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Graduate Council Committees

2023-2024 Committee Priorities

Committee on Academic Standards

  1. Consider a more flexible approach to prescribing which graduate applicants must take an English proficiency exam.
    1. GCAC-305 Admission Requirements for International Students. Date of Last Review: 2020.
  2. Start a comprehensive policy review that: i) minimizes administrative burden, especially on programs, lending trust to programs as a first assumption but including verification measures when needed (trust but verify); ii) eliminates redundancy with Senate policies; iii) makes the policy/procedure split in GC policies more uniform.
  3. Review the group of policies on the Research Master’s degree:
    1. Policies:
      1. GCAC-630 Admission – Research Master’s. Date of Last Review: Unknown.
      2. GCAC-631 Degree Requirements – Research Master’s. Date of Last Review: Unknown.
      3. GCAC-632 Time Limitation – Research Master’s. Date of Last Review: Unknown.
      4. GCAC-641 Minor – Research Master’s. Date of Last Review: Unknown.
      5. GCAC-642 Culminating Experience – Research Master’s. Date of Last Review: Unknown.
  4. Consider revising GCAC-501 Credit Load to remove references to full-time status, as this is set at the University level.
    1. Policy: GCAC-501 Credit Load. Date of Last Review: 2019.
  5. Consider policy revisions to alter the term “regionally accredited” in response to a change in federal accreditation policy.
    1. Policies:
      1. GCAC-212 Postbaccalaureate Credit Certificate Programs. Date of Last Review: Unknown.
      2. GCAC-301 Qualifications for Admission. Date of Last Review: Unknown.
      3. GCAC-304 Nondegree Admission. Date of Last Review: 2016.
      4. GCAC-305 Admission Requirements for International Students. Date of Last Review: 2020.
      5. GCAC-309 Transfer Credit. Date of Last Review: 2010.
  6. Consider a change to admission policies concerning admission of applicants with 3-year international degrees.
    1. Policies:
      1. GCAC-301 Qualifications for Admission. Date of Last Review: Unknown.
      2. GCAC-305 Admission Requirements for International Students. Date of Last Review: 2020.

Committee on Committees and Procedures

  1. No items beyond normal committee assignment tasks anticipated.

Committee on Fellowships and Awards

  1. As an implementation committee, this committee typically does not receive additional charges beyond its usual workload.

Committee on Graduate Research

  1. Consider recommendations from the report on the impact of COVID-19 on graduate research and
    education.
  2. Remainder of the agenda to be set by the Faculty Senate Committee on Research, Scholarship, and
    Creative Activity.

Committee on Graduate Student and Faculty Issues

  1. Student mental health. In addition, many concerns have been raised by colleges and programs about our ability to attend to graduate student mental health. Some questions include: Is this topic receiving proper attention? Is the grad ombudsperson program working? Would one ombudsperson/college be more effective? Are student mental health resources sufficient for the demand? We recommend that GSFI consider a broad investigation of this topic as a high priority for the 2023-24 agenda. We suggest an initial informational report, with recommendations for further action, be completed in the coming academic year.
  2. Faculty mentoring training. What, if any, mentoring training could be adopted or promoting to improve the ability of faculty to adapt to the expectations and norms of today’s grad students?
  3. Finish recommendations to the Dean of the Graduate School on a parental and personal leave policy for graduate students (note that this is an administrative policy).
  4. Review GCAC-802 Procedures for Resolution of Problems, Section 4 (Other Situations).
    1. Policy: GCAC-802 Procedures for Resolution of Problems. Date of Last Review: 2007.
  5. Consider the financial situation for graduate students. What is the level of budgetary stress for graduate students at Penn State? Is there an increase in non-funded offers for graduate students? How has this been trending in recent years? Do we foresee problems? What are the implications for graduate student stipends?
  6. Review the state of and conduct strategic planning for career and professional services for graduate students.

Committee on Program Review and Evaluation

  1. Concerns have been raised about the workload involved in program review. Specifically, is the information system being used to gather data for program review efficient and effective?
  2. Are resources available to train graduate program directors concerning preparation of a program learning outcome assessment? If not could these resources be developed?

Committee on Programs and Courses

  1. IUGs. Repeated concerns have been raised regarding the difficulties associated with initiating and managing Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate (IUG) master’s programs. We recommend that Programs and Courses either 1) gathers input on this topic and/or 2) recommends that Council form a joint Ad Hoc committee with the Senate to consider this topic, since the issues appear to be at least partly due to Senate policies. Administrative tools may also be part of the sources of these concerns.
  2. Consider whether or not there is a need for enhanced program director training and support.
  3. Degree policy updates:
    1. GCAC-207 Degree Program Options – recommend review for clarity on what constitutes “base program.” This is currently required by policy but has been applied inconsistently in the past due to lack of clarity on definition of “base program.”
    2. GCAC-212 Postbaccalaureate Credit Certificate Programs / GCAC-201 Scholarly and Professional Goals for all Graduate Degree Students – recommend review to clarify requirement for certificates to have program learning objectives. At the degree level, this is tied to the goals in GCAC-201 which are explicitly for degree students. As a requirement for Middle States accreditation, OPAIR has encouraged extending these goals to include certificate students or otherwise indicating a requirement for learning objectives in GCAC-212.
    3. GCAC-213 Residency and Related Policies for Off-Campus Degree Programs – recommend review of expedited review process for limited off-campus course offerings. This process allows up to three courses be offered online as part of residential graduate degree program but has not been reviewed in many years. Opportunity to consider value of this review process and potential revision for increased efficiency.
    4. GCAC-217 Degree Titles – recommend review of provision 3 regarding uniform use of M.P.S. degree title. Many programs have been switching away from the use of MPS and towards “Master of…” titling. It would be worthwhile to examine the stance regarding the use of M.P.S. and revising appropriately to reflect Council’s current views on degree titles.

Executive Committee

  1. Continue to consider the impacts of the budget allocation model on graduate education and research.
    1. Ensure that appropriate data are being collected regarding the impacts of the budget allocation model on graduate research and education.
  2. Consider improving the functionality of Graduate Council committees. Some committees are struggling to make progress on some agenda items. Options to consider:
    1. Develop training for committee chairs and their Grad School liaisons.
    2. Get lessons from the Faculty Senate on “forensic reports” and other informational reports. How are they used, when are they effective?
    3. Divide and make progress. Help committees, when tasked with large issues, to identify finite subsets where progress can be made in a realistic time frame.

 

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