AU approves new graduate certificate program definition

By: BRITTANY WHITLEY STAFF WRITER | Opelika Auburn News
Published: October 08, 2008

The Auburn University Senate passed a measure to define a graduate certificate program on Tuesday in the body’s October meeting.

The certificate does not require admission to the graduate school and is awarded based on participation in non-credit work, the definition for the certificate states.

During the last few years, the university has received inquiries about having a certificate on an academic transcript, said Linda Glaze, associate provost for undergraduate
studies.

A definition for an undergraduate certificate program was also brought before the senate for approval but was tabled until November because of a lack of specificity.

The graduate certificate programs “constitute an integrated curriculum, but not necessarily one aligned with a specific academic program. They (the certificates) can exist within programs, bridge programs or offer content widely useable across programs,” the definition states.

Unlike a minor, the hours required for the certificate can range from a minimum of nine hours to a maximum of 21 hours. The certificate program also differs from a minor in that either degree-seeking or non-degree seeking students can obtain a certificate, Glaze said.

“This would be a designation we would be able to provide,” she said. “In this day and age anyone can say anything on a resume. If a hiring agency wants to confirm… It will be on the transcript.”

OTHER NEWS

-AU President Jay Gogue spoke about “a situation that a position (Head of the Informatics Institute at AUM) was advertised for… They decided on a candidate and offered the person the position.”

University rules dictate that a new hire must be presented to the department in which they are being hired where their credentials can be reviewed by faculty members, Gogue said. This did not happen.

“The president and the provost have apologized,” Gogue said.

- Glaze and Patricia Duffys, associate/assistant provost for undergraduate studies, presented a PowerPoint on a potential Interdisciplinary Degree Program. The program would be a new Bachelor of Science Degree.

“This is not a 120-hour anything goes” degree, Glaze said. If the degree is instated, students can combine two or three different fields of study into one degree.