University Council on Graduate Study
September 20, 2005
Minutes
817 CL
Attending: Patricia Beeson (Chair),
Guests: Dr.
Wesley M. Rohrer (GSPH) and Dr. Judith Lave (GSPH)
I. Overview
of UCGS
Dr.
Beeson gave a brief overview of the goals and purpose of UCGS. For more
information about UCGS, members can view the UCGS Web site www.pitt.edu/~graduate/ucgs.html
and review Regulations Governing Graduate Study at the University of
II. Approval
of Minutes
The
minutes of the April 19, 2005 meeting were approved as written.
III. UCGS Annual Report
Council agreed to post the UCGS
Annual Report online instead of printing and mailing a hard copy. They asked that new graduate programs
be highlighted on the UCGS Web site and that Deans and Graduate Faculty receive
an email once a year alerting them to the URL of the Annual Report. Currently
UCGS Annual reports from 1997 to the present are posted online at http://www.pitt.edu/~graduate/reports.html.
IV. Admission
Standard for New iBT Exam
Council
discussed changes to the TOEFL and the establishment of minimum standards for
the new Internet Based TOEFL (iBT). Council
agreed to an overall minimum score for admission opposed to individual minimums
in the separate categories (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) since
each discipline requires different strengths in certain categories.
Vice
Provost Beeson explained that a score of 80 on the iBT would be equivalent to
that of a 213 on the Computer-based TOEFL (CBT), which is the current minimum
score for admissions.
A
member of Council asked how this would affect the minimum score for
undergraduate admissions. Another member asked if the new PeopleSoft system
could handle all three different scores coming in.
Council
would like to have data gathered after two years to see if this minimum score for
admissions is working well.
Council
voted unanimously to set a minimum score of 80 on the iBT for admission
provided there is a review of how it is working in two years and that the
appeal procedure still remains available to deans.
V. Proposal to Establish a Master of Public
Health Program in Public Health Policy & Management
The
Graduate School of Public Health proposed to establish a Master of Public
Health Program in Public Health Policy & Management initiated by Dr. Judith
Lave, Chair of the Department of Heath Policy and Management, and Dr. Wesley M.
Rohrer, Assistant Chair of the Department of Health Management Education and
supported by Dean Goldstein of the Graduate School of Public Health. The
proposed program is a professional education program designed to prepare public
health agency staff for managerial and leadership track positions, and to
provide a part-time Master’s degree option for other health professionals. One of the three tracks of the proposed MPH
program is also intended to provide a foundation for the development of a
health policy focused doctoral program.
Some
members of Council were concerned that this new program could threaten
enrollment in the flagship program. Drs. Lave and Rohrer did not think that it
would. The MHA will still be viable as the degree is necessary for management
in the field.
There
was a motion made to accept the proposal. The motioned was seconded. All
present voted in favor of the motion.
Dr.
Beeson will send to the Dean Council concerns about the potential of enrollment
in the flagship program being jeopardized by the new MHP.
VI. Agenda for UCGS Subcommittees 2005-2006
The Graduate Student Affairs Subcommittee
will take a look at the recent graduate stipend data (including tuition remission,
fees, health insurance etc.) and make recommendations to Council on any
adjustments they find necessary for graduate recruitment and retention
purposes.
The Ad hoc Recruitment Subcommittee will
look at recruitment efforts across the schools, including the recruitment of
McNair scholars and recommend to Council ways to unite these efforts.
Additionally, this subcommittee will think about mechanisms for sharing student
applications between programs and schools.
The Graduate Procedures Subcommittee will
make recommendations on polices and procedures for joint programs.
The Ad hoc Mentoring Award Subcommittee
will initiate the first year of awarding the Doctoral Mentoring Award,
including the review of applications.
Each
member of Council was asked to sign up to serve on a subcommittee.
VII. Announcements and Updates
Vice
Provost Beeson made Council aware of the following efforts in the Office of the
Provost:
·
NRC data
collection will continue, but there will be no peer evaluation. Dr. Beeson will
keep Council informed.
·
Time to degree
and retention by year will be analyzed with the help of IR.
·
Deans are being
asked to identify graduate students doing good research so they can be highlighted
in a new graduate study awareness campaign.
·
Efforts are being
coordinated with IA to find ways to raise more money for graduate study.
·
Regulations
Governing Graduate Study will be reviewed and proposed revisions will be
brought to Council this spring.
VIII. New Business
A
member of Council asked if it was a University requirement that dissertation
defenses be advertised in the University Times. Some departments advertise on
Health Sciences sites. Dr. Beeson will look into it and discuss this at a
future meeting.
Dr.
Beeson sought Council’s advisement on allowing remote dissertation defenses.
Council thought that the participation of the defender would be weaker if it
were done remotely and that this could cause issues with the defense. Other
problems noted were the availability of adequate technology and the problem of
technology cutting out during the actual defense. Though some members felt that
they have had very successful experiences with remote education, others felt
that this was a slippery slope and, if permitted, could disintegrate into defenses
occurring over the telephone. Dr. Beeson will take Council’s recommendations under
advisement.
The
meeting was adjourned.