Minutes of Graduate Council

January 29, 2004
3:30 p.m.
Cashion, Room 303

Larry Lyon, Presiding

Members present at Waco campus: Bob Baird (for Stuart Rosenbaum); Bill Bellinger; Tom Bratcher; Susan Bratton; Larry Browning (for Betty Conaway); Gary Carini; Derek Davis; Jaime Diaz-Granados; Steve Dworkin (for Stacy Atchley); David Garrett; Baudelio Garza; Mike Greenwood; Deborah Johnston; Bob Kane; Carlos Manzanares; Frank Mathis; Chris Marsh; Frank Mathis; Carson Mencken (for Tillman Rodabough); David Music; Robert Ray; Carolyn Roark (for Marion Castleberry); David Rudd; Dwight Russell; David Schlueter; Beck Taylor; Jonathan Trower; Patricia Wallace; Ken Wilkins

Others present at Waco campus: Diane Brittain; Sherry Sims; Chip Tate

Dr. Lyon gave the invocation.

Dr. Wilkins presented a document, Graduate and Professional Students' Rights and Responsibilities, which the Graduate Student Association (GSA) has been working on for several semesters. Dr. Wilkins will serve as the chair of an ad hoc committee along with Shaun Yeh (the current GSA president) and graduate faculty members, Dr. Baudelio Garza (MFL) and Dr. Gary Carini (Business). If other Council members would like to serve on this committee, he/she should contact Dr. Wilkins. There is a need for this type of document which defines expectations of graduate students and faculty. He reminded them that this is the working copy and is not for distribution as policy. The committee and Dr. Wilkins would like input from faculty. Copies may be distributed to graduate students as well, although they should already be familiar with the document via GSA routes. Dr. Wilkins will send via email an electronic copy of the document. (The document was sent on January 30, 2004 by Diane Brittain.) He requested that any comments be sent to him by February 15. Dr. Lyon concurred that this is an important document which is needed at Baylor.

Dr. Lyon introduced Dr. Gary Carini of the Hankamer School of Business (HSOB) who explained that the faculty of HSOB are interested in a change in the grading system for Baylor. Dr. Lyon had explained the grading system could not be changed by the Council, but they could make a recommendation to the Provost. Dr. Lyon indicated that this matter was for discussion only at this time. Any recommendations would be considered and voted on later. The faculty in the School of Business favors adding A-, B- and C- to the grading system. They believe that this would make for more clear differentiation of grades and that would make for clarity and aid motivation for students. This change of grading follows the pattern that Truett Seminary has. Council members variously voiced approval and disapproval for the change. Ms. Sherry Sims will find out what the numerical equivalents are for the letter grades that Truett uses and that information will be given to the Council members. [Truett Seminary's grading system is A = 4.0, A- = 3.75, B+ = 3.25, B = 3.0, B- = 2.75, C+ = 2.25.] Dr. Carini will investigate this further and report back to the Council at its next meeting.

Dr. Lyon told the Council that Dr. Bill Bellinger would chair an ad hoc committee which would look into the current policy that graduate students who are not registered in the summer must pay the activation fee in order to have full library use. At some universities when a graduate is pre-registered as a full-time graduate student for the next full semester, the student retains full library privileges between the full semesters. Drs. Kevin Gardner, Robyn Driskell, Charles Garner, David Garrett, and Ms. Sherry Sims (ex officio) will serve on the committee. The committee will report to the Council at their next meeting.

The 2005 FY assistantship budget awards have been sent to the program directors. Dr. Lyon explained that no program's funding was cut. The insurance coverage for eligible doctoral students was kept at the same level and cost to the graduate student in spite of increased health care costs. Stipend enhancement award requests for the 2005 FY were fully funded.

The guidelines for applying to Graduate Faculty are located on the Graduate School web page: http://www.baylor.edu/graduate/index.php?id=2856 Dr. Lyon explained that the nomination should come with the recommendation of the individual graduate faculty members of the respective department. In the letter of nomination, the criteria of being able to direct a dissertation for becoming a graduate faculty member should be addressed.

Mr. Chip Tate reported that the number of applications received is up by 17% from this same time last year. If a program is planning to revise or print a brochure, Mr. Tate reminded the members that it does take time to get this done. The Graduate School and Mr. Tate are working with the College of Arts and Sciences on a special project to upgrade and improve the web sites for the College. The Graduate Admissions Office is now scanning documents related to the application process using Nolij software and this information is available for the departments selected for this "trial run." If the departments need any reports, they can contact Chip. Also, if a department wants to use the Scholars Day event for a recruitment event, they can contact Chip regarding available funds and help with scheduling of campus visits. In the fall, the Graduate School hopes to have a viewbook of the Humanities graduate programs/degrees ready followed by the Social Sciences the next year, and then one for the Sciences. Because this is a costly venture, the printing of these viewbooks will be staggered.

Scholars Day is Monday, March 8, 2004, and Dr. Lyon told the Council that at the moment we have 204 presentations and 240 presenters. The lunch speaker will be Dr. Rodney Stark, Baylor's first Distinguished Professor of Social Science. Dr. Lyon also asked the Council members to encourage graduate students to attend the presentations.

The meeting adjourned at 4:50 p.m.