1/31/2020 Draft GAC Minutes
Minutes of the Gradate Academic Council meeting of January 31, 2020, 9:00 AM held in MSC 102A.
Approved by the Council on 2-24-2020 by a vote of 7-0-1
In attendance: G. Berg (Chair), D. Card, A. Dawson, S. Faught, D. Li, O. Lunin, C. Wolff, K. Williams, C. Davis (staff),
J. Deden (staff)
Guests: David Turetsky, Professor of Practice, College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland
Security, and Cybersecurity (CEHC)
Unal Tatar, Assistant Professor, CEHC
Rachael French – Registrar’s Office
1.
Chair asked the members if there was any other business to be added to today’s agenda.
There was none.
1.
Consideration of the draft minutes of the GAC meeting of 12/9/2019
Approved by the Council with a vote of 7-0-1
2.
Dean’s Report – From meeting with Provost Kim, she wants and is encouraging broad participation in the
upcoming University at Albany Student Showcase Research Conference on 4/28/20.
3.
Chair’s Report –
a) Chair Berg is continuing to recruit people for the GRE admissions requirement committee.
b) From the UPPC meeting last week-
1) A proposal is being drafted for an International Travel Policy for faculty and staff traveling
abroad and especially to countries in which the Department of State has issued travel warnings.
The existing policy is only for students. Registering a travel plan with the University at Albany,
allows the University to be in a position to assist faculty/staff if needed. Deans were handed
copies to review.
2) Enrollment management strategy becoming paramount. Online teaching and learning
emphasis is on graduate level.
3) UAlbany Student Showcase Research Conference – Provost Kim would like what UAlbany is
known for to be visible; our research. Meetings will start in February to plan the Showcase.
4) School of Criminal Justice will be housed administratively under the Rockefeller College of
Public Affairs and Policy.
4.
Proposal from the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity (CEHC) for
two new concentrations in the Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity MS program - President Rodriguez
aims to bring all the various departments’ expertise in Cybersecurity together in this interdisciplinary
program. The program currently has three concentrations within the School of Business, and these two
new concentrations through CEHC will complement the existing program. The two new tracks are Risk,
Policy, and Compliance and Health Security and Privacy.
Approved by Council by a vote of 7-0-1
5.
Report of the GAC Committee on Curriculum & Instruction – Committee Chair Faught reviewed and
fielded questions regarding the proposal to revise the Industrial and Organizational Psychology Ph.D.
program. CCI approved the proposal with added language as advised.
Approved by Council by a vote of 8-0-0
6.
Report of recent updates to the Graduate Bulletin – Discussion by Assistant Dean Davis on the ongoing
efforts to clarify and update the Graduate Bulletin.
Meeting adjourned without opposition at 10:00am
End of GAC 1-31-2020 Minutes
Graduate Academic Council
2019-2020
*****************************
Excerpt from Program Change proposal of adding two new tracks to the Digital Forensics and Cyber Security M.S.
Program:
“We are proposing to add two concentrations to the program, one in Risk, Policy, and Compliance and one in
Health Security and Privacy. These concentrations will complement the three existing concentrations in Forensics,
Cyber Defense, and Cyber Operations, and draw on strengths across campus, primarily in our new and expanding
College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity (CEHC). The rapid growth and success of
CEHC has allowed us to advance these two new concentrations at this point in time, and with these new
concentrations, the Master’s in Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity will provide the opportunity for multi-
disciplinary training and offer greater opportunities for students to specialize. The decision to add these
concentrations was informed by a market analysis conducted by a professional firm that highlighted the growing
need for training in cyber security policy and management, particularly in the health field. The current
concentrations prepare students in cyber incident investigation techniques, offensive/defensive cyber operations,
and proactive threat hunting. The proposed Risk & Policy concentration will prepare students in policy and risk
management, with a particular focus on how cyber incidents and cybersecurity programs impact the security of
organizations and government. The Health Security & Privacy concentration will prepare students to apply security
analytics, risk assessment and policy management to protecting health information. The demand for cyber and
information security analysts and managers in the healthcare industry is exploding as health information technology
(e.g., electronic health records, electronic health information exchange) expands.
The two new concentrations follow the format of the current concentrations: a set of core courses, a thesis or
master’s project, and electives. The existing and proposed concentrations are provided below, side-by-side.”
_______________
Committee on Curriculum and Instruction
January 28, 2020
Committee Members: Sydney Faught (chair), Billy Zakrzewski, Alec Dawson, Susan Appe, Dylan Card, Keith Chan,
Stephen Weinberg, Christopher Wolff
Staff: Colleen Davis
Proposals reviewed: Industrial and Organizational Psychology Doctoral Program Proposal
Industrial and Organizational Psychology PhD Program Proposal
The Psychology Department is requesting the following changes to their Industrial and Organizational Psychology
Doctoral program:
Adjust the wording in the elective requirement to add more flexibility to students (previously allowed
only specific courses or psychology seminars as advised, and now it is specific courses or graduate level
courses as advised [not just seminars]).
Add APSY760 Workplace Diversity and Discrimination to the list of advanced seminar options in Group 1
of the requirements (students choose up to 12 credits of seminars from 2 groups; this added another
course as an available option).
Eliminate seminar courses from the 2 groups that have not been taught in years.
Based on the department’s justification above, the committee voted to approve the proposed program changes
(8 approve, 0 disapprove, 0 abstain).
_____________________
Summary of Graduate Bulletin Updates for GAC January 2020
Inconsistent language in the Academic Standards and Grading of Graduate Courses sections of the Graduate
Bulletin.
1.
Relevant links:
a.
https://www.albany.edu/graduatebulletin/requirements_degree.htm#academic_standards
b.
https://www.albany.edu/graduatebulletin/requirements_degree.htm#grading_graduate
2.
Both areas should list the same language as it pertains to degree applicability for graduate grades. The
Academic Standards area did not originally include the language about balancing grades of B-, C+, and C
with higher grades to reach an overall B average. The Grading of Graduate courses section did not include
the language about the overall B average required for degree completion. Both sections needed to
include all relevant information cohesively so students are better informed.
3.
Attached is the original language along with the tracked changes.
Creation of language related to course repeatability
1.
Relevant link:
a.
https://www.albany.edu/graduatebulletin/requirements_degree.htm#repeated_courses
2.
This section did not exist previously even though students inquired about it frequently.
3.
Procedures already existed regarding repeated courses, so the section was created using the current
procedures.
4.
New Language: Courses are not normally repeatable for graduate credit unless specified within the
course description and/or designed by the department to be repeated. With departmental approval,
students can otherwise repeat courses to meet specific performance expectations of increasing the
degree grade point average and replacing lower grades within the degree requirements. If a student
repeats a course, both grades will appear on the student's academic record and the higher grade will be
used to calculate the student's degree grade point average. Both grades will be used to calculate the
student's academic standing within the department. Repeated courses may not be aid eligible, including
scholarship and assistantship funding.
Missing language within the Program Changes and Withdrawal section
1.
Relevant link:
a.
https://www.albany.edu/graduatebulletin/requirements_degree.htm#program_changes
2.
Names of administrative offices have been updated within the bulletin (Student Health Services and
Counseling and Psychological Services).
3.
Added language indicating that students who drop all courses and/or are administratively withdrawn will
lose access to services and privileges available to enrolled students.
4.
This policy has been in place, but was not indicated in this section. This addition will ensure that students
are properly advised when deciding to withdraw.
Missing language within the Exception to Regulations
1.
Relevant link:
a.
https://www.albany.edu/graduatebulletin/requirements_degree.htm#exceptions_regulations
2.
Exceptions related to the following regulations will not be considered:
a.
academic grade standards;
b.
credit requirements;
c.
residence study requirements;
d.
seminar, thesis, research, and field course requirements for a master's degree; field examination
for a master's degree;
e.
tool and foreign language requirements;
f.
requirements established for admission to candidacy for a doctoral degree;
g.
dissertation requirements for a doctoral degree.
3.
Language regarding certificate comprehensive exams is missing, even though in practice these
comprehensive exams are not eligible for exceptions (Certificate of Advanced Study [CAS] degree level).
4.
Changes include adjusting bullet D to remove the field examination for master’s degree and creating a
new bullet to include the following: specialized or comprehensive field examinations in the master's
degree or graduate certificate where applicable.
5.
The adjustment expanded the master’s exam language to include “comprehensive” in addition to “field.”
It also adds the certificate degree level to the policy.
Graduate Bulletin Language Regarding Grades and Applicability to Graduate Programs
https://www.albany.edu/graduatebulletin/requirements_degree.htm#academic_standards
ACADEMIC STANDARDS
Unless more rigorous performance standards are otherwise required by a particular program, graduate students
who are candidates for a graduate degree or certificate must earn an average of B in all resident graduate courses
and credits applicable to their degree completed with grades other than S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory) and
receive grades of S in all resident graduate courses applicable to their degree which may be graded S/U.
Courses completed with grades of A, A-, B+, B, or S may be applied to graduate course requirements and to credit
requirements for graduate degrees. These requirements can also be met by courses graded B-, C+, and C only if
they are balanced to a B (3.0). (Example: Three credits of B- must be balanced at least by three credits of B+).
Undergraduate courses or credits specified as required in conjunction with a graduate program must be completed
according to the following academic standards:
1.
A prerequisite course in the subject field central to the graduate program or in the principal teaching field in
a program leading to state teacher certification must be completed with a grade of C or better.
2.
A prerequisite in a supporting subject field must be completed with a grade of C or better.
Graduate students in nondegree study are expected to meet and maintain the same academic standards as
students in degree programs.
All graduate students are expected to remain in good academic standing during the course of their study; that is, to
maintain an academic record consistent with the standard above. A student whose record falls much below those
standards or which otherwise indicates a lack of ability or effort needed to succeed in graduate study will be denied
permission for further study.
The candidacy of graduate students who receive a grade of U in a required seminar or research course, in a
practicum, student teaching course, internship, field course or similar application course, on a thesis, or in a
dissertation course, is terminated unless an exception is recommended for compelling reasons by their department
or school, and they may not register for further study unless they are later reinstated. Under certain conditions, and
with the recommendations of the student's major department, such a student may apply to the Dean of
Graduate Education for readmission, but ordinarily at least one session must intervene before a readmission.
Graduate students who are not in good standing academically and who have been denied the privilege of further
study on those grounds may petition the Graduate Academic Council for reinstatement provided extenuating
circumstances were involved which, in their opinion, warrant review.
The term in good standing (satisfactory academic standing) means that a student is eligible or has been allowed to
register and take academic coursework at this campus for the current session. Although in some cases students
have been warned and advised that their academic average needs improvement in order to qualify for their degree,
they are still considered to be in good standing since they are still authorized to continue studying toward their
degrees. Only those students officially terminated from their programs of study are considered not to be in good
academic standing.
https://www.albany.edu/graduatebulletin/requirements_degree.htm#grading_graduate
Grading of Graduate Courses
The evaluation of student performance in most graduate courses requires the awarding of A-E grades. In its
totality, graduate instruction here is not conceived, organized, and offered to reflect a general S/U or "pass-fail"
pattern of evaluation, even though most graduate degree programs do require one or more appropriate graduate
courses graded S/U.
The grading system for all formally organized and structured graduate courses requires the use of the following A-
E scale: A; A-; B+; B; B-; C+; C; D; and E; other grades which may temporarily or permanently be substituted for
the above grades are I (incomplete), W(withdrawn), and Z (failure).
The grading system for all graduate courses which by design are unstructured or are organized primarily to provide
an independent learning experience are required to be graded on the S(satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory) scale. In
this graduate scale S is equivalent to a B or better, and U is equivalent to a B- or lower. The courses which must
be graded on the graduate S/U scale include student teaching, seminars, field courses, clinical courses,
internships, practicums, workshops, independent study, directed study or reading, research courses, special
projects in community-work courses, and special laboratory courses. Theses are also graded S/U. Theses courses
for which students register automatically carry a grade of I until notification of the assignment of an S/U grade for
the thesis course by the Graduate Office.
Unless more rigorous performance standards are otherwise required by a particular program, graduate students
who are candidates for a graduate degree or certificate must earn an average of B in all resident graduate courses
and credits applicable to their degree completed with grades other than S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory) and
receive grades of S in all resident graduate courses applicable to their degree which may be graded S/U.
According to graduate academic standards, courses completed with grades of A, A-, B+, B, and S may be applied
to graduate course requirements and to credit requirements for graduate degrees. These requirements can also be
met by courses graded B-, C+, and C only if they are balanced to a B (3.0). (Example: Three credits of B- must be
balanced at least by three credits of B+).
Exceptions to the above pattern of grading practices may be authorized by the Dean of Graduate Education.
Requests for exceptions should be submitted to the dean in writing by the department chair or by the instructor of a
course with the endorsement of the department chair. The request should be supported by the rationale for
changing the grading pattern and should state whether this change is sought on a temporary or permanent basis.
Upon review, the Dean of Graduate Education notifies the department chair officially of the decision regarding the
request. The Registrar is also notified about such grading decisions.
Additionally, an instructor may not award simultaneously both A/E grades and S/U grades in the same graduate
course; grades assigned in a course must be either all A/E grades or all S/U grades. All undergraduates enrolled in
graduate courses are evaluated by the grading system authorized in graduate instruction. An instructor should not
make arrangements with students which vary from the authorized grading practices without having received in
advance formal approval from the Dean of Graduate Education for grading on a different pattern.
