THE
UPDATE

Office of the Dean for Graduate Studies Newsletter
Eppley Building 204
554-2341

Summer 2000
Vol. XX

* * * NOTES FROM THE DEANS * * * It's hard to believe that five years have gone by since I began as Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Studies. I saw both that position and the Chancellor's two year appointment of me as Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Dean for Graduate Studies as opportunities to make a difference in the graduate education and research arena. One of my goals was to work with the Council in restoring trust among the academic deans and graduate faculty in the office of the Dean for Graduate Studies. I believe that we have largely achieved that goal, and I am confident that Shel Hendricks will do an excellent job leading us into the next century. I want to take this chance to thank those of you who gave so much of your scarce and valuable time to serve on various working committees - - the Graduate Council, the EGC, the Scholarship and Fellowship Committee, UCR, ADROCA and Elton S. Carter Thesis Award Committees, as well as the Chancellor's Research Task Force. The next several years will be challenging for those of us who care about graduate education. The traditional administrative approaches to insuring quality (minimum number of graduates, placement of graduates in employment or further graduate education, research productivity of the graduate faculty) are relatively ineffective for managing new issues facing higher education - - increased accountability to external "stakeholders" for assessing outcomes; new opportunities and costs of collaboration with the private sector; competition with other institutions of higher education; and the gap between the aspirations contained in our strategic plan and the potential constraints of our regential mission. Management of these emerging issues will necessarily take place at the level of the academic units, with support and guidance from "central" administration. The future role of the Dean for Graduate Studies and the Graduate Council, as I have envisioned it, will be to assist the units in identifying promising initiatives and then finding the resources to "make it happen." I have enjoyed working with you and I am sad to be "throwing it in," but I hope to return to administration down the road when my children have grown and moved on. I feel very comfortable turning the reins over to Shel, and I know that you will enjoy and benefit from his leadership. I also know that I leave all of you in extremely capable hands in the staff of the Graduate Office. They are truly outstanding and I have enjoyed working with them. I look forward to seeing all of you around campus! Chris Reed

I am both flattered and challenged by having been chosen for the role of Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Dean for Graduate Studies. The title is of course overwhelming. However, on closer inspection the job looks very easy. Chris Reed has done a remarkable job of creating a smooth running and service oriented Office of Graduate Studies and Office of Sponsored Projects. One of my first challenges is not to disrupt these excellent operations. (So, the first thing I did was take a day of vacation). However, we are always open to improvement and your suggestions as to how either of these offices might be changed to better serve you and our students will always be welcome. Also, it is clear that this office is highly regarded by academic and non-academic administrators throughout the university. Another tribute to Chris Reed's excellent work and another factor making this an easy job into which to move.

So what are the challenges? One is that we as a graduate faculty and as scholars must become more responsive to our multiple communities while at the same time assuring that the core values of our academic community are preserved. Responsiveness means willing to move more quickly to change or create new programs. It also means a willingness to listen to others when we design our programs and courses. This does not mean that we abdicate responsibility for the quality of our curriculum or our scholarly enterprise. It does mean that we may have to seek information from sources that have not traditionally informed the academy. As we enter the age of knowledge-driven economies and societies, we will be required to look more into economies and societies for sources of knowledge. This new information age also means that the academy is, paradoxically, both more and less central. Because we are the primary creators and custodians of knowledge, our importance increases with the increased importance and power of knowledge. However, it also means that there will be a much greater concentration of both knowledge creation and knowledge custodianship outside of the academy. This brings us both new friends and new competitors. We have to learn to recognize and deal with both and where appropriate, be responsive. A specific challenge I see for our institution in its immediate future is to increase the extramural funding we receive for research, scholarship and related activities. This is a practical necessity if we are to develop into the metropolitan university envisioned in our strategic plan. This will not be easy. The competition for such funds is ever increasing and the availability often decreasing. I would like to focus as much of institutional resources as possible on this effort. In the next few months I will be suggesting and at times proposing initiatives geared toward this goal. I hope I can count on your support and whenever possible your participation. Shelton Hendricks
Associate Vice Chancellor for Research &
Dean for Graduate Studies * * * RECENT ACTIONS BY THE UNO GRADUATE COUNCIL * * * Since the last issue of the UNO Graduate Update , the following actions have been taken by the UNO Graduate Council:
  1. Approved a Thesis Option in Public Administration

    September 13, 1999

  2. Approved a Revision to the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) policy. UNO require a minimum TOEFL score of 500 on the paper based test or 173 on the computer-based test, with no exemptions; however, departments/schools may require a higher score. NOTE: The previous policy required a minimum score of 550 on the paper-based test (or 213 on the computer-based test).
  3. Approval of the GIS (Geographic Information Science) Certificate NOTE: Implementation of this certificate program is awaiting approval of an expedited review process for certificates which: 1) are a reasonable extension of a master's degree: 2) 15-21 hours; 3) a re-packaging of current graduate courses; 4) require no additional monies necessary; and 5) have evidence of need in the community. (Late Note: This process has been approved along with the GIS certificate).
  4. Approval of a Non-Thesis MA option for Geography

    October 11, 1999

  5. Approval of a New Policy on Dual Degree Programs Dual degree programs must be approved by the Graduate Council and Dean for Graduate Studies. Dual degree programs are a specifically approved combination of two Master's degree programs as distinguished from a master's degree with a double major (e.g., masters of arts in English & History). For the purpose of dual degrees, the 1/3 maximum transfer of credit policy does not apply for courses taken within the University of Nebraska system.
  6. Approval of the Dual Degree Program in Public Administration & Social Work

    November 8, 1999

  7. Approval of a Policy on Proposed Masters Degree with a Double Major The UNO Graduate Council has approved the concept of providing masters degree students with the option of attaining a double major within the same degree (e.g., master of arts in two different majors). For instance, a student may be permitted, with proper approvals, to pursue a master of arts degree in the majors of history and geography because these majors lead to the master of arts degree. One could not attain a double major in history and political science because these majors lead only to the master of arts and the master of science degrees, respectively.

    January 10, 2000

  8. Approval of a Revision to the Time Limit For Graduate Degrees Policy The degree program (as defined in the plan of study) for master's and Ed.S. degrees must be completed within ten consecutive calendar years. Course work which would be over 10 years old at the completion of the degree program (as defined in the plan of study) cannot be used for a master's or Ed.S. degree. The first day of class of the earliest course which appears on the student's plan of study is the beginning of the student's graduate education.

    NOTE: The previous policy required completion of course work within six years; however, an option was available to extend course work to ten years by validating the course work.

  9. Deletion of the Validation of Graduate Courses Policy NOTE: This policy was deleted due to the revision to the time limit for graduate degrees policy.
  10. Approval of the Instructional Technology Certificate NOTE: Implementation of this certificate also is awaiting approval of the expedited review process. (Late Note: This process has been approved along with the Instructional Technology Certificate).

    February 14, 2000

  11. Addition to the Change of Program Policy If a currently enrolled graduate student is admitted to a graduate program prior to receipt of their final grades for the current semester, the program may re-evaluate its admission decision, if the student receives a grade of "D+" or lower in any course work (undergraduate or graduate) for that semester.

March 20, 2000

* * * * REMINDERS * * * *
  1. Elton S.Carter Award for Excellence in a Thesis All material for each department's/school's nominee are due in the Graduate Studies Office no later then September 8, 2000. Those eligible for the 2000 award include students who completed a thesis and graduated during the following semesters: Fall 99, Spring 2000 and Summer 2000.
* * * * ADDITIONAL ITEMS OF INTEREST * * * *
  1. A proposal for a graduate certificate in Organizational Communication from the Communication, Psychology and Business Administration departments is under review by a subcommittee of Committee B.
  2. A proposal for a joint UNO/UNL Ph.D. in Information Technology & Telecommunications is under development.
  3. A proposal for a joint UNO/UNMC Master in Public Health has been received in the Graduate Studies Office; a subcommittee of Committee B members and UNMC Graduate Council members will review the proposal during the summer.
  4. The graduate admissions operations moved up to the Graduate Studies Office September 1, 1999. International students applications still are processed in the International Studies Office.
  5. The Graduate Studies Office implementation of On-Course (also known as Degree Audit) is going well. On-Course is an SIS operation which allows students and faculty to see how far along a student is in a degree program and eliminates the need for a candidacy form.
  6. The Executive Graduate Council (EGC) approved a UNL Master of Science in Agriculture aimed at professionals in the field.
  7. The Executive Graduate Council (EGC) approved a joint UNMC/UNL degree in Toxicology.
NEW GRADUATE FACULTY MEMBERS AND FELLOWS Congratulations to the following faculty on their recent appointment to Graduate Faculty Member or Fellow status: MEMBERS

Phan Tej Adidam, Marketing/Management
Chris Allen, Communication
Maria Arbelaez, History
Donna Dufner, Information Systems & Quantitative Analysis
Carol Ebdon, Public Administration
Jarene Fluckiger, Teacher Education
Renee Irvin, Public Administration
Lisa Kelly-Vance, Psychology
Elaine Lahue, Biology
Michelle Miller, Criminal Justice
Steven Williams, Dramatic Arts

FELLOWS

James Conyers, Black Studies
Ziaul Huq, Management/Marketing
Joan Latchaw, English
Michael O'Hara, Finance, Banking & Law
John Price, English
Lauren Riters, Psychology
Andrzej Roslanowski, Mathematics
Brigette Ryalls, Psychology
Manoj Sharma, Health, Physical Education & Recreation
Alex Stoyen, Computer Science
Jihong Zhao, Criminal Justice

NEW GRADUATE COURSE SYLLABI

AVN 3090/8095, Airport Master Planning
CSCI 3910/8915, Data Structures & Algorithms
CSCI 4250/8256, Human-Computer Interaction
CSCI 4260/8266, User Interface Design & Development
DART 3610/8615, Rendering & Scene Painting
DART 8910, Research Methods II
EDAD 8060, Planning for Safe & Orderly Schools
EDAD 8320, Teacher Expectations, Student Achievement
EDAD 8900, Institute for New School Leaders
ENGL 4140/8146, American Literary Realism & Naturalism
ENGL 4160/8166, Topics in American Regionalism
ENGL 4270/8276, Women Writers of the West
HED 8750, Health Education: Instrumentation & Evaluation
ISQA 4180/8186, Electronic Commerce
ISQA 8230, Telecommunications Management
ISQA 8510, Managing Usability Functions in Systems Development
ISQA 8700, Data Warehousing: Theory and Practice
ISQA 8810, Information Technology Project Fundamentals
PA 4220/8226, Community Organizing and Social Change
PA 8740, Health Care Policy
PA 8760, The U.S. Health Care Delivery System
PA 8980, Thesis
PA 9700, Public Budgeting & Financial Theory
PE 4340/8346, Rehabilitation Techniques in Athletic Training
PHIL 3220/8225, Philosophy of Art
SPAN 4450/8456, Introduction to Literary Criticism
SPCH 4180/8186, Communication Leadership & Power in Organizations
TED 8250, Assessment for the Classroom Teacher
TED 8580, Authoring Internet-Based Educational Materials
UBNS 4200/8206, Community Organizing and Social Change

Graduate Council Members
2000-2001

COMMITTEE A - Committee on Policy and Planning

Akers, James - SPED
Bruckner, Martha - EDAD
Crisara, Cina - MUS
Diamond, Art - ECON
French, Jeff - PSYC
Hilt, Michael - COMM
Mande, Vivek - ACCT
Graduate Student - TBA
* CPACS representative (to replace B.J. Reed) - TBA
* IS&T representative (to replace Susan Wiedenbeck) - TBA

COMMITTEE B - Committee on Courses, Programs, and Evaluations

Ali, Hesham - CSCI
Chase, Bruce - BIOL
Lloyd, Carol - TED
Marshall, Gary - PA
Mitchell, Carol - TED
Serenco, Henry - ART
Stolen, Justin - ISQA
Valle, Angela - FLANG
Graduate Student - TBA
CPACS representative (to replace Ed Maguire) - TBA (will be named early Fall semester)

COMMITTEE C - Committee on Faculty and Student Affairs

Bragg, Tom - BIOL
Cederblom, Jerry - GDRCH
Day, Gary - ART
Harland, Lynn - MKT/MGMT
Kuhlman, Wilma - TED
Mitenko, Graham - FBL
Morris, Rebecca - MKT/MGMT
Shi, Yong - ISQA
Squires, Sandra - SPED
Graduate Student - TBA
* A&S Arts & Humanities representative (to replace Michael Gillespie) - TBA

CHAIR OF THE GRADUATE COUNCIL

Hendricks, Shelton - Dean for Graduate Studies

* An election will be held early in the Fall semester to fill these positions.