Office of the Provost


GRADUATE COUNCIL

GRADUATE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
for the
APRIL, 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: Peter Stearns (Chair), Linda Schwartzwstein (Provost Office), 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 Attendees: David Armor, Director, Ph.D. Program, School of Public Policy, Andrew Flagel, Dean of Admissions, Wendy Payton, Director of Special Projects, Office of the Provost, Beverly Shaklee, Professor, College of Education and Human Development.

I. Call to order

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

II. Approval of March Minutes

    Minutes of the March 9, 2005 meeting were approved as written.

III. Announcements

    Peter Stearns reminded Council members that new programs for Fall 2006 should be presented to Grad Council no later than the October meeting so that they can go to the November BOV meeting and to SCHEV in January 2006. The Provost requested that Council members inform him at the May Council meeting of any new degree programs in the pipeline.

IV. Discussion Items

    1. Continuation of Dissertation Committee discussion

      Following a lengthy discussion concerning the make up of dissertation committees within the units, the Council voted to change the language in the first paragraph as it appears in the 2004-2005 University Catalog, under Dissertation Committee, to read as follows:

      "By the time that a doctoral student is advanced to candidacy, the dean or director of the school/college/institute appoints a dissertation committee upon recommendation of the program director. The committee consists of a graduate faculty member (see Graduate Faculty section in this chapter) from the department of the student's field of study and at least two other members of the graduate faculty, one of whom must be from outside the student's local academic unit (school/college/institute/department)."

      The Council also agreed that a committee appointed by the Provost would attend a sampling of dissertation defenses and report their observations to the Council at a later date.

    2. Report on High Potentials

      Linda Schwartzstein presented a report on high potentials for discussion. Council members concluded that the program is not serving the highest achieving students, and that a subcommittee, chaired by Linda Schwartzstein, would make recommendations for modifications to the program. Provost Stearns requested that the report be presented at the November Grad Council meeting.

V. Old Business

    None

VI. New Business

VII. Adjournment at 2:25 pm

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