Graduate Academic Council
2006 – 2007
Minutes of the Council meeting of April 20, 2007
Approved by the Council on October 18, 2007
In attendance:
A. Pomerantz, F. Bolton (staff), G. Burke, J. Gangolly, J. Bartow (staff), L. Kranich, M.
Pryse & S. Friedman (Chair)
Unable to attend: S. Saleh, J. Hayes, J. Newman, L. Scoville, & L.-A. McNutt,
1.
Minutes of the GAC meeting of 3/19/07 were considered, amended (Dean’s Report) and approved (6-
0-0).
2.
Dean’s Report – M. Pryse
Dean Pryse provided Jon Bartow the opportunity to bring to the attention of the Council the “Open
Access” dissertation publishing option now available to our authors via UMI/Proquest. This
option provides for greater and/or easiest promulgation of dissertation studies and findings, as
works are published as fully web downloadable pdf files. There are no royalties for authors, nor
per copy profits for UMI. The “Open Access” publishing option currently costs an additional $95,
a cost that must be incurred by the author. Ass’t. Dean Bartow suggested that the GAC may want
to take a policy “position” on open access dissertation publishing in the future.
Dean Pryse reported that we are nearing the end of the doctoral recruitment season, with some
“backstopping” of awards. Funding program refinements will continue, but the current
overcommitment/backstopping model has been successful.
Prof. Hayward Horton of the Sociology Department will be appointed as the .50 Associate Dean
of Graduate Studies effective June 2007. Dean Horton will initially focus on issues of diversity
and non-terminal masters programs.
The GSO survey of student satisfaction (via survey monkey) has garnered around 500 responses.
I report is being prepared for the presidential search committee and Graduate Dean.
Dean Pryse will be attending the GSO meeting tonight (4/20/07) and will be ready to clarify
information about graduate student funding and stipends.
3.
Chair’s Report – S. Friedman
Prof. Friedman engaged a brief discussion among Council members about the housing needs of
incoming graduate students and particularly incoming international graduate students. There was
consensus that such needs are deserving of attention.
The Chair reported that the Senate recently approved the three bills introduced by GAC.
The University Ombudspersons will be invited to attend the GAC meeting of 5/4/07 to discuss the
Ombuds programs with the Council.
4.
Committee on Educational Policy & Procedures – L. Kranich
Prof. Kranich addressed the Committee’s report (appended to the end of these minutes). After a period of
brief discussion, the Council voted to accept the report and approve the recommendation contained therein
(6-0-0). Dean Pryse noted that she will be pleased to follow-up on the informal advice regarding TOEFL
guidelines for all funded students with the graduate program directors.
5.
Committee on Curriculum & Instruction – F. Bolton for S. Saleh
Ms. Bolton summarized the 2 Committee reports (appended to the end of these minutes) – the first
(3/29/07) containing one action item – a recommendation to approve changes to the MA Criminal Justice
program. She clarified a question about the program “core” raised by Prof. Friedman. The Council voted
to accept both reports and in doing so approve the one curriculum change recommended (in the 3/29/07
report) (6-0-0).
6.
New Business – M. Pryse
Dean Pryse raised the concept of re-naming Graduate Studies to become The Graduate School and
provided a document addressing the issue (appended to the end of these minutes). Prof. Pomerantz
suggested the change was warranted – “just do it!” Prof. Gangolly indicated that all the institutions he is
familiar with have a Graduate School. Prof. Kranich echoed both theses remarks. After brief period of
healthy discussion the Council voted unanimously to support the re-naming (6-0-0).
There being no additional business, the meeting was adjourned.
END OF 4/20/07 GAC MINUTES
*****************************
To:
Graduate Academic Council
From:
Laurence Kranich, Chair
GAC Committee on Educational Policy & Procedures (CEP&P)
Date:
April 19, 2007
Re:
Report and Recommendations
The CEP&P met on March 13, 2007 and resumed discussion of the matter of policy pertaining to English
language proficiency of graduate study applicants. In attendance were M. Casserly, L.-A. McNutt & L.
Kranich, with J. Bartow as staff.
Discussion of the potential policy matter resulted in the following (2) recommendations for action by the
GAC:
1.
That a minimum TOEFL score of 550 on the written exam (or its equivalent) be required of all
international applicants with the exception of those who have completed two full-time semesters of
study at a college or university whose primary medium of instruction is English.
2.
That an exception to this requirement be granted in the event a department, through its chairperson,
wishes to certify competence and attest to a student’s English proficiency. In that event, the
department should bear the burden of any necessary English language remediation and, in particular,
that such a burden should not fall on other academic and/or support units.
In addition to the above, the CEP&P recommends that the Graduate Dean reconsider the matter of
extending the 600 minimum TOEFL requirement to all international students receiving merit-based funding
(assistantships & fellowships), rather than those with immediate instructional responsibilities only, and that
the Dean solicit broad input from all academic units regarding this matter.
Finally, the CEP&P recommends that the Graduate Dean contact and consult with student support service
units for the purpose of preparing a memo for graduate program chairs and directors identifying which
English language support services are available on campus and their intended scope. In addition, the
committee recommends that the Dean invite the service units to propose measures the University Senate
might undertake to ensure the proper use of such services.
***********************
To:
Graduate Academic Council
From:
Florence Bolton on behalf of Shadi Saleh, Chair
GAC Committee on Curriculum & Instruction (CC&I)
Date:
March 29, 2007 (scheduled but later cancelled)
Subject:
Report and Recommendations
CC&I members: J. Gangolly; R. Irving; J. Newman, A. Pomerantz, J. Rivera-Wilson; S. Saleh, B. Thiel, J.
Bartow (staff), and F. Bolton (staff).
One item of business was considered.
1. School of Criminal Justice – Request for program revisions to the MA in Criminal Justice program
As background the present MA in Criminal Justice program requires the completion of a support sequence
of statistics and research design and the completion of area requirements in three of the four substantive
areas of the curriculum. In order to make the program more integrated Criminal Justice has now proposed
to require the completion of two foundation courses, Crj 607 and 640; the completion of the support
statistics and research design sequence, Crj 504 and 505 or equivalents; and the passing of a comprehensive
examination.
At its March 15, 2007 meeting the Curriculum & Instruction Committee sought clarification concerning the
content material of the capstone comprehensive exam and its evaluation. Questions were asked of Professor
Krohn whose email response was shared with Committee members. He explained that one general question
would be presented to students which would require them to apply knowledge gained in the four foundation
courses to their chosen area of expertise. The examination committee is to be made up of two faculty
members selected by the Associate Dean and its sole responsibility is to evaluate the exam, not to develop
it. The student’s curriculum and career intentions are to be the first criterion for selecting the committee.
Professor Krohn stated that this “was intended to ensure that the evaluation committee would know what
courses the student took and be able to evaluate an essay geared to the area of expertise represented by the
student’s curriculum.”
According to the rationale given for the proposed program changes criminal justice as a discipline is
moving away from the type of specialization that is currently reflected in the program. It was successfully
argued that completing core courses in each of the two foundational aspects of criminal justice, Theories of
Criminal Justice (Crj 640), and Criminological Theory (Crj 607), provided a basis for other studies and
related to most other course work in the discipline. This proposal brings the MA in Criminal Justice into
compliance with the University’s requirement of a “capstone event” and provides a curriculum that lends
itself to providing students with a common educational experience.
Due to its prior discussion of the proposal earlier in the month and email circulation of Professor Krohn’s
response among the members, the Committee was able to vote electronically 5-0-1 in favor of program
revisions and move it forward to the GAC for further action.
************************
To:
Graduate Academic Council
From:
Florence Bolton on behalf of Shadi Saleh, Chair
GAC Committee on Curriculum & Instruction (CC&I)
Date:
April 16, 2007
Subject:
Report and Recommendations
CC&I members: J. Gangolly; R. Irving; J. Rivera-Wilson; and F. Bolton (staff). A. Pomerantz, J. Newman,
S. Saleh, B. Thiel and J. Bartow (staff) were unable to attend.
Invited Guest: Professor Arthur Applebee
One item of business was considered.
1.
School of Education – Department of Educational Theory and Practice’s request for
program revisions to the MS in General Educational Studies
Professor Applebee provided the Committee with a brief explanation of the revisions requested by the
Department of Educational Theory and Practice to the MS in General Educational Studies program. The
current 30 credit program requires a foundations course and a research course for total of 6 credits. The
remaining 24 credits are determined by the student with the help and approval of an assigned advisor. The
revised MS in General Educational Studies would require 15 credits in foundational coursework plus a
specialty concentration consisting of 15 to 21 additional credits. These 15 to 21 credits are to be taken as
part of an MS in General Education Studies or can be taken separately as individual Certificates of Study.
As a result of the Committee’s discussion and questions, some language was suggested to help clarify the
proposal. Professor Applebee agreed to incorporate the Committee’s suggestions and return the proposal
for further review and action.
**************************
Opening Discussion to Rename “Office of Graduate Studies” to
The Graduate School
at the University at Albany
“The graduate school ideally stands at the very center of a research university. It
is where everything comes together. Graduate students imbibe the scholarly and
research strategies employed by faculty while they also develop their abilities as
mentors of undergraduates; . . . the graduate school should become the
intellectual center
of the university.” (Woodrow Wilson Foundation, “The Responsive Ph.D.,” 6)
Our History
Prior to the appointment of the current Dean, the University at Albany exercised a “weak graduate
dean” model, a descriptor that also fairly applies to a “weak” approach to graduate education generally.
Graduate student support had remained flat or decreased slightly, there was little visible campus-wide
presence of graduate education outside each individual program or College, and the Office of Graduate
Studies had no autonomous organizational or budget structure prior to academic year 2006-07.
Nevertheless, the Office of Graduate Studies maintains key functions:
• quality control in the areas of program and curricular policy, providing services to faculty and
academic programs;
• shepherding student academic grievances and helping resolve when possible all kinds of
problems for students;
• liaison with and staffing of the Senate’s Graduate Academic Council;
• regular oversight and regulation of students’ compliance with graduate registration policies;
• thesis and dissertation submission requirements; and
• student recruitment and retention efforts, particularly of students from underrepresented groups;
• coordination with Graduate Admissions to manage both the admission of graduate students and
degree clearance for those same students at the conclusion of their programs of study.
In January, 2005, the University appointed a member of the teaching faculty as half-time Interim
Dean (and permanent full-time Dean during July, 2006). The Graduate Dean role brought the first infusion
of new resources into Graduate Studies in recent memory and the current Dean has focused efforts during
2006-07 on increasing doctoral stipends, supporting graduate student recruitment, and responding to the
needs of graduate programs, graduate students, and graduate excellence at the University at Albany.
Merits of a Graduate School
During 2005-06, the Office of Graduate Studies first proposed the formation of a Graduate School
as part of our Compact Plan. (The proposal was finally removed from consideration because we were not
asking for additional funding.)
We now bring to the table for governance discussion the merits of such a proposal.
1. The University at Albany is the only one of the 4 SUNY research universities that does not
have a Graduate School. Among the larger list of 26 peer and aspirational peer institutions to which we
have compared our campus in the past, 16 have a Graduate School and an additional 4 have adopted a
Graduate Division.
2. Currently every tenure-track and tenured teaching faculty member at the University at Albany
automatically becomes a member of the Graduate Faculty and would, under a new structure, become a
member of the Graduate School.
3. The timing is right; since we are involved in a Presidential Search, it matters that graduate
education achieve full visibility on campus.
4. We aspire to do the following under the rubric of the Graduate School:
a. increase the visibility of graduate education at the University at Albany;
b. create an enhanced platform for the Graduate Dean to advocate for increased
funding for graduate education;
c. establish a more visible public presence for the support services we deliver to
faculty, prospective and current students, and future alumni;
e. enable longer-range viability for graduate education and advancement efforts
by providing graduate alumni “dual citizenship” with their program of study and
with The Graduate School;
f. serve as an integrative hub to foster cross-School/College interactions between
faculty and students.
Financial Implications
The proposal to rename “Graduate Studies” as “The Graduate School” has no financial
implications other than those that the existing “Graduate Studies” unit already has, but it may provide
development opportunities down the road. While most graduate alumni who wish to donate will do so
directly within their Schools and Colleges, by not having a functioning Graduate School we have
foreclosed the possibility that the Graduate School itself—and individuals within it—might make the
significant difference in a student’s career and lead that graduate alum to want to contribute to the
University. A Graduate School gives such students another way to direct their giving, and a Dean of a
Graduate School lends stature to development claims about graduate education at Albany.
