New masters and doctorate programs in the Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies were approved by Academic Council at its Tuesday meeting and now will undergo state review.

The programs are part of the integration of the departments of Agriculture and Natural Resources Education and Communication Systems, Resource Development and Park, Recreation and Tourism Resources.

Richard Paulsen, the department's associate chairman, said alignment of the programs played off of their academic similarities.

"What we're looking at is drawing upon some major themes in the state and looking at where they overlap and meeting the challenges of the state in the future," he said.

The graduate degree programs are the first to be developed, with undergraduate academics still being worked out.

In other action, the council approved the recommended change in review process for the University Intellectual Integrity Officer. The University Graduate Council suggested the review time frame be reduced from every two to every five years.

The council also heard a report from accounting Professor Steve Dilley, who represented the University Committee on Academic Policy at an athletic-reform conference.

The main suggestion for reform at the conference was to focus on academic standards for athletes. The recommendation would increase progress toward degree requirements for continued athletic eligibility.

MSU President M. Peter McPherson said the recommendation was an interesting concept to strengthen the academic focus for collegiate athletics.

"It has real teeth in assisting progress to a degree," he said.

Another suggestion was to reform finance records of the athletics department for better understanding.

"I have never seen anything with more numbers to tell a story than an athletic budget," Dilley said.