Minutes of Graduate Council

September 22, 2005
3:30 p.m.
Cashion, Room 303

Larry Lyon, Presiding

Members present at Waco campus:
Dwight Allman; Stacy Atchley; Clark Baker (and substituting for Ferdon); Bill Bellinger; Anne-Marie Bowery; Tom Bratcher; Gary Brooks; Gary Carini; Marion Castleberry; Betty Conaway; Derek Davis; Jaime Diaz-Granados; David Garrett; Baudelio Garza; Steve Green; Mike Greenwood; Barry Hankins; Toni Kaska (for Saxon); Carlos Manzanares; Peter Maurer; Elizabeth McEntire; Carson Mencken; David Music; Ken Park; Robert Ray; David Schlueter; Ron Stanke; Peter VanWalsum; Ken Wilkins

Others present at Waco campus:
Diane Brittain; Kathryn Bruce; Sandra Harman; Bracy Hill; Rapture Hill; Amy Myers; Laine Scales; Sherry Sims; Melinda Reynolds; Cara Taylor; Chip Tate

Dallas Location:
Frances Strodtbeck

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

Dr. Barry Hankins gave the invocation.

Dr. Lyon welcomed the Graduate Student Association (GSA) representatives and introduced new Council members: Clark Baker (Journalism), Anne-Marie Bowery (Philosophy), Nick Coppola (Health Care Administration, Fort Sam Houston), Barry Hankins (History), Peter Maurer (Computer Science), Elizabeth McEntire (Educational Psychology), Terrill Saxon (School of Education), and Frances Strodtbeck (Nursing).

Ms. Sherry Sims, Director of Graduate School Office and Records, updated the Council members regarding the on-line audits for graduate students. The on-line audit will provide a system allowing a graduate student or a graduate program director to determine exactly what a student's progress is toward a degree. From the 2005-2006 Graduate Catalog, each graduate program director will receive an audit in campus mail for each degree within their academic program. Ms. Sims reminded the representatives that the catalog is considered a contract and should reflect exactly what is required for a particular degree/major/concentration. Ms. Sims also reminded the members that when the departments are asked to submit their "copy" for the 2006-2007 Graduate Catalog, they should be aware of the specific requirements that are needed for a particular degree. The on-line audit will be helpful to the GraduateSchool when it is time to do the certification for graduation.

Also, Ms. Sims reminded the members that when they receive their graduation list for December 2005, they should review it carefully and remind their students that if they plan to graduate in December and have not filed, the students should do so immediately.

Dr. Laine Scales, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Professional Development, introduced her new administrative assistant, Ms. Rapture Hill. Ms. Hill will be assisting Dr. Scales in her various projects and tasks at the Graduate School.

The Graduate Student Association (GSA) Orientation for Graduate Students which was held on August 17, 2005, was, according to multiple sources, a huge success. For the first time, the orientation was scheduled included a full day of activities

Ms. Cara Taylor, vice president of the GSA, described the day's events which included a plenary session where President Underwood, Provost O'Brien, and Dean Lyon spoke, various topical sessions (graduate housing, heath insurance, BU traditions, etc.), break-out sessions (students who have families, international students, etc.), lunch, presentations regarding various forms, and other documents that graduate students have to complete.

Ms. Amy Myers, president of the GSA, described the evaluation progress and said that the overall results were positive. The comments given in the evaluations will be used in the planning for next year's event.

Mr. Bracy Hill, graduate student assistant to Dr. Scales described the afternoon sessions. There was a presentation which covered issues regarding payroll, I-9 and W-4 forms, and taxes. The afternoon break-out sessions were divided into groups – one for research assistants (led by Drs. Truell Hyde, Matthew Stanford, and Ken Wilkins) and one for teaching assistants (led by Drs. Kevin Pinney, Laine Scales, and Mr. Bracy Hill). The afternoon agenda included a presentation by Associate Dean Bethany McCraw on "Teaching at Baylor, Classroom Challenges, Grading, and Sexual Harassment."

Dr. Scales reminded the members that the GSA Orientation in the fall will be on the Wednesday just prior to classes beginning. She encouraged the graduate program directors to add this GSA Orientation date to their schedules and their departmental planning for their own department orientation each fall. With this prior notice, she hopes to avoid conflicts with departmental meetings.

Currently, there is not an orientation scheduled for students matriculating in spring 2006. The GSA hopes to put orientation information out on the web that would be helpful for new students. There is also the possibility that a packet will be developed that can be sent to students who are away from campus for an internship.

Dr. Scales also announced that there will be an orientation for new graduate program directors on Friday, September 30, 2005, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Graduate School, Morrison Hall.

Dr. Wilkins gave an update on the electronic submission of dissertations and theses which will begin this semester, Fall 2005. Dr. Wilkins demonstrated from a not-yet-released section of the GraduateSchool website how a student will be able to submit his/her dissertation or thesis on-line. Paper copies will no longer be required either by the GraduateSchool or the Baylor libraries. This has the great benefit of reducing costs to the student. A student, professor, or department may still have paper copies, but the University will no longer be involved in that process. The EDT website will list several vendors that offer production of bound paper copies. The EDT documents will be available through Beardocs. The University will use UMI/Proquest for microfilming and optional registration of copyright.

The EDT initiative has involved staff and faculty from several campus offices: Billie Peterson-Lugo (Electronic Libraries), Beth Tice (University Libraries), Denyse Seaman (Electronic Libraries), Tim Logan (Electronic Libraries), John Hoffman (ITS), Pat Black (ITS), Bill Hair (University Libraries), and Neil Luft (ITS). The principal coordinator of this initiative, however, has been Mrs. Sandra Harman, (GraduateSchool). A message will be sent to the graduate program directors notifying when the EDT website is ready to "go live".

Dr. Wilkins also reminded the members about the Foreign Language Requirements that many department have. Graduate program directors should go to the Modern Foreign Language web page™..http://www.baylor.edu/MFL/™.see "Foreign Language Requirements" for specifics regarding the proficiency options. There is also an "Examination Schedule" at the site. Students or program directors can contact Dr. Marian Ortuño at 710-6752.

Dr. Wilkins encouraged the program directors to work with students to satisfy their foreign-language requirements "earlier rather than later." When this requirement is left to the end of a student's academic program, various problems often arise, including delay of graduation.

Dr. Lyon mentioned that in the near future, Baylor may have two more degrees with the U.S. military.

Regarding the fall class of graduate students, Dr. Lyon, was pleased to announce that many programs have an outstanding group of students for the fall. Special recognition was extended to: Nursing, Church-State, Psychology/PsyD, Theater Arts, Environmental Studies, Education-ENPH, Engineering, Philosophy, and Religion.

Mr. Chip Tate, Assistant Dean of Graduate Enrollment Management and Academic Technology, introduced two new administrative assistants in the GraduateSchool. These new persons are Ms. Melinda Reynolds who is the Enrollment Management Support Assistant and Ms. Kathryn Bruce who is Mr. Tate's new assistant.

Mr. Tate briefly discussed enrollment data for fall 2005.

The GraduateSchool continues to try and make the application process smooth and efficient for the applicant, the Admissions Office in the GraduateSchool, the program directors, and the departments. The primary recruiters are the department, the faculty, and the graduate program directors and Mr. Tate and the GraduateSchool are ready to help in any way possible.

Five students who were displaced because of the hurricane, Katrina, have been admitted to the GraduateSchool according to Mr. Tate.

Mr. Tate encouraged the members to go on-line and try out the application for their program and to get feedback from new students in order to evaluate how the on-line application is working for their department. If the program-specific application needs some changes, graduate program directors should contact Mr. Tate.

Mr. Tate passed out a handout entitled "Graduate School Admissions Policies and Procedures." He reviewed various parts of the document. Anyone who needs a copy of the document can contact Ms. Bruce or go to the link:Graduate School Admissions Policies & Procedures 09/22/05

The deadline for applications for the fall semester is February 15; some departments do have different deadlines. Please see the department's website for these dates.

The GraduateSchool strongly encourages applicants to apply on-line. This helps reduce paper costs and the on-line application is the most up-to-date version. Mr. Tate encouraged the departments to use only the on-line application, but if some reason an applicant does not have internet access or insists on using a paper application, the application may be downloaded and printed from the GraduateSchool's website (http://www.baylor.edu/graduate/index.php?id-5516). Departments can lead applicants to this part of the website, or they can print the application and mail it to the applicant.

The meeting adjourned at 4:50 p.m.