UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA CRUZ                                                                      AS/SCP/1316

 

 

 

Graduate Council

2000-2001 Annual Report

 

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 11 Senate members [J. Aissen, K. Bassi (F,S), D. Belanger  (Chair,W,S), M. Dooley, O. Einarsdottir, P. Kolaitis (Chair, F,member,W,S), D. Jones (F,W), T. Miller (W), P. Nauert, B. Rogoff, M. Schlag (W,S), A. Todorov (F) and Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies F. Talamantes]. Meetings were also attended by Graduate Division staff members (R. Hastings and J. Newman), Graduate Student Association representatives (T. Chin, D. Raymond and L. Ritscher), a library representative (B. Remak-Honnef), and a member of the Academic Senate Office staff (L. Babka). The Chairs, P. Kolaitis(F) and D. Belanger(W,S) also served as Graduate Council representatives to the Systemwide Coordinating Committee on Graduate Affairs (CCGA), the Senate Advisory Committee, the Academic Planning Council and several ad hoc committees on campus. Guests to the Graduate Council in 2000-01 included Chancellor M.R.C. Greenwood, Assistant Chancellor J. Armstrong, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs G. Brown, Ombudsman S. Gottehrer, incoming Associate Dean of Graduate Studies D. Hunter, Center for Teaching Excellence E. Tanner, Labor Relations Director L. Listmann, Prof. C. Soussloff and Prof. Q. Williams (Graduate Council Chair 2001-02).

 

1.  Graduate Council organization

 

To address its rapidly growing workload, in early fall the Graduate Council drafted legislation that would increase its membership to ten Senate members from six Senate members (plus the Graduate Dean, ex officio). In addition, the proposed legislation provided for an increase in graduate student representation to three Graduate Student Association (GSA) representatives from two GSA representatives.  With the cooperation of the Committee on Committees, this legislation was introduced and unanimously approved at the November 9, 2000 meeting of the Academic Senate.  Later in the same meeting, new Graduate Council members were nominated, unanimously approved, and began serving immediately.

 

In addition, the Council itself has reorganized informally so that much of its work is done in subcommittees.  This has increased the efficiency and effectiveness of the Council.  A formal confidentiality policy for the Graduate Council has been adopted. 

 

2. The Coordinating Committee on Graduate Affairs (CCGA)

 

The Systemwide Coordinating Committee on Graduate Affairs (CCGA) reviews and makes recommendations on all proposals approved by campus graduate councils for new graduate programs and organized research units in the UC system. During 2000-01 CCGA reviewed one new UCSC graduate degree program and one UCSC administrative restructuring of a degree program.  The proposed graduate program in Music was not approved.  The Biology graduate program restructuring, in which the existing program will be administered by the now separate Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology departments, was approved as an interim solution with the expectation that full proposals for separate graduate programs reflecting the independent departments would be submitted in the near future.

 

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 2000-01 include:

 

·         Future UC graduate student enrollments in an environment of rapid undergraduate growth

·         Graduate membership and voting on CCGA

·         Postdoctoral education and representation on the CCGA

·         Sources and levels of financial support for graduate students

·         UC/CSU joint doctoral degrees

·         Revisions of the Master Plan for Higher Education

·         Masters of Advanced Studies

·         Impact of the summer session on graduate education

·         Development of graduate programs at UC Merced.

 

3. Program reviews

 

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 2000-01, the Council participated in closure reviews of Art, Astronomy and Astrophysics, and Sociology. The Council reviewed draft charges for Art History, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Politics, and Psychology.

 

The Council discussed its dissatisfaction with the current departmental review process and made recommendations to the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs for ways in which the process might be improved.  The Council wishes to be more directly involved in the process so that its oversight is strengthened.  In addition, it developed a new program review charge template that should help in strengthening the reviews.

 

4. Changes of status and degree requirements

 

The Council considered a number of requests from particular programs.  As part of its regular business, the Council reviewed all new graduate courses and course revisions.  The criteria for course approvals were discussed, including frequent problems in compliance with UC Senate Regulation 762 requiring that, for graduate courses, the content, performance criteria, requirements and goals be clearly differentiated from those corresponding to undergraduate courses.  Parenthetical notations were approved for the Ph.D. programs in Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.  The Council approved the increase of normative time from six to seven years for the Anthropology program.  The Council revised the definitions of full and part-time enrollment status.

 

The CCGA completed its review of capstone requirements of UCSC Masters Degree programs.  After requested changes in the practices and stated regulations in several departments, the Graduate Council is now satisfied that all UCSC masters degree programs are in compliance with UC regulations governing capstone requirements.

 

5. New graduate program proposal reviews

 

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, stating the case for the program, and realistically addressing issues of job prospects for graduates. All of these concerns will be raised at higher levels of review, once the proposal leaves the campus.

 

In 2000-01, the Council reviewed and approved proposals for graduate degree programs in Education and Electrical Engineering, which will be forwarded to CCGA for review.  The Council reviewed and commented on a preliminary proposal for Visual and Performance Arts and encouraged further development, including a viable administrative support structure.

 

6.  Academic Senate bylaws and regulations (Santa Cruz Division) and Graduate Council Policies

 

The Council is continuing its work on revising the Graduate Student Handbook which now states the official policies of the Graduate Council.  The Committee on Rules, Jurisdiction and Elections has agreed to place the policies of the Graduate Council for which the Council has plenary authority in an appendix to the Senate Regulations rather than being listed as part of the Senate Regulations themselves.  Regulations for which the Council does not have plenary authority will remain in the main listing of the Senate Regulations.

 

7. Graduate student issues

 

The Council considered in depth the issue of 301 courses and the evaluation of teaching assistants.  It was decided that the courses should be abolished since it is difficult to design such courses in a way that ensures the separation of course reviews and TA employment evaluations.  Discussion on possible replacement courses did not resolve this fundamental conflict and so no recommendations concerning replacement courses were adopted by the Council.

 

The Council discussed TA training issues including improved TA training raised by the implementation of the TA contract.  The Division of Graduate Studies and the Center for Teaching Excellence will undertake the development of a new TA training program.

 

The Graduate Council drafted and approved a new policy on Academic Integrity for Graduate Students.  This policy has been forwarded to the Dean of Graduate Studies for final approval. The policy on Academic Progress was discussed as well as policy regarding the rule on 50% employment for graduate students and exceptions to those rules.  Policies governing late acceptances during the graduate admissions process were reviewed.  The Graduate Council approved a change in the definition of regular course load for graduate students.  The Council discussed further the importance of affordable housing on campus.  The lack of affordable housing is significantly impacting our graduate student recruitments.

 

The Council has begun a discussion of its oversight responsibilities with regard to UC bylaw 330.B.3.b., requiring the Graduate Council to ``Set policy and standards for Appointment of graduate students as Teaching Assistants, Teaching Fellows, Research Assistants, and recipients of University Fellowships''.  The Council has requested divisional deans to explain their policies with regard to appointments of Teaching Assistants.

 

The Council approved guidelines proposed by Ombudsman Gottehrer pertaining to Faculty Advisor - Graduate Student Relationships.  This policy will be included in the Graduate Handbook, the General Catalog and on UCSC Web pages.

 

The Graduate Student Association keeps the Council informed of policy matters and proposes issues for Council review.   Issues discussed with the Council for informational purposes include housing, parking, support for dissertation writing, the Dissertation Writing Workshop, TA training, the Graduate Commons, career planning, fellowship support, and summer support.

 

8. Postdoctoral education at UCSC

 

UC Graduate Councils are vested with oversight responsibility regarding the welfare of postdoctoral scholars by Systemwide Senate Bylaw 330.B.3c. Further consideration of the role that the UCSC Graduate Council should play in this regard will continue.

 

9. Graduate enrollment and graduate student support

 

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 consults with the Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies on a number of issues concerning graduate student support, admissions, and welfare. The Dean kept the Council informed throughout the year on enrollment statistics and concomitant issues regarding graduate student support.

 

The Graduate Council discussed the problems expected in the recruitment of graduate students during the anticipated rapid growth of undergraduate student numbers over the next decade.  With an expected 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 while hiring more than 600 new faculty members and maintain the excellence of research at UCSC.  Issues regarding the need for increasing both the numbers and quality of graduate students were discussed, including the needs for additional library space and for continued library support. 

 

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 2001-02 academic year.  The Superfellowships are competitive fellowships funded by EVC Simpson for the 2001-02 year.

 

10.  Other graduate issues

 

Several issues relating to the implementation of the State-funded Summer Session were raised by the Graduate Council with the recommendation that they be addressed prior to the start of the program at UCSC.  The Council supports the recommendations of the Academic Task Force for the Santa Clara Valley Regional Center.

 

11. Graduate Groups

 

No formal cross-divisional Graduate Groups exist on the UCSC campus.  Graduate Groups provide the opportunity to support graduate programs outside of the usual departmental structure at UCSC.  Graduate Groups would allow faculty new opportunities to be involved in graduate education and provide an important mechanism for graduate growth on the campus.  After gathering and analyzing information about Graduate Groups at other UC campuses, the Graduate Council approved in the fall a set of guidelines spelling out the academic criteria for the establishment of Graduate Groups at UCSC.  These guidelines were submitted to the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs.  The Graduate Council looks forward to working with the administration to create transparent mechanisms for initiation of Graduate Groups on the campus.

 

12. Participation in other committees

 

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: P. Kolaitis and D. Belanger served on the Senate Advisory Committee; P. Kolaitis, D. Belanger and B. Rogoff served as Graduate Council representatives to the Academic Planning Council; B. Rogoff served on the Evaluation Reform Committee; P. Kolaitis, D. Belanger and L. Ritscher served on CCGA.  In addition, D. Belanger served on the Senate Planning Workshop Retreat.


 

13. Issues carrying forward to 2000-01

 

-          Completion of Graduate Student Handbook revisions.

-          Review of requirements for eligibility for participation by graduate students in commencement ceremonies.

-          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.

-          Facilitating the creation of and advising on procedures for Graduate Groups.

-          TA training and appointment oversight.

-          Revision of the course review process.

-          Revision of departmental external review procedures.

 

The Graduate Council appreciates the participation on the Council by Beth Remak-Honnef as the Library representative and by Tina Chin, Lee Ritscher, and Dave Raymond as graduate student representatives.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

GRADUATE COUNCIL

J. Aissen

K. Bassi (F,S)

M. Dooley

O. Einarsdottir

D. Jones (F,S)

T. Miller (W)

P. Nauert

B. Rogoff

M. Schlag

F. Talamantes (Vice Provost and Dean)

A. Todorov (F)

P. Kolaitis (Chair, F)

D. Belanger (Chair, W, S)

 

 

September 20, 2001