George Mason University
Graduate Council Minutes
7 February 2001
Mason Hall, D5

Members attending: P. Stearns (chair), P. Becker, J. Maxwell, D. Harr (for A. Fortino), D. Lavoie, J. Vail, D. Boehm-Davis, M. Goor, J. Offutt, D. Holisky, S. Nash, D. Campbell (Secretary)
Guests: L. Schwartzstein (Provost), J. Christensen (Provost), K. Haynes (SPP), S. Swett (CAS)

I. Call to order

Stearns called the meeting to order at 1:30.

II. Announcements

1. Haynes passed out a revised version of the MS in Public Policy, which will be voted on at a special meeting on 21 Feb.
2. Stearns suggested the requirement for a 30-day posting be reduced to a 15-day posting period. This is to accommodate the BOV schedule of meeting every two months, so that it will not be necessary to call special meetings. There was general agreement that a 15-day posting would be sufficient, but Nash suggested that if the Graduate Council met on a different week in the month other than the first, that might take care of the problem. Stearns will look into that and see if it will work.
3. Swett updated the Council on the GMU Peterson's Guide write-up. She suggested that units only list programs, not professors. Stearns countered that listing a point of contact for each unit makes a more personable impression than only have one point of contact for the university. There was general agreement that each unit should list their graduate coordinator, without any degree information, and list their programs.

III. Approval of Jan 2001 minutes

Minutes were approved without changes.

IV. Old Business

A. Enrollment committee.

Christensen handed out a report on findings so far and answered questions about it. The committee will continue to meet.

V. New Business

A. CAS courses for approval

• New courses: COMM 798, 799 - approved.
• Modified courses: CHEM 713, 725, 790, TELE 750, COMM 501, 502, 505, 531, 534, 535, 536, 550, 553, 555, 556, 596, 597 - approved.
• Deleted courses: BIOL 570, GERM 799, SOCI 620 - approved.
• New concentrations: MS in Biology, concentration in Systematics & Evolutionary Biology; MS in Biology, Concentration in Microbiology; MS in Biology, concentration in Molecular Biology - approved.

B. CNHS courses for approval

• New courses: NURS 630, HSCI 594 - approved.

C. SPP courses for approval

• New courses: SYST 692/PUBP 772, OR 751 - approved.

D. IT&E courses for approval

• New degree program: Engineer Degree - approved.

VI. Discussion Items

A. Peterson's guide

Christensen would like all unit representatives who are working on the Peterson's Guide to identify themselves to her and she will set up a session where they will look at the Peterson's web site and make comments about how they would like our entry to look.

B. Grad program web presence

Christensen would like units to identify someone who will be serve on a committee to review our presence on the web.

VII. Adjournment at 2:15

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