Graduate Council Minutes, February 3, 2010

Attendance: Dan Brown (Chair), Yoshiko Fukushima, Eric Im, Kerri Inglis, Māhealani Jones, Bryan Kim, Stefan Kropidlowski, Charles Langlas, Ken Morris, Don Price, Michael Shintaku, Kenith Simmons, Kathleen Stacey, and Jan Zulich. Invited guests – Judith Fox-Goldstein (UHH Conference Center), Misaki Takabayashi (Marine Science/TCBES Faculty). Colin Phifer (Scribe).

Meeting brought to order at 9:00

• Announcements from the Chair

  • Happy New Year and welcome back!
  • Please be advised – more frequent meetings will be needed this semester to accomplish the work of the Council.
  • The Chair, Prof. Dan Brown, may accept a new position within the Office of Research that would change his faculty status. He suggests the GC Chair should be a faculty member
  • No motion needed.

• Approval of meeting minutes from December 3, 2009

  • Council amendments to 2b concerning graduate student orientation: library research demonstrations and tours should be designed to meet individual graduate program’s specific needs.
  • No motion taken.

• Discussion of graduate degree conferrals at Commencement – invited guest Judith Fox-Goldstein from UHH Conference Center

  • Summary: tracking down individual graduate student’s thesis titles for printing in Commencement program is time consuming, difficult and becoming impractical. The program printing deadline is far in advance of the ceremony and students often have not finalized thesis titles
  • Several suggestions from the Council concerning alternatives to the current system.
  • One suggestion to later establish a sub-committee to evaluate the process of routing Commencement/graduation paperwork for improved efficiency and accuracy.
  • Motion: Remove thesis titles from Commencement program; establish a separate recognition ceremony for all graduate programs prior to Commencement where thesis titles will be read and printed, and students will be “hooded” (does not preclude individual programs from hosting their own ceremony); graduate students will be able to participate in Commencement already “hooded.” Vote: 12/0/0.

• Application for graduate certification for Ka’iu Kimura (CV passed around at meeting)

  • Background: Ms. Kimura serves as the Imiloa Director, graduated from UHH with MA in Hawaiian Language and Literature. See CV for detailed work history.
  • Clarification: She would be able to teach within the MA program only (not Ph.D) and serve as a committee member on thesis committee, but she could not chair a thesis committee. Possible course she would teach – Museology.
  • Motion: Certify Ka’iu Kimura. Vote: 8/0/4

• Request for exception to 3.0 GPA admissions requirement for students in Kahuawaiola Teacher Education program

  • Background: Previously considered a post-bac certificate program. Changed to a graduate certificate program and the minimum GPA for admissions into graduate programs is 3.0 GPA. This exception would lower the minimum GPA to 2.75.
  • Discussion will need to be continued at next meeting (prematurely ended due to time constraints).

Adjourned at 10:00

Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 10, 2010. Location to be announced.