Council of Graduate Coordinators
Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
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Graduate Coordinators Present: Jennie Bullard, David Downing, Mary Jalongo, Chris Janicak, Becky Knickelbein, Joe Kovaleski, Kris Krishnan, Susan Martin, Mary Lou Metz, Phil Neusius, Gian Pagnucci, Shannon Phaneuf, Mark Piwinsky, Jeff Ritchey, Jen Roberts, Teresa Shellenbarger, Stephanie Taylor-Davis, Dawn Woodland
Graduate School Staff present: Donna Griffith, Lori Harkleroad, Tim Mack, Beverly Obitz, Shari Robertson, Paula Sandusky, Tracy VanHorn-Juart
Guest Speaker: Dr. Inno Onwueme, Associate Provost, Mr. Blaine Knupp, Library
- Meeting called to order by Dr. Timothy Mack, Dean, School of Graduate Studies and Research
- Introductions
- Everyone introduced themselves since there were guests present
- Approval of Minutes
- The February 24 minutes were approved by a Krishnan/Downing vote with all in favor.
- Open Issues
- Graduate Summer Short-stay Housing – Donna shared that the cost of housing for any on-campus overnight stay is $34. Additional information may be found on the SGSR website at www.iup.edu/graduatestudies, click on Current Student.
- Transfer Credit Process – Donna reported:
- Form available on the SGSR website at www.iup.edu/graduatestudies, click on Current Student
- Form must be initiated by students
- Graduate Coordinator or advisor of student should complete the center portion of the form and then forward to the SGSR
- Note cards
- Donna distributed the SGSR note cards for use by the coordinators(50 per program)
- These can be provided again next year if requested
- Purpose: A hand written note means far more than a Word document. Hand written notes will assist in recruiting better quality students.
- PASSHE – Low Enrollment – Tim reported:
- March 19 – turned into the Provost Office
- Clearly, some departments are looking at this as a way of re-thinking their programs:
- Chemistry & Physics – considering professional science MA degree as a result
- Next step…uncertain
- Questions:
- Must have six (6) students in program. Graduating 30 in 5 years
- Being considered: Doctoral of Science (IUP is providing negative feedback to PASSHE on this.)
- Handout: State budgets for higher education
- Tough Combination: Rapid Growth of undergraduate population in a state coupled with weak Budgets
- PA appears in better shape than other states- it was not listed in the top states for any of the categories on the handout
- Nevada is projecting largest shortfall of 59.8%
- When advising students, it’s a good idea to remind them of the following:
- It is the state that sets the cost of tuition…not IUP
- Most tuition costs are going up 10% and above. The state of California’s tuition, for example, is rising by 32%. Nevada is proposing a 40% increase.
- President’s Advancing Grantsmanship Fund
- Faculty may earn an extra $2,500 by submitting a $25,000 or more grant Proposal does not need to be accepted
- Must be submitted between July 1, 2010 - June 30, 2011
- The dean of each college nominates faculty to be considered for this award
- The Research Institute (RI) provides a listing of grant opportunities
- Not a closed list – Indirect cost – does not matter
- Co-PI, at the dean’s recommendation, could also receive $2,500
- Total amount of funding available is $50,000
- 20 faculty may be awarded
- Each dean will submit a list of faculty ranking each of the proposals
- Funding will be granted based on the ranking provided by the Deans
- All #1’s will be awarded first, followed by two’s, and so on.
- New Business
- Dr. Inno Onwueme – Program Review Process
- Purpose
- Attempt to take a reality check on academic programs – and tweak them where necessary to keep them rigorous
- Although it is required by PASSHE – some think this is the only reason for going through a program review. However, Dr. Onwueme shared that departments must go beyond PASSHE mandate and recognize the gains of a program review
- The process is primarily for programs with no external accreditation; however, there is a modified review for accredited programs (http://www.iup.edu/page.aspx?id=66719)
- 4-5 changes have been made to the Program Review Process. Dr. Onwueme shared 3:
- 1) Spring Semester preceding Program Review year, workshops are offered to departments to share the expectations of the process.
- 2) External Reviewer
- PASSHE requires once every 10 years – changing to: once every 5 years. This will be conducted every time a Program Review is conducted.
- We learn from peer institutions
- We share experiences across institutions – building professional networking
- Departments will nominate 2-3 reviewers
- 3) What happens after review?
- Beginning this year, a reflection is conducted after the review. Provost, Associate Provost, and respective Deans develop a plan on moving the department forward based on Program Review results.
- Each year, the Dean receives an update on how far, how well, action plan has progressed
- Results in continuous departmental improvement
- Blaine Knupp, Librarian at Library
- Shared how the library can become more involved in helping students
- As a result of a recent survey, the library discovered that they need to address ways to assist graduate students
- Current actions being taken:
- A library representative will attend August orientation sessions
- Library has offered to conduct cohort group visits
- Increase the dialogue with graduate faculty
- Tim Mack recommended that Blaine provide a written plan on how to address meeting the needs of the graduate students. Come back to a future meeting of the Graduate Coordinators and present the list to allow the group to evaluate and comment on the list. All present were in favor.
- Mary Jalongo asked that Blaine keep in mind the weekend students
- Quick things shared by Tim Mack:
- Program Reviews
- Use the SGSR as a resource. If you need data, the SGSR will get it
- He offered to review any rough draft being developed
- He is focused on improvement…not elimination of programs
- Differential Tuition
- An example of shared governance, because the following groups were engaged:
- President’s Cabinet
- Provost Staff
- Graduate Coordinators
- Graduate Student Assembly
- Council of Deans
- Academic Affairs Council
- University Wide Graduate Committee
- This item of business has not gone to Senate. No tuition has ever been voted for on the Senate floor. There is a BOG policy on this already
- The goal of the Differential Tuition is to make money for IUP so that we can retain as many staff and faculty positions as possible.
- Gian Pagnucci suggested that this be submitted to the Senate as “informational”
- A Marketing Plan will be put in place for those students who will be affected
- There are no easy answers here
- Tim Mack commends programs who are growing their program enrollment
- Generating more money is better than cutting positions
- The Next Meeting
- The next meeting will be scheduled for September. The group did not express interest in a summer meeting.
04-07-2010 CGC Minutes.docx
