September 13, 2006

The September meeting of the Graduate Council was called to order by Dr. David Wittrock, at 8:30am, September 13, 2006, in the Badlands Room of Memorial Union.

In attendance: Bill Berzonsky, Jacob Glower, Verlin Hinsz, Samudra Kugel, Renee Magnan, Jo Ann Miller, Seth Rasmussen, Stephen O'Rourke, Carol Rusaw, Donna Terbizan, Rodney Traub, Charlene Wolf-Hall.

The minutes for the May 10, 2006 meeting were considered. Bill Berzonsky made a motion to approve the minutes. Donna Terbizan provided the second. Motion carried.

Course proposals:

Donna Terbizan made a motion to approve the course proposals. Bill Berzonsky provided the second. Motion carried.

Courses approved:

•  ADFH 499/696 Aging and the Environment
•  ME 433/633 Composite Materials Science and Engineering
•  ARSC 463/663 Physiology of Reproduction
•  ARSC 463/663L Physiology of Reproduction Lab
•  GEOL 499/696 Remote Sensing
•  MATH 796 Introduction to Financial Mathematics

NURS 710 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention was removed until approval was given by Psychology. Dr. Wittrock will be checking to see if MATH 796 Introduction to Financial Mathematics is approved by the Finance Department.

Business

Requests for Associate Faculty Status/Teaching Waiver

The Council considered a request from Psychology to grant Associate Graduate Faculty Status to Dr. William Beatty. Jo Ann Miller made a motion to grant Associate Graduate Faculty Status to Dr. Beatty. Verlin Hinsz provided the second. Motion carried.

The Council considered a request from Chemistry and Molecular Biology to grant Associate Graduate Faculty Status to Dr. John Bagu. Verlin Hinsz made a motion to grant Associate Graduate Faculty Status to Dr.Bagu. Charlene Wolf-Hall provided the second. Motion carried.

The Council considered a request from Plant Sciences to grant Associate Graduate Faculty Status to Dr. Wun Shaw Chao. Donna Terbizan made a motion to grant Associate Graduate Faculty Status to Dr. Chao. Charlene Wolf-Hall provided the second. Motion carried.

The Council considered a request from Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering to grant a Teaching Waiver to Dr. Thomas Bon for ME/ABEN 479/679 Fluid Power Systems Design. Charlene Wolf-Hall made a motion to grant a Teaching Waiver to Dr. Bon. Jo Ann Miller provided the second. After discussion, Rodney Traub made a motion to table the vote until the Council has further information regarding Dr. Bon's expertise in the area of Fluid Power Systems Design.

Research Credits/Unsatisfactory Grades

Unsatisfactory grades for research credits must be discussed by the Graduate Council. Should a policy be written regarding these grades, or should it be handled at the department level?

Transfer Credits for Doctoral Students

The language of this policy will need to be changed so that transfer credits are not allowed at the Ph.D. level, or to allow an actual transfer. As it currently reads, they are really substitution credits.

12-Credit Cap

In the past it was written that students with a 20-hour a week assistantship could not take more than 12 credits. Currently, the policy reads that no one can take more than 12 credits without the Dean of the Graduate School 's permission. Do we want to raise the cap? Remove the cap? Set caps according to dept.?

The meeting was adjourned at 9:35 am.

Subcommittees

Dr. Wittrock spoke about three subcommittees he would like in place for 2006-07. Donna Terbizan is no longer available to chair the current Academic Affairs Committee. In addition to reviewing course proposals, members will be asked to review what the committee looks at regarding these proposals.

The Disquisition Process Review subcommittee will be asked to review the new disquisition process. In put regarding improvements is requested. The continuous enrollment process will not be enforced until Dr. Wittrock feels the process is "cleaned up."

Another subcommittee will be formed to look at the policies and procedures regarding student misconduct. The Graduate School policies must mesh with NDSU policies and procedures. There has been an increase in the number of appeals and the current process is very time consuming.

Dr. Wittrock asked Council members to send him the rank order the committees and he will try to assign accordingly.

Respectfully submitted,

Melissa Selders-Ortez