Office of the Provost

Graduate Council meetings are held monthly, August through May, in Mason Hall Room D5, from 1:30-3:00. See schedule for exact dates. All meetings are open to the general George Mason University community.

Members attending: Peter Stearns(Chair), Linda Schwartzstein (Provost), Stephen Nash (IT&E), Jeff Offutt (IT&E), Thys Van Schaik (SPP), Mark Goor (GSE), Joan Isenberg for Joseph Maxwell (GSE), Andres Fortino (SOM), Dee Ann Holisky (CAS), Deborah Boehm-Davis (CAS), Teresa Panniers (CNHS), Peter Becker (SCS), Daniel Druckman (ICAR)

Special Attendees: Beverly Davis, Director of Graduate Admissions, Wendy Payton, Director of Special Project for Academic Affairs

I. Call to order

Peter Stearns called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m.

II. Approval of May 2003 minutes

Minutes of the May 28th, 2003 meeting were approved as written.

III. Announcements

A. Explanation of summer archiving project:
Over the summer, the files were purged of any paperwork on courses that had not had any activity for the last five years. If no modification or deletion had taken place during that timeframe, the file was archived.


B. Changes to meeting dates (November meeting):
The Grad Council meeting scheduled for November 26th has been changed to November 5th.

C. List of Council members' terms of office:
CAS
Dee Holisky, renewed and extended 9/02 - 9/06
Deborah Boehm-Davis, renewed 09/02 - 09/05

CNHS
Teresa Panniers, assumes Dawson appointment, 9/01 - 9/04

GSE
Mark Goor, renewed 9/01 - 9/04
Joan Isenberg, replaces Joe Maxwell, 9/03 - 9/06

ICAR
Dan Druckman, 9/02 - 9/05

IT&E
Stephen Nash, renewed 9/01 - 9/04
Jeff Offutt, renewed 9/03 - 9/06

SOM
Andres Fortino, renewed 9/03 - 9/06

SPP
Thys Van Schaik, assumes Rudder appointment, 9/02 - 9/05

SCS
Peter Becker, renewed 9/03 - 9/06

IV. Old Business

none

V. New Business

PROPOSALS FROM THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

CVPA Modified Course (Announcement)
AVT 799, Thesis

PROPOSALS FROM THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION


Program Modifications (Announcement)
GSE-UTEEM Early Childhood Education Program, modify to variable credit requirement.

PROPOSALS FROM INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING


New Courses (Action Item): Withdrawn for action at this time
TCOM 557, Network Security Fundamentals
TCOM 603, Standards for Advanced Optical Networks
TCOM 750, Coordinating Seminar

PROPOSALS FROM THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY


Course Modification (Announcement)
PUBP 711, Rationale Choice & Uncertainty: Systems Dynamic Policy Making
PUBP 997, Field Statement

VI. Discussion Items

A. Graduate Students Travel Fund

Mark Kidd and Carla Bether Berman made a brief presentation on the Graduate Students Travel Fund, providing an overview on the application process, how students are selected, and the benefits to students pursuing gradaute degrees at George Mason.

B. GMU Graduate Opportunities


Susan Trencher, at the suggestion of the Provost, presented information on a potential new initiative to assist graduate students.

C. Tuition Remission for Graduate Students


Linda Schwartzstein clarified the policy published in the current "Guidelines" that states graduate assistants are not eligible for employee tuition waivers.

D. Graduate Admissions Update


Beverly Davis report to the Council that the university-wide gradaute studies brochure, the interactive graduate application and the graduate information network had been completed over the summer.

VII. Adjournment at 2:20 p.m.