Governance Team Minutes 2/26/99

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M.Ed. International Falls Partnership Governance Team Meeting February 26, 1999

Members present: Mary Ann Rotondi, Tim Everson, Timm Ringhofer, Bruce Trask and Mary Jean Menzel

EC&T Certificate Delivered in Intl. Falls Progress Report The third course in the Educational Computing & Technology Certificate has been firmed up. Educ 5414 will be offered at Intl. Falls H.S. over two weekends April 10-11 and May 22/23 by Andrea Pogryzwinski. Class meets Saturday 8 am - 7 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. The last two courses are being firmed up for delivery in June 1999.

Thesis Proposal The Governance Team agreed the one page mini-proposal, single-spaced typed, is due March 17th. Mary Ann and the Governance Team faculty will review and "OK" the mini-proposal after consulting with the Education Dept. Head.

The official Project/Thesis Proposal (8-10 pages typed, double-spaced with the required cover form to secure a signature from Mary Ann Rotondi) is due April 28th. Follow the steps outlined in the Master of Education Degree Program handout, page 2 and 3 (distributed last Fallcopy faxed up 3/1/99). I wish to quote from the Topic Selection portion of the M.Ed. handout: "You, as a graduate student, assume considerable responsibility in identifying a topic for study. It is important to define the scope of the project in a realistic way. The project needs to be delineated to a specific and reasonably limited focus." Conduct an exhaustive literature search using all of the databases which cover your topic and review your results ordering the best articles. Read them, annotate your bibliography or record the quotable phrases/text on index cards which can be stored in your 3-ring binder.

Thesis Time Lines Again, I quote from the M.Ed. Advice & Suggestions for Writing an M.Ed. Field Project Paper which you received last Fall. "Based on the experience of other graduate students, at least nine months should be allowed to identify the problem, present the proposal, implement the methodology, write up the findings, and present the project in its final form. Usually, several drafts and revisions of chapters are necessary before the final paper is accepted as complete."

Kate and Karin are available to edit your drafts and provide you composition-based feedback on your proposals and your research project/thesis through 1999. Please use their services.

This spring you should design, test with the cohort members, and refine your research tools, i.e. survey, interview questionnaire, other. You also need to determine your sample size, target population and determine how your participants will be selected, approached/contacted, and where/how the interviews/surveys/etc. will be conducted. Allow plenty of time and write up your results immediately after each interview.

You will also select the second member of you Thesis Committee based on your topic. Mary Ann Rotondi is the chair of your Thesis Committee. You may select an expert in your region on your topic with a master's or Ph.D./Ed.D. or you may request a committee member be recommended by the Governance Team. You will need to meet with the proposed committee member and secure their commitment to assisting you with your thesis.

This summer you will conduct your research. At the same time you will be enhancing your literature review and reading the latest books and articles in your research subject area. Stay organized and be sure to include all bibliographic citation information on the top of each photocopied article and file it in your Portfolio.

This fall you will tabulate and record your results, run your statistics to determine levels of significance (you may need to meet with some statisticians and determine the variables which should be correlated), and extrapolate what you have learned. Reread, edit and revise your thesisshare it with another cohort team and your trusted colleagues. You may wish to create a PowerPoint presentation to share with the Cohort and your academic colleagues in the Spring.

Your final thesis draft is due February 2000. At this point there may still be changes required by your committee members, the UMD Education Dept. Head, and/or the UMD M.Ed. Director. Revise and resubmit. The deadline for applying for participation in the UMD Spring Commencement Ceremony is mid-March. Caps, gowns and hoods are available for purchase from the UMD Bookstore in the Spring.

Grade Issues The Governance Team members agreed that since students contracted for semester grades and UMD is still grading on a quarter basis that the fall contracts would apply to both fall and winter quarters. Students have a one month "window of opportunity" to contact Mary Ann Rotondi and renegotiate their fall semester contract for grade, i.e. students may elect to complete one more special project to improve their overall grade by one letter grade. For example, students who elected to earn a B grade for fall semester could contract with Mary Ann to complete one more special project to earn an A grade for fall and winter quarters (10 credits would be upgraded from a B to an A). Grading is ongoing and should be complete within the next two weeks. Contact Mary Ann Rotondi if you have a question about your grades.

Mary Jean emailed all students who had items outstanding from Fall Term for the "C" level grade on March 15th.

Next Intl. Falls Governance Team Meeting: March 24, Wednesday 4:30-5:10 p.m. via ITV as part of class.(Governance Team members: please note date and time change).

Respectfully submitted,

Mary Jean Menzel UCD/UMD M.Ed. Partnerships Program Coordinator 218/726-6938 3/15/99

-- Anonymous, March 15, 1999


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