Office of the Provost


GRADUATE COUNCIL

GRADUATE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
for the
DECEMBER 13, 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: Linda Schwartzstein (Acting Chair), Peter Becker (COS), Jamie Cooper (CHSS), Yariv Ephraim (IT&E), Roy Hinton (SOM), Joan Isenberg (CEHD), Terrence Lyons (ICAR), Daniel Menasce (IT&E), Linda Miller (CVPA), Catherine Rudder (SPP), Hugh Sockett (CHSS), James Vail (CHHS), Steve White (CEHD).

Special Attendees: Andrew Flagel, Dean, Admissions; James Gardner, Chair, Music Dept., CVPA; Susan Jones, University Registrar; Wendy Payton, Director, Special Projects, Provost Office; Joseph Scimecca, Professor, Sociology & Anthropology, CHSS; Steven Vallas, Chair, Sociology & Anthropology, CHSS.

I. Call to Order

    Linda Schwartzstein, Acting Chair, called the meeting to order at 1:32 p.m.

II. Approval of November Minutes

    The minutes of the November 15, 2006 meeting were approved as written.

III. Announcements

    1. The Council secretary called the members attention to the revised agenda that had been distributed.

    2. The deadline for submitting material for the January meeting is January 3; this is the day the university reopens and the date the agenda is to be posted.  The Council secretary also requested that Council members cc Sadia and Daniel Yang when submitting material for the January meeting.

IV. Discussion Items

    A. Rescinding Offers of Admission(Revised)
    After considerable discussion, Council members suggested that language be included
    to reflect how the student’s behavior would impact on the student’s academic
    program, and that it be submitted to the Graduate Academic Policies Committee prior
    to review by the whole Council.

    B. Requirements for Graduate Certificates
    The following language (with changes included) was approved by Council members:

    Requirements for Graduate Certificates

    Candidates must satisfy all university requirements and all requirements established by the graduate certificate program faculty. Individual departmental graduate certificate requirements are listed under their academic departments in this catalog. Note that the following are university minimum requirements; individual programs may have higher standards and/or more restrictive requirements.

    • Graduate certificate programs require a minimum of 15 graduate credits.
    • Only graduate courses may apply toward the graduate certificate.
    • A maximum of 3 graduate credits taken at another institution can be transferred into a graduate certificate program. See section on Transfer of Credit.
    • Candidates must have a minimum GPA of 3.00 in course work presented on the certificate application, which may include no more than 3 credits of C. (Grades of C+, C-, and D do not apply to graduate courses.) The GPA calculation excludes transfer credits.
    • Certificate students are subject to graduate termination and dismissal policies.

     

    Students in Master’s or Doctoral programs also pursuing graduate certificates

    Students in graduate certificate programs only

    Admission

    Students must be admitted to the master’s or doctoral program in degree status.  They must also be admitted to degree status for the graduate certificate program at least one semester before completion of certificate requirements.

    Students must be admitted to the graduate certificate program in degree status.

    Course work in degree status

    More than half of the credits required for the certificate program must be taken in degree status for the master’s or doctoral degree.

    More than half of the credits required for the graduate certificate program must be taken in degree status.

    Time limits

    The time limits coincide with the six year time limit for master’s degrees or the six year time limit for advancement to candidacy in a doctoral degree.  Master’s and doctoral time limit rules apply.

    The time limit for completion is six years from the date of enrollment into degree status for the graduate certificate program.  The time limit is not extended due to an absence and subsequent re-enrollment into the graduate certificate program.  Failure to meet the time limit, or to secure an extension request, may result in termination from the program.

    Multiple  programs

    Students may be enrolled in one or two graduate certificate programs at the same time they pursue a master’s and/or doctoral degree.  Students who have completed a graduate certificate may subsequently be approved to apply many of those credit hours to a master’s degree.  Courses applying to the master’s or doctoral program may also apply to up to two graduate certificate programs.  When such sharing of credits between graduate certificates and graduate degrees has occurred, a maximum of two graduate certificates may be conferred.

    Students may be enrolled in two graduate certificate programs at the same time.  The graduation application for each graduate certificate must include a minimum of 12 credit hours that apply only to that certificate and not to another.

    C. Graduate Academic Action Implementation
    The following language was approved by Council members:

    Graduate Academic Action implementation

    Topic

    Description

    Responsible party

    Date

    1. General warning

    E-mail active students with any grade of C or F on their record that catalog dismissal rules will be implemented after grading for Fall 06.  Cite previous warning letter and catalog copy.  Send paper version as well to active students not registered Fall 06.

    Registrar

    Dec 15, 2006

    2.Instructions to dismissal candidates

    E-mail and send paper letter to active students (fully graded if registered) who have either 2 F’s or 3 bad grades (C or F).  Note they are subject to dismissal, but may appeal to their dean by Jan 16, 2007.  Inform students that those who do not appeal by this deadline, and those whose appeals are denied will be dismissed effective Spring 07.  Also, their courses will be dropped and they will not be able to resume their study at the university.
    Note:  all of these students will have received warning e-mails from the Registrar every time they get a grade of C, F or IN, stating, among other things:  “you may also be receiving additional letters notifying you of further academic sanctions such as dismissal or termination.”

    Registrar

    Fri, Jan 5, 07
    Do note that sometimes grades come in late; academic standing cannot be assessed until all grades are in for a student.  Thus we will need an update every Friday thru January, noting deadline one week from date of e-mail, since Jan 16 will have passed

    3. Track dismissal candidates

    Via secure transmission, send lists to Deans detailing students, courses and bad grades.  This list will match the e-mail list in #2 above.

    Registrar

    Fri, Jan 5, 07
    Update every Friday thru January

    4.  Dismiss non-appealers

    Send lists of students who did not appeal back to Registrar, via secure transmission.

    Deans

    Fri, Jan 19, 07

    5.  Dismiss those whose appeals fail

    Evaluate appeals; send lists of students for dismissal to Registrar, via secure transmission.

    Deans

    Beginning Fri, Jan 19; ASAP re Jan 22 start to Spring semester

    6.  Apply dismissal

    Apply dismissal code to student records; drop courses per list(s) from Deans

    Registrar

    Starting Fri, Jan 19, 07

    D. Academic Standing for Non-Degree Graduate Students
    After some discussion, Council members approved a policy change so that the same
    standards would be applied to non-degree students as are applied to degree students.
    This policy becomes effective Fall 2007.


V. Old Business

    None
VI. New Business

VII. Adjournment

    The meeting adjourned at 2:32 p.m.

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