ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GRADUATE COUNCIL
1999-2000

The Graduate Council is a standing committee of the divisional Academic Senate and is responsible for regulating and making recommendations on matters pertaining to graduate education. The Graduate Council met on ten occasions during the 1999-2000 academic year.

The Council is supported by a structure which includes the following subcommittees: (1) the Academic Planning and Development Committee, (2) the Administrative Committee, (3) the newly formed Chairs Advisory Committee, (4) the Courses of Instruction & Bylaws Committee, (5) the Educational Policy Committee, (6) the Graduate Student Support and Welfare Committee, and (7) the Program Review Committee.

A summary of the Council's actions for the year is provided below. In addition, annual reports for the subcommittees are provided as available. The item dates are those of Council’s meetings.

2. Current Issues in 1999-2000. Graduate Council also addressed the following:

Graduate Council Guidelines and Policies approved:

• Bylaws Quorum Policy Statement, approved 3/10/00.
• Grandfathering Policy for Degree Requirements, amended 3/28/00, approved 4/19/00.
• Policy Regulating Programmatic Changes Submitted for Review by Graduate Council, approved 3/10/00.
• Policy for Nomination of Chairs of Graduate Groups, concept approved 3/10/00,
  procedures amended and accepted 4/19/00, preliminary guidelines distributed 5/17/00.

• Procedures for Requesting Ph.D. Program Affiliation with an Existing Designated Emphasis Program, approved 12/8/99.
• Time to Degree Policy, amended and approved 6/21/00.
• Transfer Credit Statute of Limitation, set of guidelines revised 5/17/00, approved 6/21/00.

Nine-Quarter Limitation on Student Employment, draft reviewed 3/28/00, retained current limit 4/19/00.

Policies regarding major professors serving on Qualifying Examination Committees, discussion, 6/9/00.

4. New Graduate Program Proposals.

Biostatistics. Preliminary approval by Council, 3/28/00. Revised, transmitted for review to 5 relevant Deans and Academic Senate Library Committee and Committee on Academic Planning and Budget Review.

Forensic Science. Preliminary approval by Council, 6/9/00. To be revised and transmitted to Academic Senate Library Committee and Committee on Academic Planning and Budget for review in fall 2000.

International Commercial Law Graduate Group, response to CCGA’s concerns and revised proposal approved by Council 2/16/00, submitted to CCGA. Final approval pending.

5. Designated Emphases.

Charge to PRC to develop review procedures for DE’s (4/26/00). Proposal submitted (9/28/00) for Council’s review in fall 2000.

The following new DE’s and Ph.D. program affiliations were approved by Council.

New DE:

Classics & the Classical Tradition, Designated Emphasis approved 5/17/00. Program may admit students beginning fall 2000.

New Ph.D. Program Affiliations with Existing DE’s:

Biotechnology DE:
Entomology, 3/10/00
Cell & Developmental Biology, 3/10/00
Comparative Pathology, 3/10/00
Plant Pathology, 12/8/99.

Social Theory & Comparative History DE:
Comparative Literature, 6/9/00
Geography, 6/9/00

International Nutrition, Designated Emphasis request for diploma notation. Council approved the request, polled the 10 current DE’s, and requested that the divisional Academic Senate review, approve, and transmit the diploma notation request for all 10 DE’s, 12/8/99.

 

F. Degree Requirement Changes.

Council re-evaluated and subsequently revised its policy not to consider changes to programs under campus ad hoc committee or external review. Programs may now submit revisions while under review. In addition to the Educational Policy Committee, the PRC liaison for the program review will also review the requested changes.

Council approved changes to degree requirements for the graduate programs below. Specific changes are described in the Educational Policy Committee report.

Anthropology, 6/21/00
Comparative Literature, 2/16/00
Dramatic Art, 2/16/00
Economics, 6/21/00
Electrical and Computer Engineering, 2/16/00
Epidemiology, 6/21/00
History of Art, 12/8/99
Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, combined BS/MS program proposal, 2/16/00
Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering, 3/10/00
Psychology, 6/9/00
Textile Arts & Costume Design, 3/10/00

7. Bylaws Revisions.

Council approved revisions to the bylaws for the following graduate programs:
Biostatistics, a proposed new program, 5/17/00
Textile Arts & Costume Design, 5/17/00

8. Name Changes of Campus Departments/Divisions. The following requests for name
   changes were reviewed by Council:

J. Other Graduate Program Actions.

The Academic Planning & Development (APD) Committee plans future directions of graduate education, examines UC systemwide and national policy, is involved with enrollment and fundraising decisions, and reviews requests for department and ORU name changes.

Committee Members in 1999-2000: Judy Callis, Committee Chair; Karl Menges, Debbie Niemeier; Academic Federation Representative: Desmond Jolly; Graduate Studies Representative: Rosemarie Kraft, Associate Dean; Graduate Student Representative: Jennifer Frei.

The chair would like to thank all members of the APD Committee. Their service was outstanding, given the extensive workload and the committee’s charge to read and comment on complex issues in a short period of time.

The Academic Planning & Development Committee evaluated and reported to Council on the following proposals and reports:

The Administrative Committee reviews student petitions, requests, and appeals concerning such issues as examinations, residency and degree requirements.

Committee members in 1999-2000: David Gilchrist, Chair of Graduate Council and Committee Chair; Kathryn Dewey, Vice Chair of Graduate Council; Jerry Hedrick, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs; Rosemarie Kraft, Associate Dean for Student Affairs; Amy Gerbrandt, Graduate Student Assistant to the Dean and Chancellor; and Graduate Studies Staff: Monika Ashman, Cathy Jurado, Linda Potoski, Ginger Simpson, Mary Medina, Lisa Trujillo, and Lee Wilce.

The Administrative Subcommittee met three times during the 1999-2000 academic year and following summer and dealt with 10 separate student matters. These included: one proposal for an Individual Ph.D. program including a designated emphasis, two appeals for exception to policy regarding admission to a second Ph.D. program, two appeals of disqualification from further graduate study, one appeal to transfer 6 quarter units from a non-UC institution toward 200-level course requirements for the M.S. degree, one appeal of revocation of admissions, one appeal to change degree objective from the Ph.D. to the M.S. where the student already had an M.S. degree in the discipline, and two appeals of the College of Engineering’s denial of requests for filing fee extensions. The Administrative Committee also considered the College of Engineering’s two-quarter limit (with no exceptions) on filing fee status for its students. Graduate Council members also received correspondence and telephone calls from a former student who was appealing his previously denied appeals regarding disqualification from further graduate study at UCD. Additionally, the Chair of the Administrative Committee continued to act as the Graduate Adviser for the Individual Ph.D. Program students.

A new subcommittee, the Chairs Advisory Committee, was formed in 1999-2000. The committee is comprised of the current and former Chairs of Graduate Council. Its charge is to advise Council on long range planning and policy issues regarding graduate education on the UCD campus. The committee meets once a month.

The Courses of Instruction & Bylaws Committee reviews requests for the addition and deletion of graduate level courses and for changes to existing graduate courses. Approved course requests are forwarded to the Academic Senate's Committee on Courses of Instruction. The Chair of the Graduate Council's Courses of Instruction & Bylaws Committee serves as a representative to the Academic Senate committee. In addition, this committee agreed to review bylaws for new programs and revised bylaws for existing programs.

Committee members in 1999-2000: John Labavitch, Committee Chair; Ron Fawcett, Joanna Groza, Jay Helms; Academic Federation Representative: Deborah Yip; Graduate Student Representative: Robert Wilson (F99); and Academic Senate Staff: Donna McDaniel and Marc Harris.

For the 1999-2000 academic year, there are no statistics available for the number of courses reviewed and of those approved, the number of new courses, course changes, and course cancellations. The new on-line course approval system went into effect this year and new approaches to keep data for committee throughput must be devised. The Committee Chair participated in meetings with representatives from the Office of the Registrar to define areas where the system could be improved to speed up reviews. This year's committee work identified several "flaws".

The committee reviewed the following programs’ bylaws:

Biostatistics, a proposed new program, approved

Ecology, changes were requested and received 8/28/00

Plant Biology, program will submit requested revisions in fall 2000

Textile Arts & Costume Design, approved

In addition, the committee drafted and revised the following Graduate Council guidelines, policies, and statements:

Bylaws Quorum Policy Statement. Council approved 3/10/00

The Educational Policy Committee (EPC) reviews proposals for new graduate programs, designated emphases and new graduate degrees. It also reviews proposed changes to degree requirements for existing graduate programs. In addition, the EPC is asked for its recommendations regarding miscellaneous academic and programmatic issues.

Committee members in 1999-2000: David Traill, Committee Chair; Jeannie Darby, Judy Jernstedt; Academic Federation Representative: Mona Ellerbrock; Graduate Studies Representative: Jerry Hedrick, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs; Student Representative: Jeremy Davis; and Graduate Studies Staff: Shirley Miller.

During 1999-2000, the Educational Policy Committee met thirteen times. It considered numerous proposals and actions.

The following graduate program requests were approved:

• Anthropology – changes to degree requirements

• Biostatistics – new graduate program

• Classics & the Classical Tradition – new designated emphasis

• Comparative Literature – affiliation with Designated Emphasis in Social Theory & Comparative History

• Comparative Literature – degree requirement changes

• Department of Art – name change request

• Division of Statistics – name change request

• Dramatic Art – MFA track reconfigured with five new core courses

• Economics – MA degree requirement changes

• Electrical & Computer Engineering – degree requirements

• Epidemiology – revised curriculum

• Forensic Science – new graduate program

• Geography – affiliation with Designated Emphasis in Social Theory & Comparative History

• History of Art – MA program requirement changes

• International Nutrition – designated emphasis diploma notation

• Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering – combined BS/MS program

• Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering – degree requirement changes

• Plant Pathology – request to affiliate with the designated emphasis in Biotechnology

• Psychology – degree requirement changes

• Textile Arts & Costume Design – change in MFA requirements

The following proposal was returned to the department for revision:

• Civil & Environmental Engineering – request for "coursework only" MS degree program

Revisions requested in 1998-99 for the following proposals were still not received in 1999-2000:

• Applied Science – degree requirements

• Health-Care Ethics – proposal for a new graduate program

The following actions are still in process:

• African-American and African Studies – new designated emphasis
• Animal Science – request to change MS Plan II requirements
• Biological & Agricultural Engineering – degree requirements
• Cell & Developmental Biology – addition of MS degree program to existing Ph.D. program
• Community Development – MS degree requirement changes
• Education – Ph.D. changes to QE procedures

No proposals were rejected by EPC.

EPC Chair’s statement:

The EPC sees its role as facilitating departments and graduate groups that seek to implement changes in existing graduate programs or initiate new graduate programs. In assessing the appropriateness of the proposals that come before it, EPC takes into consideration a wide range of factors, including existing university regulations and policies, the interests of the department or graduate group and graduate students concerned as well as those of other departments or graduate groups likely to be affected. The need to maintain academic excellence is constantly borne in mind. Most of the changes recommended by the EPC are to improve the clarity of the proposals or to bring them into compliance with existing regulations or policies. The committee was very grateful for the dedicated and good-humored administrative support provided by Shirley Miller, whose efforts on our behalf did much to lighten a heavy workload.

The Graduate Student Support and Welfare Committee is involved with block grant review. It reviews applications for fellowships to cover: research expenses, travel associated with presenting papers at national and international scholarly meetings, and full academic year support in designated fields. It also considers a variety of student welfare issues related to the academic lives of graduate students.

Committee members in 1999-2000: Winfried Schleiner, Committee Chair; Graduate Council Representative: Miguel Marino; Academic Senate: Richard Plant; Academic Federation Representative: Pamela Gill-Fisher (F 1999, W 2000) and LeAnn Lindsay (W & S 2000); Graduate Studies Representative: Rosemarie Kraft, Associate Dean for Student Affairs; Student Representative: Jeffrey Bird, Graduate Student Association; and Graduate Studies Staff: Judi Simmons and Mary Medina.

All applications for major awards were reviewed by at least two members of the committee. To the extent possible, awards were distributed in proportion to the numbers of applications from the following major areas: (1) Biological and Agricultural Sciences, (2) Humanities and Social Sciences, and (3) Engineering. Since in some competitions there were not enough funds to support even all the speakers who had their papers accepted, the committee in that case did not consider applicants who by the time of the two deadlines had papers only pending. This practice was questioned by one graduate program and will be up for discussion in the next committee. The committee wishes to express its appreciation for the staff support provided by Judi Simmons, which greatly facilitated the committee’s work.

The chair of the committee also was a member of the Chancellor’s Teaching Fellowship Committee.

Office of Graduate Studies staff Judi Simmons provided the report below. The travel awards were for fall 1999 and spring 2000 deadlines and correspond to travel during the first and second halves of the 2000 calendar year. All the other awards are for the 2000-2001 academic year.

GRADUATE STUDENT SUPPORT AND WELFARE COMMITTEE

SUMMARY OF 1999-2000 WORK CALENDAR

Graduate Student Travel Awards, Fall 1999 Applications:
Period: Professional meeting held January 1 – June 30, 2000
Funds awarded: $14,000
Total applications: 78
Total awards: 35

Graduate Fellowships:
These private fellowships have restrictive applicant qualifications and/or limited monies:

Endowment fellowships:

Fellowships for under-represented groups:

Graduate Opportunity Fellowships: $ 213,803

130 nominees
11 awarded

Eugene Cota-Robles (2 year awards): $ 145,445

130 nominees
5 awarded

Dissertation Year: $280,293

53 nominees
13 awarded

Includes the 1999-2000 Graduate Student Assistant to the Dean and Chancellor

McNair Fellowship: $ 19,091

4 nominees
1 awarded

Research Mentorship Awards: $115,530

20 nominees
6 awarded

Chancellor’s Teaching Fellowship:

4 awarded

Graduate Student Travel Awards, Spring 2000 Applications:

Period: Professional meetings held July 1- December 31, 2000
Funds awarded: $ 14,900
Total applications: 71
Total awards: 36

Total funds awarded: $ 46,427
75 applications total: 20 humanities and 55 non-humanities
Offered: 40 total, 11 humanities and 29 non-humanities
Total awards = 40

2000-2001 President’s Predoctoral Fellowship in Humanities (4 year award):

Total funds awarded: $ 43,364
Offered: 1
Awards: 1

2000-2001 RA in the Humanities:

Total funds awarded: $ 91,404
Offered: 6
Awards: 6

2000-2001 Graduate Student Assistant to the Dean of Graduate Studies and the Chancellor:
David Quijada, Education Ph.D. Graduate Group

PROGRAM REVIEW COMMITTEE

The Program Review Committee (PRC) has the primary function of conducting reviews of existing graduate programs on a regularly scheduled, periodic basis. After the PRC has completed a program review, it recommends action to the full Graduate Council. The PRC met eight times during 1999-2000.

Committee members in 1999-2000: Kathryn Dewey, Committee Chair; Anne Britt, David Britt, Alan Conley, Roy Doi, Emily Goldman, Alan Hastings, Richard Howitt, Levent Kavvas, Peter Lindert (W & S 2000), Peter Moyle, David Nutter, Barry Wilson, Yen Yeh; Academic Federation Representative: Kathleen Ward; Graduate Studies Representative: Jerry Hedrick, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs; and Graduate Studies Staff: Kathy Garcia, Program Review Assistant. There was no graduate student representative this year.

Thirty graduate programs were under review during 1999-2000: Agricultural and Resource Economics, Biophysics, Cell & Developmental Biology, Comparative Pathology, Economics, Education Ph.D., Electrical & Computer Engineering, English, Genetics, Graduate School of Management, Human Development, Hydrologic Sciences, Immunology, Joint Doctoral Program in Ecology with San Diego State University, Joint Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership (JDPEL) with CSU Fresno, Linguistics, Materials Science, Mathematics, Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering, Microbiology, Neuroscience, Nutrition, Physics, Physiology, Plant Biology, Plant Pathology, Population Biology, Psychology, Sociology, and Textile Arts & Costume Design.

Two programs selected for review in 1999-2000, Soil Science and Atmospheric Science, will be reviewed in 2000-2001 following the review of Hydrologic Sciences.

The PRC reports for Agricultural & Resource Economics, Biophysics, Economics, Education Ph.D., English, Human Development, Immunology, Joint Doctoral Program in Ecology with San Diego State University, Joint Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership (JDPEL) with CSU Fresno, Physiology, Plant Pathology, and Psychology, were approved and submitted to the Graduate Council for action.

PRC selected and Graduate Council approved eleven programs for review during

2000-2001. Those programs are: Avian Sciences, Anthropology, Applied Mathematics, Art (Studio), Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Computer Science, Geography, Geology, Pharmacology & Toxicology, and Spanish. With the carry over of the Soil Science and Atmospheric Science reviews and the seventeen programs completing their reviews from 1999-2000, the committee will have thirty programs in various stages of review for 2000-2001.

In the summer of 1999 a special ad hoc committee was formed to discuss streamlining the review process. For each program, a review team made up of the campus ad hoc committee and an external reviewer will now conduct the graduate program reviews. The team will meet over a two-day period with faculty and students of the graduate program and then separate reports will be prepared by the ad hoc committee and by the external reviewer. The reports will be forwarded to the graduate program for correction of fact and comment. The PRC report will be based on the review team’s reports and the program’s response to those reports. The PRC report will then be presented to PRC for approval and then to the Graduate Council. The goal of having a review team is to complete the review in one academic year. Previously, a review was conducted by the ad hoc committee and then the external reviewer was brought in. This often extended the time period that a program was under review to more than one academic year.

In the spring of 2000, a sub-committee was formed to review the self-review guidelines. The committee was chaired by Kathryn Dewey, PRC Chair, and members included: Kathleen Ward, PRC Member; Kathy Garcia, Program Review Assistant; Charles Duffy, Graduate Studies staff; and three graduate staff: Dawne Shell, Biological Sciences Graduate Group Complex; Marlene Belz, Nutrition and Immunology; and Elaine Brown, Linguistics. The committee updated and revised the guidelines. PRC approved the revised guidelines, which were presented to the graduate program chairs and staff whose programs are under review in 2000-2001.

The committee assumed the responsibility of reviewing the Designated Emphasis programs. A proposal for this process was submitted for consideration by Graduate Council in fall 2000.

The PRC and Graduate Council wish to specifically commend the excellent staff assistance of Kathy Garcia, the Program Review Assistant.

In closing, Graduate Council wishes to thank all of those who have given of their time in support of graduate education during the past year. In particular, the contributions of the members of subcommittees and of the ad hoc review committees have been extremely valuable and are deeply appreciated by the Council. Graduate Council Chair David Gilchrist, wishes to specifically acknowledge the hard work, dedication, and professionalism of Lee Wilce, Graduate Council Assistant in the Office of Graduate Studies. Without the benefit of her historical memory and excellent organizational skills, the workload of the Chair and the members of Graduate Council would be measurably increased. Continuity and efficiency of operation of a high workload committee, like Graduate Council, is absolutely dependent on quality staff support; Lee Wilce epitomizes the type of support required and we thank her for her continuing efforts on behalf of Graduate Council.

Respectfully submitted, 

David Gilchrist, Chair; Kathryn Dewey, Vice Chair; Charles Hunt, CCGA Representative; Judy Callis; Jeannie Darby; Emily Goldman; Cristina González, Dean, ex officio; Judy Jernstedt; John Labavitch; Miguel Marino; Karl Menges; Winfried Schleiner; and David Traill; Academic Federation Representatives: Pamela Gill-Fisher and Desmond Jolly; Graduate Studies Representatives: Jerry Hedrick, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs; Rosemarie Kraft, Associate Dean for Student Affairs; Charles Duffy, Assistant Dean of Programs; and Lee Wilce, Graduate Council Assistant; and Graduate Student Representatives: Bryan Ericken; Amy Gerbrandt, Graduate Student Assistant to the Dean and Chancellor; Molly Hillard and Kella Svetich, GSA Co-Chairs; and Ari Karchin, GSA Vice Chair.

This report was prepared by the Graduate Council Assistant and the subcommittee chairs and staff. The report was reviewed and approved by the 1999-2000 Graduate Council during the week of October 2-6, 2000. Revisions were forwarded to the Graduate Council Chair and Assistant and incorporated in the final report.