Meeting Date: 
June 3, 2016
Date: 
06/03/2016 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm
Location: 
128 Kidder Hall
Event Description: 

A PDF of the agenda can be found here.

A PDF of the minutes can be found here.

Agenda: 

 

Graduate Council

June 3, 2016 ~ 2:30-4:00 PM

128 Kidder Hall

Agenda

 

 

 

  1. Review of Minutes

 

  1. Review Program of Study Instructions Relating to Transfer Courses on PhD Programs

For transfer of courses onto a program of study, the program committee members and student are advised that the Graduate School will provide a preliminary review of transfer credit but the student’s program committee must provide final approval. In approving transfer credits, the committee should consider whether the courses are relevant to the degree and area of specialty. Further, the committee should pay attention to the currency of the information in the transfer course, particularly in regards to courses that were completed several years prior to matriculation. It may be appropriate to ask a student to repeat a course if information in the field is expected to have advanced in the time since the course was completed. Although there is no time limit on the age of a course that may be transferred, the university seeks to assure that student training is as up-to-date as possible for the benefit of the student. The responsibility for this assurance lays with the program committee in regards to transfer courses.

 

  1. Information Item: Passage of the Proposal to Require Epigeum Mentoring Modules (see Epigeum Approval.docx)

 

  1. Discussion: Enforcement of Filing Deadlines for Programs of Study (cont’d.)

The attached April 29 meeting minutes have a summary of the previous discussion as the last agenda item. As noted in the minutes, most of the Council was in favor of having notices sent to the student and program director at the deadline. Do we wish to have holds placed on registration at some point after the deadline passes?

 

  1. Discussion: Proposal to Increase the Number of Credits that “Double Count” for the Accelerated Masters Program (AMP) Degrees

The AMP, ak.a. the 4+1 undergraduate to masters degree program, allows for 9 credits of 500-level coursework taken as an undergraduate to double count toward a masters degree at OSU. This program was intended to allow three courses to double count. However, students are complaining that many graduate courses are worth four credits and so the 9-credit limit only allows for double counting of two classes. Do we wish to revise the policy to allow for double-counting of 12 credits?

 

  1. IDPs

Please refer to the documents distributed by Dorthe at the end of the May 20, 2016 meeting.

 

  1. Changes to the MBA Program

Please see three attached items on the MBA changes that include an explanation from Jim Coakley.

 

Minutes: 

 

           Graduate Council

June 3, 2016

Minutes

 

 

Voting members present: Sourabh Apte, Jim Coakley, Ryan Contreras, Theresa Filtz, David Finch; Lisa Ganio, Kok-Mun ?? Andreas Schmittner, Stacey Semevolos,

Voting members absent:

Ex-officio members present: Jennifer Dennis

Guest: Dorthe Wildenschild

 

Master of Adapted Physical Education

  • Jim felt that the proposal sounded like they were undergraduate courses, but determined that they are existing courses.
  • Dorthe – language re: one person bet the advisor and assure a good mentoring program – they are referring to a GS resource that doesn’t exist. She suggested replacing it with a reference to Epigeum.
  • Invite the proposer to the GC in Fall 2016.

 

Review of Minutes

 

Review Program of Study Instructions Relating to Transfer Courses on PhD Programs

For transfer of courses onto a program of study, the program committee members and student are advised that the Graduate School will provide a preliminary review of transfer credit, but the student’s program committee must provide final approval. In approving transfer credits, the committee should consider whether the courses are relevant to the degree and area of specialty. Further, the committee should pay attention to the currency of the information in the transfer course, particularly in regards to courses that were completed several years prior to matriculation. It may be appropriate to ask a student to repeat a course if information in the field is expected to have advanced in the time since the course was completed. Although there is no time limit on the age of a course that may be transferred, the university seeks to assure that student training is as up-to-date as possible for the benefit of the student. The responsibility for this assurance lays with the program committee in regards to transfer courses.

Action: There were no edits to the above instructions.

 

Information Item: Passage of the Proposal to Require Epigeum Mentoring Modules (see Epigeum Approval.docx)

  • Because this is to be assessed in three years, it will be considered a pilot.
  • How will this be advertised?

Action: The GC approved the Epigeum proposal via email. Dorthe will present this as an information item to the Provost’s Council in either June or July.

 

Discussion: Enforcement of Filing Deadlines for Programs of Study (cont’d.)

The attached April 29 meeting minutes have a summary of the previous discussion as the last agenda item. As noted in the minutes, most of the Council was in favor of having notices sent to the student and program director at the deadline. Do we wish to have holds placed on registration at some point after the deadline passes?

  • Discussion ensued of when the initial program committee should occur and whether to follow through with the rule of notifying students of the deadline, which is currently required but not enforced because there are no consequences; prohibit registration if the program of study has not been filed after five terms. Program directors need to know when students are approaching the deadline.
  • The GS needs to see the program of study early so they can identify issues.
  • Suggested eliminating the requirement of submitting a program of study to the Graduate School after two terms if a PhD student comes in with a Masters degree.
  • Need to consider that Ecampus student needs may be very different.
  • How many programs are problematic? Perhaps determine
  • Have the Graduate School communicate deadlines to incoming students when they are admitted and indicate that they will not be allowed to register if the program of study is not filed by the deadline. Students will be notified when the deadline is approaching and, if necessary, when the deadline has passed. Students who need extra time could request an extension. The program needs to request the exception on behalf of the student.
  • Letters in terms 4, 5 and 6 going to both the program director and student which indicates that the program of study is due next term, at the deadline, and that the deadline has passed – each communication will indicate that a hold will be enforced at the end of the sixth term if a program of study is not submitted. The program needs to request the exception on behalf of the student.

Action: Ryan moved to amend the PhD policy to strike the requirement of two terms if a student comes in with a Masters so it’s uniform for five terms for a doctoral student; motion seconded and passed.

 

  • Discuss Masters deadlines in Fall 2016.

 

Discussion: Proposal to Increase the Number of Credits that “Double Count” for the Accelerated Masters Program (AMP) Degrees

The AMP, ak.a. the 4+1 undergraduate to masters degree program, allows for 9 credits of 500-level coursework taken as an undergraduate to double count toward a masters degree at OSU. This program was intended to allow three courses to double count. However, students are complaining that many graduate courses are worth four credits and so the 9-credit limit only allows for double counting of two classes. Do we wish to revise the policy to allow for double-counting of 12 credits?

  • Was the intent 9 credits or 3 classes? Jim’s recollection was 3 classes, then the discussion turned to the possibility of 5 or 6-credit classes, so the agreement was for 9 credits. Is the Council open to allowing 12 credits to be double counted, or should only 9 credits be double counted?
  • The Council was agreeable to allowing 12 credits to be double counted; a major professor must approve transferring-in the 12 credits – this must be approved by the Faculty Senate.
  • Leave option open for programs to be more stringent re: not allowing programs to be double counted.

Action: Jim moved to change the double count from 9 to 12 credits; motion seconded and passed with one abstention.

 

IDPs

Please refer to the documents distributed by Dorthe at the end of the May 20, 2016 meeting.

 

Changes to the MBA Program

Please see three attached items on the MBA changes that include an explanation from Jim Coakley.

  • Assessment Plan for Revised MBA (see MBA Assessment.docx)
  • Summary of Proposed Changes to MBA (see MBA Prop Changes.docx)
  • MBA Changes (see MBA Changes.docx)
  • Jim explained that the current MBA program is out of control. There used to be a common core; then elected to only have 6 credits in the common core. COB recently passed a common core and must be within 45 credits. Standardizing 45 credit and 15 foundation credits and … with the exception of Marketing which can’t figure out how to cut it down to 15 credits. Common core II is 18 credits.
  • Normally the GC would approve, but it’s still in Academic Programs, so the request is to pre-approve so that the GC chair can approve when it arrives in the GC queue.

Action: Ryan moved to approve the proposal when it arrives in the GC queue; motion seconded and passed with one abstention.

 

 

Minutes recorded by Vickie Nunnemaker, Faculty Senate Staff