Graduate/Doctoral Council Meeting · 10/23/2014 · 4:00-4:30 Discussion Items for Doctoral...

Graduate/Doctoral Council Meeting

October 23, 2014

Agenda Discussion Items • Thesis / Dissertation Deadlines • Bridge Program – New contract to provide for better student success? • UPPS 07.07.06 Graduate Student Employment / Roles of graduate

assistants Announcements • Student Employee Pay • Research Conference Program • On-campus housing for graduate students • Resources on Website • Research project on student retention • Preliminary Fall 2014 Enrollment Report 4:00-4:30 Discussion Items for Doctoral Council Members • 3MT • Dissertation Defense Announcements on the Web

Graduate Council Meeting Oct. 23, 2014

Discussion Items:


Thesis / Dissertation Deadlines


Thesis/Dissertation Deadlines • History: Last Year, Fall 2013

Graduate Council Meeting October 23, 2014

Dissertation Due to The Graduate College

• November 5, 2013

4 weeks +

Approved Dissertation Due to Alkek Library

• December 5, 2013

1 week + Commencement


• Recent History: Fall, 2014: request by the Provost’s office to move the dates up in order to provide at least 2+ weeks before commencement:


• October 28, 2014

4 weeks Approved Dissertation Due to Alkek Library


2 weeks + Commencement


• Current: Fall, 2014, part II: The Graduate College reallocated resources to keep the Provost office’s request in place but to also move back the deadline for student submissions to The Graduate College

Dissertation/Thesis Due to The Graduate College


2 weeks Approved Dissertation/Thesis Due to Alkek Library




Thesis/Dissertation Deadlines • What happens in the spaces between deadlines and commencement?


• November 10

2 weeks Approved Dissertation Due to Alkek Library

• November 24



• The GC reviews for formatting and other university requirements

• The GC provides student with revision information and requires prompt revisions and resubmission

• The GC reviews the revision; the cycle is repeated if revisions are not made

• The GC approves the thesis/ dissertation for release to Alkek

• Information is provided to Commence-ment Planning (this includes students’ names and thesis / dissertation titles )

Since Spring 2012, there have been 784 theses/ dissertations submitted. During that time period, only 1 thesis and 1 dissertation required NO formatting revisions and resubmissions.

Note that these are firm deadlines. In cases of medical or family emergency, we can approve a 2-day extension to The GC deadline, but not to the Alkek deadline.

Support: • Thesis/Dissertation Workshops • Graduate College Guide to Preparing and Submitting a Thesis or Dissertation • Templates for Everything

Bridge Contract • Some programs accept students

conditionally into the Bridge Program (if TOEFL 59-77, or IELTS 5.5-6.0 overall, with 5.5 in each skill).

• Students are allowed a combination of limited academic study and intensive English for one semester, not to exceed two semesters (President’s letter to Provost in Feb. 2011)

• We are currently not in compliance with this requirement.


Bridge Contract • Proficiency requirements for regular

admission can be met by – passing score on TOEFL / IELTS – earning a B or better in TSIE 4550

courses (4 courses, one in each skill; these are the highest levels offered by TSIE), and receive a positive letter of recommendation from the TSIE Learning Specialist in two semesters.


Bridge Contract Current Bridge Contract: • Improving English proficiency will be your first priority. In every

term of attendance, you must be enrolled in at least one intensive English course until you meet the requirements for regular admission.

• Based on the choices approved by the graduate advisor and in

consultation with the TSIE Learning Specialist, you must register for one or two credit-bearing courses (3-6 hours) in your major during the first semester. The remainder of your hours will be intensive English. Your second semester enrollment depends on your first semester performance.


Bridge Contract We are proposing a change to the Bridge Contract • to set up students to succeed (or at least bring contract in line

with current practice; TSIE has required students to take 2 intensive English courses in their first semester)

• to make conditions of admission clearer to students • to make English proficiency a priority for students • to make students aware of support structures (which few

students have participated in) • to get them out of conditional admission earlier so that they are

eligible for scholarships and assistantships • Benchmarking: No other schools (except George Mason) allow

this at the graduate level. If conditional admission for low TOEFL scores is allowed, students have to complete all intensive English requirements first, before being allowed to take graduate level courses.


Bridge Contract Data: • Of 110 students in the Bridge Program from 2005-2014

– 21 students took 1 class (prior to 2011 or students in cohort) – 46 students required 2 classes – 21 students required 3 classes – 13 students required 4 classes – 4 students required 5 classes – 5 students required 6 classes


Bridge Contract Proposed changes • You must be enrolled in two (2) core TSIE courses and one (1) academic

course in your degree program in your first semester. If you do not test out of Bridge, you will have to also enroll in 2 TSIE courses and one academic course in the second semester. You cannot extend Bridge beyond the second semester.

Or You must be enrolled in two (2) core TSIE courses and one (1) academic course in your first semester, and minimally in one (1) TSIE course in the second semester. • Failure to meet regular admission requirements by the methods

mentioned in items 5A and 5B below by the end of your second semester in the Bridge program will result in dismissal from your graduate program.

• As part of your enrollment in TSIE, other opportunities and assistance are available to help improve your English skills. Participation in these activities, including the TSIE TOEFL/IELTS Preparation Course, TSIE Conversation Partners, the Bobcat Mentoring Program, SLAC (the Student Learning Assistance Center), and the Writing Center, are strongly recommended.

UPPS 07.07.06 Update regarding affordable care act: • Fall and Spring Semester: All

assistantships limited to 50% during. Exemptions can be granted for exceptional circumstances.

• Summer: All assistantships limited to 50%, except for research assistants doing fieldwork or those funded by grants.


UPPS 07.07.06 Update regarding types of assistantships: • Federal law makes reclassification of research

assistantships necessary a) Research Assistants: Conducting research under

the guidance of a faculty member b) Graduate Assistants: Providing programmatic or

institutional support

• All assistantships will qualify students for in-state tuition

• HR / Legal Counsel still researching implications for benefits/leave/time recording Graduate Council Meeting Oct. 23, 2014

UPPS 07.07.06 Update regarding roles of graduate assistants • Graduate Students Grading Other Graduate

Students: – PPS 7.03 Graduate Faculty – Equity: Avoid Conflict of Interests – Benchmarking Data – Proposed Revisions to UPPS


http://www.provost.txstate.edu/pps/policy-and-procedure-statements/7-personnel-employ-comp/pps7-03.html

UPPS 07.07.06 Update regarding roles of graduate assistants • Graduate Students Having Access to Other

Graduate Students’ Record – Equity: Avoid Conflict of Interests – Benchmarking Data – Proposed Revisions to UPPS


Announcements:


Student Employee Pay

• Graduate Student Employees to receive same % increase as faculty and staff


Research Conference

http://www.gradcollege.txstate.edu/rsrch_conf.html





Graduate Student Housing on Campus

• Offered for the first time for 2014-15 • 32 graduate students currently living

in campus housing • For 2015-2016: 15 units held for

returning students, 27 spaces held for new graduate students

http://www.reslife.txstate.edu/Living-Options/Facilities-and-Rates/Graduate-Student-Housing.html





Online Resources

• http://www.gradcollege.txstate.edu/Current_Students/onlres.html


http://www.gradcollege.txstate.edu/Current_Students/onlres.html

http://www.gradcollege.txstate.edu/Current_Students/onlres.html

Retention & Completion Student Support Project

• Gathering information about graduate students’ experiences at Texas State in order to better understand what kind of programming The Graduate College can provide for support toward completion of students’ degrees.

• For current graduate students and new graduates: – Survey

• Fall, 2014 • Survey focused on student experiences and needs; data are all reported in

the aggregate • The Graduate House of Representatives helped by providing feedback for

the draft version

– Focus groups • Spring, 2015 • Group discussions focused on supports students would like to see offered

by The Graduate College

– Outcome: • Goal is for The Graduate College to plan and implement new/other

initiatives to support students’ graduate degree work

– IRB Approval #2014E9859


Graduate Enrollment Update (Preliminary Data)


Graduate Enrollment by Classification

Fall 2013 Fall 2014 Percent Change

Masters 3,505 3,516 + 0.3%

Doctoral 446 458 + 2.7%

Total 3,951 3,974 + 0.6%

Source: CBM001 Report to THECB. Doctoral enrollment includes students classified as special professional (2013 n=117; 2014 n=116). Fall 2014 data are preliminary.

Graduate Enrollment by College


Applied Arts 539 575 + 6.7% McCoy College of

B.A. 374 412 + 10.2%

Education 1,212 1,149 - 5.2%

Fine Arts & Comm. 217 209 - 3.7%

Health Professions 267 309 + 15.7%

Liberal Arts 917 820 - 10.6% Science & Eng. 425 500 + 17.6%

Total 3,951 3,974 + 0.6%

Source: CBM001 Report to THECB. Fall 2014 data are preliminary.

Graduate Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity

Source: CBM001 Report to THECB. Fall 2014 data are preliminary.

57%

20% 6% 5%

6%

6%

Fall 2013

White Hispanic

African American Other race/multiracial

International Unknown

55%

21% 7% 5%

8%

4%

Fall 2014

White Hispanic

African American Other race/multiracial

International Unknown

Master’s Admissions Activity


Applied 3,515 3,603 + 2.5%

Admitted 1,692 1,573 - 7.0%

Enrolled 1,056 979 - 7.3%

Yield Rate (Admitted to Enrolled)

62.4% 62.2%

Source: Graduate College (Graduate College Application Weekly Summary Report GC0038 09/12/2013 & 09/08/2014) and CBM001 Report to THECB. Fall 2014 data are preliminary.

Doctoral Admissions Activity


Applied 212 182 - 14.2% Admitted 99 92 - 7.1% Enrolled 67 61 - 9.0%

Yield Rate (Admitted to Enrolled)

67.7% 66.3%

Source: Graduate College (Graduate College Application Weekly Summary Report GC0038 09/12/2013 & 09/08/2014) and CBM001 Report to THECB. Fall 2014 data are preliminary.

Next meetings • Thursday, Nov. 20, 3:00-4:30 in Alkek 105/106 • Thursday, Jan. 29, 1:00-2:30 in Alkek 105/106 • Monday, Feb. 23, 1:00-2:30 in Alkek 105/106 • Thursday, March 26, 1:00-2:30 in Alkek

105/106 • Monday, April 20, 1:00-2:30 in Alkek 105/106 If you are unable to attend, please let Sylvia Mobley ([email protected]) know the faculty member’s name in your unit who will attend the meeting on your behalf.


mailto:[email protected]

Doctoral Programs:


• Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is a research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland (UQ).

• Doctoral students have three minutes to present a compelling oration on their research and its significance.

• Graduate students currently enrolled in a Texas State University research doctoral program are eligible to compete.

• 2014 Competition http://www.gradcollege.txstate.edu/3mt.html • 2015 Competition

– Program Heats, completed by the end of March, 2015 – University Final Competition on April 7, 2015, during Graduate

Student Appreciation Week – Example materials etc. forthcoming


http://www.gradcollege.txstate.edu/3mt.html

Dissertation Defense Announcements

• Current System • The Graduate College can post

dissertation announcements – Submission Form example:

http://www.gradcollege.txstate.edu/ddannfm

– An example of what it could look like: http://www.gradcollege.txstate.edu/ddann.html




http://www.gradcollege.txstate.edu/ddann.html

http://www.gradcollege.txstate.edu/ddann.html

Graduate/Doctoral Council Meeting · 10/23/2014 · 4:00-4:30 Discussion Items for Doctoral...

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