Graduate School reorganization report online

As the UW–Madison Graduate School continues to restructure in response to changes on campus and in higher education and how research is supported nationally, an ad hoc committee charged with collecting information from faculty, staff and student stakeholders has posted its report.

The report, produced by a nine-member committee of faculty and staff and chaired by Graduate School Associate Dean Daniel Kleinman, includes detailed committee findings and lists a set of priorities for supporting and enhancing graduate education across campus.

According to the report, students, faculty and staff are most concerned about:

• Financial security for graduate students in an increasingly difficult fiscal environment.
• Fostering innovative professional development programs for graduate students.
• Maintaining the strong integration of graduate education and research.
• Adapting Graduate School services and policies to conform to the growing array of campus graduate programs.
• Finding optimal ways to use highly skilled Graduate School staff. The report calls for additional resources or staff to address increased workloads.
• Better data collection and analysis in support of graduate education.
• Maintaining a strong campus voice for graduate education as a coordinating and organizing presence among UW–Madison’s different schools and colleges.

As priorities, the report identifies increased funding for graduate students and bolstering professional development as well as a constellation of organizational and administrative issues, notable among them maintaining the strong connection between research and graduate education.

The strengths of the school were also highlighted in the report. Among them were a skilled and dedicated professional staff, the provision of robust academic services and oversight of academic programs, ability to partner in academic planning, and a strong track record of program review. Genuine concern for graduate students and recent efforts to bolster professional development opportunities for students considering nonacademic careers were also cited as strengths.