Members Present: Drs. Lin-Xi Li, Patricia Cowan, Lisa Jansen, Melanie MacNicol, Isabelle Miousse, Melda Onal, Frank Simmen, Mohammed Orloff, Gregory Robinson, and Brooke Montgomery.
Members Absent: Drs. Antiño Allen, Clare Brown, David Ussery, Andrew James, and Nirmala Parajuli.
Non-voting Members Present: Drs. Robert McGehee, Latrina Prince, and Allyson Douglass (Recorder), Jewel Banik (GSA President)
Approval of Minutes from the Previous Meeting:
September 2022 minutes were approved via email after the meeting by those who attended.
Administrative Items:
Dr. Robert McGehee
Dr. McGehee shared an update on the Dean search. The search is progressing with about a dozen applicants, both internal and external, applying. Depending on who is chosen, he will stay around to help them settle in and will also stay around if it takes longer to have someone in play after the May 20th date that was planned for him to retire from the position.
The Spring Awards Reception is on Thursday, April 20th from 3:00-4:30 pm and there should be no classes from 3:00-5:00 pm. Dr. McGehee encouraged everyone to come as this is the kickoff to commencement season.
Commencement will be held May 20th at 3:00 pm at Barton Coliseum. The Graduate School Commencement Brunch will be held before that at 10am at Embassy Suites in West Little Rock. Everyone is invited to attend but they must RSVP by May 8th.
Dr. Latrina Prince
Dr. Prince shared that the updated Handbook for the 2023-2024 term would be posted this week, along with the Academic Catalog and the Academic Calendar.
Dr. Prince also shared that summer registration was available and the Graduate School has been removing holds. She shared that course scheduling was back in the Graduate School so anyone who had changes should reach out to her and let her know about them.
She shared that any new academic policy updates she would send out to everyone.
Summer programs are about to start up on campus. The Graduate School will be hosting 12 students through the SURP program. Some of the students will be staying in on campus housing and everything starts towards the end of May. The Graduate School hosts all the social events for all the summer programs.
Report from the Graduate Student Association (GSA)
Jewel shared that they had a Valentines bake sale on 2/11 that had the most student baked and donated items and raised a little over $350. This money will be used to support lunch for their monthly meetings.
They will be hosting GSA night at the Travelers on April 29th and have 92 people signed up to attend. Attendees will be able to have food at the event and it will be free to attend. It is sponsored by the GSA and the Graduate School.
They will begin next year’s elections (23-24 year) on July 1st so they will start working on things for that in the upcoming month.
Jewel thanked everyone for their support of the GSA this past year.
Old Business:
No report.
New Business:
Clinical Nutrition, the first program in the Graduate School, has a new program they are working to get approved. It is set up exactly like the Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition, except it will be 30 hours instead of the 36 hours the that Clinical Nutrition program had because of the fact that there will no longer be the certificate practicum part of the program as that has been done away with in Arkansas. The new program, Master of Science in Nutrition, will replace the old program and will be 100% online like the previous program and have all of the same components except for the certificate part of it. A vote was needed for this to continue to move forward.
Melda Onal motioned for this approval and it was seconded and approved.
Committee Reports
Curriculum Committee
No new business.
Faculty Committee
New faculty committee shared that new faculty have been vetted and are approved through them. Dr. Frank Simmen motioned to approve and Dr. Melanie MacNicol seconded it. They were approved.
Program Assessment
No new business.
Academic Senate
Dr. Li shared that a potential acquisition of benefits was happening and that UAMS didn’t participate in what was happening because UA Fayetteville got involved and was taking care of it before we had to jump in and get involved.
Dr. Li is finishing up her term for Academic Senate so Isabelle Miousse will take her place for the 2023-2025 term.
The meeting adjourned at 2:01 p.m.