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Graduate Council Agenda

for Thursday, September 15, 2011
at 2:00 p.m.
Room 523, Old Main

  1. Minutes for the August 18th, 2011, Graduate Council meeting will stand approved if no corrections are received.  (Please review the minutes on the Graduate School web page before the meeting:  http://www.uark.edu/grad).  
  2. Announcements
  3. Reports from the Academic Appeals Subcommittee and the Teaching Assistant Effectiveness Advisory Committee
  4. Old Business:  None
  5. New Business:  None
  6. Discussion Item:  Should faculty without doctoral degrees be allowed to serve on doctoral committees?   Currently, graduate faculty status is conferred in three categories: 
    1. Group III (or III-T) allows faculty or graduate assistants to teach graduate-level classes or dual-listed 4000 level classes.  This requires a minimum of a master’s degree and evidence of proficiency, but the Graduate School relies on the statement of the department chair and the review by the college’s graduate faculty representative to establish that proficiency.  On very few occasions, the Graduate Council has approved someone without a master’s degree to hold group III status, but this was where the experience was undeniably stellar.  Graduate assistants are not allowed to teach their peers, and approval of their graduate faculty status cannot be done by e-mail.
    2. Group II (or II-T) allows a faculty member to teach (as above), serve on a master’s, Ed.S. or doctoral committee, and chair a master’s or Ed.S. committee.   This level requires at least a master’s degree and evidence of proficiency, but again, we take the degree, the department chair statement, and the review by the college graduate faculty representative to be evidence of that proficiency.  Many departments start their tenure-track faculty at this level, allowing them to chair master’s committees and serve on doctoral committees, before requesting group I status for them when they have gained experience.
    3. Group I (or I-T) allows a faculty member to teach, serve on a master’s, Ed.S. or doctoral committee, and chair a master’s, Ed.S. or doctoral committee.  This level requires a doctoral or MFA degree, scholarly achievement and experience, which is established by the department chair’s statement and the review by the college graduate faculty representative. 

    If the Council wishes to restrict faculty without doctoral degrees from serving on doctoral committees, then the following is one possible configuration:

    1. Group IV (or IV-T) allows faculty or graduate assistants to teach graduate-level classes or dual-listed 4000 level classes.  Minimum requirements are a master’s degree and evidence of proficiency.
    2. Group III (or III-T) allows faculty to teach, serve on or chair master’s committees.  Minimum requirements are a master’s degree and evidence of proficiency.
    3. Group II (or II-T) allows faculty to teach, serve on or chair master’s committees (including the MFA degree), and serve on Ed.S. or doctoral committees.  Minimum requirements are a doctoral or MFA degree and evidence of proficiency.
    4. Group I (or I-T) allows faculty to teach, serve on or chair master’s, Ed.S., or doctoral committees.  Minimum requirements are a doctoral degree and evidence of proficiency.  Group I and II status would be available for departments/programs to decide whether their incoming tenure-track faculty will be allowed immediately to chair doctoral committees.  
  7. Graduate faculty recommendations for graduate assistants:   A preliminary list is attached (Attachment A).  A complete list will be distributed at the meeting. 
  8. Graduate faculty recommendations for graduate faculty:   A preliminary list is attached (Attachment B).  A complete list will be distributed at the meeting. 
  9. Other Business