CORRECTED MINUTES
OF THE GRADUATE COUNCIL |
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The regular meeting of the Graduate Council was held at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 17, 2011 in 110 AIME Building.
Dr. Marsha Adams, Dr. Kim Bissell,
Dr. Mary Elizabeth Curtner-Smith, Dr.
Marysia Galbraith,
Prof. Steve Miller MEMBERS:
Dr. Louis A. Pitshmann
Dr. John Schmitt, Associate Dean
Ms. Tamica Shambly
I. Reports from Graduate Council Committees
Dr. John Schmitt announced that
nominations for the five (5) awards for outstanding teaching by a
master’s student, outstanding research by a master’s student,
outstanding teaching by a doctoral student, outstanding research by a
doctoral student, and outstanding service by a graduate student are due
January 11, 2012. Nominations for the outstanding thesis award and
outstanding dissertation award have been received and are currently
being reviewed by the committees. At the end of January, all winners
will be announced.
The 2011 edition of the biennial survey of
Departmental GTA Training and Development Activities has been completed
and is being summarized. Departments will be notified when the data are
posted to the Graduate School website.
Dean David Francko recapped the plans for
background checks for GTAs. Currently, UA is in the proposal stage with
the Council of Deans. The Legal department has stated that all UA
graduate student employees must have a background check. Currently, it
has not been determined who will pay the $26.00 background check fee –
student, department, college, or UA. The next Deans’ Council meeting
will be November 29th, and the results will be announced at the next
Graduate Council meeting.
The background checks will be up and
running beginning Fall 2012. Since the background check is an employment
issue, it will be implemented in the department. Each department may
want to determine the process of assistantship appointments. The College
of Education, School of Social Work and the Culverhouse College of
Commerce and Business Administration already conduct background checks.
Background checks for International
students take approximately 2-3 weeks, whereas background checks for
domestic students take approximately 24 hours. The protocol will be
looking for violent crimes only. This is the same protocol used
nationally.
The criminal background questions added to
the admission application process have been working well, and students
seem to be fine with the questions. Undergraduate Admissions has been
using this process for approximately a year. All information submitted
stays within the Graduate School for confidentiality reasons. If a
student lies on the application, it is grounds for automatic dismissal.
A University-wide protocol is being set up
to determine the risk analysis for a student that fails the background
check. This may occur once or twice a year. The goal is to find any
problems before employment begins. Once a background check has been
completed (and passed), as long as the employment in continuous, no
other background checks will be conducted.
III. Reports from Standing University
Committees
There were no standing committee reports.
IV. Old Business
There was no old business.
V. New Business Dean David Francko announced that Dr. Steve Tomlinson would be rotating off the Committee on Merger or Discontinuance of Academic Units. Dr. Wayne Urban stated he would be glad to serve during the 2012-2014 term. Dr. John Petrovic made a motion to replace Dr. Steve Tomlinson with Dr. Wayne Urban, and Dr. Diane Johnson seconded. All were in the favor and the motion passed.
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