief history of the physical therapy program and its affiliation with Baylor.

• The Council voted to approve the change of the MPT to a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree (DPT). The proposal will now go to the Provost and the President for approval. If this approval is received, then the proposal will be presented to the Regents.

The document entitled "Description of Responsibilities of and Resources for Graduate Program Directors" was brought to the Council as an informational item. Dr. Wilkins reviewed various important points in the document and answered questions from the Council members. This is not the final document. When the committee has the document in its "final" form, it will be sent to the Provost and Council of Deans for approval and, ultimately, will be published in the Graduate Catalog

Also, Wilkins reviewed the document, "Graduate Students Rights and Responsibilities." This document is the product of work by the Graduate Student Association (GSA) officers over several semesters. This is still a "work in progress." If any one has concerns, additions, deletions, or clarifications they should communicate with Dr. Wilkins via e-mail.

Several information items were brought to the Council:

Wilkins indicated that the Graduate School would continue posting minutes from each meeting on the Graduate School web site rather than distributing paper copies. The Graduate School will send an e-mail to each Council member and to all graduate faculty when the minutes are available on the web.

Also, there is renewed interest in electronic theses and dissertations. The Graduate School hopes to make meaningful progress on this initiative soon.

The GSA is sponsoring an award for the outstanding faculty member and the outstanding graduate student each spring and fall semester. This is the first time that such an award has been presented. Wilkins thanked the Council members for participating in this process.

On April 10, the Doctoral Advisory Council will meet to discuss the Needs Assessment project. Drs. Schmeltekopf, Jeffrey, and Daniel will make presentations. Also, the chairs of Chemistry, Physics, and Sociology will present information regarding their experiences with the Needs Assessments this semester.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:55 p.m.