Graduate Council

Voting members present: Bill Bogley, Jim Coakley, Ryan Contreras, Theresa Filtz, Claire Gibbons, Marie Harvey, Lisa Price
Voting members absent: Sourabh Apte, Pat Chappell, Cass Dykeman, Lisa Ganio, George Waldbusser
Ex-Officio members present: Graduate School – Stephanie Bernell
Guests present: Emily Carr (via phone), Dorthe Wildenschild, Rosemary Garagnani

Curricular Proposal – Change Graduate Major – Creative Writing – MFA #102246 – Emily Carr participated via phone from OSU Cascades

• Web version  
• PDF version

• This Change Graduate Major proposal is to reduce the number of required credits.
• From Emily Carr: Upon reviewing our program, we have determined that our program of study can be reduced from 84 to 77 credits while still maintaining the quality of the program and meeting the learning outcomes shared with the Corvallis MFA. This change removes two previous requirements that were judged to be above and beyond what was needed to meet the learning outcomes for the degree of MFA. The file attached to this proposal includes a detailed justification for the proposed credit reduction, including a table listing courses for the current program of study versus courses for the proposed program of study. The proposal and the attached file (see the Web version above) also include a minor adjustment to the program description.
• It was noted that the reason behind the original proposal is because it was low residency and because OSU Cascades students would not have the same degree of contact as the Corvallis students. Emily added that the difference in the two programs is in the quality and contact, and the format is different than the high residency program in Corvallis.
  • Will there be more mentoring credits? Emily responded that was basically true.
  • One member noted that there are more credits than needed to meet the Learning Outcomes. The original proposal had Artist Life Seminar – what is it about those two that are superfluous? Emily responded that she was hired in 2013 to start the program and was told she should use the same courses as on the Corvallis campus; it was good to have that time to start their own unique courses. The proposed 500 and 513 courses are related to the graduate student experience and artist seminar – these are students not on a historical path. They wanted students to have an experience in their path as a writer, and that is what the two courses were designed to do, but they are going beyond the learning outcomes set by Corvallis and the Writer’s association. Are they meeting all Learning Outcomes without the two courses?
  • How will a community experience be maintained for the student? Emily responded that it requires a peer mentorship. Other things they do to connect students; a philosophy course that students only start in a residency term before they embark in a distance program, which is unique to low residency programs. There is a core group of faculty who build relationships with students.
  • What is the individual professional experience? Emily noted that experiences are incorporated into residencies; a series of faculty panels where faculty and students engage; public readings; development of an internship model; partnering with the public library, resulting in a teaching internship; and offering a menu of internships.
  • One felt that it sounds like it’s a shifting of credits. Emily responded that students are not required to register for an internship – it’s additional to other required programs of study.
  • Does it substitute for anything? Emily stated that it’s going above and beyond. Students are required to do a graduate student capstone project, and must put together a graduate project for professionalism.
  • Does this proposal shorten the time to degree? Emily, no.
  • Will this generate less revenue? Emily said yes; she talked with the leadership team before the Category II proposal was submitted, and she received the go ahead.
  • Did the Academic Writing Program review this proposal? Emily, no, they don’t normally do that kind of work.
  • Regarding review of the program, will it be reviewed simultaneously with Corvallis or independently? Emily responded that Peter Betjemann, Director of the School of Writing, Literature and Film, is working on a 10-year assessment in Corvallis; the arrangement with the Graduate School is that OSU Cascades will not be part of the assessment; it was suggested that Emily talk with the Graduate School. Ryan indicated that OSU Cascades will need to do a five-year review this year.
  • Emily questioned whether they would get a one-year notice to prepare? Steph replied yes, and she will get clarity as to exactly when the review should occur.
• Steph noted that the changes went through as a Category II proposal, but the courses are so different. She cautioned to be really mindful, when fast-tracking proposals at different locations, that the programs are the same.
• Ryan expressed his preference that he would like external reviewers in the field to look at both programs; he would like to see the two programs reviewed together.

Action: Ryan will contact Peter Betjemann about reviewing the two programs together and will copy Maureen Childers and Jennifer Brown.

• Those present felt that the School should be doing the review of the program at OSU Cascades and that the two programs are reviewed together. Students are getting the same credential and degree, but the experience and courses are very different.
• Ryan questioned whether it would be useful to send a message to Peter Betjemann, Emily Carr and the Graduate School, and have this as an agenda item for the Graduate Council to determine how the program will be reviewed.
  • Jim gave the example of the online MBA, which is both hybrid and on-campus, but they wouldn’t want to do three separate reviews because they are all the same courses.
• Steph thought that the Graduate School could amend self-study prompts to account for program reviews in different locations.

Action: Theresa moved to approve the proposal to reduce credits from 84 to 77 in the Creative Writing MFA Low Residency program; motion seconded and passed with no dissenting votes.

• It was suggested that Susan Rodgers, Director of the MFA in Creative Writing, could be invited to participate when the Curriculum Council is discussing other writing proposals.

Public Health Practices Curricular Proposals from Public Health and Human Sciences – Marie Harvey

• Background and Justification for Proposals to Change Requirements for the MPH Degree and Options
• Comparison of Current and Proposed Degree Programs in Public Health and Human Sciences (from the CPS)

In response to a national initiative led by the Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) and the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) to transform public health degree programs to meet the needs of Public Health in the 21st century, faculty across multiple disciplines in our College have developed a new integrated core course, H 513: Integrated Approach to Public Health (12 credits), which will replace the five current MPH core courses as the core requirement for all MPH students. This revision to the MPH major is a strategic development. This proposal is being submitted after the College has evaluated information from our national organizations and from other Schools of Public Health who have visited our campus to share their knowledge and experience revising their own MPH curriculum as part of this national effort. This proposal to change the major is the culmination of work that the College faculty have completed in committees during the past three years. The new course comprises the common core of the MPH degree, as defined in the CEPH foundational MPH competencies (CEPH is our accrediting body). The H 513 learning objectives cover critical and interdisciplinary content in foundational areas of public health, and the course is designed to deliver that core knowledge in a way that demonstrates both the application and the integration of the different public health disciplines. H 513 was recently approved as a new course (proposal ID# 99963). With this proposal, we are seeking to change the MPH major requirements by replacing the current set of MPH courses (17 credits) with H 513 (12 credits). At the same time that this proposal is being submitted, proposals to change each option of the MPH are also being submitted; those proposals make changes to the required coursework for each option, in part in response to this change to the major’s core requirements. 

1. Public Health – Master of Public Health #100872
2. Biostatistics #100873  
3. Environmental and Occupational Health #100874  
4. Public Health Practice #101817
5. Epidemiology #100875  

• The proposals are fully online – the purpose is to help educate the public health workforce. A market workforce survey found that the proposals would reach out to underserved populations; there is a list of over 600 who want to enroll. This is part of the existing Masters of Public Health (MPH) program which already has six options – this would be the seventh option. It is non-thesis practice based and mirrors other MPH options. It begins in the Fall and electives can be added by students. A faculty advisor will be assigned to each student. Faculty are meeting with Ecampus to determine how best to advise students.  
• What is the target enrollment number? Marie responded that enrollment will start slowly, likely 25 the first year, and classes are capped.
• Since this is an option, no budget is required. What is the break-even point for enrollment? Marie responded that there is a grant and funding to develop courses. She also stated that they have determined the break-even cost, but she didn’t have the figures with her for the cost of hiring faculty to teach new courses.
• What is the revenue distribution? Marie replied that revenue from fully online undergraduate programs goes to the school but, because this cuts across both schools, she’s not sure of the distribution.
• The proposal indicates MPH and PhD? Marie confirmed that this option is not a PhD.
• Marie stated that this proposal is in response to a national initiative led by the Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) which indicated the need to update the MPH in Public Health for the 21^st Century. The accrediting body now has 22 new core competencies and a knowledge domain of 18. They have created a 12-credit course (H513) taught by five faculty – this is a new way of teaching and replaced five courses previously taught; however, the five courses will still be taught.
• Are there part-time students? Yes, that is a concern, and they are determining how to accommodate those students; however, many are not part-time.
• Ryan encouraged faculty to be cognizant that the assessment is slightly different among the seven options; he was impressed that an undergraduate handbook was developed.

Action: Jim moved to approve the Public Health Practice proposals – numbers: 100872 –

Change Graduate Major – Public Health MPH; 100873 – Biostatistics; 100874 – Environmental and Occupational Health; 100875 – Epidemiology; 100876 – Global Health; 100877 – Health Management and Policy; 100878 – Health Promotion and Health Behavior; and 101817 – New Graduate Option – Public Health Practice; motion seconded and passed with no dissenting votes.

• Steph inquired whether the OSU Cascades MFA is included in Corvallis’ review. Maureen stated that no OSU Cascades graduate programs are included with on-campus reviews.

IELA Response from INTO

• Graduate Council Follow-Up: IELA and PTE Language Tests
• This response was prepared in collaboration with Rosemary Garagnani to address issues raised at the January 19, 2018 discussion regarding the ILEA.
• Concern was expressed that the Graduate Council will approve the language test and results will not be reviewed for three years. One noted that this will affect a very small number of students. Rosemary felt it would initially be for a small number of students, but adjustments could be made in the future.
  • ILEA is a for-profit venture.
  • The Graduate Council has a responsibility to exert governance responsibility.
  • It was noted that it was a unilateral decision at the undergraduate level by one person – that’s not how it’s done at the university.
  • Bill reached out to a colleague in the U.K. who indicated that Cambridge is a ‘gold standard outfit’; however it was noted that INTO is the driving force.
  • Once admitted to a Master’s program, the challenge is removing a student(s) who doesn’t meet the language standards.
  • Can programs opt out of the ILEA? Rosemary indicated that INTO is trying hard to market the revised pathways, and this may become a pathway. Academic faculty teach some of the pathway classes, but INTO faculty also teach some pathway classes – would students be removed if their language competency is not adequate?
    • Regarding review of the IELA language testing, the document states: To assess the effectiveness of the IELA and PTE-A language tests as predictors of language ability for incoming OSU graduate and graduate pathway students, reviews will be conducted in January 2019 and January 2020. After the January 2020 review, the Graduate Council will decide whether to continue to allow the IELA and PTE-A to fulfill admissions language requirements at the graduate level.
  • One expressed concern that OSU was the guinea pig. OSU is not required to accept IELA at the graduate level.
• Rosemary indicated that part of this review is looking at language and academic classes taught by INTO.
• Rosemary noted that, at some point, the Council needs to revisit the GTA policy which was written specifically for TOEFL.
• Before approval, for alignment, determine whether the Faculty Senate approved the undergraduate IELA. The understanding is that the IELA was approved at the undergraduate level solely by then Vice Provost for International Programs Mark Hoffman.
• Ryan will inform the Executive Committee liaison that the Graduate Council believes there should be a consistent IELA policy for both undergraduate and graduate students. He will also electronically request further input from the Graduate Council.

Matters Arising

• The March 9 Graduate Council meeting is canceled.

Minutes prepared by Vickie Nunnemaker, Faculty Senate staff