Graduate Council Meeting Agenda 204A Evans Library October 2, 2014 1. Discussion Items: a. Graduate Council Elections – Chair and Vice Chair Election b. Approval of Change in Graduate Council Standard Operating Procedures 2. New Course Requests: a. BMEN 622 Bioelectromagnetism b. BMEN 641 Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering c. EDCI 701 Elementary Science Instructional Strategies and STEM Learning d. EDCI 702 Elementary Mathematics Instructional Strategies and STEM e. FSTC 644 Disease Mechanisms of Foodborne Pathogens f. GEOP 631 Seismic Data Processing g. ICPE 601 Environmental Issues of Energy Systems h. ICPE 602 Reservoir Characterization and Modeling i. ICPE 603 Bioenergy j. ICPE 604 Energy Systems Engineering I k. ICPE 605 Energy Systems Engineering II l. ICPE 606 Introduction to Optimization m. ICPE 607 Energy Finance and Economics n. ICPE 608 Beyond Science and Technology: The Role of Policy in the Future of Energy in the U.S. o. ICPE 609 Introduction to U.S. Energy Law and Policy p. ICPE 610 The Global Energy Future q. ICPE 611 Economics of Energy r. ICPE 612 Entrepreneurship in Energy s. ICPE 613 Natural and Shale Gas Monetization: Technologies, Fundamentals, Economics, and Applications t. ICPE 614 CO2 Sequestration u. ICPE 615 Smart Grid Fundamentals v. ICPE 616 Multi-Functional Materials for Energy Conversion w. ICPE 617 Gas Separations for Energy: Fundamentals, Applications, and New Directions x. ICPE 618 Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage, CCUS y. ICPE 619 Nanomaterials Engineering and Energy Storage z. ICPE 620 Thermoelectric Materials and Devices aa. ICPE 621 Thermoelectrics: Fundamentals of Electronic and Thermal Transport bb. ICPE 622 Energy Efficiency in Buildings cc. ICPE 623 Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Towards Sustainable Resource Allocation dd. ICPE 624 Energy-Water Nexus ee. ICPE 625 Integrated Risk Management for Exploration and Production Projects ff. ICPE 626 Safety in Energy Systems gg. ICPE 627 Interfacial Phenomena of Energy Systems hh. ICPE 628 Multi-physics Geomechanics for Energy Application (CO2, fracking, nuclear waste) ii. MEEN 645 Engineering Applications of Solid Mechanics jj. MSEN 636 Damage Mechanics and Failure in Composite Materials kk. NRSC 621 Functional Neuroanatomy ll. PLAN 624 Digital Communication in Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning mm. PLAN 667 Site Planning nn. PSAA 657 Terrorism in Today’s World oo. PSAA 660 Domestic Terrorism: The Internal Threat to America pp. PSAA 667 Principles of International Law qq. PSAA 668 U.S. Law and Homeland Security rr. RDNG 610 Elementary Literacy Instruction for Facilitating STEM Learning ss. RPTS 654 Amazon Field School tt. SCSC 640 Intellectual Property in the Plant Sciences uu. VIBS 621 Functional Neuroanatomy vv. VTMI 604 Amazon Field School (tabled at September 2014 meeting) 3. Course Change Requests: a. PHYS 614 Introduction to Methods of Mathematical Physics b. PHYS 650 Kinetics of Electronic Processes c. WFSC 654 Amazon Field School 4. Curriculum Change Request a. Certificate in Engineering Therapeutics Manufacturing b. Certificate in Quality Engineering for Regulated Medical Technologies 5. Special Consideration Items: a. Administrative Change Proposal for the Master of Science in Engineering Systems Management b. Elimination of the Master of Science Degree in Health Physics c. Executive Master of Science in Energy Degree Program d. Five Year Joint Degree Program for Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics and Master of Public Service Administration e. Certificate in Energy f. Certificate in Transportation Planning g. Proposal for Course Prefix Changes to CHLS Courses Last revised 3-31-2014 Graduate Council (GC) Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) Purpose: The Graduate Council shall review all curricular requests pertaining to the graduate and professional academic programs, shall be responsible for the quality and development of the graduate instruction and programs and shall advise the Associate Provost for Graduate Studies on all graduate program matters. The Graduate Council shall communicate in writing, through its secretary, its recommendations to the Faculty Senate. Meetings: The GC will meet on the first Thursday of each month. (1) Membership shall consist of one representative from each college and off campus academic unit, who shall be selected by the Faculty Senate Committee on Committees after consultation with the college deans and caucuses (chairs of college graduate instruction committees and associate deans for graduate programs shall be considered for appointment); two representatives of the Graduate Faculty; two graduate students; and the Associate Provost for Graduate Studies as an Ex-Officio member. All faculty members shall be members of the Graduate Faculty. All of the above members except the Associate Provost shall be voting members. In the absence of the appointed member, a substitute may vote on behalf of that unit. The Associate Directors of Graduate Studies, one representative of the University Library Council, and one member of the Medical Sciences Library shall serve as non-voting members. In addition, a representative from Curricular Services shall serve and provide advice as a non-voting member. All faculty members shall serve three-year terms. Those serving on a committee as a result of their Texas A&M University position shall continue to serve as long as they are in that position. Student members shall serve one-year terms. A representative from the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies (OGAPS) shall serve as secretary but not have voting privileges. (2) The election for the GC Chair and Vice-Chair should take place during the October meeting for an effective date of 1 January. The chair and vice chair will be limited to one three-year term; the elevation of the vice-chair to chair, though commonplace, shall not be automatic. It is recommended that the Chair and Vice-Chair represent different Colleges. Special elections shall be conducted to accommodate mid-term changes in leadership. (3) The GC shall review all proposed courses, programs, and changes to existing curricula at the graduate level and shall recommend appropriate policies to improve and develop graduate academic programs. An ad hoc subcommittee of the GC (assembled by the Chair) shall review special requests for graduate admission, such as baccalaureate equivalency decisions. All items for review by the GC or GC subcommittees shall be routed through the appropriate colleges for approval. (4) Items requiring vote include New Courses, Course Withdrawal, Change in Courses, Change in Curricula, Administrative Changes and Special Considerations (including new programs, degrees and certificates). These items may be approved, not approved, approved with changes (friendly amendments), referred to an electronic vote (e-vote, see item 11) prior to the deadline to submit to Faculty Senate, or postponed to a certain time (tabled, see item 12). Each item must receive a majority vote to pass. That is, at least half (50 percent) of GC voting members in attendance must Last revised 3-31-2014 approve an agenda item. (5) The College representative or designee must be present to answer any questions regarding an agenda item. If a question arises and no representative is present, then the item will not be considered. (6) Letters of support from all academic programs affected by curricular changes shall be provided to the GC by the department bringing the item(s) forward. (7) Proposed courses in which undergraduate and graduate students meet together at the same time with the same instructor (“stacked courses”) must have an instructor of record that is a member of the Graduate Faculty and the syllabus must clearly indicate the additional work required for the graduate students. (8) New cross-listed courses require individual sets of approval forms. Adding a cross-listed course to an existing course only needs to be considered by the GC if the course is a new course. (9) Approval of research and problem-based credit hours (685 and 691) and exploratory new (special topics) courses (689) do not require the GC approval. (10) The GC shall operate under these rules: Eight working days prior to meeting (e.g., Tuesday prior to a Thursday meeting the following week) all agenda items are due to OGAPS. No later than Monday on the week of meeting all voting and non-voting members will receive the agenda as a digital file easily searched and including all materials necessary to complete an informed review. No Consent Agenda is designated. Rather, all agenda items will be fully considered at the Thursday meeting. Any agenda item may be challenged at the meeting by a motion from a Committee Member with a second from another Committee Member. (11) The Chair and/or Vice-Chair may elect to hold an electronic vote (e-vote) meeting when agenda items are minimal and there are no pending deadlines. An e-vote for a specific agenda item with an extremely tight deadline may also be used as deemed appropriate by the Chair or Vice- Chair and voted by the committee. E-votes by the committee are sent to the Secretary for compilation. The Chair and Vice-Chair are notified and the agenda item either passes or fails based on the e-votes received. (12) The GC may vote to postpone voting on an agenda item (table the item) for various reasons (i.e., no representative present, support letters missing, corrections to form/syllabus, etc.). It is the responsibility of the department to resubmit the postponed item for reconsideration with the updates as requested by the committee. (13) Submissions for consideration by the GC that are not complete or correct by stated GC standards will be returned by the Secretary, in consultation with the Chair and/or Vice Chair. (14) New course requests and course changes involving significant content modification or alteration in course credit hours must include syllabi that comply with current University minimum syllabus requirements (http://curricularservices.tamu.edu). Texas A&M University Departmental Request for a New Course Undergraduate • Graduate • Professional •Submit original form and attach a course syllabus.• Form Instructions I.