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: Linda Schwartzstein (Acting Chair), Peter Becker (SCS), Daniel Druckman (ICAR), Andres Fortino (SOM), Mark Goor (GSE), Dee Ann Holisky (CAS), Deborah Boehm-Davis (CAS), Joan Isenberg (GSE), Stephen Nash (IT&E), Teresa Panniers (CNHS), Thys Van Schaik (SPP).

Special Attendees: Peter Black, Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering (IT&E); Beverly Davis, Director of Graduate Admissions; Ronnie Feeg, Professor, Ph.D. Coordinator, (CNHS); Andrew Flagel, Dean, Admissions; Steven Vallas, Chair, Sociology & Anthropology; John Zenelis, Associate Vice President, IT and University Librarian.

I. Call to order

Linda Schwartzstein called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m.

II. Approval of October 2003 minutes

Minutes of the October 22, 2003 meeting were approved as written.

III. Announcements

A. Council members were encouraged to let their students know that the School of Public Policy will offer a course titled "Discipali Victoria, Gloria Magister" in Spring 2004. (A syllabus was handed out to Council members.)

IV. Old Business

A. Definition of Full time Graduate Students:

The Council approved the proposal to change the definition of full time graduate students (as revised 10/25/03), and the request that the catalog section on p.41 be changed to read:

Full time Classification of Graduate Students

Graduate students are considered full time if they are enrolled in at least nine credits per semester or if they hold a full time assistantship (20 hours a week) and are enrolled in at least six credits per semester. Graduate students who are enrolled in dissertation credits (either 998 or 999) are considered full time if they are enrolled in at least six credits per semester (regardless of whether they hold an assistantship or not). Graduate students who have completed the minimum number of credits required by their degree program including the minimum number of credits of 999 required by their degree program, if any, are considered full time if they are registered for at least one credit of 999 and their advisors and department chairs certify each semester that they are working full time on the dissertation. Please note: Different criteria for full-time status may apply for tuition, verification, and financial aid purposes. Contact Student Accounts, Registrar, and Student Financial Aid, respectively, for questions regarding student-specific status.

In the discussion that followed, Teresa Panniers and Ronnie Feeg, speaking on behalf of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, expressed some concern regarding the current system used in CNHS. Linda Schwartzstein stressed that it is important that all units follow the university policy.

V. New Business

A. College of Arts and Sciences


New Concentration (Action Item): Approved
MAIS Concentration in Anthropology


Modified Concentration (Announcement):
MA in Psychology, Concentration in Applied Developmental Psychology

New Courses (Action Item): Approved
ANTH 535, Anthropology and the Human Condition: Proseminar I
ANTH 536, Anthropology and the Human Condition: Proseminar II
ANTH 632, International Migration in Comparative Perspective
ANTH 635, Regional Ethnography

Modified Courses (Announcement):
ANTH 655, Nationalism, Transnationalism, and States: Local and Global Perspectives
ANTH 690, Internship
ANTH 699, Contemporary Issues in Sociocultural Anthropology

B. College of Nursing and Health Science

Modified Courses (Announcement):
HSCI 701, Introduction to Biostatistics
HSCI 712, Epidemiology & Health Services Research

C. School of Information Technology and Engineering

New Course (Action Item): Approved
INFS 514, Database Design and Management

D. Office of the Provost

New Courses (Action Item): Approved
CSS 620, Origins of Social Complexity

E. Amendment to Bylaws (Action Item):

The Council approved amending Article III, Section 2, Paragraph d. of the Bylaws to read:

The Council shall include one representative from the Provost's staff selected by the Provost. Each graduate degree granting school, college or institute shall have at least one representative. Units with graduate student populations greater than 1000 are entitled to two representatives, one of which must be elected from among the non-administrative faculty.

VI. Discussion Items

A. Ad hoc committee on interdisciplinary issues:
Noting the number of new interdisciplinary initiatives, Dee Holisky suggested the formation of an ad hoc committee to discuss a variety of issues including implementation and records. The committee would include Andres Fortino, Dee Holisky, Stephen Nash, Linda Schwartzstein, Susan Jones and Renate Guilford.

B. Review and revision of the catalog:

The Council discussed the review and revision process currently in use to make changes to the catalog each year. Council members expressed their disappointment and frustration, stating that the current process still uses paper galleys instead of the new technology that is available which would allow on-line editing. Linda Schwartzstein was asked to share the Council's concerns with University Publications, and report back to the Council or invite them to the next meeting.

C. GRA allocations:

Deborah Boehm-Davis asked if it would be possible to have the annual GRA funding allocation information provided to the units earlier than in past years. This would allow units to be more competitive in recruiting new students to George Mason. Linda Schwartzstein said she would speak with the Budget Office.

D. VAGUE meeting:

Linda Schwartzstein will be attending the November meeting of VAGUE, a state-wide graduate deans group. The group is expected to discuss SCHEV's recommendation that state universities increase graduate funding, as well as schools being allowed to keep indirect dollars. Council members suggested discussion might also include tuition waivers, and whether member schools are experiencing "turnover brain drain."

VII. Adjournment at 2:25 p.m.