Guests: Gail Cairns (GSPH), Bob Nachtmann (KGSB), Richard Schulz (UCSUR), Larry Shuman (SOE), Darlene Zellers (CGS)

II. Announcements
Vice Provost Baranger informed Council that a group convened to discuss the renegotiated grad health insurance plan. Over the last five years the cost of the health plan has increased by 70%.  In an attempt to keep the costs from skyrocketing in the future, the 2003-2004 plan includes minimal co-pays.   The coverage remains the same.  Graduate students from Medicine, Nursing, and Dental Medicine may now buy into this plan.

Vice Provost Baranger announced that there have been 156 ETDs submitted to date, and, to encourage participation, an ETD Lottery has been initiated in which 25 ETD authors will win a coupon good for one ETD Processing Fee Payment. Additionally, a Latex Template for ETDs that will be used by math, engineering, and some science students is now in the testing phase.

Other projects underway include the revision of the online graduate bulletin and a more web-friendly version of the Graduate and Professional Programs Web site.

Vice Provost Baranger brought the new Postdoctoral Fellows Employment Classification to Council’s attention.  She pointed to the memo from the Provost for a more detailed description www.pitt.edu/~provost/postdocmemo.html.
 

III. Proposal to Establish a Graduate Certificate Program in Public Health Preparedness and Disaster Response
The Graduate School of Public Health presented a proposal to establish a certificate program in Public Health Preparedness and Disaster Response. Gail Cairns, Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, was present to answer questions.

Gail Cairns began the discussion by stating that this program is one aspect of the school’s response to the growing necessity to train public health and other professionals to deal with the consequences of terrorism and natural disasters. She stated that enrollment will be expected from three distinct groups of students: currently matriculated GSPH students, non-degree students, and graduate students enrolled in other graduate programs at the University.

The guest was excused.

A member of Council raised the issue that for non-degree students to enroll, the certificate would have to be post-baccalaureate rather than graduate. There was discussion on what constituted a post-baccalaureate certificate as opposed to a graduate certificate. Council agreed that the language in the proposal that referred to or attempted to define post-baccalaureate and graduate certificates should be removed.

There was a motion made to accept the proposal contingent upon the following changes:

1.) References within the proposal to “graduate” and “post-baccalaureate” certificates should be removed.
2.) The language concerning the objectives on page 5 of the proposal should be softened to say that these objectives are objectives that the program overall can achieve rather than objectives each individual student should meet.
3.) The language should be clarified to state that out of the 15 credits needed for the certificate, 10 are in required courses.

The motion was seconded. Seven members of Council voted in favor of the motion,
one member abstained.  The motion was approved.

IV.   Proposal to Establish a Joint Degree Program Leading to an MBA and an MSIE
The Katz Graduate School of Business (KGSB) and the School of Engineering (ENG) presented a proposal to establish a joint degree program leading to an MBA and an MSIE.

Bob Nachtmann (KGSB) and Larry Shuman (ENG) were present to answer questions.
In order to enroll in the program, students must be admitted into both the MBA program in KGSB and the MSIE program in Industrial Engineering and must complete both degrees concurrently. The number of credits required is less than the number if taken separately. This will be a small program aimed at attracting more highly qualified students to these schools.

The guests were dismissed.

There was a motion to accept the proposal. The motion was seconded. All present voted in favor of the motion.

V. Proposal to Establish a Graduate Certificate Program in Gerontology
The University Center for Social & Urban Research (UCSUR) and the Council on Aging, University of Pittsburgh Institute on Aging (UPIA) presented a proposal to establish a multidisciplinary Certificate Program in Gerontology to be administratively housed in UCSUR. The certificate program will be open to students enrolled in graduate programs in a variety of schools and also to non-degree seeking students.  This certificate is based on collaboration with the College of General Studies under the auspices of Pitt Learning Solutions. Vice Provost Baranger pointed out that this is the first time this center will offer a certificate. The only other center presently offering certificates is the University Center for International Studies (UCIS).

Richard Schulz, Director of UCSUR and Associate Director of the Institute on Aging, and Associate Dean Darlene Zellers attended the meeting to answer questions.

Members of Council had questions concerning the admission requirements. Director Schulz clarified that students will register through  UCSUR.  Associate Dean Zellers pointed out that, University requirements aside, it was each individual school’s discretion what admissions criteria students would have to meet.  Non-degree seeking students would be of the same caliber as degree seeking students.

Council had some questions regarding the impact of this program on other programs such as programs in Social Work and Public Health. Director Schulz stated that the proposed program was so different from the ones in Social Work and Public Health that he did not see this program as having any noticeable impact on the other programs.  It was also pointed out by a member of Council that the deans of Social Work and Public Health have signed off on the proposed program.

The guests were dismissed.

There was discussion on whether to refer to this proposed certificate as a post-baccalaureate or graduate certificate. Vice Provost Baranger said that it should be called a graduate certificate.

Council agreed that more work needed to be done on the working document that attempts to define graduate certificates.

There was a motion to accept the proposal. The motion was seconded. All present voted in favor of the motion.

The meeting was adjourned. Council was adjourned until September.