GRADUATE COUNCIL
for the
April, 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 (Provost Office), JP Auffret (SOM), Peter Becker (SCS),
Meg Brindle (CVPA), Jamie Cooper (CAS), Joan Isenberg (CEHD), Terrence Lyons (ICAR), Daniel Menasce (IT&E),
Jeff Offutt (IT&E), Teresa Panniers (CNHS), Catherine Rudder (SPP), Hugh Sockett (CAS), Roger Stough (SPP),
Steve White (CEHD).
Special attendees: Andrew Flagel, Dean, Admissions, Matt Kluger, VP for Research and Economic Development,
Yehuda Lukacs, Director/Associate Provost, International Programs, 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
-
Provost Stearns called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m.
II. Approval of March Minutes
-
The minutes of the March 8, 2006 meeting were approved as written.
III. Announcements
-
The Council secretary reminded members that the next meeting is May 15; the deadline for submitting
material to be posted in April 25, 2006.
IV. Discussion Items
A. Dual/Joint Ph.D. Degrees (Continued) (Peter Becker)
Peter Becker informed the Council that following the March meeting he met with Susan Jones and Wendy Payton to make
sure there were no administrative problems or accreditation issues with the proposal. Following an explanation of changes
made to the language of the proposal and a brief discussion, a motion was made, seconded and approved to adopt the policy
as stated in the revised proposal.
Subcommittee of the Graduate Council
George Mason University
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 differences in location of
the home and the remote institutions, 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 18 credit hours) is made in the Mason coursework curriculum requirements for the Mason
degree based on coursework completed at the foreign institution. At least 30 hours of coursework must be completed at
each institution, and the standard number of dissertation hours must be completed at each institution in accordance with
the policy for that degree program. Students must also satisfy all of the general requirements for each degree program.
The course work may not also be applied to a Master’s degree or to any graduate certificate. 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. The course work may not also be applied to a Master’s degree or to any graduate
certificate.
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.
B. Discussion of 1 Credit Course for Doctoral Students: Responsible Conduct of Research (Matt Kluger)
Matt Kluger presented an outline of a proposed new course, Responsible Conduct of Research, for Council members’
consideration. After some discussion it was decided that the proposal would be broadened and put back on the agenda
for the May meeting.
1 Credit, 16 lecture hours (once per week?)
Team taught
Course Director: Matt Kluger
Examples of Potential Topics (and possible lecturers):
Data acquisition, management, sharing, and ownership – Kluger or Legal Office
Conflict of interest & commitment – Kluger or Legal Office
Mentor/trainee relationships - Kluger
Collaborative science/scholarship - Kluger
Publication practices and responsible authorship – Kluger (or volunteer from faculty)
Peer review – Kluger (or volunteer from faculty)
Human subjects in research – Sandy Sanford
Research involving animals – Sandy Sanford (or Kluger or volunteer from IACUC)
Research misconduct - Kluger
Biosafety and chemical safety – Julie Zobel (or member of her staff)
Radiation Safety – Julie Zobel or Diann Steadman
Financial Management of Grants & Contracts – Ann McGuigan
Intellectual Property – Jennifer Murphy
Grading:
Pass/Fail? Is that an option for graduate courses?
Depending on the size of enrollment, grades may be dependent on attendance and on short paper on ethics in research.
Questions:
Required Course for All Doctoral Students?
Required Course for Doctoral Students in Physical, Biological, and Social Sciences?
Optional for ALL students?
C. Procedure for Withdrawing From A Program (Jamie Cooper)
Jamie Cooper suggested adopting a form to be used when students (in good standing) voluntarily withdraw from an academic
program. After some discussion, Council members suggested additional language (bold) to the paragraph on permission to
withdraw. The following form includes the new language. The Council will continue the discussion at the May meeting.
V. Old Business
VI. New Business
Proposal from the College of Education and Human Development
Contact Person: Joan Isenberg, 3-2037,Jisenber@gmu.eduNew Courses (Action Item): Approved
EDUC 875 Contemporary and Emerging Issues in Education Policy
Modified Courses (Announcement):
EDIT 504 Introduction to Educational Technology
Proposal from the College of Arts and Sciences
Contact Person: Hugh Sockett, 3-8310,hsockett@gmu.eduNew Program (Action Item): Approved
PhD in Linguistics
Deleted Courses (Announcement):
GERM 518 Studies in 18th and Early 19th Century Literature
GERM 525 Studies in Modern Literature
GERM 550 Special Topics
GERM 560 History of the German Language
GERM 580 Contemporary Germany
GERM 798 Directed Reading and Research
PHIL 645 Administration of Justice Ethics
PHIL 656 Happiness and the Quality of Life
Modified Courses (Announcement):
PSYC 792 Practicum in Developmental Psychology, Biopsychology, and School Psychology
New Concentration (Action Item): Approved (pending CAS approval)
International Relations and Conflict Studies (Pending CAS approval)Proposal from the School of Management
Contact Person: JP Auffret, 3-3723,jauffret@gmu.eduNew Courses (Action Item): Approved
MBA 718 International Marketing
Proposal from the School of Public Policy
Contact Person: Catherine Rudder, 3-4996, arudder@gmu.eduNew Courses (Action Item): Approved
PUBP 784 Entrepreneurship, Economics and Public Policy
PUBP 781 Entrepreneurship and Economic Development
PUBP 835 Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Innovation
PUBP 834 Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy
Modified Courses (Announcement):
PUBP 601 Theory and Practice of Regional Economic Development
Proposal from the School of Computational Sciences
Contact Person: Peter Becker,3-3619, pbecker@gmu.eduNew Courses (Action Item): Approved
CLIM 796 Directed Reading and Research
CLIM 996 Doctoral Reading and Research
CLIM 991 Climate Dynamics SeminarModified Courses (Announcement):
CSI 853 Atmospheric Transport and Dispersion (Changed to EOS 670)
CSS 605 Object-Oriented Modeling in Social Science
CSS 630 Comparative Computational Social Sciences
CSS 635 Cognitive Foundations of Computational Social Science
CSS 640 The Human and Social Evolutionary Complexity
CSS 645 Spatial Agent-Based Models of Human-Environment Interactions
CSS 650 Physics Methods for Analyzing Social Complexity
CSS 660 Computational Social Science of Spacefaring Civilization
CSS 692 Social Network Analysis
CSS 898 Research Colloquium in Computational Social Science
CSS 899 Colloquium in Computational Social Sciences
EOS 758 Quantitative Methods in Remote SensingModified Program (Announcement):
Ph.D. in Earth Systems and GeoInformation Sciences
VII. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 2:08 p.m