Notes from the Alabama Council of Graduate Deans

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Notes from the Alabama Council of Graduate Deans

• Gordon Emslie
• Immediate Past Chair
• The University of Alabama in Huntsville
• ACUCAO Meeting
• October 3, 2002

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The ACGD

• Formed in 1971
• 17 Full Members (Public Institutions in Alabama
  offering graduate programs)
• 3 Associate Members (Private Institutions with
  graduate programs)
• Each institutions President designates a
  representative and an alternate
• Purpose is to advise the Alabama Commission on
  Higher Education on matters pertaining to
  graduate programs
• Meets quarterly

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The ACGD Executive Board

• 6 (7) members
• Chair
• Immediate Past Chair
• Chair-Elect
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Member-at-Large
• Communication Officer (if needed)
• Prepares agendas for meetings
• Plays key role in graduate program proposal
  review

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Review of Graduate Degree Program Proposals

• Peer review reported to ACHE as part of Staff
  Recommendation
• Recently moved into electronic mode necessary
  to conform with timeline

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ACHE Procedures

• 1. The proposing institution will send a copy of
  the proposal to each member of the Alabama
  Council of Graduate Deans (ACGD). Within three
  weeks of receipt, the ACGD will evaluate the
  proposal and seek campus input on criteria for
  new programs and to provide questions and
  recommendations to strengthen the proposal if it
  is approved.
• 2. The Chair of the Alabama Council of Graduate
  Deans will summarize questions and will list any
  recommendations. This summary will be sent to
  the Executive Board of the ACGD for feedback and
  approval. The Chair will forward the approved
  questions and recommendations to the proposing
  institution for response.
• 3. Responses from the proposing institution
  will be sent to the Chair of the Alabama Council
  of Graduate Deans within 2 weeks of receiving the
  ACGDs approved questions and recommendations.

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ACHE Procedures (continued)

• 4. Within one week of receipt of the proposing
  institutions responses, the Chair of the Alabama
  Council of Graduate Deans will send the ACGD
  members the institutional responses to questions
  and recommendations. Each graduate dean will
  vote to approve each recommendation and the
  overall proposal. Each member will indicate if
  institutional presentation before the ACGD is
  needed. A majority vote is needed to require an
  institutional presentation.
• 5. The Chair of the Alabama Council of Graduate
  Deans will send the final version of the
  questions and recommendations to the ACGD members
  within one week. Prior to the Commissions
  second meeting with the proposers, the Chair of
  the ACGD will inform the Commission of the vote
  (considered as a preliminary vote if there will
  be an institutional presentation) and reports
  whether or not the ACGD requires an institutional
  presentation. There will be a presentation at a
  regular ACGD meeting if the proposers request it
  and/or the ACGD requires it. There will not be
  an institutional presentation if the proposers do
  not request it and the ACGD indicates it is not
  needed.

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Web-based Proposal Review

• http//www.gdeanoff.uah.edu/acgd/ache/forms.html

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Vote on Proposal

• FINAL EVALUATION FORM FOR PROPOSED PROGRAMS
• ALABAMA COUNCIL OF GRADUATE DEANS
• Part 1
• Please refer to (1) the attached numbered list of
  questions/comments/recommendations that were
  raised by the executive board, and (2) the
  corresponding institutional responses to these
  questions/comments/recommendations (also
  attached). For each of the numbered items,
  please answer the following question
• Do you feel that the institution has
  satisfactorily addressed this item?
• by circling Agree or Disagree as appropriate.
• 1. (question text) Agree Disagree
• 2. (question text) Agree Disagree
• 3. (question text) Agree Disagree
• 4. (question text) Agree Disagree
• Part 2 (applicable to first vote on this proposal
  only)
• Do you feel that an institutional presentation is
  necessary? Yes No
• Part 3
• Overall recommendation for proposed
  program Approve Disapprove
• Part 4

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Vote on Proposal (contd.)

• Vote can be
• Electronic
• Scheduled for next Council meeting
• at option of proposing institution
• If
• majority of votes request an institutional
  presentation, or
• institution desires to make one anyway,
• then
• Vote is considered preliminary, and
• a formal presentation is given, and a final vote
  taken, at next scheduled meeting of Council
• Final vote is communicated to institution and to
  ACHE staff

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Non-traditional graduate programs

• Increase in number of submissions of doctoral
  programs that are not traditional
  dissertation-based programs (e.g., Au.D., DPT)
• Different standards of review apply
• Effective peer review requires clear indication
  of role and scope of proposed program
• Should there be an additional question to ACHE
  Program Proposal Form?

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Non-traditional graduate programs (contd.)

• Suggested Addition to ACHE Proposal for a New
  Graduate Degree Program Form
• Alabama Council of Graduate Deans, July 31, 2002
• B. Program Objectives and Content
• Add new question at beginning of this section
  (and renumber subsequent questions)
• To facilitate review of the proposal, please
  classify this degree program according to one of
  the following categories
• ___ post-baccalaureate masters
• ___ research doctorate
• ___ applied doctorate
• ___ professional doctorate
• If desired, you may provide a short paragraph or
  so of elaboration below.

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Notices of Intent to Submit Proposal (NISPS)

• Viewed as pre-proposal
• Essential to get important feedback prior to
  expenditure of effort in preparing full proposal
• NISPS sent to Chief Academic Officers for comment
• Graduate Deans not always sent NISPs by
• Proposing institution
• CAO
• Would be helpful both to ACGD members and
  proposing institution if NISPs were sent to ACGD
  as part of ACHE process
• Suggest copy sent to Communication Officer
• Place on ACGD website
• Provide Deans an opportunity to provide input to
  the CAO

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Other ACGD Activities

• Economic Impact of Graduate Education report
  and brochure
• Meeting with ACHE Executive Director (and
  possibly the Commissioners themselves)