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The Graduate School

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Office of the Dean of the Graduate School

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GRADUATE COUNCIL MINUTES

March 26, 2009

MEMBERS PRESENT

Voting: Professors C.R. Geren, A.E. Ellstrand, J.B. Kerr, T.W. Martin, L.C. Purcell, F. M. Scheide, M.R. Thomsen, L.M. Webb; Mr. B. Chastain; Ms. S. Sweeney

Non-Voting: Professors W.P. Curington, P.R. Koski, J.R. Young: Ms. S.L. Theiss

MEMBERS ABSENT

Voting: Professors D.W. Finn, C.H. Hughes, D.A. James, M.B. Orr, P.R. Selvam

Non-Voting: Professors C.H. Adams, D.L. Graham, B.E. Hinton

GUESTS Ms. T. Fisher; Mr. B. Winston

The meeting was called to order at 2:00 p.m. by Chair Patricia Koski

  1. Minutes for the February 19, 2009, Graduate Council meeting stand approved, as no changes were suggested.  The minutes may be found at http://www.uark.edu/depts/gradinfo/dean/gradcouncil/minutes/index.html.
  2. Dean Geren told the Council that the Federal Omnibus funding bill was approved, resulting in:
    • $1.987 million for the clean up of Sefor;
    • $475,000 for Incrept
    • $575,000 for the bus terminal
    • $3.3 million for bionanosensor research

      Also, there will be a press conference held in Little Rock on April 2nd where the Arkansas Alliance asks the state legislature for money to fund distinguished professorships at one of the five designated research universities in Arkansas: University of Arkansas, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, or Arkansas State University.
  3. Professor Koski asked the Council for clarification on whether a minor program change in the Accounting Ph.D. degree required Graduate Council approval; it was determined that it did, so the program will start the approval process.
  4. Professor Koski reported on the activities of the Academic Appeals Subcommittee and the Teaching Assistant Effectiveness Advisory Committee (TAEAC). 
  5. There was no old business.
  6. Professor Koski brought to the Council a request to change the name of the Department of Foreign Languages to the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, and to change the alpha code of FLAN with WLLC.  The proposal was approved unanimously (Attachment A and Attachment B).
  7. Professor T. Martin brought to the Council a proposal to eliminate the Master of Science in Operations Research degree (ORESMS) (Attachment C and Attachment D).  Following discussion, the proposal was approved unanimously and will go next to the Faculty Senate, Board of Trustees, and Arkansas Department of Higher Education.
  8. The Council continued the discussion about current Graduate Council policy which requires emeritus faculty to reapply for graduate faculty status after retirement.  Following a poll of the Council members on the wishes of their constituencies, a motion was made, seconded and approved to “allow emeritus faculty to retain the graduate faculty status they had when they retired.”  This will become policy immediately.
  9. There were no courses to be approved.
  10. The Council approved the graduate faculty requests contained in Attachment E.

There being no other business, the Council adjourned at 2:55 p.m.

Submitted by: Patricia R. Koski, Chair

Approved by: Collis R. Geren, Dean 

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