Meeting Date: 
October 31, 2016
Date: 
10/31/2016 2:00 pm to 3:00 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: 
  1. Crop Science Graduate Program Review – Stacy Semevolos

 

  1. Curricular Proposal – New Graduate Minor – Biological Data Science – David Finch
  • This proposal is for a new stand-alone minor in Biological Data Science (PDF file download attached or cps proposal #96213) will be presented by David Finch.

 

  1. Courtesy or Emeritus Faculty Advising Requirement
  • Discussion of a proposal to develop a formal mechanism for assuring that students who are advised by courtesy or emeritus faculty are provided up-to-date and accurate information on OSU and program-level requirements. 

 

  1. Potential Standing Rules Revision
  • Discussion of a potential revision to the standing rules to specify faculty status for graduate council membership.

 

Information Items

  • Graduate Council Assignments AY 2016-17  Check your assignments and advise Theresa Filtz if edits are needed.
  • The policy to increase the number of credits from 9 to 12 that may be double counted for the Accelerated Master’s Program (AMP) Degrees was approved by Faculty Senate at the October 13th meeting.

 

Minutes: 

Voting members present: Sourabh Apte, Pat Chappell, Ryan Contreras, Rebekah Elliott, Theresa Filtz, David Finch, Lisa Ganio, Anita Grunder, Lisa Price
Voting members absent: Jim Coakley
Ex-officio members present: Graduate School Dean – Dorthe Wildenschild; Graduate School Associate Dean – Stephanie Bernell
Guest: Rosemary Garagnani, Stacy Semevolos

 

Crop Science Graduate Program Review – Stacy Semevolos

  • Review Report – Review occurred in May 2015
  • Action Plan
  • Stacy indicated that the overall recommendation is to restructure Crop Science to combine with Soil Science due to low graduation numbers; it appeared that the Crop Science faculty were more receptive to the idea of combining Crop & Soil Science than the Soil Science faculty. Other recommendations included:
    • Schedule a strategic planning meeting for the unit.
    • Infrastructure issues: faculty indicated they need more greenhouse space and modernization, and technology upgrades are needed.
    • Develop a more formal recruitment process.
    • Formalize student recruitment process and track diversity among students.
  • There is a small number of faculty who teach most of the graduate students – additional faculty are in the field. Crop Science felt that they were meeting the minimum number of graduate students, but former Graduate School Dean Brenda McComb disagreed.
  • Students seemed happy with the program.
  • Stacy was disappointed with the action plan; there is a timeline indicating that the recommendations will be accomplished in three years and the report was written in May 2015. Crop Science appears to not yet have devised an action plan, but faculty are assigned to address recommendations; their metrics didn’t seem to be actual metrics. There is no mention of diversity recruiting or tracking in the Action Plan.
  • It was noted that David Hannaway is listed as the graduate program director, but he thought that David was retiring and Carol Mallory-Smith was actually the graduate program director. Recommended to Theresa that she contact the unit chair, Jay Noller, with inquiries.
  • What if the restructuring recommendation doesn’t occur? It’s up to the Provost/Sr. Vice Provost to take action. The Graduate Council can make stronger recommendations after the three-year review.

Action: Theresa will contact Jay Noller to determine whether there is progress on the Action Plan. Request that the program heads meet with the Council; Stacy will be invited to also meet with the Council when the program heads are present.

The Council was asked how they wanted to deal with programs whose metrics don’t meet the minimums. It may be good to refresh the Council on metric minimums.

Curricular Proposal – New Graduate Minor – Biological Data Science – David Finch

  • PDF Proposal
  • CPS Proposal
  • The proposal will be a minor housed in the Graduate School – this may be the first free-standing minor in the Graduate School.
  • How would the committee members be determined? Participating students are asked to choose two focal areas distinct from their undergraduate or graduate major – it’s unclear how students will choose their minor. It’s also unclear who will be responsible for advising and how many credits will be needed for focal areas. Who will take responsibility for the program?
  • The purpose is not to make students proficient in their chosen area, but to make them competent to collaborate with individuals in the chosen area.
  • The name indicates Biological Data Science, but there is nothing in the proposal pertaining to Data Science.

Action: Brett Tyler will be invited to address concerns.

Courtesy or Emeritus Faculty Advising Requirement

  • Discussion of a proposal to develop a formal mechanism for assuring that students who are advised by courtesy or emeritus faculty are provided up-to-date and accurate information on OSU and program-level requirements. 

Action: Discussion postponed

Potential Standing Rules Revision

  • Discussion of a potential revision to the standing rules to specify faculty status for graduate council membership.

Action: Discussion postponed

Information Items

  • Graduate Council Assignments AY 2016-17 Check your assignments and advise Theresa Filtz if edits are needed.
  • The policy to increase the number of credits from 9 to 12 that may be double counted for the Accelerated Master’s Program (AMP) Degrees was approved by the Faculty Senate at the October 13th meeting.

 

 

Minutes recorded by Vickie Nunnemaker, Faculty Senate staff