Minutes of Graduate Council

October 26, 2000
3:30 p.m.
Draper, Rm. 139

Larry Lyon, Presiding

Members present at Waco campus: Mark Bateman; Tom Bratcher (for Kirk); Gary Brooks (for Rudd); Dudley Burton; Kyle Cole; Jim Diaz-Granados; Richard Duhrkopf; Harry Elzinga; Lawrence Felice; Diana Garland; David Garrett; Baudelio Garza; Steve Green; Nick Gvosdev; Kenneth Hafertepe; Truell Hyde; Robert Kane; Linda Livingstone; Carlos Manzanares; Frank Mathis; Andy Pittman; Robert Ray; Richard Riley; Stuart Rosenbaum; Terrill Saxon; David Schlueter; Jonathan Trower; Patricia Wallace; Jimmy Williamson (Ken Hafertepe was not present at the meeting per his e-mail 11-10-00)

Others present at Waco: Diane Brittain; Matt Garber (from Brooke Army Medical Center); Larry Lyon; Sherry Sims; Ken Wilkins

Fort Sam Houston: Gregory Ernst; Thomas Sutlive; Timothy Flynn; Charles Wainright Videoconference Specialist: Joe Radke

Dr. Lyon opened the Council meeting with a prayer.

Dr. Wilkins brought a report from the ad hoc Forms Committee. The Committee consisted of Kyle Cole, Nick Gvosdev, David Garrett, Robert Ray, James Williamson, Patricia Wallace, and Sherry Sims, ex officio. The committee reviewed ten forms that the Graduate School is currently using. (Recommendations for retention, either as is or in modified form, or elimination are listed on the attached table.)

• Forms recommended for elimination would no longer be sent to the Graduate School. However, if a program wished to use these forms internally, they would be welcome to do so. The Graduate School would supply these forms until the existing supply is exhausted.
• The committee also recommended shifting from the current multicopy forms to electronic templates of forms. The Graduate School would produce the official template documents, then forward them electronically to the program directors and assistants.
• The new procedures, if approved by the Graduate Council, would take effect with the Spring 2001 semester. A summary of the revised procedure would be supplied by the Graduate School to program directors and assistants.

The recommendations of the committee were approved by the Council.

Dr. Wilkins also reminded the Council that on Tuesday, November 7, 2000, Dr. Stephen Jay Gould will be speaking at 11:30 a.m. in Jones Concert Hall of McCrary Music Building. He encouraged the members to attend and to urge their colleagues and students to attend.

Dr. Andy Pittman reported for the Committee to Study Transfer Credit. The committee consisted of Jim Diaz-Granados, Diana Garland, Linda Livingstone, and Patricia Wallace. The committee recommends that for master's degrees, the accepted number of transfer credits will be determined by the individual academic departments within the following general guideline:

• 25% of the required Baylor coursework (excluding internships, practica, and theses) may be petitioned for transfer
• Coursework must be from an accredited university
• Coursework must have been taken 5 years prior to matriculation
• Coursework must carry a grade of "B" or better
• The total number of transferred credits may not exceed 15 semester hours
• The Council voted to accept the recommendations of the Committee.
• Doctoral transfer credit will remain under the purview of the departments.

The Program and Curriculum Committee approved and recommended a proposed new degree, the Doctor of Science in Physical Therapy (DSCPT). Captain Matt Garber from Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio made a video presentation regarding the proposed DSCPT degree.

The Council voted to approve the new degree. Now the proposal will be sent to the Provost. If the Provost, approves, the new degree will be sent to President Sloan. If President Sloan approves, the degree will be sent to the Board of Regents for their approval. Also, Baylor will not move forward with this degree until we get the approval from SACS.

Dr. Lyon explained that the Graduate School hopes to present the Ph.D. in Philosophy to the Curriculum Committee at its next meeting on November 15, 2000. If it proceeds as anticipated, the proposed new degree can go to the Regents in the spring, 2001.

Also, Dr. Lyon informed the Council that the University will provide health insurance for doctoral students who are the "instructor of record" and who teach at least 6 semester hours during an academic year.

The guidelines for this insurance are:

1. Beginning with the 2001-2002 budget year, the Graduate School will pay the health insurance premiums for selected doctoral students.
2. Doctoral students who have a Master's degree of the equivalent (>30 graduate hours in their discipline) and who are the "instructor of record" for at least 6 semester hours during the academic year will be eligible.
3. Graduate program directors must provide the Graduate School with the names of eligible doctoral students and the sections they will be teaching before coverage begins.
4. Health coverage will be for 12 months and is renewable as long as the doctoral student continues to teach at least 6 hours per year.
5. Coverage will be provided by the same provider and with the same benefits as is currently available for student purchase through the university
6. Spousal coverage is available, but must be paid for by the doctoral student.

A more immediate benefit to graduate students begins with the Spring Semester of 2001. All graduate students who are the instructor of record for at least three credit hours will be eligible for a free home connection to the Baylor network.

This connection will remain free as long as the student continues to teach at least three hours per semester.

Graduate directors must provide the Graduate School with the names of eligible graduate students and the sections they will be teaching before the free connection can be made available.

At the September meeting, the Council approved a recommendation from Dr. Lyon that Baylor should move to a "credit/non-credit" system for the hours for a dissertation/thesis. This change will become effective with the 2001-2002 Graduate Catalog (June 1, 2001). Currently-enrolled graduate students may choose to stay with the guidelines in the catalog under which they entered or switch to the new rule. It may be that some students will have a letter grade and also a credit/non-credit notation on their transcript during the transition time.

In response to discussion concerning the re-assigning stipend and tuition funds, Dr. Lyon agreed to investigate the matter and either report to the directors via e-mail or appoint a committee to study the situation.