Graduate Council Minutes

East Tennessee State University
October 31, 2005 1:15pm
President’s Conference Room – Dossett Hall

 

Attending: Scott Champney; Wesley Brown, Phil Scheuerman, Emily Redd, Cecelia McIntosh, Don Hoover, Robert Sawyer, Jasmine Renner, Martha Pointer, Marcus Bragg, Paul Trogen, Marie Tedesco, Mark Ellis and Phil Pfeiffer.

  1. Approval of September Minutes – September 26, 2005 minutes were approved with one correction. Tiffany Houston and Phil Pfeiffer were added to the Graduate Research Grant Program committee.
  1. Curriculum Committee – Dr. Martha Pointer

1. Master of Public Administration Graduate Certificate in Economic Development

Action Taken by Council: Approved with One

Council Member Opposed

 

2. Master of Public Administration Graduate Certificate in Urban Planning

 

Action Taken by Council: Approved with One

Council Member Opposed

3. New Curriculum:

A. New Course- HDAL 5563 Advanced Counseling Techniques with Children

This is one of four new courses developed to support a new School Counseling concentration in the Educational Specialists Degree (Ed.S.) offered through the department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (ELPA). This course will offer students in this post-Masters degree program additional training in play therapy and counseling interventions with children in school settings. It is designed to enhance the skills of those who are already school counselors or who have completed internships in school counseling. The course presumes that students have completed HDAL 5561 and HDAL 5562, or their equivalents: Both are courses that provide initial training in counseling skills and counseling techniques with children.

 

Action Taken by Council: Approved.

B. New Course- HDAL 5810 Psychological Assessment

Currently, students are required to take two assessment courses in order to fulfill licensure and accreditation requirements. These two courses are: HDAL 5817, Introduction to Psychological Testing and either HDAL 5820, Psychological Assessment of Personality in Counseling or HDAL 5830, Individual Mental Testing. However, the material taught in the currently required courses is either too little or too excessive for student needs. The material is too excessive because, in the state of Tennessee, although Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) can order the administration, interpret the outcome, and provide clients with test results used to assess mental disorders, they are not allowed to administer such diagnostic instruments. Thus, the time used to teach administration in the advanced assessment courses takes away time needed to acquire knowledge of a broader spectrum of instruments currently in use and widely encountered upon graduation. In order to more efficiently meet student needs, to teach a broader spectrum of assessment instruments, and more effectively use faculty time, the current course is being proposed that will be updated and specifically focus on the needs of our graduates. This course will provide the critical essentials of both previously taught courses as well as a more updated and thorough coverage of much needed material currently not taught. It will not include material not applicable to counselors, i.e., administration skills. Thus, it will save student and faculty time, as well as provide a content of material specifically focused on counselor needs. Because administration skills are not focused upon, the course will ultimately save the university money on the purchase of updated kits which have become quite costly. It might be noted that this course will be designed to meet accreditation and licensure standards.

 

Action Taken by Council: Approved.

 

C. New Course- BIOM 5800/6800 Proteins and Proteomics

 

Proteins are important because they are the products of our genes. Consequently, most genetic diseases result from problems with protein structure and function. Understanding how proteins are obtained in pure form for study, how their functions are studied and how their structures are determined are central to Biomedical Sciences. Most drugs function by reacting with proteins and protein knowledge is critical to the development of new drugs to treat disease. Proteins and Proteomics was taught as an experimental course in the fall semesters of 2002 and 2004 with Dr. David Johnson as the course director. In 2002 there were eight (8) students and

in 2004 there were nine (9) students plus an audit.

 

Action Taken by Council: Approved.

 

C. Graduate Faculty Sub - Committee will meet next month

 

D. Old Business – Graduate Research Grant Program

1. Announcement was sent to all Graduate Faculty and all Graduate Students on

October 18, 2005.

E. New Business

1. Election of Scott Champney to serve as the Chair of Graduate Council for the

next 3 years – ActionTaken by Council: Approved

2. Thesis Award will be announced next meeting

3. RODP is developing a Graduate Curriculum at the State level and needs a representative from ETSU for meetings in Nashville. Norma MacRae

recommended Rick Osborn. ActionTaken by Council: Approved

F. Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 1:45 p.m. - Scott Champney, Chair