Annual Reports

Graduate Studies Committee Meeting for January 27, 2005

Members Present: P. Baumann, M. Bednarski, S. Cherolis, G. Claffey, R. Cohen, M. Davis, K. Farrington, J. Faryniarz, D. Fearon, R. Fernandez, M. Gendron, R. Kalder, J. Kovel, C. Marshall, D. Mitchell, B. Nicholson, J. Nicoll-Senft, C. Parr, S. Seider, K. Tower, D. Verbarg

Guests/ex. officio: M. Kaplan, C. Pudlinski

S. Seider called the meeting to order at 2:39 pm in M. Nunn’s absence.

I. Approval of Minutes

A. Members present approved the November 18, 2004 minutes with minor edits.

II. Welcome and Announcements

A. Reception for recipients of graduate awards will be held on February 10, 2005 in the Connecticut Room from 5:30-7:30 and is sponsored by GSA.

B. The Research and Creative Presentation Day will be held May 4 in Alumni Hall 4:00-7:00. This is an annual event and will take place a bit earlier in the semester this year. Students who are doing theses and Special Projects may submit proposals some time in April to participate. Poster boards and materials will be available through the Graduate Studies office. Please let your depts. know it is going on. More information should appear on the website soon.

C. Letter for accepted graduate students: This will be added to the website. This is the procedural letter that was worked on and the last iteration is done. It will go out for students accepted for fall, 2005.

D. NEASC visit: The GSC will play an active role in ensuring we are in compliance with the standards. The self study will be next April and the Plan C standards will be the first thing that will be examined.

E. The Spring Grad Forum: The tables were given five minutes to brainstorm ideas for topics and dates for the Forum. Suggestions were collected and will be given to the Dean.

F. Graduate Community of Scholars Tribute: Departments may nominate themselves or another department for this tribute. Nominations should be sent to Pam Anneser. Past recipients were Biology (2002-2003) and Modern Languages (2003-2004). Criteria for nomination should reflect how the department demonstrates excellence in one or more of the Graduate Tenets.

G. The Graduate Studies office has a new Clerk Typist, Lillian Baruffi. She will handle comprehensive exams and change of majors. Her office is in HB 102.

H. The C.J. Huang Chinese Student and Educational Development Fund provides opportunity for CCSU Grad students to teach English for a year in China at the Ouyang Yu Middle School. Contact Nick Pettinico for more information.

III. New Business

A. Human Studies Council Exemption application procedure: Mimi Kaplan spoke about the application procedure for exemptions. She reminded the committee that all research must be cleared through the HSC office if human subjects are being used. This ensures there are no future liabilities. All forms including the exemption form may be found at: [http://www.psychology.ccsu.edu/waite/human_studies_council.htm ]. The group meets several times a semester to review applications. She also reminded the committee that the form in the current Masters Thesis Handbook is old. The newer form is the on the web. She reminded the committee that even if the student is making a minor change in their research they will need to fill out the form, so that the change is deemed exempt and CCSU is not liable. Discussion ensued about whether specific projects would be exempt or not. S. Seider reiterated that all projects would have to be formally submitted to the HSC with the form to get approval. S. Seider also mentioned that the committee has been very quick and responsive when she has submitted her proposals in the past.

B. Enrollment Management /Strategic Planning: Will be discussed at next meeting of GSC.

IV. Report from the Graduate Student Association

A. GSA Scholarship Guidelines and Application

This is scholarship is awarded every year at Commencement. This scholarship is open to all matriculating graduate students, who have completed 15 hours of work and have a 3.5 GPA or above and will be in attendance for the fall 2005 semester. Two letters of recommendation are needed along with an essay. Departments were asked to encourage their students to apply for it. Applications are available in the Graduate Studies office and are due April 11, 2005.

V. Committee Reports

A. Curriculum Committee

C. Pudlinski announced that the curriculum database is now online. J. Nicoll-Senft reported that Curriculum Committee met with the following recommendations:

Item #1: Engineering Technology – Civil

a. Course addition of ETC 575 Earth and Earth Supported
Structures

b. Course revision of ETC 571 Design and Construction of Concrete Structures

c. Course addition of ETC 573 Foundation Analysis and
Design

d. Course addition of ETC 574 Ground Improvement
Techniques

e. Program Revision of M.S., Engineering Technology,
Civil/Construction specialization

Approved.

Item # 2: Chemistry

a. Course revision of CHEM 501 Topics in Analytic Chemistry

b. Course revision of CHEM 511 Topics in Organic Chemistry

c. Course revision of CHEM 521 Topics in Physical Chemistry

d. Course revision of CHEM 550 Basic Organic and
Biological Chemistry

e. Course revision of CHEM 551 Topics in Biochemistry

f. Course revision of CHEM 561 Topics in Inorganic
Chemistry

g. Course addition of CHEM 590 Topics in Advanced Chemistry.

h. Course deletion of CHEM 598 Research in Chemistry

i. Course revision of CHEM 599 Thesis

Approved.

Item # 3: Math Sciences

a. Program deletion of Major in Mathematics with Specialization in Operations Research MA

b. Program revision of Major in Mathematics, M.A.

c. Program revision of Major in Mathematics, M.S. (Certifiable for elementary teaching)

d. Program revision of Major in Mathematics, M.S. (Certifiable for secondary teaching)

Approved.

Item #4: Nursing

a. Course addition of NRSE 500 Theoretical Foundations of Nursing

b. Course addition of NRSE 505 Health Promotion/Disease Prevention & Health Behaviors

c. Course addition of NRSE 510 Community/Public Health Nursing Theory I

d. Course addition of NRSE 515 Health Care Policy, Ethics, Organization and Financing

e. Course addition of NRSE 520 Community/Public Health Nursing Theory II

f. Course addition of NRSE 525 Nursing Administration

g. Course addition of NRSE 530 Social Resources, Diversity and Health

h. Course addition of NRSE 540 Advanced Practice Professional Role Development

i. Course addition of NRSE 550 Community/Public Health Nursing Practicum I

j. Course addition of NRSE 555 Community/Public Health Nursing Practicum II

k. Course addition of NRSE 597 Special Project in Nursing (Capstone Plan C)

l. Course addition of NRSE 598 Research I

m. Course addition of NRSE 599 Thesis

n. Program addition of Master of Science in Nursing

Approved.

Item # 5: Reading

a. Course Revision of RDG 585 Reading in Content Area

b. Course Revision of RDG 586 Literacy Instruction for Diverse Populations I

c. Course Revision of RDG 589 Creative Language Arts

d. Course Revision of RDG 590 Current Trends in Developmental Reading K-12

e. Course Revision of RDG 591 Developmental Reading in Primary Grades

f. Course Revision of RDG 592 Middle School Level Literacy Development

g. Course Revision of RDG 667 Multicultural Literature in the Classroom

h. Course Revision of RDG 675 Reading and Writing as Integrated Process

Tabled.

Item # 6: Criminology & Criminal Justice

a. Revision of CJ 536 Agency Collaborative Project

Tabled.

B. Policy Committee

S. Seider reported that the committee met on December 9, 2004 to consider the following:

a. Capstones:

It was suggested that perhaps Departments should make it mandatory that students receive at least a B on their Capstone work. After some discussion, it became evident that some Departments thought it was necessary to retain the option of awarding a C for a capstone project because it allowed them to express that the student was minimally qualified. There was concern that the digitized thesis that receives a grade less than a B is open for public scrutiny, and negatively reflects the work done at this university. Discussion ensued. S. Seider asked that the GSC take this topic back to their departments for discussion. The topic was tabled for a future meeting.

b. Pin Numbers:

The issue of PIN NUMBERS was discussed. Many students manage get through the system without them, there by working toward graduation without registering for a planned program. The original purpose of requiring pin numbers was to get students to meet with their advisor to do the planned program of study. At some point the Registrar turns off the requirement for having a pin number. This results in students being able to register without a planned program in place

Questions for Discussion:

a. Since some students do not get planned programs and then
    attempt to graduate, should we stop them from registering
    without a planned program by never turning off the
    requirement for a pin?

b. What are the implications for turning off and turning on the
pin numbers?

c. What are the implications for not turning off the pin
numbers?

d. Can we come up with new options during the advising
period; then have consequences that are tied to the next
registration period?

                           Discussion on this topic was varied. The consensus is that
                           departments seem to have different policies on this. The motion
                           was made that pin numbers for students who do not have a planned
                           program of study in place would never be turned off. The motion
                           was seconded.

                           Approved.

c. Plan C and D

Last spring, the GSC passed a *Plan D that would differentiate the special projects. Those programs changing from C to D will have to go through the curriculum committee. P. Lemma asks that either GSC members or their Chairs email her regarding which Plan each program follows so she can update the information in her database.

Plan C and D criteria:

Plan C: student uses capstone request form, faculty and student work one-on-one, faculty gets 1 credit load. Plan C needs Dean Lemma’s approval at proposal and completed version.

*Plan D: student registers for the course as with other courses. Faculty teaches the course with more than one student; faculty gets 3 credits. Faculty submits grades (may need to change for NEASC).

d. Music Department – Application form revision

C. Parr reported on changes to the application to the Graduate program in Music. The motivation for adding requirements was to give the department additional criteria with which to evaluate students that are admitted into the program. D. Fearon made a motion to pass the changes. It was seconded. Approved.

C. Scholarship Committee

None.

D. Appeals Committee

G. Claffey reported that the Appeals committee has heard two appeals. They upheld the decision of the departments.

VI. Adjournment –3:33 pm