The Graduate Council met on November 25, 2003 at 2:00 p.m. in the Memorial Union Mohave Room. Interim Dean Allison presided.

Also in Attendance were Graduate College Deans Ozel, Zatz, and Lindquist; Extended Education Dean Verdini; University Evaluation and Testing Director Green; Vice Provost Schwalm from ASU East; Professors Armbruster, Chawla, Kaplan, Koonce, Landers, McCarthy, McGregor, Millard, Savenye, Spellman, Villalobos, and Zhou

Excused: University Libraries Dean Schmidt; Professor Hanson, student member Bigler.

Absent: Associate Vice President for Research Raupp; Vice Provost Delgado from ASU West; Professors Barrett, McCarthy and Spellman

The minutes from the October 28, 2003 meeting were approved.

Dean Lindquist introduced the proposal to establish a graduate certificate in Public Art. Dianne Cripe, Dr. Betsy Fahlman, and Gina Stephens were present to respond to questions regarding financial, faculty, and physical resources; admission requirements; marketing; placement of graduates; and course requirements. The Council suggested consideration of expanding the scope of elective courses to include more courses in related public policy issues and professional skill development such as grant-writing. The proposal was recommended for approval.

Dean Lindquist introduced the request for planning authority and implementation of a Master of Advanced Study (MAS) in Geographic Information Systems. Drs. Dan Bivona, Breandan O'hUallachain, Talbot Brooks, and Robert Balling were present to respond to questions regarding the rationale for the MAS degree name, maintaining quality, program fees, course and contact hours, satisfactory academic progress, and financial resources. The Council suggested that the proposal further refine the academic standards to include expectations for students regarding satisfactory progress in the structured, cohort-based, course sequence of the program and to identify other institutions that offer the MAS. The proposal was recommended for approval.

Dean Allison provided an update on the proposal to import the M.Ed. with a concentration in English as a Second Language (ESL) at ASU Main to ASU East. Drs. Irvin and Bergeron were present to respond to questions. Two tenure-track faculty have been hired; one in the area of instructional media and one in ESL. The proposal to import the M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in ESL at ASU Main to ASU East will be brought forward to the Graduate Council for action soon.

Dean Lindquist introduced as an information item the proposal to establish the ASU Center for Biology and Society.

Dean Zatz provided an update on the implementation of the plus/minus grading system. Council members concurred with a modification of the Graduate Catalog to clarify that courses could be reserved for graduate study or transferred to ASU graduate programs if the student earned a grade of 3.0 (B). Previously the catalog had specified only a grade of B.

Dean Allison sought feedback regarding the council's new proposal review procedures. Council members indicated that they liked the assignment of two primary readers to each major program proposal and that this process should continue.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:53 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by Tracy Singer