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Graduate Education at UofL
In response to a variety of internal and external forces and opportunities, the University Provost has called for evolutionary change in graduate education at the UofL. Consideration of university wide consultation has led to the conclusion that retention of a school of interdisciplinary and graduate studies is clearly in the best interests of the students, academic programs and the UofL. This process has raised a variety of questions in the university community, and this report is an attempt to answer some of the more frequently asked questions.
Plain Talk – FAQs Related to Graduate Education at UofL
Q. I heard that we were closing the Graduate School as of January 1, 2008. Is this so, or is it not?
Q. Why are we making changes in graduate education?
Q. So what are the basic changes that we should expect?
Q. What about the University Fellowship program? Does this continue?
Q. What about the centrally operated minority recruiting and support programs? Do these continue?
Q. Will there continue to be a “Graduate Faculty,” certified by the graduate school?
Q. Will there be changes in graduation ceremonies?
Q. When will all these changes be completed?
Q. What does this mean for graduate students? Have they been consulted in all of this?
Q. I heard that we were closing the Graduate School as of January 1, 2008. Is this so, or is it not?
A. No, not exactly. Some things will be different, but there will be a school of interdisciplinary and graduate studies. Nothing has closed. Dr. William Pierce is now Interim Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs and Interim Dean of the Graduate School. There may be a name change to reflect changes in emphasis and operations.
Originally, the Provost did propose closure of the Graduate School. In working through the long term consequences of closure of the Graduate School, it became apparent that this action would disenfranchise graduate students in the university governance system. In addition, there are unit specific issues that the various unit deans, faculties and academic programs have raised. As we move forward, we are implementing as best we can the administrative and academic changes that students, faculty and administrative leaders have called for when we originally made the decision to close the school. Student opportunities and university strategic priorities, such as interdisciplinary, applied and translational programs will be preserved as a first priority.
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Q. Why are we making changes in graduate education?
A. Every great research University has outstanding graduate programs, and we at the UofL are making a continuing and increasing commitment to excellence in graduate education. We also recognize that graduate education is changing, nationwide and worldwide, and we must be in a position to provide maximum opportunity for our students, faculty and our extramural constituents. We must acknowledge that the careers of our students will be directed not only toward what we consider the traditional academic world, but increasingly toward opportunities that are only now developing.
For each change that has been suggested, advisory groups considered the potential effects on students, programs and the university. The effects on student welfare and opportunity were given special consideration. Another special consideration was of the changing extramural climate in graduate education, including demand for more interdisciplinary programs and for graduate training in new disciplines oriented toward applied and translational training. These considerations led to the conclusion that retention of a school of interdisciplinary and graduate studies is clearly in the best interests of the students, academic programs and the UofL.
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Q. The university strategic plan calls for a greater emphasis on graduate education. What effects will these changes have on the strategic plan?
A. Guided in large part by the university’s strategic plan, the University Provost has looked to the future and has called for an evolution in graduate education at the UofL. The Provost solicited and received input from faculty groups, graduate student leadership, university leadership and community leadership groups. In this process, a variety of changes in administrative and academic structure was considered, including possible dissolution of the Graduate School. The advisory groups called for a variety of changes, and many of these have been selected for implementation.
These calls are for qualitative changes in graduate education (new programs to meet student and community needs, interdisciplinary programs, emphasis on applied and translational training) as well as strategic quantitative changes (increases in numbers of students, programs and graduates.)
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Q. So what are the basic changes that we should expect?
A. The basic change is that the administrative functions of the school for interdisciplinary and graduate studies and its dean remain, while the academic authority and responsibility rest with the faculty of the school or college housing the academic program. For interdisciplinary programs that cross unit lines, the school of interdisciplinary and graduate studies will have both administrative and academic responsibilities.
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Q. What will be the additional responsibilities for my program? What do we need to do and what can we expect from the school of interdisciplinary and graduate studies?
A. The day to day direction and operation of graduate education at the unit and department level will not be changed significantly. The school of interdisciplinary and graduate studies will process admissions applications, provide service for thesis and dissertation guidance, work with the registrar on maintenance of academic records, etc. In addition, there is a variety of collaborative roles for the graduate school that will be available to assist academic programs throughout the university. One Redbook required change will be that certification of student academic status (good standing, probationary, etc.) will be the responsibility of the unit and any dismissal for academic reasons will be communicated by the dean of that unit.
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Q. What about the University Fellowship program? Does this continue?
A. This programs will continue to be administered by the school of interdisciplinary and graduate studies, and the call for nominations has already been sent to programs.
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Q. What about the centrally operated minority recruiting and support programs? Do these continue?
A. One of the hallmark features of great graduate programs is a rich cultural diversity. This includes opportunities for a variety of ethnic groups, international students and underrepresented minority groups. The school of interdisciplinary and graduate studies will build on a strong tradition of inclusion and active cultivation of such diversity. The programs supporting such recruiting, fellowships and support during the years of graduate education will be continued and new opportunities will be developed by the school of interdisciplinary and graduate studies.
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Q. Will there continue to be a “Graduate Faculty,” certified by the graduate school?
A. No. There will be minimum guidelines for several areas of academic standards that will be established centrally and that are necessary for high quality programs and university accreditation in many areas. Beyond these minimum guidelines, further specific qualifications for teaching and mentoring graduate students will be set by the unit faculties, and these may vary from unit to unit. For example, schools may elect requirement of a certain professional certification, or may specify means of demonstrating active research programs for faculty involved in teaching or mentoring graduate students. These are discipline-specific and fall under the academic authority of the faculties of the schools and colleges.
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Q. So what does my program gain from this? What are these “collaborative roles for the graduate school that will assist academic programs?”
A. While there are functions that are best performed by either a central school of interdisciplinary and graduate studies or by the academic enrollment unit, there is a significant number of opportunities for partnering. An example would be in graduate student recruiting. Much of the recruiting of graduate students is accomplished at professional conferences, by word of mouth between colleagues in the discipline etc., and is best accomplished by the academic programs and often by individual mentors. There are, however, other opportunities for participation in “graduate school fairs” at other institutions, for publication of brochures, website assistance, maintenance of the university academic catalog and the like in which the graduate school can provide value to the programs. These will be available for the optional use of these programs.
There are many other examples where the school of interdisciplinary and graduate studies will provide value, for example in minority recruiting, international recruiting and credentials certification, acquisition of data bases containing students looking for graduate opportunities, data mining of GRE scores or partial applications for recruitment opportunities, alumni tracking, maintenance of data banks for fellowship opportunities, assistance in seeking training grants, some orientation opportunities, faculty and student development opportunities using university resources and many more.
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Q. How will be changes in courses, curricula and programs be managed? Will there still be a graduate council to consider such things? What will be the processes?
A. A faculty advisory committee has devised a streamlined process for efficient course, curriculum and program approval. This process includes approval stages as appropriate by proponent groups, by a graduate council, by the Faculty Senate, by the Provost and when necessary, by the Board of Trustees. These processes will become a part of the Board of Trustees approved Bylaws of the school of interdisciplinary and graduate studies.
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Q. Will there be changes in graduation ceremonies?
A. Commencement ceremonies are likely to change because of increasing numbers of graduates at all levels as well as dramatically increasing expenses in a time of budget constraint. We have already begun efforts to change some of the ceremonies. For example, at the December Commencement, we held a very nice formal hooding ceremony for the Ph.D. awardees, and tentative plans are being made for a spring 2008 hooding and awards recognition ceremony for graduate students, similar to those of many other institutions. The Deans and Provost will discuss a variety of possibilities and make final decisions.
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Q. When will all these changes be completed?
A. Anything that requires a change in Redbook language or graduate school bylaws must go to the Faculty Senate and to the Board of Trustees, and this process can take a few months. However, the school of interdisciplinary and graduate studies has already completed a strategic planning process to plan for the future and to assure congruence with the university strategic plan. This strategic plan can be found at the website of the school of interdisciplinary and graduate studies and this plan is already being implemented. There will be new partnering opportunities between the school of interdisciplinary and graduate studies and the other academic units, and we will begin developing these opportunities immediately. Every effort will be made to minimize disruption, and the one absolute guiding principle will be that no student shall suffer any harm in this.
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Q. What does this mean for graduate students? Have they been consulted in all of this?
A. Absolutely. The Provost has consulted extensively in this process, including with faculty groups, deans and graduate student leadership. The student leaders were quite engaged and vocal and argued convincingly for a variety of student centered issues. These include policies and procedures concerning minimum stipend levels, a university wide grievance procedure, the role of the university student advocate, support of graduate student life by Student Affairs, a graduate student service center at the HSC campus, orientation coordination, a support and advisory team in the school of interdisciplinary and graduate studies and support of graduate student professional opportunities. Plans are being devised to be responsive to student needs.
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