Graduate Academic Council
2008 – 2009
Minutes of the Council meeting of January 27, 2009
Approved by the Council on March 2, 2009.
In attendance:
J. Baronner (staff), J. Bartow (staff), F. Bolton (staff), T. Clyman,
G. Denbeaux, S. Friedman, L. Kranich (Chair), J. McLaughlin,
W. Meredith, A. Pomerantz, M. Pryse, K. Reinhold, B. Shaw, C. Smith
Unable to attend: M. Earleywine
1. Minutes from 11/24/2008 were approved by unanimous vote.
2. Dean’s Report – M. Pryse
Dean Pryse requested the Chair discuss Item #7 from the 11/24/2008 GAC minutes
regarding the final outcome for the proposed charter amendment. She mentioned her
attendance at a previous Governance Council meeting to discuss the UNI courses. She
also noted the existence of GINS (General International Study) courses. Students receive
either zero, 1-6, or 0-18 credits for these courses, all of which involve study abroad. The
issue the Dean raised once again concerns the responsibility the GAC has for graduate
education.
Dean Pryse also discussed the budget and acknowledged the need for final budget
numbers by February. The delay in establishing the Graduate Student Support budget will
otherwise affect new student. She indicated that she is pressing daily for resolution on the
budget for ‘09-‘10.
3. Chair’s Report – L. Kranich
The Chair mentioned that the background explaining the charter amendment issue is
contained in the 11/24/2008 minutes. At that meeting, he suggested deferring action until
it can be determined whether SEC would approve the proposed amendment by GAC if
graduate level UNI courses not housed within a school or college were required to carry
zero credit. In the Chair’s 12/15/2008 e-mail message, he informed the Council that the
SEC voted to reject the proposal by GAC even with this modification. Instead, the
prevailing sentiment was that ALL graduate courses that might appear on a transcript,
including 0-credit courses, should be offered under the auspices of a school or college.
The opinion, endorsed by even the student representatives present, was that academic
credits or even transcript notes issued by a service unit diminished the merit, worth or
stature of the degree. The Senate will vote on the Governance Council’s proposed
amendment at the 2/9/2009 meeting.
At the 11/11/2008 meeting, the issue was raised that the Committee memberships were
not in compliance with the Senate Charter. Jon Bartow e-mailed Deans requesting
nominees or volunteers. As of this date, Jon has received no replies to his inquiry.
The Chair reported that Vice Provost Bromley was informed that GAC voted to approve
the recommendation of the Committee on Educational Policy and Procedure (CEPP)
against establishing an equivalence scale between undergraduate and graduate credits and
GAC Minutes
January 27, 2009
Page 2 of 2
in favor of maintaining the current policy that undergraduate credits are not acceptable for
transfer into a graduate program and that they are not equivalent in any way.
The deactivation of the MS/MPH Bioethics/Public Health with Union College and the
Albany Medical Center was approved by Council on 11/11/2008. Jon Bartow reported
that he has received no further feedback from UPC. Both GAC and UPC must co-sponsor
a bill to the Senate once UPC has reviewed and approved the deactivation.
The Interim President has signed the proposal for a Certificate of Graduate Studies in
Health Disparities.
4. School of Education’s Proposal to Discontinue the Graduate Certificate in Urban
Education
Senate Chair Delano received letters of support from both the Acting Dean and the
Assistant Dean for Professional Studies of the School of Education to discontinue the
certificate. There are no resource implications, and no students are currently enrolled.
The Council voted unanimously to support the discontinuation of the certificate. It is also
necessary that the proposal be approved by UPC. It will then proceed as a joint bill to the
full Senate.
5. Old Business
Committee on Educational Policy and Procedure
Chair Kranich mentioned to CEPP Chair Smith that at the SEC meeting yesterday the
Chair of UAC requested that GAC proceed expeditiously on the matter of the revised
billing policy for BA-MA students. CEPP will review the proposal at its next meeting.
Further Discussion of the Proposed Charter Amendment
Dean Pryse raised again for discussion the proposed charter amendment and questioned
who should be in charge of graduate level UNI courses. She also questioned how the
proposed Certificate in College Teaching had been described at the SEC meeting to enlist
Grad student members’ support for an amendment that would restrict their options. The
Dean mentioned that ITLAL’s only remaining option, should the amendment pass, would
be to approach each college or school individually to enlist support for college-wide
versions of the three proposed zero-credit ITLAL courses. She encouraged members of
GAC to attend the upcoming Senate meeting if they are interested in participating in
discussion on the amendment.
The Chair pointed out that since the Certificate in College Teaching would be an internal
certificate program, there is nothing preventing ITLAL from offering the associated
courses and issuing a certificate of completion without it being included on the transcript.
END OF GAC 1/27/2009 MINUTES
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Attachment #1
TO:
John Delano, University Senate Chair
FROM:
Ruth L. Pagerey, Assistant Dean for Professional Studies
SUBJECT:
Discontinuance of Urban Education Certificate of Graduate Studies Program
DATE:
January 5, 2009
The School of Education proposes the discontinuance of the Urban Education program
leading to a Certificate of Graduate Studies (CGS).
Regents Regulations for teacher preparation programs that went into effect in 2004
required an increased emphasis on urban education throughout all programs, as well as the re-
registration of all programs leading to certification. These changes resulted in primary
courses from the Urban Education program being removed as courses from newly registered
programs were added. Therefore, there is no longer a need for this standalone certificate
program with an urban education focus.
All students have either completed the program or passed the statutory timeframe for
enrollment in the program as of August 2008. Therefore, the suggested discontinuance date
will be August 30, 2008.
cc:
Reed Hoyt, Chair, Planning & Policy Council
Laurence Kranich, Chair, Graduate Academic Council
Jon Bartow, Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies
Robert L. Bangert-Drowns, Acting Dean, School of Education
Attachment #2
TO:
John Delano, University Senate Chair
FROM:
Robert Bangert-Drowns, Acting Dean
SUBJECT:
Discontinuance of Urban Education Certificate of Graduate Studies Program
DATE:
January 9, 2009
I approve the proposal from the School of Education to discontinue the Urban
Education program leading to a Certificate of Graduate Studies (CGS). The proposal was
formally reviewed and approved by the School’s Academic Council. (See attached routing
and approval form.) The intent of the Urban Education CGS, we believe, is currently better
served by the integration of urban education issues throughout our degree programs. I am
grateful to those who helped champion the Urban Education CGS in its initiation, and I
believe it was the right approach for its time.
The elimination of the certificate program does not have resource implications for the
School or the University. We have not admitted new students to the program in recent
semesters, and we waited until all students completed the program or passed the statutory
timeframe for completion before making this proposal.
cc:
Jon Bartow, Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies
Ruth Pagerey, Assistant Dean for Professional Studies, School of Education
Attachment #3
Attachment #3 is a pdf file for a signed approvals and notifications form and a justification for
proposal form (proposal #2008-153).
