Graduate Studies Committee

January 10, 2006

130 Hullihen Hall

Members present: Charles Mason, Chair; John Sawyer, Abena Aidoo (Graduate Student), Robert Opila, Andrew Teplyakov; Ali Poorani; Pablo Huq, Susan Brynteson, Peter Kolchin, John Pesek, and Mary Martin

Old Business:

1) Discussion of revisions on the MS and PHD in Physics: The committee requested that several issues be addressed in the Program Policy Statement and upon revision and review by Assistant Provost Mary Martin, the Committee approved the proposal to go forward to the Coordinating Committee. Items recommended for attention were:

a. Removing Astronomy in all places as the major is Physics;

b. Address the issue of a culminating requirement for the MS degree if a thesis is not done;

c. Clarify the number of 868 credits to be applied to the MS non-thesis degree;

d. Separate tables on page 5;

e. Documentation from the A&S College Committee of approval of the changes;

f. Clarification of the regular tract and fast tract in the PHD.

2) The Committee voted unanimously to approve the disestablishment of the MA in Physics.

New Business:

Chuck Mason explained the changes proposed in the Committee Composition of the Wildlife Ecology and the Entomology and Applied Ecology programs. The Committee recommended the following clarifications to the Program Policy Statement and upon review by the Assistant Provost, voted to approve the changes. Items recommended for attention were:

a) Clarify that persons who complete the master’s and then wish to join the PHD must apply for the PHD as any other student wanting to be admitted to the PHD program;

b) Correct the number of credits for ENWC 870 and ENWC 888 from 1 to 0;

c) Clarify the statement that students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.00 “to remain in good academic standing.”

d) Delete reference to the Thesis manual in the Bookstore;

e) State the procedures for progress reports to the student and the Office of Graduate Studies.