Office of the Provost


GRADUATE COUNCIL

GRADUATE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
for the
FEBRUARY, 2005
Meeting


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), Meg Brindle (CVPA), Phillip Buchanan (SOM), Jim Finkelstein (SPP), Dee Holisky (CAS), Joan Isenberg (CEHD), Stephen Nash (IT&E), Teresa Panniers (CNHS), Jerome Short (CAS), Wallace Warfield (ICAR), Steve White (CEHD).

Special Attendee: Wendy Payton, Director of Special Projects, Office of the Provost

I. Call to order

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

II. Approval of January Minutes

    Minutes of the January 19, 2005 meeting were approved as written.

III. Announcements

    Linda Schwartzstein stated that the Student Services Committee is considering a change in the non-payment policy. This issue will be discussed at a meeting on February 24. Council members or their representatives were invited to participate.

    Wendy Payton informed the Council that SCHEV has notified the university that they have two issues with proposals submitted by Mason for consideration: (1) representation of student demand is insufficient; there is a need to document more credible evidence of student demand through student surveys, and market demand through labor statistics (2) spin-offs are not credible; SCHEV wants to see that curriculum for a new program uses at least 75% of the courses in the original program.

IV. Discussion Items

    Jerome Short requested that the Council discuss the high potential graduate assistantships. Linda Schwartzstein suggested putting it on the agenda for the April Council meeting.

    Stephen Nash asked for a progress report on foreign transcript evaluations. It was agreed that it would be on the agenda for the March meeting.

    Dee Holisky asked the Council to examine the rules pertaining to dissertation committees, and after some discussion it was decided that it would be included on the March agenda along with the current university catalog language.

V. Old Business

    None

VI. New Business

VII. Adjournment at 2:02 pm