September 12, 2007

The September meeting of the Graduate Council was called to order by Dr. Wittrock, at 8:35 am, September 12, 2007, in the Lake/Agassiz Room (formerly the Badlands Room) in Memorial Union.

In attendance: Allan Ashworth, Bill Berzonsky, Ann Burnett, Mac Butler Jacob Glower, Verlin Hinsz, Samudra Kugel, Marjorie McCullagh, Renee Magnan, Brandi Randall, Seth Rasmussen, Rodney Traub, Charlene Wolf-Hall

The minutes for the May 9, 2007 meeting were considered. Jacob Glower made a motion to approve the minutes. Bill Berzonsky provided the second. Marjorie pointed out that in the minutes there was a motion and second for the GRE expiration change, but no recorded vote. This motion was carried and the minutes will be updated. Motion carried.

Course and Program Changes

Jacob Glower made a motion to approve the course proposals listed below as reviewed by the Academic Affairs committee. Motion carried.

Soil 763 Advanced Soil Physics-

Soil 755 Soil Chemistry

Soil 721 Environmental Field Instrumentation and Sampling

Soil 733 Modeling Environmental Fate and Transport

Soil 721 Environmental Field Instrumentation and Sampling

Safe 401/601 Food Safety Information and Flow of Food

Safe 402/601 Foodborne Hazards

Safe 403/603 Food Safety Risk Assessment

Safe 404/604 Epidemiology of Foodborne Illness

Safe 405/605 Costs of Food Safety

Safe 406/606 Food Safety Crisis Communication

Safe 407/607 Food Safety Risk Management

Safe 408/608 Food Safety Regulatory Issues

Safe 409/609 Food Safety Risk Communication and Education

Safe 450/650 Food Safety for the Food Industry and Consumers

Safe 470/670 Economic Epidemiologic and Regulatory Issues in Food Safety

Safe/Micro 464/664 Etiology of Foodborne Illness

Requests for Associate Faculty Status/Teaching Waiver

The Council considered a request from Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute for Associate Graduate Faculty status for Dr. Brian Kalk. Ann Burnett made a motion to approve. Marjorie McCullagh provided the second. Motion carried.

The Council considered a request from HNES for Associate Graduate Faculty status for Dr. Mark Strand. Brandi Randall made a motion to approve. Marjorie McCullagh provided the second. Motion carried.

Additional Items

Refusal reason as a required field in Embark

Dr. Wittrock discussed the importance of having a reason a applicant is not admitted documented in their application file. First, when an applicant questions the Graduate School , we don't have an answer. Secondly, there may be legal ramifications if the applicant sues. The possibility of having the most common reasons listed so a department can simply check a box. Dr. Wittrock said this topic will be on the October agenda.

Delayed Enrollment

Dr. Wittrock notified the Council of a procedural change in the Graduate School . When a student requests to delay enrollment, they must matriculate within one year of the term to which they were accepted, or they must reapply.

Teaching Assistant Language Policy

Dr. Wittrock will be forming a Graduate Council Subcommittee to review and change the teaching assistant language policy. As is currently reads, it is very confusing and unenforceable.

Continuous Enrollment

A student is required to maintain continuous enrollment until they turn in the final copies of their thesis, paper or dissertation. This is not being completely enforced until the review process is streamlined. The Graduate School plans to enforce the policy beginning Spring Semester 2008.

There are also two means by which students step out of a program. The first is to request a Leave of Absence. The other is to not request a leave at which point, if the student returns, they must register for one credit for each semester missed (up to 4 credits) and reapply if they have missed more than four semesters. These credits are useless credits. The policy will need to be discussed at the next Graduate School meeting.

Full-Time Status

For Federal Financial Aid purposes, graduate students need to take at least five credits if they have a 20-hour a week assistantship to be considered full-time students. Graduate School policy only requires 4 credits with a 20-hour a week assistantship. The question is whether or not to change the Graduate School requirement to 5 credits for full-time status.

Dr. Wittrock will find out if a student needs to be full time to defer previous student loans. This topic will be on the October agenda as well.

Graduate School Stipends

This summer it was discovered fellowships awarded by the Graduate School were not handled properly for tax purposes. Dr. Wittrock will be putting together a sub-committee for guidance on fellowships, as well as guidance in how to distribute additional money the Graduate School has received for assistantships.

Writing across Graduate Curriculum

Dr. Wittrock will put together a sub-committee to look at how writing is taught to graduate students. Dale Sullivan from the English department will chair this committee.

Program Review

Program review committees must have a Graduate School representative. Dr. Wittrock will ask for volunteers to serve first and then assign members to any remaining committees.

At 9:40 a.m., Dr. Wittrock adjourned the meeting.

Respectfully submitted,

Melissa Selders-Ortez