Changes in Academic Policies from the Academic Policy Committee

and Related Administrative Policy

Presented October 24, 2012 by • Kay Reed, Assistant Dean, Graduate School• Stefanie Ohnesorg, Chair, Academic Policy

Committee

Graduate Academic Policy• What is it? • Who sets these policies?• Where can these policies be found?• How do policy changes come about?

o Where do they originate?o What are the mandatory steps?o Timeline?o Recent Policy Changes o 2 Examples (Embargo / Concurrent Masters)

& Forms to Process Procedures Implemented by these New Policies

Graduate Academic Policy• What is it? Graduate Council Bylaws (Art. I)

“The Graduate Council …..…..establishes standards for admission, retention, and graduation; assesses curricular revisions and new proposals for graduate programs; evaluates interdisciplinary, intercollegiate and international programs; approves individuals to direct doctoral dissertations; and considers new initiatives and other matters of policy pertaining to graduate programs. Graduate Council is a special committee of the Faculty Senate that works closely with the Graduate School and a variety of other campus bodies to fulfill its mission.”

Graduate Academic Policy• Who sets these policies?o Input from various sources

o The Academic Policy Committee

o Graduate Council

o Faculty Senate

Graduate Academic Policy• Where can these Graduate

Academic Policies be found?in the Graduate Catalogunder Academic Policies and Requirements for Graduate Students

Graduate Academic Policy• How do Policy Changes come about? (1)

Where do they originate? What is the starting point for requests for changes?

Graduate Council Bylaws, Article I, Part A, Section 2

Academic Policy Committee“This committee serves as a standing committee of the Graduate Council to consider, investigate, and give detailed attention to policies, and forward recommendations for change to the policies contained in the Graduate Catalog that relate to general requirements for admission to graduate programs, enrollment of students, offering of graduate credit, and awarding of graduate degrees at the Knoxville campus of The University of Tennessee.”

Graduate Academic Policy• How do Policy Changes come about? (2)

Academic Policy Committee Bylaws, Article IV, Section 2: “The committee chair, in cooperation with the liaison from the Graduate School, prepares the agenda. Input for the agenda may be provided by members of the committee, the Dean of the Graduate School, the Graduate Deans Group, and the members of Graduate Council. Faculty and students are encouraged to present items for the agenda through direct contact with their Graduate Council representatives or to the committee chair. All proposed agenda items related to curricula must be presented to the committee chair no later than two weeks prior to the meeting.”

Graduate Academic Policy• Timeline? & Mandatory Steps

The Academic Policy Committee meets 5 times per academic year.

Meeting dates in 2012-13:• Aug. 30, 2012• Oct. 4, 2012• Jan. 24, 2013• Feb. 14, 2013• March 21, 2013

On average about 1 year to process requests for Academic Policy Changes APC

Graduate Council Faculty Senate

Graduate Catalog

Recent Changes inGraduate Academic Policy

• Immunization Requirement • Non-degree graduate student advising policy • Changes in Registration Deadlines• Admission Requirement • 5-Year BA-MA Programs – French and German• Change of Program• Readmission • Thesis-Dissertation Embargo Option • Concurrent Master’s Degree

Requests for Change under Discussionat the Graduate Academic Policy

• Doctoral Committee• Credit Hour Definition • Doctoral Language Exam • Videoconferencing in Thesis/

Dissertation Defenses

Changes / New Options for Graduate Students and their Departments as a Result of

Recent Changes in Graduate Policy

2 Examples• Embargo Policy for

Theses/Dissertations• Concurrent Master’s Degree

Example # 1

Embargo Policy for Theses/Dissertations

Thesis and Dissertation Embargo Option (1)

Policy Statement (1st part)

Students with significant concerns related to sensitive or classified information, patents, and potential publishers’ restrictions may request a 12-month embargo after the conferral of their degree to delay public release of the thesis or dissertation. The request must be approved by the student’s major advisor and submitted to the thesis/dissertation coordinator in the Graduate School no later than the thesis/dissertation submission deadline, using the Embargo Request form.

Thesis and Dissertation Embargo Option (2)Policy Statement (cont.)

On the form the student must indicate the reason for the embargo, and all requests must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. Upon special request, this embargo may be extended for one additional 12-month period. The maximum embargo period is 24 months following the conferral of the graduate degree. Those students wishing to embargo their ETDs for longer than 12 months must submit an additional request at least two weeks before the end of the original embargo period.

Origin of this Policy• Departments/students requested exceptions from

Dean of Graduate School.• The Graduate School Dean worked with staff in

Graduate School to develop statement & a plan for implementation.

• Dean of the Graduate School sent the request to the Academic Policy Committee of the Graduate Council.

• A Policy Recommendation was processed (discussed & voted on) as follows: APC Graduate Council Faculty Senate once approved at all levels Graduate Catalog

Processing of this Policy Request

The Policy Recommendation was processed as follows: Academic Policy Committee

Discussion & vote if approved recommendation to the Grad. Council if not approved: End of process or Recommendation to initiating party

Graduate Council Discussion & vote if not approved: End of process or Recommendation to APC if approved place on the Agenda of the Faculty Senate

Faculty SenatePresentation with the option of discussion & vote if not approved: End of process or Recommendation to Grad. Council if approved placed in Graduate Catalog

Once it has been approved at all levels IMPLEMENTATION The Policy is placed in the Graduate Catalog (note the Graduate Catalog is update annually)

Here is the Form Need to Request the Thesis / Dissertation Embargo:

Go to the Graduate School Webpagehttp://gradschool.utk.edu/gradforms.shtml

Then go to: “Thesis/Dissertation Approval Form”http://web.utk.edu/~thesis/ETDApprovalForm.pdf

Then go to the 2nd page of this Form !

Example # 2

Concurrent Master’s Policy

Concurrent Master’s Policy

Policy Statement as it appears in the Graduate Catalog as of Fall 2012 (= effective date)

Currently enrolled UTK doctoral students who plan to complete the master’s degree while maintaining enrollment in the doctoral program must submit a Request for Concurrent Master’s Degree form to the Graduate School graduation office two weeks prior to the deadline for submission of the graduation application for the master’s degree. No fee will be assessed for submission of this form.

Concurrent Master’s PolicyForm Needed to Request this Option

Go to the Graduate School Webpagehttp://gradschool.utk.edu/gradforms.shtml

Then go to: “Request for Concurrent Master’s Degree form”http://gradschool.utk.edu/forms/RequestforConcurrentMastersDegree_reader.pdf

Concurrent Master’s Policy

Motivation for policy development

Concurrent Master’s Procedure

• Student initiates.• Department Endorses.• Confirmation by CIE – International.• No Fee Requirement.

Concurrent Master’s Procedure

• Student must meet Requirements of the Master’s Degree – independent of Ph.D. Requirements.

• Student needs to apply for Graduation Master’s level.

• Student needs to apply for Admission to Candidacy Master’s level.

• Student will also need to complete all graduate requirements for the PhD (at a later point in them when ready to do so)

Concurrent Master’s Policy Restrictions

This option is only available for Ph.D. students who intend to remain active in the Ph.D. degree program and complete the master's degree in the same major along the way to the Ph.D. Other graduate students whose intent is to leave the Ph.D. program must NOT use this form but should apply for change of program in the Office of Graduate Admissions.

For international students it needs to be determined whether their visa status allows this option ( CIE)

Are there any QUESTIONS ?

Thank You !