Graduate Faculty Executive Committee

Meeting Minutes �4. 24. 07

Present:

J. Governali, J. Hendrick, J. LeLoup, J. Mosher; E. Paterson [Voting Members]; N. Aumann (Provost Representative); D. Margine (Registrar�s Office),� J. Walkuski (GFEC Representative to Faculty Senate)�

Absent: L. Anderson, C. Bell , M. Gonzalez,� Y. Murnane(Graduate Office) [Ex Officio]

Guests: Sandy Gutman (History Department), Chenoa Shields (History Graduate Student)

1. The results of the referendum on the proposed culminating activity policy was 28 in favor of the policy, 7 against the policy and 3 invalid votes.

2. The Committee met with Sandy Gutman (Chair, History Department) and a graduate student to discuss their concerns about the policy which was just passed by the Graduate Faculty and raised the following points:

�� -If students were to pay one credit tuition for the comprehensive examination, they should receive 15 hours of instruction and this would not be the situation in some departments (History was given as an example). �The term �extortion� was used to describe requiring students to pay for this experience. Committee members explained that there was more than direct instruction involved with the fee and it included use of college library facilities, computer resources, faculty time devoted to writing exams, faculty meetings with students preparing for exams, faculty involvement in grading exams, student/faculty member meetings following exams to discuss performance and reexaminations, etc.

�� -The History department feels that the amount of time faculty members devote to the comprehensive examination does not justify charging students tuition for one credit. �Committee members explained that there was flexibility in assigning credit to the comprehensive examination and departments could decide that they wanted to recognize more limited faculty involvement by having a .5 credit comprehensive experience.

�� -Since requirements and expectations are different across departments, there does not need to be a uniform policy regarding credit for comprehensive examinations.� Additionally, the viewpoint presented was that this new policy was initiated by the School of Professional Studies and was not needed in Arts and Sciences.� Committee members explained that this policy did not come from Professional Studies and had been discussed by both coordinators and the GFEC for at least two years.

2. Policy Implementation

The Committee discussed possible implementation recommendations related to the policy and although further discussion is needed, proposed the following to be recommended to the Provost:

�� -The new policy should be implemented starting with Fall of 2008.

�� -The new policy should apply to those students entering graduate

�� programs as of fall 2008 and in subsequent semesters.

�� -All present students and any students accepted to a graduate degree

program prior to fall 2008 would be �grandparented�� and exempt from the new policy.

�� -Departments should submit the curriculum changes needed to implement the

�� new policy during the 2007-2008 academic year.

Discussion on implementation recommendations will continue and will be submitted to the Provost with the recommended policy.

�3. Culminating Activity Policy and Department/Faculty Compensation

��

Part of the feedback from faculty members when the proposed culminating activity policy was submitted for campus review and past discussion within the coordinators committee and the GFEC focused on the question of remuneration to departments and faculty for time devoted to culminating activities.� At this point in time there seems to be no uniform mechanism for compensating either departments or faculty members for the time spent on these activities, which in some departments is significant.� With the passage of the new policy, the GFEC believes that it is now time for the College to address this issue and that the appropriate place for initial discussions would be the coordinators group.� Therefore, the GFEC recommends that the coordinators take up this issue and make a compensation recommendation to the administration.

4. Curriculum Change:� Alteration in Existing Course BIO 525

No action was taken on this proposal due to time and some members reporting that they had not received the proposal.

5. Speech Pathology and Audiology New Program Proposal

The Committee was told that a new master�s degree proposal was coming from the Speech Pathology and Audiology Department that would probably be reviewed at the next meeting.

The next meeting of the GFEC will be Monday, May 7, 12:00 PM in Brockway

Spring Semester Committee Meeting Dates

Monday, January 29,� 12:00

Tuesday, February 6,�� 1:00��

Monday , February 19, 12:00

Tuesday, March 6, 1:00

Monday, March 19, 12:00 (if needed)

Tuesday, March 27, 1:00 open meeting for Culminating Activity Continuous Enrollment Policy

Monday, April 9, 12:00

Tuesday, April 24, 1:00�

Monday, May 7, 12:00��

�� Submitted:�� J.F. Governali, Chair GFEC