Minutes of Graduate Council

November 17, 2005
3:30 p.m.
Cashion, Room 303

Larry Lyon, Presiding

Members present at Waco campus:
Atchley, Stacy; Baker, Clark (and substituting for Ferdon); Bellinger, Bill; Bowery, Anne-Marie; Brown, Joe (for Allman); Carini, Gary; Castleberry, Marion; Garrett, David; Garza, Baudelio; Greenwood, Mike; Hankins, Barry (and substituting for Davis); Kaska, Toni (for Saxon); Kearney, Chris; Manzanares, Carlos; Marks, Robert; Maurer, Peter; Mencken, Carson; Music, David; Park, Ken; Ray, Robert; Stamey, James (for Bratcher); Van Walsum, Peter; Wilkins, Ken

Others present at Waco campus:
Diane Brittain; Kathryn Bruce; Bracy Hill; Rapture Hill; Laine Scales; Sherry Sims; Chip Tate

Dallas Location:
Frances Strodtbeck

San Antonio Location:
Dan Renderio; Glenn Yap

Videoconferencing Technician:
Conner Krey

Dr. Marion Castleberry gave the invocation.

Dr. Laine Scales and Bracy Hill presented information regarding the new facility for graduate student housing which will be available for graduate students beginning June 1, 2006. After thorough research and investigation, the GraduateSchool and Graduate Student Association determined that there is a definite need for graduate student housing that is affordable, close to the campus, and designated for graduate students.

The facility will be The Quadrangle apartments (1825 S. Speight Street). In the beginning, three of the five buildings will be designated for graduate students. Dr. Scales hopes that in time all five buildings will house graduate students. Students may begin applying to live in this housing now. Information can be found at the following address: http://www.baylor.edu/graduate/index.php?id=42521

Bracy Hill and his wife, Rapture, will live in one of the apartments and he will serve as the community leader for the graduate students who live there. The GraduateSchool will offer a wide variety of opportunities for the graduate students who live there; these opportunities will hopefully promote a "community" atmosphere and help build relationships among the students. A common study room with wireless internet access will also be provided at the apartment complex.

Dr. Scales announced that she and Chip will be having meetings with graduate students during the next semester. The purpose of these meeting will be to learn from the students how the GraduateSchool can better meet their needs, concerns, and how graduate education at Baylor can be improved.

For spring 2006, Dr. Scales will again be teaching the GRD 6101 Teaching Seminar. If any of the graduate doctoral program directors have a graduate student who might be interested in taking this course, the program director should send an email to Dr. Scales.

Dr. Bill Bellinger, chair of the ad hoc committee who reviewed the idea of graduates with distinction presented a report from the committee. [The other members of the committee were Drs. Tom Bratcher and Carlos Manzanares.] After investigation and research, the committee unanimously concurred that Baylor should not change its current policy of not having graduate students graduate with distinction. Since the committee recommended no change in current policy, no vote was taken.

Mr. Chip Tate noted that the new class of graduate students has an increase in their overall GRE scores. Mr. Tate explained that the improvements to the online application that the GraduateSchool has been working on are now in place. He encouraged the members of the Graduate Council to go to their respective on-line application and try out the application. By trying out the application, this will help the program director to become familiar with their particular application and also to discover if there are any changes that need to be made. If changes are needed, the program director should contact Chip as soon as possible before the volume of applications increases to the point that changes are impractical.

One significant change for international students who apply, they will no longer be required to pay the $750 deposit. Also, in the future, the international students will use a credentialing agency which will verify that their degree is valid and that the degree-granting institution is accredited. Personnel in the GraduateSchool will no longer handle this. There is a fee that the student will pay to the appropriate agency for the verification service.

Dr. Carlos Manzanares expressed concerns about using credentialing agencies. After discussion regarding this new policy, Dr. Lyon asked for a motion that an ad hoc committee be formed to consider Dr. Manzanares' concerns and that Dr. Carlos Manzanares will be chair of the committee and Mr. Chip Tate will serve as an ex officio member. No change will be made until the Council hears the committee's report.

The motion was approved with one dissenting vote.

Mr. Tate also reminded the Council that while department all have earlier posted application deadlines, that the Graduate School deadlines of December 1 for Spring, May 1 for Summer, and August 1 for Fall terms will be enforced to ensure that the Graduate Admissions Office has sufficient time to process admitted applicants prior to registration.

Dr. Lyon explained that the announcement of stipend and tuition awards will probably not be sent to the departments until after spring classes begin, due to the fact that Dr. Lilley will become our new president. Dr. Lyon assured the members that every effort will be made to get the award information to the departments in a timely way.

The meeting adjourned at 4:50 p.m.