Michael Edward Aldape

The meeting included discussion and approval of new courses and programs from the College of Health Professions and the School of Social Work. For the College of Health Professions, a new Special Topics course was approved, and several new courses related to Integrated Health Sciences were introduced and approved, along with the deletion of corresponding older courses. Additionally, new programs in Integrated Health Sciences with specific pathways were approved, leading to the deletion of the existing Integrated Health Science (Clinical Professions) program. For the School of Social Work, new courses were approved, and changes were made to existing courses, including updates to titles, descriptions, and prerequisite narratives.

The Graduate Committee meeting agenda includes reviewing program submissions from the College of Education and P-16 Integration, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and the College of Health Professions. These submissions involve new and revised courses and programs, including updates to the Reading Specialist Certification, Principal Certification, Superintendent Certification, and School Counseling Certification programs. A new Construction Management Certificate program is also proposed. The meeting will also cover administrative changes, graduate program regulations, and announcements.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine's strategic plan for 2025-2027 focuses on transforming health in the Rio Grande Valley through five pillars: innovative education, life-changing research and discoveries, high-quality patient-centered care, community service, and sustainability with a culture of entrepreneurship. Key goals include developing accelerated MD programs, enhancing learner success, expanding research impact, establishing a comprehensive primary care model, strengthening community partnerships, and promoting binational health equity along the US-Mexico border.

The Graduate Committee Meeting Agenda includes the review of tabled and new submissions from various colleges. Tabled submissions included revisions to admission requirements and degree plans for Criminal Justice and Human Development and School Services. New submissions included changes to specialization names and course revisions for Counseling and Guidance, changes to the Creative Writing program course prefix, revisions to the Physician Assistant Studies application deadline and admission requirements, and the addition of a new specialization and graduate certificate in Business Analytics for the Business Administration (MBA) program. Informational items covered proposal review procedures and future meeting schedules.

The committee reviewed submissions from the College of Education and P-16 Integration, including changes to the Reading Specialist Certification program and updates from the Department of Organization and School Leadership regarding new courses, program changes, and deletions. A new course and program were proposed by the Department of Counseling. The College of Engineering and Computer Science presented a new Construction Management Certificate program. Additionally, the College of Health Professions proposed a new Special Topics course. The committee discussed graduate program regulations and reviewed administrative changes to a Spanish course.