George Mason University
Graduate Council Minutes
10 January 2001
Mason Hall, D5

Members attending: P. Stearns (chair), P. Becker, J. Maxwell, A. Fortino, D. Lavoie, J. Vail, D. Boehm-Davis,
M. Goor, J. Offutt, S. Cheldelin, D. Campbell (Secretary)
Guests: L. Schwartzstein (Provost), J. Christensen (Provost), K. Haynes (SPP), C. Lont (Communication)

I. Call to order

Stearns called the meeting to order at 1:30.

II. Announcements

None

III. Approval of Dec 2000 minutes

Minutes were approved without changes.

IV. Old Business

A. Graduate student exit survey.

A few more suggestions were made and will be passed on to Ruth Green.

B. Registrar and Student Financial Aid full-time classification.

Schwartzstein suggested new Catalog copy. The following was approved: Graduate students enrolled in nine or more credits per semester are always considered full time. Research and teaching assistants are considered full time students for some purposes when enrolled in six or more credits. Different criteria for full-time status may apply for tuition, verification, and financial aid purposes. Please contact the Student Accounts, Registrar's, and Student Financial Aid offices, respectively, for questions regarding student-specific status.

C. Accelerated masters degrees.

Christensen visited JMU to compare programs and plans another group visit later. Anyone wishing to go with her to look at JMU's programs should contact her.

D. Enrollment committee.

Christensen reported that the committee met and will have a draft of their report by the next meeting. Contact the committee members (Christensen, Goor, Nash, Fortino, Holisky, & Guilford) if you have questions or input. They are also working on the issues of recruitment, advertising, and the catalog descriptions of programs.

V. New Business

A. CAS courses for approval

• Modified courses: GEOG 680, CHEM 651 - approved.

B. IOA courses for approval

• New courses: AVT 610, 634, 644, 652, 653, 654, 664, 672, 673, 674 - approved.
• Modified courses: AVT 616, ARTS 532, 605, 606, 562, 563, 684, 686, VIT 688 - approved.
• Global changes: Change prerequisites for all VIT courses, change prerequisites for all ARTS courses, replace all VIT & ARTS prefixes with AVT - approved.
• Modified degree programs: MA and MFA in Art and Visual Technology - approved.

VI. Discussion Items

A. New masters degree programs

Stearns would like the Grad Council to consider approval of three new masters programs out of the normal cycle of meetings so that the BOV and SCHEV can approve them in time to enroll students for Fall 01. The Council voted approval of the extra meeting, which has been set up for Wednesday, 17 January, at 1:30 in room D5 Mason Hall.

B. Limited free printing for students

Boehm-Davis brought up the observation that students must pay to print out copies of course syllabi that they download from the web. Starting this year, students currently get an allocated amount of free photocopying. Students should be encouraged to use that allocation for copying course syllabi and assignments, and further consideration of the policy may be necessary. Schwartzstein agreed to raise the copying policy at the IT retreat.

VII. Adjournment at 2:10

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