GRADUATE COUNCIL MINUTES

Friday, December 7, 2007-10:00 a.m.

325 Graff Main Hall

Members Present:    Ashley Burrowes, Rob Dixon, Jonathan Majak, Kasi Periyasamy, S.N. Rajagopal, David Reineke, Bill Schwan, Michele Thorman

Members Excused:  Vijendra Agarwal, Tim Donahue, Gary Gilmore, Tom Kuffel, Ashley Olson

Consultants Present:           Ray Abhold, Chris Bakkum, Lise Graham, Charles Martin-Stanley

1.  The meeting was called to order at 10:06 a.m. by Bill Schwan.

2.  A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes for the October 19, 2007 meeting.  (5 yes, 0 no, 2 abstention)

Motion carried.

3.  Announcements

• Message from VJ: Thank you for all the hard work you do both for the Graduate Council and for Graduate Studies.  Happy Holidays!
• The Graduate Council Advisory Committee will meet the week of December 17^th to review the Graduate Student Professional Travel Grant applications.

4.  Selection of a new secretary

·         Rob Dixon volunteered to be the new secretary.

·         A motion was made and seconded to name Rob Dixon as the Graduate Council secretary.  (6 yes, 0 no, 0 abstentions)

Motion carried.

5.  Changes to the Graduate Faculty Policy

• The Graduate Council reviewed and discussed proposed changes to the Graduate Faculty Policy.  No change would be put into effect until the next academic year.
• The Council will need to consider whether to discontinue the current policy and replace it with a new one or to amend the current policy.
• A motion was made and seconded to approve the following revisions to graduate faculty membership:
  • The membership levels will only be Full, Associate, Affiliate, and Provisional.  (Assistant will be merged into the Associate level.)
  • The five-year renewal time line will be abolished for UW-L faculty (academic staff, tenure-track, and tenured) membership.  Adjunct (non-UW-L) faculty, who are eligible for Affiliate or Full membership, will renew every five years.
  • UW-L faculty members would only reapply to change their level of membership
  • Departments should assess their Graduate Faculty on an annual basis.  Graduate Studies will send a list to the Associate Deans and Department Chairs on a yearly or semester basis to solicit information as to which Graduate Faculty members should be continuing, discontinuing, or changing status.

(7 yes, 0 no, 0 abstentions)

Motion carried.

• The policy will be changed or rewritten and voted upon by the Graduate Council once it is in its final form to be certain that the policy reflects the intent of the previous votes.

Meeting adjourned:  11:02 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Chandra Hawkins