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Contents: Introduction
Introduction: The academic cluster for graduate studies in Hydrologic Sciences is a unique interdisciplinary program designed to broaden the skills of science and engineering students who are interested in all aspects of water; i.e., occurrence, distribution, circulation, and use on and in earth. The Hydrologic Sciences deal with all issues pertinent to both quantity and quality of water.
Justification: Because of the geophysical ubiquity of water and its significance in all aspects of life, research and educational programs in Hydrologic Sciences must involve the cooperative efforts of various natural science disciplines (e.g., geology, pedology, geography, limonology, and atmospheric sciences), engineering disciplines (e.g., civil, environmental, agricultural, and coastal/marine engineering), social sciences (e.g., resource economics, political science), and law. Thus, participation of faculty in several UF Colleges in the Hydrologic Sciences cluster is envisioned. The emphasis of the degree programs is on imparting to the students a thorough understanding of the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of hydrologic processes occurring at a broad range of spatial and temporal scales, as well as on developing skills in hydrologic management and policy based on a strong background in natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, and law. Two problems are common to most of the existing university educational programs related to water. First, theoretical developments (understanding) in Hydrologic Sciences have followed, rather than led, applications promoted by engineers. As a result, the elaboration of the scientific basis for Hydrologic Sciences, the education of its practitioners, and the creation of its research culture have all been driven primarily by pragmatic approaches in engineering hydrology. Second, research and educational efforts have been fragmented into a variety of discipline departments located in several colleges. The need to overcome these constraints by developing interdisciplinary programs in Hydrologic Sciences has been articulated in a report published in 1991 by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). This report has catalyzed the development of interdisciplinary graduate programs at a number of U.S. universities, including MIT, University of California (Berkeley, Davis), University of Nevada (Reno), and University of Colorado (Boulder). Programs at other universities are in various stages of planning and approval. While these programs have many similarities, each has been designed to take full advantage of the faculty expertise available on the campus, and to promote cross-departmental collaboration to overcome the usual administrative constraints.
Overview of the Program: The academic cluster in Hydrologic Sciences emphasizes broad training, but not at the expense of rigor in specific areas of expertise. Furthermore, the program requirements were developed in recognition of the diversity in academic backgrounds and the professional goals of the students. Thus, flexibility in selection of courses is an essential feature of the program, allowing students to develop individualized academic plans of study in order to meet the overall goals and objectives of the Hydrologic Sciences cluster. The NAS report challenges the universities to train hydrologic scientists who can address emerging problems at the national and global scales, such as climate change, ozone depletion, ocean circulation, etc. Our more modest goal, at least for the first few years, is to bring together UF faculty to train students who are able to address hydrologic resource issues at the state and regional scales. Some examples of problems at this scale include: management and protection of the Everglades National Park; development of sustainable commercial agriculture and silviculture on the Florida central ridge and the Everglades Agricultural Area; water resource management in coastal environments; protection of rivers from industrial discharges; restoration of eutrophic lakes (e.g., Lake Okeechobee) and rivers (e.g., Kissimmee); reallocation of water among competing interests; and many other problems that focus on conflicting uses of renewable resources.
Management of the Cluster Programs: The cluster program is managed by the Hydrologic Sciences Faculty Committee (HSFC), comprising at least seven elected members (six faculty plus one doctoral student), ensuring that each of the six Topics of Hydrologic Sciences, and the contributing departments are represented. Faculty serve three-year terms on the committee, while the doctoral student serves a 1-year term. One of the faculty members on the committee serves as chair (2-yr term), and this responsibility will be rotated among the committee members such that the six Topics are represented.
Participating Departments: College of Agriculture
College of Engineering
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Article I Cluster Name This graduate academic cluster shall be known as the "Hydrologic Sciences
Academic Cluster"
Article II Purpose The academic cluster for graduate studies in Hydrologic Sciences is
a unique interdisciplinary program designed to broaden the skills of science
and engineering students who are interested in all aspects of water; i.e.,
occurrence, distribution, circulation, and use on and in earth. Hydrologic
Sciences deal with all issues pertinent to both quantity and quality of
water.
Article III Faculty Membership Section 1 Initial Faculty Membership The faculty in the Hydrologic Sciences Academic Cluster shall be initially
comprised of the University of Florida faculty who were actively involved
in the development of the HSAC (Appendix 1). These faculty are members
of at least one of the following: the Institute of Food and Agricultural
Sciences, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the College of
Engineering. These faculty are members of at least one of the following
discipline departments: Agricultural Engineering, Civil Engineering, Environmental
Engineering Sciences, Food and Resource Economics, Forestry, Geography,
Geology, and Soil & Water Science.
Section 2 Procedures for Admission of Faculty All interested graduate faculty are invited to participate in the HSAC.
All members shall be accorded full voting privileges and should be available
for service upon HSAC committees. Applicants will be required to submit
both a letter of petition and a condensed curriculum vitae for inclusion
in the collective curricula vitae for the HSAC. The letter must be co-signed
by the applicant's discipline department chair. The Hydrologic Sciences
Faculty Committee (HSFC) will review all applications and approve admission
by a simple majority vote. Admission will be based solely upon the
demonstrated research and teaching interests of the applicant. Once
approved by the HSFC subsequent approval must be made by the appropriate
College deans, and finally by the Dean of the Graduate School.
Article IV Hydrologic Sciences Faculty Committee Section 1 Selection and Role of Hydrologic Sciences Faculty Committee The HSFC shall be comprised of seven members. Each member shall represent one of the six separate hydrologic sub-areas: Subsurface Hydrologic Systems, Surface Hydrologic Systems, Hydrologic Chemistry, Hydrologic Biology, Hydrologic Analysis and Techniques, and Hydrologic Policy and Management. The additional committee member shall be a student candidate for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy within the cluster. University of Florida Faculty Committee members shall be elected to three-year terms by a simple majority vote of the entire HSAC Faculty membership. The student member shall be elected to a one-year term by a simple majority vote of students participating in the HSAC. The HSFC shall meet at least once each semester, and issue an annual report to the participating faculty and appropriate administrators. Elections will be held on a rotation schedule. Two positions reserved
for sub-area representatives and the student position
The Chairship of the HSAC shall be rotated every two years among the
different Hydrologic sub-areas to insure that all of
Section 2 Initial Hydrologic Sciences Faculty Committee The initial membership on the Hydrologic Sciences Faculty Committee
shall be as follows: P. S. C. Rao, Hydrologic Chemistry, K. Ewel, Hydrologic
Biology, K. Hatfield, Hydrologic Analysis and Techniques, K. Campbell,
Surface Hydrologic Systems, G. Lynne, Hydrologic Policy and Management,
D. Spangler, Subsurface Hydrologic Systems, and J. Stuck, Student Representative.
Elections will be held in 1994 coinciding with the B rotation and in 1995
coinciding with the C rotation. Committee members initially representing
these sub-areas may be re-elected to the position for a full, three-year
term.
Article V Relationships of the HSAC with Discipline Departments Section 1 Faculty The HSAC faculty shall participate in both the activities of the HSAC and their respective discipline department(s). Effort expended by the faculty member on the HSAC shall be considered to be contributing to the overall program of the respective discipline department(s) in terms of faculty advancement, tenure, and promotion. The Chair of the respective discipline department may choose to limit the numbers of faculty participating in the HSAC at any level deemed appropriate. Section 2 Graduate Students HSAC graduate students are considered to be members of the departments and colleges of their respective Supervisory Committee Chairs. The student will receive the appropriate graduate degree in their department and college. The curriculum requirements for graduate students in the HSAC shall be determined and administered by the membership of the HSAC faculty in concert with existing departmental graduate programs. The respective departments shall be responsible for providing normal fiscal, personnel, clerical and administrative services for HSAC graduate students except for strictly HSAC matters. Departmental and college responsibilities of the student regarding research facilities and office space will be the same for all students within a given department regardless of graduate program affiliation. The Chair of the respective department may choose to limit the numbers of students participating in the HSAC at any level deemed appropriate. The Supervisory Committee for a candidate for the M.S. degree within
the HSAC shall be comprised of no fewer than two HSAC faculty. The
Supervisory Committee for a candidate for the Ph.D. degree within the HSAC
shall be comprised of no fewer than two HSAC faculty.
Article VI Administrative Procedures Section 1 Admission of Students into the HSAC Graduate students seeking admission into the Hydrologic Sciences Academic Cluster must meet the minimum requirements established by the UF Office of the Registrar, the UF Graduate School, and the department in which the student will receive the graduate degree. Students will not be admitted to degree program unless one of the Hydrologic Sciences faculty member agrees to be the student's advisor. The HSFC will establish additional qualifications for admission into the HSAC degree program (e.g., adequacy of undergraduate training; GRE scores; GPA, etc.). Students not meeting these requirements may be admitted on a conditional basis, and they will be allowed to make up the identified deficiencies. Graduate students will be admitted into the department in which the student's major professor holds an appointment. Host departments are encouraged to exempt HSAC students from departmental requirements for a given graduate degree(s). The requirements for the HSAC degree in many instances may be flexible enough to allow a student to meet most of the degree requirements of both the host department and the HSAC. The chair of the participating department may choose to limit the numbers
of students participating in the HSAC.
Section 2 Plan of Study The HSAC students shall be required to complete a core course requirement.
These requirements are outlined in Appendix 11. The student shall
be required to complete a plan of study within one year after admittance
into the HSAC. This plan is to be submitted to the HSFC for approval by
a simple majority vote.
Article VII Graduate Student Funding Graduate students and their faculty advisor(s) shall be responsible
for finding funding in a participating department or by other means.
Article VIII HSAC Policy In addition to UF Graduate School policies and participating department
policies, the HSAC shall maintain policies relating to admission requirements,
curriculum requirements, and other matters relating to students and faculty
in the HSAC.
Article IX Amendments and Quorum Policy Section 1 Bylaws Adoption These Bylaws and Guidelines shall be adopted by a simple majority vote of the entire faculty membership. Section 2 Amendment Adoption Amendments to the bylaws and guidelines must be approved by a simple
majority vote of the entire faculty membership. Proposed amendments shall
be circulated to all faculty members at least two weeks prior to the proposed
meeting date.
Section 3 Quorum Two thirds of the total faculty membership shall constitute a quorum at faculty meetings. Binding votes at faculty meetings shall require a simple majority of a quorum. |
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