GRADUATE COUNCIL
for the
MARCH, 2006
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 Schwartzstein (Acting Chair, Provost Office),
JP Auffret (SOM), Peter Becker (SCS), Meg Brindle (CVPA), Dee Holisky (CAS), Joan Isenberg (CEHD),
Terrence Lyons (ICAR), Daniel Menasce (IT&E), Jeff Offutt (IT&E), Teresa Panniers (CNHS),
Hugh Sockett (CAS), Roger Stough (SPP), Steve White (CEHD).
Special attendees: Andrew Flagel, Dean, Admissions, Linda Miller, Associate Dean,
Academic Affairs & Student Advancement, CVPA, Daniel Robb, Director, Graduate Admissions, Wendy Payton,
Director, Special Projects for the Office of the Provost.
I. Call to Order
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Linda Schwartzstein called the meeting to order at 1:35 p.m.
II. Approval of February Minutes
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The minutes of the February 15, 2006 meeting were approved as written
III. Announcements
1. The next Grad Council meeting will take place April 19; the deadline for submitting material to be posted is 12 noon, March 28th. The Council secretary announced that beginning the next academic year only current Grad Council forms (available on the Grad Council web site) will be accepted.
2. Linda Schwartzstein informed the Council that the issue of continuous registration for psychology internships has been resolved. Students will benefit from continuous registration because their domicile status will not change; and, it will not be necessary to register for summer classes. So there are no exceptions for internships.
3. Linda Schwartzstein asked Council members to discuss human subject reviews with their units and request feedback regarding the appropriate use of surveys and other methods of collecting information, criteria and who should grant permission to survey a unit’s students.
IV. Discussion Items
A. Review of 3.0/Last 60 Hour Admission Policy (Continued) (Andrew Flagel)
The following language was approved by Council and submitted for the 2006-2007 university catalog:
Graduate Admission Policies [Page 13 of current catalog]
Admission to graduate programs is competitive. Selection criteria differ by program and are established by departmental faculty. Applicants are evaluated on the strength of their academic background, results of standardized exams (if required by the program), work experience, and any additional evidence of potential success in the program. Each year, departmental faculty determine the number of admission offers they may extend by the university resources available for their program.
Admission Standards
For degree status, the general university graduate admission requirements are as follows:
•An earned baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education or international equivalent (for details see “Admission of International Students”) must be verified from official transcripts.
•A 3.00 GPA (on a 4.00 scale) or better in baccalaureate study. The GPA requirement may be higher for some graduate programs. For students with post-baccalaureate credits, a separate GPA is calculated for each institution. Note: The difficulty of the baccalaureate degree and work experience may be considered in assessing the requirements for admission.
Provisional Admission [Page 15 of current catalog] – Move below Admission Standards
A degree-seeking graduate applicant with a baccalaureate degree who has not met all admission requirements may be
offered provisional admission if sufficient evidence is presented to suggest the applicant has the ability to
pursue graduate work. As first priority when starting the graduate program, a provisionally admitted student must
satisfy the conditions of admission. Once the student has satisfied the conditions specified in the offer of
admission and submitted all admission credentials, the provisional qualifier will be removed from the student
’s record. Written confirmation indicating the removal will be sent to the student from the college, school,
or institute dean or director.
If the student does not meet the conditions within the time limit or credit hours specified in
the offer of admission (usually one or two semesters), the student will be terminated from the program.
All applicants admitted provisionally are in degree-seeking status, and the course work taken appears as
a part of their graduate level transcript.
Special Types of Enrollment: Nondegree status:
Standards for Admission Admission to Mason as a nondegree student is competitive and also based on space
availability. Nondegree admission is not automatically granted, and nondegree admission does not guarantee
enrollment in any specific course. Nondegree applicants must meet the standards for admission that would apply
to the equivalent degree seeking status.
Graduate Nondegree: [page 17 of current catalog]
Applicants seeking to take graduate-level courses or graduate prerequisite courses must meet graduate admission standards.
The following committee report was presented to the Council for discussion and review. Council members agreed to consult their units for feedback to be discussed at the April Council meeting:
Committee Members: Peter Becker, Andrew Flagel, Joan Isenberg, Teresa Panniers, Wendy Payton
The purpose of this document is to explore available options for the development of a general framework governing “dual PhD” or “joint PhD” degree programs based on collaboration between George Mason University and another accredited, PhD-granting institution in another country. It is recognized that such an arrangement can have significant advantages for Mason, based on the prestige of the international academic partner, the recognized importance of international collaboration, and the potential attractiveness of such a dual- or joint-PhD program for highly-qualified students. In this interim (draft) report, the subcommittee is proposing two options, either of which may be used as a means for developing collaborative PhD programs involving Mason and another institution.
In the following discussion, the “home” institution is defined as the student’s primary institution, located in their country of origin, and the “remote” institution is located in a foreign country. Given the foreign location of the remote institution, the subcommittee places special emphasis on the importance of including a robust “cultural immersion” component in any proposed dual- or joint-PhD program. This component is clearly necessary in order to familiarize the student with the fundamental academic and social mores of the country involved, thereby facilitating the successful interaction of the student with the local faculty and populace. The detailed plans for the practical implementation of this component should be highlighted as a central part of any joint or dual degree proposal.
Option 1: Dual PhD Degrees with Complementary Dissertations
This option focuses on two separate, existing doctoral programs (one at each institution)
that may be offered in a coordinated manner, leading to the awarding of two separate doctoral degrees.
A standard reduction (usually 30 credit hours) is made in the coursework curriculum requirements at the remote institution based on coursework completed at the home institution, and vice versa. The appropriate number of dissertation credits must be completed at each institution in accordance with the standard policy for that degree program (reduction is not allowed for dissertation credit hours). Any proposal for a dual PhD program must be approved by SACS before implementation.
Two PhD dissertations are written, encompassing related and complementary topics. The two theses should be distinct and substantial contributions that focus on separate aspects of a larger problem. For example, one dissertation might focus on theoretical concepts, and the other on real world applications. Or, one dissertation might involve the development of the mathematical foundation for a model, while the other focuses on simulations based on that model.
Both doctoral programs are supervised by a single, joint dissertation committee that reviews the qualifications, curriculum plans, and scientific contributions of the student. The joint dissertation committee will ensure the separate and complementary nature of the two dissertations. The committee includes a dissertation advisor from each institution, and a single Chair from the home institution. The committee, and especially the Chair, are responsible for ensuring that the two PhD dissertations have a minimal amount of overlap, and that each separately satisfies the requirements for a dissertation in the respective doctoral program. Both dissertations must be reviewed and approved by the joint committee before either PhD degree is awarded. In addition, both dissertations must be reviewed and approved by each institution’s academic dean before either degree is awarded. Upon successful completion of all program elements, a separate doctoral degree is awarded by each institution.
Option 2: Joint PhD Degree with Single Dissertation
This option focuses on a new, joint PhD degree program that is developed and approved based on extensive
educational and research collaboration between the two institutions. The rationale for any proposed
joint program should stem from the identification of a coherent, distinct intellectual contribution provided
by the remote institution that is complementary to the research and educational experiences available at the
home institution. Any proposal for a joint PhD program must be approved by SCHEV and SACS before
implementation.
The 48 credit hour curriculum requirement is satisfied using coursework taken at both the home and remote institutions, including 9-24 credit hours taken at the remote institution. The student prepares a single PhD dissertation that is used to fulfill the thesis requirement. The program requires 24 hours of dissertation research, including at least 12 hours taken at the home institution.
A single, joint doctoral committee is formed to review the qualifications, curriculum plan, and scientific contributions of the doctoral student in the joint doctoral program. The committee is composed of equal numbers of faculty from the two institutions, and is chaired by a dissertation advisor who is a member of the faculty at the home institution. The dissertation must be reviewed and approved by the committee before the PhD degree is awarded. In addition, the dissertation must be reviewed and approved by each institution’s academic dean before the degree is awarded. Upon successful completion of all program elements, the joint doctoral degree is awarded by the home institution.
V. Old Business
VI. New Business
Proposal from the College of Education and Human Development
Contact Person: Joan Isenberg, 3-2037,Jisenber@gmu.edu
Modified Courses (Announcement):
EDEP 820 Teaching, Learning, and Cognition
EDEP 821 Socio-Cultural Processes in Learning, Instruction, and Motivation
EDEP 822 Advanced-Learning, Motivation, and Self-Regulation
EDEP 823 Research Project in Educational Psychology: Sequence I
EDEP 824 Research Project in Educational Psychology: Sequence II
New Certificate (Action Item): Approved
Physical Education Certificate in the Advanced Studies in Teaching and Learning Program
Proposal from the School of Information Technology & Engineering
Contact Person: Daniel A. Menasce, 3-1537,Menasce@gmu.edu
VII. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 2:45 p.m.