Graduate Council

Voting members present: Bill Bogley, Pat Chappell, Jim Coakley, Ryan Contreras, Theresa Filtz, Lisa Ganio, Marie Harvey
Voting members absent: Sourabh Apte, Rebekah Elliott, Lisa Price, George Waldbusser
Ex-officio member present: Graduate School – Jennifer Brown
Guests: Rosemary Garagnani, Julie Gess-Newsome (via phone)

Revised Program Review Assignments 2017-2018

• Five-year reviews were added.
• Have program review dates been set? Jennifer stated that Maureen Childers will have the dates; there should be enough time to lead up to the review.
• Laurels Block Grant Reviews – Jessica Beck is running that program. Jennifer will determine whether Graduate Council members will be involved in these reviews.
• The Graduate School may request additional reviewers from graduate faculty with prior experience in graduate program reviews

Reviewing Category II Proposals

• Graduate Council Review List

Things to keep in mind when reviewing proposals:

• Ensure that the graduate learning objectives are present.
• Use the secondary reviewer if the proposal is from the primary reviewer’s college.
• Ensure that grading is based on activities and activities support the learning objectives.
• Ecampus courses for an existing course should not require a new course number.

Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Health Physics 10-Year Review and Action Plan

• 10-Year Review of the Nuclear Engineering Graduate Program 
• Nuclear Engineering Action Plan
  • Site visit: April 1, 2016; Internal reviewer: Lisa Ganio
• 10-Year Review of the Radiation Health Physics Graduate Program
• Radiation Health Physics Action Plan
  • Site visit: April 1, 2016; Internal reviewer: Stephanie Bernell

• Lisa noted that the Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Health Physics programs share almost all the same faculty, and students are in both programs; neither are huge programs, but reviewers felt they were strong; and the degrees earned are strong. The reviews occurred on the same day for both programs but the reviewer’s reports were developed separately.

• Lisa felt that the Action Plans addressed the reviewers concerns and that reasonable actions were associated. Because specific metrics weren’t identified to address the process, it was suggested that the unit determine metrics to use and add it to the Action Plan.
• One questioned what distinguishes the two programs? Lisa responded that Radiation Health Physics is geared toward health sciences and Nuclear Engineering is geared toward using engineering things, i.e., nuclear reactor. Some courses within curricula overlap.
• Radiation Health Physics has an online program, which Nuclear Engineering doesn’t have. Research in the two programs is different.
• What is the status of the Medical Physics Program? Rosemary stated that admissions have been suspended. Will it have its own review? Unclear. One Graduate Council member was concerned that the Medical Physics Program is not in the system as a separate program to be reviewed.
• Jennifer stated that the three-year follow-up would go to the provost’s designee (Jennifer Brown); then she meets with the reviewer’s and unit administration to determine how they will move forward.

Action Items:

• Send the Action Plans back to the unit with a request to include metrics, and request resubmittal of the Action Plans in one month.
• The Graduate School will determine the status of the Medical Physics Program.

• Nuclear Engineering 10-year Program Review Report
  • The Graduate Council had no changes or concerns associated with the report.

Action: Marie moved to accept the Nuclear Engineering 10-year Program Review Report; motion seconded and passed with no dissenting votes.

• Radiation Health Physics 10-year Program Review Report

Action: Marie moved to accept the Radiation Health Physics 10-year Program Review Report; motion seconded and passed with no dissenting votes.

Transfer Credit Policy

• Steph Bernell raised the issue during the last meeting. Bruce Dugger wants the ability for students to transfer in pass/fail courses and count 19 credits rather than the current 15 credits allowed.
• Students in the Accelerated Masters Pathway (AMP) can double-count courses that were used toward a Bachelor’s degree.
• One student wants to bring in 22 double-counted credits from Tulane, plus an additional 30+ credits.
  • It’s unclear how many credits were required from the Tulane program.
• Does the Council want to approve courses used to fulfill a Bachelor’s degree?
• A Council member questioned whether it’s known which specific courses were double-counted. Rosemary indicated that the Graduate School can identify which courses were double-counted.
• One noted that it’s possible for someone to complete an AMP program at OSU, and then transfer all courses (triple counted) to a Ph.D. program.
• OSU only allows 12 double-counted credits to be transferred in to the AMP program. Additionally, OSU allows undergraduate courses used to satisfy a Bachelor’s degree to be applied toward a Ph.D. degree, but not toward a Master’s degree.
  • One noted that some students earn an OSU Ph.D. prior to earning a Master’s Degree, and use earned undergraduate credits toward both.

Action: Ryan welcomes comments; he’ll visit with Steph Bernell related to this topic.

Report from the Graduate School

• Jennifer noted that the Graduate School will begin moving to Heckart Hall this week.
• Jennifer questioned how the Council wants to handle program reviews at OSU-Cascades.
  • Julie felt that all program reviews should follow the same rules as the main campus and noted that OSU Cascades has some programs separate from the main campus. The Counseling program was reviewed together with the program on the main campus, while unique programs are reviewed separately.

Matters Arising

• Ryan suggested that the next meeting begin with a discussion of the transfer credit policy.
• The Epidemiology minor will be considered next week.
• Graduate Council meetings that conflict with Faculty Senate meetings will be canceled for the remainder of Fall term.

Minutes prepared by Vickie Nunnemaker, Faculty Senate staff