Meeting Date: 
April 1, 2016
Date: 
04/01/2016 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm
Location: 
109 Gilkey Hall
Event Description: 

A PDF of the minutes can be found here.

Minutes: 

Graduate Council

April 1, 2016

Minutes

 

Voting members present: Sourabh Apte, Stephanie Bernell, Jim Coakley, Theresa Filtz, David Finch, Lisa Price,

Voting members absent:  Ryan Contreras, Lisa Ganio, Drew Hatlen, Kokmun Ng, Andreas Schmittner

Ex-officio member: Graduate School – Dorthe Wildenschild

  • Jennifer Bachman, Julie Gess-Newsome, Sue Helback

 

  1. College of Education Proposals – Guests Jennifer Bachman, Sue Helback (see ED Degrees.pdf)

Sue noted that two more options related to Adult and Higher Education are being prepared and will be considered by the Graduate Council. Each degree now has options; eight options are discussed below. All EdM options are via Ecampus delivery. All options are transcript visible.

 

  • Advanced Science and Math Education EdM option (97182) (see Adv SMED EdM.pdf)
  • PreK12 English to Speakers of Other Languages EdM option (97183) (see PreK12 ESL EdM.pdf)
    • Endorsement for teachers, with content specialty classes.
  • Social Justice in Education EdM option (97184) (see SocJus EdM.pdf)
    • This new option uses many existing courses.
    • A Council member noted that Social Justice is becoming a broad term. Sue explained that this relates to Social Justice in Education – i.e., as applied to the classroom, teaching about social justice, etc. Some Council members felt that the title was confusing. Discussed removing the ‘in’ in the title; Sue was agreeable.
    • There are three teachers in the College of Education with cultural diversity backgrounds.

 

  • Agricultural Education PhD option (97388) (see AgEd PhD.pdf)
    • New option - Agricultural Education has no PhD, so the College of Education is working with the College of Agricultural Sciences to develop a PhD in Ag Ed. No licensure related to this option.
  • Language Equity and Educational Policy PhD option (97394) (see LangEqEd PhD.pdf)
    • No licensure related to this option. This option is based on two new hires and it replaces the Education PhD that was put on hold. New courses have been developed and approved.
  • Science/Math Education PhD option (97391) (see SMED PhD.pdf)
    • Science and Math Education (SMED) previously had a PhD degree, but it was put on hold; they are requesting two new options. SMED had two options and it’s being repackaged as Science/Math Education. No licensure. Existing faculty will be used for the options. This option is being carried over from a Science PhD and Math PhD.
    • Admissions requirements? Students come in with Masters content and are required to have significant experience in the field. 

 

  • The MS options are the only licensure options. There are 18 core courses taken by both Science Education and Mathematics Education students; there are 9 credits of content courses; and it’s differentiated by either Science or Math-related courses. Applicants are expected to have an undergraduate degree in the option for which they are applying.
  • Are these thesis based? Jennifer explained that this is a non-thesis, active research project toward their practice, which is incorporated into the coursework.
  • Why are these two an MS option? Julie stated that it has to do with history. MS degrees for licensure have been on the books at OSU since at least the 1990’s – it has to do with how the degrees were set up. The Cascades MAT has licensure in Science & Math.
  • What are the differences between MAT and MS – MAT is 62 credits and MS is 52 credits. Research is based on instruction accomplished in their full-time student teaching, as well as after school at two local schools.
  • Content of 17 credits? Content and pedagogy courses – there is no research course in the core courses.
  • Sue suggested that if there are specific questions, the Council could talk with Rebekah Elliott for Mathematics Education or Sue Ann Bottoms for Science Education.

 

Graduate Council discussion:

  • A project is not a thesis; the policy calls for research in lieu of thesis.
  • Concerned about thesis based on practice – rigor is a question.
  • The EdM options appeared to be acceptable as long as the Social Justice title is changed – must also be changed in course names.
  • PhD options appeared to be acceptable. A concern was related to not having deep research methods in the existing PhD.

Action: Because there was not a quorum, Theresa will request for an email vote.

 

Approval of Minutes

  • February 26, 2016 (access 3/27/16@11:56 AM from Theresa & format minutes)

Action: Minutes were approved as distributed.

 

Discussion Requiring Five-year Renewal of Appointments to the Graduate School

  • The Graduate School ensures that faculty have appropriate graduate credentials. Anonymous complaints cannot be the determining factor for removal of graduate faculty status.
  • What is the process for the Graduate School to change graduate faculty levels or to refuse to renew graduate faculty status?
  • There needs to be a clear policy created to remove graduate faculty status. Currently, if there is an issue with a particular faculty member, the Graduate School discusses the issue with the respective unit head; frequently the unit head requests that the Graduate School remove the faculty members’ graduate faculty status.
  • Those present also discussed revising the Graduate Council Standing Rules to include a review of graduate faculty members by the Graduate Council, as well as approval. The Standing Rules currently states: “…approves all graduate faculty members, new programs, and courses;...”. The ‘review’ revision would also apply to new programs and courses. Jim Coakley will propose revisions and Theresa will ask the Graduate Council to review the proposed revisions. Vickie noted that the Faculty Senate will likely be considering Standing Rules revisions during the May meeting, so the goal is to include the Graduate Council proposed revisions at the same time.

 

New Program Proposal Process 

 

  • Category I Proposals: Full and Abbreviated (see Cat I Prop.docx)
    • Not discussed

 

Report from the Chair – Theresa Filtz

  • The Graduate Council is invited to meet with Graduate School VP & Dean candidates next week.
  • Oregon Medical Physics Update – OSU admissions are suspended due to inability to work out issue of not being able to agree on having OSU students register at OSU for OSU courses. It likely will be an OHSU program only.

 

 

Minutes recorded by Vickie Nunnemaker, Faculty Senate staff