|
|
Alabama Council of Graduate Deans (ACGD) |
|
ALABAMA COUNCIL OF GRADUATE DEANS MEETING MINUTES MARCH 5, 2008 HILL UNIVERSITY CENTER UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
Members present: Natalie Adams, Fred Cromartie, Jeffrey Barksdale, Dianne Barron, Thomas Devaney, Jeffrey Engler, Leslie Ennis, George Flowers, David Francko, Keith Harrison, Rebecca Hartley, Donna Jacobs, Debra Moriarity, Bryan Noe, Jean Pugliese, Jack Riley, John Schmitt Welcome and introductions: Dr. Noe welcomed all members and new attendees. Approval of minutes from November 7, 2007 meeting: Meeting minutes from the November 7, 2007 meeting were approved by all in attendance and without modifications. Treasurer's report: Dr. Barron presented the treasurer' report. The account was reconciled by the accounting firm of Gibson & Carden. Results indicated all monies were properly accounted for and accurately reported. Dr. Barron is working with the Island House concerning the annual retreat and they will honor the signed contract with our group, despite a change in contact at the Island House. New checks have been ordered. As of 1/31/08 the account balance is $5,059.05. Report from ACHE: Ellen Haulman announced the hiring of a new staff person at ACHE. Pamela Arrington will serve as Director of Instruction, Planning, and Special Services. Ellen will retain her current duties. ACHE will revise their program review policy and instructional role policy. Post-implementation reports will be conducted differently in the future. Programs that do not meet post-implementation requirements will be placed on a timeline for phase out. Institutions will be asked to provide a strong rationale for continuation of a program. ACHE will also review the process of notification to Graduate Deans concerning post-implementation reports. Ellen mentioned that state budget cuts may affect the ACHE offices. Ellen and Dr. Noe emphasized the importance of Graduate Dean input for proposed programs. Economic development project: Dr. Jeff Engler introduced Ahmad Ijaz from the UA Center for Business and Economic Research. Dr. Engler explained the role of this center and provided a handout titled, "The University of Alabama 2006-2007 Economic Impacts." A lengthy discussion ensued concerning the various approaches that could be taken to research and produce the documentation that will address the economic impact of graduate education in Alabama . The pros and cons of producing an initial, general document, followed by more focused reports versus multiple focused reports were discussed. It appeared that most members of the group would prefer to disseminate a more generalized document, then follow-up with specific reports that can reference the initial report. A suggestion was made to have a presence at Higher Education Day in Alabama to showcase the importance of graduate education in Alabama . Differentiation was made between economic impact and economic development. It was suggested that the first report focus on economic impact, and that subsequent reports emphasize economic development. Other suggestions for consideration in the reports included success stories from Alabama graduates, and information about Alabama graduates who chose to remain in the state. Dr. Engler and Dr. Francko will meet to discuss methodology to ensure consistent reporting across all institutions, identification of data sources, identification of target audiences, the dissemination plan and media coverage. Tentative dates were agreed upon as a guide for this project. July 2008-review data collected from institutions. Have a working draft by our November meeting. January 2009-report is ready to be distributed. Annual retreat agenda: Dr. Noe asked for suggested topics and speakers for the annual retreat in April. Margit Schatzman, Vice President, Educational Credential Evaluators will be invited to discuss the evaluation and comparison of three year degrees from various countries and provide an update about the Bologna Process. Gordon Emslie will also be asked to discuss the Bridge programs at Oklahoma State University . Gordon Stone will be invited to provide a legislative update to the Council. Pamela Arrington from ACHE will also be invited along with the usual attendees from ACHE. All institutions were asked to bring copies of policies / procedures concerning the manner in which "distressed" students are identified and assisted. Any additional suggestions for topics and speakers should be forwarded to Bryan Noe. Bologna process and Three Year Undergraduate programs in India : Dr. Debra Moriarity presented information about the three year undergraduate degrees from India and the Bologna Process. These topics were highlighted at the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools in Austin , Texas , in February 2008, and at the CGS meeting in December in 2007. Dr. Moriarity provided handouts from the meetings, and presented the research she has collected thus far. Regarding the Bologna Process, an attempt is being made to standardize transcripts and to describe the educational system in each country. Businesses which evaluate these transcripts are hopeful that standardization will permit a more accurate reflection of actual course work. Questions concerning standardization for India and Australia still exist. Dr. Natalie Adams disseminated a handout that addresses the policy for admission of international students at UA. A credential review committee at UA which evaluated 3 year undergraduate degrees from Bologna Accord certified institutions has determined that that these degrees are equivalent to a 4 year undergraduate degree in the United States . Students who apply to UA programs who present certification of having attained a 3 year Bologna Accord degree will meet the UA admission criterion that requires a four year undergraduate degree. To download the presentation files from the CGS meeting, access the URL: http://www.cgsnet.org/Default.aspx?tabid=304 . This topic will be discussed, at length, at the annual retreat. Please come prepared with questions for our speakers. Policies for granting in-state tuition for out-of-state and international students: Dr. Noe provided a handout to initiate discussion about this topic. Several members described the policies at their respective institutions. There are multiple approaches to this, and the larger, more research oriented institutions encounter this issue more often. This may be a topic for further discussion at another Council meeting. The remaining agenda items will be discussed at the retreat. Everyone was reminded to register and reserve lodging for the annual meeting in Orange Beach . Dr. Noe asked the group to consider changing the date for the July Council meeting as it is scheduled during the same week that the CGS Summer Institute Meeting in Colorado begins. Future meetings: Executive Board: June 20, 2008 October 3, 2008 Council Meetings: July 9, 2008 November 5, 2008 CGS Summer Institute Meeting: July 12-16, 2008 (Vail, Colorado )
|
| Developed by Dr. Stephen L. McFarland and Junmo Yang |
|