The College of Education Executive Committee met on Thursday, October 27, 1994, at 8:30 a.m. in the Conference Room of the Education Center with Dean Toth presiding. Present were: Drs. McGahee, Wylie, Merriman, Price, Hertzog, Uhlir, Bauer, Milbrandt, Gunter, Ducharme, Swank, Reed, Morris, Ms. Roberts and Ms. Teel. Drs. Asbury and Wells were present as guests.

Dr. Bauer asked that the Executive Committee consider a proposal by the Department of Psychology, Counseling and Guidance regarding admissions requirements to the graduate programs in that department. Dr. Bauer provided a handout outlining the department's proposed admissions criteria for each of its programs. The programs included were: M.Ed. in Counseling and Guidance; Ed.S. in Counseling and Guidance; Ed.S. in School Psychology; and M.S. in Psychology. Dr. Bauer gave a history of his department's graduate admissions requirements, particularly focusing on the importance of a department's setting its on graduate admissions requirements. Dr. Bauer also requested that the Executive Committee recognize the diversity of the programs within the Department of Psychology, Counseling and Guidance. Finally, Dr. Bauer requested that each department be allowed to have different criteria for admissions to graduate programs.

Dr. Merriman questioned the acceptability of allowing this issue to be raised at this time as the Executive Committee members had not had access to the handout explaining these criteria at least one week before the meeting, which is the usual policy of the Executive Committee. Dean Toth, however, stated that Dr. Bauer had requested approximately three weeks ago that he be allowed to bring this issue to the Executive Committee. And while he didn't expect anything to be decided today, he did want discussion on the issue. Dean Toth explained the present College of Education graduate admissions criteria. He also stated that the committee which Dr. McGahee chairs, COE Graduate Admissions and Retention, was in the process of writing a college-wide graduate admissions and retention policy which was very much related to the doctoral admissions criteria. Dean Toth further stated that he wanted any decision on the issue of graduate admissions criteria to be delayed until the Executive Committee had an opportunity to consider the recommendations of Dr. McGahee'scommittee.

Several other members raised questions concerning the proposal, such as: (1) Was it good to rely so heavily on standardized test scores as an admissions criterion, (2) Was there evidence that students which had been admitted to the Psychology Department under their guidelines were any more successful than students admitted through the appeals process.

Dean Toth reminded department heads that he had sent them a copy of the AASCU Statement on Teacher Education this week. The statement had been sent to Dean Toth by President Bailey.

Dean Toth announced that the Department of Special Education may soon request that the ASHA examination be used in place of comprehensive examinations. Other institutions are already following this practice.

A discussion followed as to how each department is handling comprehensive examinations. Most departments are using a variety of multiple choice and essay questions. Dean Toth suggested that any major changes in how a department conducts comprehensive examinations should be brought before the Executive Committee for approval, or at least for information purposes.

Dr. Reed asked that each department head provide him with a pass/fail list of graduate students on comprehensive examinations for each quarter, beginning with Fall Quarter, 1990. Dean Toth asked Dr. Bauer to chair a committee, with Drs. Gunter and Price as members, to bring a recommendation to the Executive Committee about the process of giving comprehensive examinations in the College of Education. Dean Toth questioned how each department actually used the results of its comprehensive examinations. He suggested that exam results might be reviewed at appropriate departmental meetings. The Teacher Certification Test (TCT) results might also be reviewed at departmental meetings. Any changes to the programs as a result of these reviews should be documented.

Dean Toth announced that the Professional Standards Commission has discussed the use of Praxis II as a replacement for the TCT. The Praxis Series is a type of new, standardized test in the various education fields. Praxis I tests for basic skills; Dean Toth stated that this might be appropriate for use in admission to teacher education. Praxis II measures content- area knowledge and pedagogy. Praxis III is the performance-based part. We have been asked by the Professional Standards Commission to field test the Praxis III in Georgia.

Discussion then turned to criteria for admission to teacher education. Dr. Hertzog announced that the College of Nursing limits the number of times a student may retake courses. Dean Toth suggested that there were at least two other areas of admission to teacher education which should be reviewed: (1) Should we use a "true" GPA of 2.5 for admission purposes (not allowing forgiveness), and (2) How many students were actually admitted to teacher education with a GPA of less than 2.5. Dr. Swank passed out a handout, which he asked be shared with departmental faculty, on monitoring the GPA of upper-level work. The handout listed each major within a department who had a GPA of 2.6 or less. Dr. Swank stated that, at present, there were two requirements for student teaching: (1) Completion of all course work, and (2) Have at least a 2.5 GPA on all upper-level course work. Dr. McGahee noted that it should be a 2.5 GPA on all course work above Area IV, as some departments had courses at the 200-level in the professional sequence.

Dean Toth reminded faculty to nominate students who they felt were eligible to Who's Who.

Dean Toth stated that new computers for the computer lab had not yet been ordered. It was further noted that the College of Education had not received any of the Quality Improvement Funds for the past two or three years.

Dean Toth requested that each department's institutional goals be turned in to him by Monday, November 28. Department heads should send him only a disk copy. Dean Toth and Dr. Reed will review each department's goals before they are sent on to Dr. Crowe.

Ms. Roberts reported that all faculty have been subscribed to COFAC, a new listserv. Any faculty who don't have an e-mail address should let Ms. Roberts know so that she can get one for them. Also, COESTU, a listserv for COE students, is now on line. Ms. Roberts also announced that the presentation made by Arlene Gaumond from the Admissions Office on Wednesday, October 26, had been videotaped. Faculty who wish to view it may check it out from Ms. Roberts.

Dean Toth is exploring the possibility of getting a new photocopier for the Education Center and employing someone to run copies for departments rather than have departmental secretaries standing around waiting in line.

Dr. Gunter reminded department heads that his department will monitor comprehensive examinations this Saturday, August 29.

Dean Toth reminded department heads that Family Day is scheduled for this Saturday, August 29, from 2-3 p.m.

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 10:30 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,