<p> BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY</p><p>MINUTES OF THE OCTOBER 15, 2007 MEETING OF THE GRADUATE COUNCIL</p><p>PLACE: Couper Administration Building, Room 148</p><p>PRESIDING: Nancy E. Stamp, Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School</p><p>MEMBERS: David Campbell, Michael Conlon, James Constable, James Fang, Amit Garg, Monazir Khan, Edward Li, Tom McDonough, Weiyi Meng, Ajay Mishra, Susan Pollock, Maria-Teresa Romero, Karen Salvage, Pamela Stewart Fahs, Marilyn Tallerico, Diane Wiener, Thomas Wilson, Nan Zhou</p><p>EX OFFICIO MEMBERS: Stephen Gilje, Dara Silberstein, Gerald Sonnenfeld, Lindsay Tremain</p><p>EXCUSED: Susan Currie, Maneesha Lal, Olga Shvetsova, Steve Tammariello</p><p>ABSENT: Ed Kokkelenberg, Daryl Santos</p><p>GUESTS: Janice McDonald, Professor Eric Cotts</p><p>I. CALL TO ORDER:</p><p>Vice Provost and Dean Nancy Stamp called the meeting to order at 3:00 pm.</p><p>II. ANNOUNCEMENTS:</p><p>Dean Stamp introduced Janice McDonald who is the new director of Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards. This is a newly created office that will work with undergraduate and graduate students. Janice gave an overview of what she will be doing. She will be contacting departments to gather information on which of our graduate students currently hold external fellowships or scholarships. Janice will be working in this position fulltime in January. She will be working with the departments to help graduate students to apply for external awards.</p><p>III. MINUTES:</p><p>The minutes of the September 17, 2007 were approved as written.</p><p>IV. COMMITTEE REPORTS:</p><p>Academic Standards Committee</p><p>Dean Stamp reported that this committee met and started discussing what kind of preparation our TAs who are instructors of record have and some of the issues that have arisen. </p><p>Advisory Committee for Scholarship and Research Stephen Gilje reported that the committee has not yet met but will be meeting soon to review the proposals that were submitted to the Provost’s Interdisciplinary Conference support program.</p><p>Budget Advisory Committee</p><p>This committee has not met but will be meeting soon to review the Travel Grant Awards. That deadline is November 11.</p><p>Clark Fellowship Advisory Committee</p><p>Associate Dean Silberstein reported that the committee will be meeting soon to begin reviewing the application review process.</p><p>Curriculum Committee</p><p>This committee has not met yet.</p><p>Grievance Committee</p><p>This committee has not met.</p><p>Strategic Planning Committee</p><p>This committee has not met.</p><p>V. NEW BUSINESS:</p><p>Revision Draft of Letter of Intent for PhD in Physics Dean Stamp explained the procedure when a new graduate degree is proposed. The first formal step is the Letter of Intent to propose a new graduate degree. The Letter of Intent is sent to SUNY System and they send it out to all the SUNY campuses. The SUNY campuses have an opportunity to comment on it. The second stage is where the unit proposing the degree writes a formal proposal. The final proposal goes to the Curriculum Committee for their review and their recommendation will go to the Graduate Council. If it is approved by Council it will be sent to the Faculty Senate for their review. While Faculty Senate is reviewing the proposal, the external review required by SUNY can be started. After Faculty Senate has reviewed the proposal and the external review is completed, the proposal is sent to SUNY system where it is reviewed then forwarded to the New York State Education Department for the final approval. </p><p>Professor Cotts, Chair of the Physics Department, attended the meeting to explain the proposal and answer questions. Professor Cotts explained that this PhD program will focus on Materials Physics, Condensed Matter Physics and Applied Physics. In addition, the Physics PhD program will provide advanced education and training opportunities for local students and fulfill the need for highly-qualified professionals in the Central New York area.</p><p>VI. ADJOURNMENT:</p><p>The meeting was adjourned at 3:55 p.m. on a motion by Professor Conlon and seconded by Associate Vice President Gilje.</p><p>______Minutes recorded by Alta Hooker, Secretary to the Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School </p><p>2</p>