To the Academic Senate, Santa Cruz Division:

This past year was an extremely busy one for the Graduate Council. The Graduate Council (GC) generally met on a biweekly basis throughout the year, meeting 16 times. The voting membership of GC was comprised of six Senate members [K. Bassi (F,S), D. Belanger (Chair), P. Kolaitis, J. McCloskey, B. Rogoff, A. Todorov, and R. Terdiman (W)] and the Interim Graduate Deans F. Bridges and J. Gill (April). Meetings were also attended by a staff member of the Graduate Division (J. Newman), two Graduate Student Association representatives (K. Chisholm and A. Tripati), a library representative (B. Remak-Honnef), and a member of the Academic Senate Office staff (L. Babka). The Chair (D. Belanger) also served as the Graduate Council representative to the systemwide Coordinating Committee on Graduate Affairs (CCGA), the Senate Advisory Committee, the Campus Academic Planning Council and several ad hoc committees on campus. Guests to the Graduate Council in 1999-2000 included Campus Provost and Executive Vice J. Simpson.

The CCGA reviews and makes recommendations on all proposals for new graduate programs and organized research units in the UC system. During 1999-00 CCGA completed reviews of two new graduate degree programs at UCSC. The Ph.D. program in Philosophy was approved and the proposed Ph.D. in Music was not approved.

CCGA also reviews changes in Academic Senate Regulations pertaining to graduate degrees proposed by the divisional Academic Senates that require Academic Council approval. It also discusses and makes recommendations on a number of issues of importance to UC graduate programs. Issues discussed during 1999-00 included:

- Noncompliance in many cases of capstone requirements for Master’s degree programs.
- Negotiations for the TA contract.
- Future UC graduate student enrollments in an environment of rapid undergraduate growth.
- Review of principles for high-fee, part-time, Master’s of Advanced Studies and UC/CSU joint
Ph.D. graduate programs.
- Postdoctoral education and representation on the CCGA.
- The need for greater financial support for graduate students.

The Graduate Council participates in the periodic external review of departments and organized research units at UCSC. The Council reviews the draft charges prior to the external review, reviews the external review report and all associated documents, and participates in the closure meeting. It follows up the external review when issues of significance to the health of graduate programs are revealed. The Council participates in reviews of departments whenever issues concerning graduate education are discussed. This includes departments that are planning to introduce graduate degrees (or participate in joint programs) and those for which the external reviewers are asked to comment on the appropriateness of a future graduate program. In 1999-00, the Council participated in reviews of Latin American and Latino Studies (potentially proposing a Ph.D. program), the Writing Program, Anthropology, Sociology, Art, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Environmental Studies, Science Communication, and the Santa Cruz Institute of Particle Physics.

The Council considered a number of requests from particular programs. The Council unanimously approved reestablishment of the graduate certificate in Education. The Council approved the two new Ph.D. tracks in Archaeology and Physical Anthropology. The Council endorsed departmental status for Environmental Toxicology. The Council approved a request from Computer Science to require students to TA for two quarters for the Ph.D. program. Computer Science proposed a Master’s degree with no capstone requirement (examination, thesis or approved alternative). The GC did not approve the change considering concerns about the lack of capstone requirements expressed by past GCs and the CCGA. As part of its regular business, the Council reviewed all new courses and course revisions.

The CCGA expressed concern about Master’s programs that have dropped capstone requirements without proper approval of campus Graduate Councils. It has asked all campus GCs to examine existing Master’s programs to ensure that they are complying with capstone requirements. The GC asked all programs on the UCSC campus to specify current requirements for the Master’s degree. After examining the collected data, several departments were asked for additional material in cases where possible noncompliance existed. The work to ensure compliance of all Master’s programs to Master’s degree capstone requirements will continue with the 2000-01 GC.

The Council discussed "normative time to degree" and its impact on graduate programs, and approved the increase of normative time from six to seven years for the History of Consciousness Ph.D. program. The Council approved a proposal to allow a non-English thesis in cases where consent is obtained from the student, the department and the thesis committee members.

The Graduate Council must approve new degree proposals before they advance to the systemwide levels of approval. The Council has taken an active role to increase the likelihood that a new program will be approved rapidly by reviewing early drafts of proposals. The Council considers all issues that relate to the viability and success of a new program, including curricular coherence and sufficiency, graduate student support resources and potential need for the program. Typically, the Council makes recommendations aimed at clarifying and completing the description of degree requirements, conforming to academic regulations, realistically estimating graduate support needs and availability, and stating the case for the program. In the current State context, proposed programs must realistically address issues of job prospects for graduates as well. All of these concerns will be raised at higher levels of review, once the proposal leaves the campus.

In 1999-00, the Council reviewed and commented on a very preliminary proposal for a History Ph.D. track in Comparative American Studies and encouraged its further development.

In 1999-00, the Graduate Council devoted considerable time to the question of grading and evaluations in the graduate program in parallel with discussions on campus regarding the undergraduate grading and evaluations. The 1999-00 Council unanimously decided to make no changes or propose Senate legislation to make changes of the graduate system at that time. A resolution to this effect was presented to the Senate.

The Graduate Council also spent considerable time discussing its plenary power and recent practices by past Councils. As a result of these discussions, the Council requested clarification from RJ&E and requested that all policies that are now included within the Senate Regulations, but are not in fact Senate Regulations, be removed to an appendix. RJ&E responded positively to these requests. The removal of Graduate Council policies to an appendix will greatly clarify further questions of the Council's plenary powers.

Furthermore, in response to recommendations of the Report of the Graduate Education Task Force chaired by AVCPP Carl Walsh, which the Council endorsed, the Graduate Student Handbook will take on a more formal role. The Handbook has in the past contained informal statements of Graduate Council policies, many of which are not easily traceable to actual Council actions. The Handbook will now contain policies in sections clearly designated as approved by the Graduate Council. The Handbook will be reviewed annually by the Graduate Council. The task of updating the Handbook was started during 1999-00 and will be completed during 2000-01.

A principal item of Graduate Council interest this year has been the negotiations toward a contract with the UAW covering the Teaching Assistants. Chair Belanger and Dean Bridges served on the Policy Advisory Group and reported back to the GC on a regular basis. While the Council had no official standing in the negotiations, its discussions provided important input into the negotiating process. Graduate student GC members were by necessity not included in these discussions.

A related subject is the consideration by the Council of 301 courses and the evaluation of teaching assistants. It was decided that while negotiations were underway, the Council would only affirm the current practice, followed for more than 20 years, of TAs enrolling in 301 courses. Now that negotiations are over, the topic of 301 courses should be reexamined by the 2000-01 Graduate Council.

The Council also reviewed the policy and process for graduate student academic appeals and academic misconduct. While the current policy is inadequate, the Council has not finished its work on revising the procedures and this work will continue in 2000-01.

The Council discussed the discontinuance of the Jitney service and its possible impact on graduate research.

The Graduate Student Association (GSA) keeps the Council informed of policy matters and proposes issues for Council review. Issues discussed with the Council for informational purposes in 1999-00 included enthusiasm for a graduate college and the concern over the increasingly unaffordable on-campus graduate housing both of which were discussed in the (Belanger) Report of the Task Force for a Graduate College and Graduate Life.

The Graduate Council discussed further the importance of affordable housing on campus. The lack of affordable housing is significantly impacting our graduate student recruitments.

The Graduate Council discussed on several occasions the space crisis facing the Library as a result of the delay in funding the McHenry Library Addition. Current plans are to remove a large number of books to the Northern Regional Library Facility, removing these books from easy access and potentially affecting the quality of graduate research on the campus by lack of an adequate browsable collection. The Graduate Council's concerns were expressed in a letter to the Chancellor.

The GC discussed the Regional Center at different early stages of its planning. The major concern of the Council is that the UC quality of graduate education not be compromised. It advocated a graduate component to the Center. J. McCloskey and F. Bridges served as members on the Academic Planning Task Force and reported its findings to the Council.

UC Graduate Councils are vested with oversight responsibility regarding the welfare of postdoctoral scholars by systemwide Senate Bylaw 330.B.3c. Consideration of the role that the UCSC Graduate Council should play in this regard will continue to be discussed within the Council. CCGA is also continuing to discuss its role in representing postdoctoral scholars.

The Graduate Council reviews the allocation of fellowship block grant funds across programs by the Division of Graduate Studies each year. No major changes were made in the allocation formulas this year. The Council also consults with the Dean of Graduate Studies on a number of issues concerning graduate student support, admissions, and welfare. The Dean kept the Council informed through the year on enrollment statistics and concomitant issues regarding graduate student support.

The Graduate Council has discussed the problems expected in the recruitment of graduate students during the expected rapid growth of undergraduate student numbers over the next decade. With an anticipated overall growth to nearly 17,000 students at UCSC, the Council is concerned that the relative proportion of graduate students be maintained well above the 10 percent level. This will be a great challenge, but one that is important if the campus is to simultaneously attract the highest qualified faculty during a period when it is expected to hire more than 600 new faculty members.

The Council selected winners of the Outstanding Teaching Assistant award from graduate students nominated by their departments. The Council also reviewed applications and approved Graduate Opportunity Fellowships, Cota-Robles mentorships and Superfellowships for the 1999-00 academic year. The Superfellowships are comptetive fellowships funded for the first time by EVC Simpson for the 1999-00 year. The Council reviewed the procedures for such applications and made recommendations to the Graduate Division. The Council discussed concerns that application files forwarded to the Graduate Division from departments varied significantly in quality, with some departments failing to adequately follow the application instructions. The Graduate Division agreed to emphasize adherence to the instructions when communicating with the departments in regard to future competitions for fellowships and TA awards.

The Council endorsed the transfer of Prof. Richards from Economics to Environmental Studies. The Council declined a petition from Economics to remove the letter grade option from a course in progress, since such an action is not within its purview.

Members of the Graduate Council serve on other committees as representatives of the Academic Senate's interest in graduate education and graduate student welfare. Graduate Council members served on several committees this year: The Academic Planning Task Force for the Santa Clara Valley Regional Center (J. McCloskey, F. Bridges); the Search Committee for the Graduate Dean and Vice Provost (D. Belanger, chair, P. Kolaitis); and the Policy Advisory Group for TA Negotiations (F. Bridges, D. Belanger). Members also appeared on forum panels: The Senate Forum on the Santa Clara Valley Regional Center (D. Belanger); the Senate Forums on Narrative Evaluations (B. Rogoff, D. Belanger); and the Center for Teaching Forum on Narrative Evaluations (B. Rogoff). Members also participated in retreats: Chancellor's Fall Conference (D. Belanger, F. Bridges) and Chancellor's Mini Retreat (K. Bassi).

The Graduate Council's agenda was so full this year that consideration was given to reorganization of the Council to allow greater resources for addressing a greater number of issues more efficiently and effectively. A recommendation was made to the Committee on Committees to create a Vice Chair position. Further consideration of the Council's organization will continue with the 2000-01 Council in light of the expected increasing duties and responsibilities arising from the increase in the number of graduate programs and the large increase in expected enrollments.

- Graduate Group guidelines
- Procedures for Academic Appeals
- Review of departmental Masters capstone requirements
- Completion of Graduate Student Handbook revisions
- Consideration of 301 courses and TA evaluation procedures
- Review of requirements for eligibility to participation by graduate students in commencement ceremonies
- Reorganization and expansion of Graduate Council to accommodate a growing graduate program
- Discussion of the role of the Graduate Council with regard to Postdoctoral Scholars
- Discussion of financial support and recruitment resources required to ensure the growth of the graduate program during the current undergraduate growth phase
- Academic Integrity Policy for Graduate Students

October 16, 2000