Graduate Academic Council
2008 – 2009
Minutes of the Council meeting of October 27, 2008
Approved by the Council on November 11, 2008
In attendance:
J. Baronner (staff), J. Bartow (staff), F. Bolton (staff), T. Clyman, G. Denbeaux,
M. Earleywine, M. Friedlander (Guest), H. Horton, L. Kranich (Chair),
J. McLaughlin, W. Meredith, A. Pomerantz, B. Shaw, C. Smith
Unable to attend: S. Friedman, M. Pryse, K. Reinhold;
1. Billy Meredith, graduate student senator for GAC, joined the Council for his first meeting
Group introductions were made at the start of the meeting.
2. Minutes from 9/23/2008 were voted on and approved with one abstention.
3. Dean’s Report – H. Horton
Numbers are still unavailable from SUNY regarding the 2008-2009 budget reductions.
Information for 2010 is also unavailable. Unfortunately, the grad programs are in need of
this information as soon as possible. A question remains on the hiring of Grad students.
TA lines are frozen for Spring 2008. No new hires are allowed unless absolutely
necessary. Dean Pryse will provide more information when it becomes available.
The Graduate Ombuds training program on October 15th went well. The web site will
soon be updated with Ombuds names when students wish to contact an Ombuds person,
and the Graduate Directors will be provided with the Ombuds names as well.
Institutional Research will soon release the annual student satisfaction survey. Grad
students report a high level of satisfaction. An on-line posting will be available within the
next month.
Dr. Carson Carr’s University career and retirement were celebrated this past Saturday with
over 300 people in attendance. In addition to the accolades given him, the diversity
program was renamed to the Carson Carr Graduate Diversity Program.
4. Chair’s Report – L. Kranich
The Senate Executive Committee met on October 6. The Chair was asked to provide an
update of the current status of Senate Bill 0708-3, combined MA Women’s Studies/PhD
Sociology, and explained that the proposal was remanded to its Committee on Educational
Policy and Procedures for further study of the precedent for such a cross-disciplinary MA/
PhD program within SUNY and nationwide. In addition, the Chair reviewed and clarified
the friendly amendment by GAC to the IRCAP Charter Amendment that either GAC or
UAC, whichever is relevant, be represented on the appellate board for proposals that are
denied by IRCAP and subsequently appealed.
No GAC-relevant items were on the Senate agenda for the October 20th meeting.
GAC Minutes
October 27, 2008
Page 2 of 5
5. CGS in Health Disparities
Professor Myrna Friedlander presented the proposal for a Certificate of Graduate Studies
in Health Disparities, which was recently approved by the University Policy and Planning
Committee. She mentioned that the proposal is an outgrowth of two years’ work within
the Education Core of the NIH Export Center for the Elimination of Minority Health
Disparities at the University at Albany, State University of New York. The goal of the 12-
credit Certificate program is to train graduate students or professionals to become leaders
in addressing and eliminating health disparities among various minority groups. The
School of Public Health will be the administrative home for the Certificate but will partner
with the Schools of Education and Social Welfare.
The proposed curriculum consists of one required course, HPMB 620 Health Disparities
and Community Health, and three electives. One elective is to be chosen from each of
three subject areas: multicultural practice, community partnerships, and public health
leadership. Each of the subject areas is offered by one of the Schools. A student must
obtain the Certificate within five years from admission.
The Certificate Program and its graduates would be marketable since there is great
concern within public health, psychology, and social work for the reduction of health
disparities, and there are only a few similar certificate programs in the country.
A Council member suggested that CEMHD (Center for Elimination of Minority Health
Disparities) should be included along with faculty from the three schools in reviewing the
program after the third year, when enrollment numbers will be discussed in light of
Certificate demand and available resources. In addition, CEHMD should be represented
in the admissions process and on students’ advising committees.
It was pointed out that there is a discrepancy between the section on “Completion
Requirements,” which states “Students who are enrolled in a University at Albany
graduate degree program..,” and the “Admissions” criteria, which refer to students
“…..currently enrolled in a graduate program in social welfare, public health, counseling
or clinical psychology….” To resolve this, it was suggested that admission be open to any
graduate student who has the required social sciences background (6 credits), since the
Certificate will also be available for individuals with only a bachelor’s or RN degree from
an accredited school. It was also suggested that the proposal eliminate the requirement
that a maximum of 6 credits be applied from a UAlbany student’s other degree program
because many certificates at UAlbany are taken “along the way” to another graduate
degree. Rather, students could be required to take courses in at least two of the three
UAlbany Schools, i.e., Public Health, Social Welfare, and Education.
As presented, the proposal contained a fixed set of courses for completing each of the
elective requirements. It was suggested that the program allow some flexibility by
including the phrase “or other, as approved by the Committee” in each category.
GAC Minutes
October 27, 2008
Page 3 of 5
The question was also raised whether a health economics course should be part of the
program since economic factors play a crucial role in the cause of health disparities and
understanding their role could be helpful in eliminating disparities. Professor Friedlander
offered that a graduate student from economics (or another graduate program in the
University) could request a substitution for one of the 3 electives, which would be granted
on a student-by-student basis. Inclusion of a health economics course, for example, might
be considered (based on the student’s prior qualifications and career goals) by the
student’s advisor in the Certificate program to substitute for multicultural counseling. It
was also mentioned that requiring a health economics course for all Certificate students
could be difficult since such a course might require some background in economics,
which is unlikely for students in counseling, social welfare, psychology, and public health.
Jon Bartow pointed out that an amendment can be made once the Certificate has been
offered for a few years to expand the offerings, if there is sufficient interest and need.
A question was raised regarding the requirement of two letters of recommendation rather
than three, as is normally the case for graduate applicants. It was recommended that 3
letters be requested so that PeopleSoft will recognize a completed application; otherwise,
the Certificate admissions committee might never receive the application for admissions.
Professor Friedlander mentioned that it may be difficult for applicants working in the field
who may have been out of school for awhile to obtain letters from previous professors,
and it was suggested that UAlbany students could use letters of recommendation that had
been submitted for other graduate degree programs. It was also suggested that the
program not be limited to 10 students per year in case more good applicants are interested,
but that the wording be changed to “approximately 10 students per year.”
The Council voted a show-of-support for the proposal but reserved the right to approve
the final language. The corrected version will be e-mailed to Chair Kranich and to Jon
Bartow. Both the University Planning & Policy Council and GAC will be required to
present the proposal to the Senate for final approval. It was noted that this will be a State-
registered certificate, and the proposal will need to be approved by the State Education
Department after it passes the UA Senate.
7. Committee Reports
Committee on Educational Policy and Procedures – C. Smith
The Committee was charged with reviewing four items: MA Women’s Studies/PhD
Sociology, deadline for academic grievance requests, equivalency of Graduate and
Undergraduate credits, and policies for Graduate certificates.
MA Women’s Studies/PhD Sociology
After perusing the internet and library resources for existing models of MA/PhD cross
disciplinary programs, it was discovered that no registered programs exist. Many
schools had unofficial agreements between departments where students mostly created
their own degree. The Committee meets again on 10/30/08 to continue discussions.
GAC Minutes
October 27, 2008
Page 4 of 5
Deadline for Academic Grievance Requests
The Committee voted 4-0 that a deadline should be established for academic grievance
requests. Since the Committee on Admissions and Academic Standing handles
grievances, the Committee has requested they provide additional recommendations.
The Committee proposed deadlines of: (1) Winter or Spring semester grievances
would be the last day of the second week of classes of the following Fall semester; and
(2) Sumer or Fall semester grievances would be the last day of the second week of
classes of the following Spring semester. Applications reviewed after the deadlines
would be reviewed by the Committee on Admissions and Academic Standing as time
permits. The Committee recommended a statue of limitations for filing grievances be
implemented one calendar year from the beginning of the semester when the issue
occurred. The reasoning being that faculty and documented proof may be difficult to
come by when too much time has elapsed. Chair Smith noted she e-mailed Counsel
John Reilly for clarification if there is a specific academic grievance that he is
proposing should have a deadline, or is it all academic grievances. It was noted that
the grievance policy is explained within the Graduate Bulletin.
Equivalency of Graduate and Undergraduate Credits
Current policy dictates that only graduate credits may be transferred into the
University’s graduate programs. Vice Provost Ray Bromley has proposed
implementation of a policy to convert equivalent undergraduate credits to graduate
credits. After the Committee’s discussion, it was determined that additional
information was required. Dr. Bromley provided an update to the Committee, and it
will be discussed at the next meeting on October 30th. Even though Dr. Bromley
provided the update on October 19th, Chair Smith will e-mail him to ascertain whether
any further updates will be provided.
Policies for Graduate certificates
The types of certificates and required credits vary within the University, and few
policies exist. Even though the Committee voted 4-0 that policies should be
established, more information is required from departments. The Committee is
waiting on departments to provide additional information for discussion at a future
meeting. It was noted that the State does not delineate between certificates. Also, the
State registers both a degree and a certificate and does not consider them the same
entity.
The Council voted unanimously to approve the report itself.
Committee on Admissions and Academic Standing – T. Clyman
The Council was reminded that all subject matter pertaining to student grievances is
confidential and protected information under federal law.
GAC Minutes
October 27, 2008
Page 5 of 5
The Committee considered petition number 0809-1 and recommends action on it be taken
by the Council. Upon consideration of the Committee recommendation and initial review
of the case materials (transcript, petition, and departmental response), the Council voted to
table the matter, to allow more time for the Council members’ review of the case
documents and additionally to seek further information from the Department involved as
well as an opinion from legal counsel.
8. Future Meetings
11/11 (Tuesday)
11/24 (Monday)
12/8 (Monday)
END OF GAC 10/27/2008 MINUTES
**************************
Attachment #1
MEMORANDUM
TO: Graduate Academic Council
FROM: Prof. Myrna Friedlander (Educational and Counseling Psychology) and Prof. Janine
Jurkowski (Public Health)
DATE: October 17, 2008
RE: Addendum to proposed Health Disparities Certificate proposal
At the recommendation of the University Policy and Planning Committee, which
unanimously approved our proposal yesterday, we are submitting the following information
about the anticipated marketability of the proposed Health Disparities Certificate.
As you have read in the proposal, this Certificate is interdisciplinary and involves
coursework in three Schools within the University: Public Health, Education, and Social
Welfare. The program is designed as a specialization for current graduate students in master’s
and doctoral programs in the three Schools as well as for local individuals (college graduates)
working in public health, social work, or counseling who desire to gain expertise in this critically
needed area of health care.
As noted by the three Deans (Nasca, Briar-Lawson, and Bangert-Drowns), reducing
minority health disparities is on the national agenda in each field. Having the Certificate would
give specialized skills to our graduate students which will aid them in their respective
professions and help them be more marketable upon graduation. As an example, five currently
open searches for Assistant Professors in psychology at the University of North Dakota, Boston
College, Lehigh University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and the University of Missouri-
Columbia are specifically requesting applicants with “expertise in multiculturalism and a
commitment to diversity and social justice.” Further, in public health, there are professor
positions postings asking for research across the disciplines but with an “emphasis on health
disparities” and community health. The most recent examples include openings at the
Northwestern University, Duke, UMass Amherst, Toro College and Mt Sinai School of Medicine
in NYC, and University of Illinois at Chicago. There are also non-academic positions such as the
Merwyn (Mitch) R. Greenlick Endowed Scientist for Health Disparities position at the Kaiser
Permanente Center for Health Research. More indication of the demand is that the National
Cancer Institute's Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities recently had two new health
scientist administrator positions available in Statistics, Research, and Evaluation.
An internet search for similar Certificate programs found that they are being offered only
at a few institutions: Teacher’s College, Columbia; University of South Florida, University of
North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg.
Another health disparities certificate is offered by the Michigan Public Health Training Center.
Many schools of public health around the nation have a focus on reducing minority health
disparities, without a specific degree in the specializations. The UAlbany School of Public
Health provides general education about various areas of public health, but with no specialization
in health disparities. No doubt there will be many individuals from the State Department of
Health and HRI interested in this Certificate, who might then apply to the master’s program in
public health since the CDC and NIH are emphasizing the need to address health disparities
more and more in the request for applications. For example, there was a recent announcement
for a request for applications with the title: Elimination of Health Disparities through
Translation Research: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-CD-08-001.html.
Similarly, there may be many bachelor’s level practitioners in social work or counseling
who may be attracted to the Certificate program as a way to assess their interest and readiness for
graduate work at the University at Albany. The counseling psychology PhD program, accredited
by the American Psychological Association (APA) and highly ranked nationally, receives over
100 applications annually for the PhD, and possibly 75% of applicants are attracted to that
program because of its emphasis on diversity and social justice (several faculty are doing
research in this area, and one recently hired assistant professor has a research agenda in mental
health disparities). The Certificate program will also be open to students in the APA-accredited
PhD program in clinical psychology (Arts & Sciences), which also has faculty interested in
multicultural issues. Thus, having the Certificate will increase our visibility in these doctoral-
level mental health graduate programs, likely attracting more students (and faculty) of color.
Thank you in advance for considering this proposal.
Attachment #2
To:
Graduate Academic Council (GAC)
From: Christy Smith, Chair
GAC Committee on Educational Policy and Procedures (CEPP)
Date:
October 27, 2008
Re:
Report and Recommendation
The GAC CEPP met on 10/16/08. In attendance were C. Smith (Chair), J. McLaughlin, K.
Reinhold-Larsson and B. Shaw. Not present was M. Earleywine. Attached is the report and
recommendations from the Committee.
Report to the Graduate Academic Council from the GAC Committee on Educational
Policy and Procedures, October 27, 2008
MA Women’s Studies/PhD Sociology
The Committee was charged with searching out existing examples/models of MA/PhD cross
disciplinary programs, to describe best and worst practices, to identify the issues involved (when
should they be permitted, how should they be structured, the extent of overlapping credits,
potential problems/conflicts, etc.), and to suggest whether or not it would be appropriate to
formulate and adopt uniform guidelines and/or criteria for the establishment of such programs,
and, if so, to propose a timetable.
The Committee first attempted to find MA/PhD programs that resembled the dual program issue.
There is no national registered program database so the Internet and library resources were used
for this search. The Committee found that many schools had unofficial agreements between
departments that would allow a student to receive a Master’s degree in one subject and to pursue
a PhD in another area; however, these programs were not officially registered. Similar to the
University’s MBA/JD, the departments appeared to have articulation agreements allowing these
programs to be advertised and pursued.
During the discussion of this issue, the University of Michigan has been referenced several times
as having dual programs. It was discovered that the University has a “Student-Initiated Dual
Degree Program” that allows a student to pursue a doctoral degree in one field and a Master’s in
another. The student can, in essence, combine any two areas they choose. Please see 2.3.1 at
http://www.rackham.umich.edu/policies/gsh/section2/#23.
At this time, the CEPP was unable to find any cross disciplinary MA/PhD programs that are
officially registered with a University or state that could be used as a model for the proposed
Women’s Studies MA/ Sociology PhD. The Committee will meet on 10/30/08 to discuss and
identify the issues involved with combined programs, and to suggest whether or not it would be
appropriate to formulate and adopt uniform guidelines and/or criteria for the establishment of
such programs.
Deadline for Academic Grievance Requests
Upon the suggestion of University Counsel, the Committee addressed the need for a filing
deadline for academic grievances. With a vote of 4-0, it was agreed that a deadline should be
included in the procedures. The Committee has suggested dates for deadlines, but asks for
additional recommendations from the Committee on Admissions and Academic Standing as they
handle the grievances. The proposed deadlines for “review of the grievance in a timely
manner” are:
Issues that occur in the Winter or Spring semester- The last day of the second week of classes of
the following Fall semester. This allows students time once they have returned to campus to file
their grievances. This date coincides with the last day to drop full semester classes with a 30%
tuition liability.
Issues that occur in the Summer or Fall semester- The last day of the second week of classes of
the following Spring semester. This allows students time once they have returned to campus to
file their grievances. This date coincides with the last day to drop full semester classes with a
30% tuition liability.
Applications that are received after these dates will be reviewed however it is recommended that
the Committee on Admissions and Academic Standing review them as time permits since they
were not filed by the deadline.
It is also recommend that there be a statute of limitations for filing an academic grievance of one
(1) calendar year from the beginning of the semester the issue occurred. The Committee agreed
that one year is sufficient time for a grievance to be filed and any additional time would increase
the chances that relevant documentation (such as emails or assignments) or faculty would not be
easily accessible.
Equivalency of Graduate and Undergraduate Credits
Vice Provost Ray Bromley has proposed the establishment of policy to address matters of
undergraduate credit to graduate credits equivalency. The intent would be to create a scale
indicating that X number of undergraduate credits could be transferred as Y amount of graduate
credits. Current policy dictates that only graduate credits can be transferred into a graduate
program at the University. This matter was briefly discussed and further information was
requested by the Committee. Vice Provost Bromley, has provided a written proposal which will
be discussed at the next meeting.
Policies a for Graduate Certificates
Currently, there are very few polices specific to graduate certificates offered on campus. The
certificates currently offered vary greatly by number of credits and purpose. Typically a CGS
(Certificate of Graduate Study) is 9-16 credits and is designed to be “lower” than a Master’s
degree and students in Master’s programs can receive a CGS along the way to the Master’s. The
CGS is offered by several colleges and schools on campus including the School of Public Health,
the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Education.
A CAS (Certificate of Advanced Study) is usually 60-76 credits and is considered a degree
between a Master’s and a PhD and is offered by several colleges and schools on campus.
Students enrolled in PhD programs can apply to have the CAS awarded along the way to their
doctorate. Several CAS offered at UAlbany are registered as NY State Certification/Licensure
programs.
An AGC (Advanced Graduate Certificate) is offered by the Educational Administration and
Policy Studies department only and applicants must have a Master’s degree or equivalent in
order to be eligible. The AGC is a NY State certification program.
The Committee agreed 4-0 that there should be policies and regulations governing the graduate
certificates at the University. However, as the certificates offered at UAlbany are different, it was
determined that each type of certificate should be considered different and have different
policies.
The Committee has requested further information on the graduate certificates and at this time
there are no recommendations.
Attachment #3
PDF file entitled “Health Disparities Graduate Certificate Proposal 2008.pdf”, stamped
with “JUL 1 – 2008”.
