Skip to main content

Message from Provost Karl Scholz

October 26, 2019

The message below was sent to all graduate students on Oct. 26 by Provost Karl Scholz

UW–Madison is one of the premier institutions of higher education and graduate students are an integral part of the world-class education, research and outreach that happens here every day.  At UW–Madison, we expect faculty members to treat students with respect and to always support their educational and personal well-being. In the most recent campus-wide student climate survey (2017), 78% of graduate students reported they feel very or extremely welcome, and the same percentage of graduate student reported that they feel very or extremely respected on campus. We know, however, that we can do better.

An article published online today by the Wisconsin State Journal recounts the tragic death of an engineering graduate student in 2016. After he died, his parents shared very concerning information with the university about his experiences with the head of his research group, a faculty member in the College of Engineering. The university investigated, determined that the faculty member had violated university policy on hostile and intimidating behavior, and took disciplinary action against him. Should he return to the university, we will continue to hold him accountable including requiring oversight monitoring of his interactions with his students and the climate within his research group.

No student should ever experience the behavior that was found to have occurred. This situation highlights why it’s vital that university, college and departmental leaders empower students and staff to speak up if they experience a negative study or work environment. We take reports seriously and we will act.

The College of Engineering and the university have devoted additional resources and attention to supporting graduate students, to student mental health services and to preventing and responding to hostile and intimidating behavior. If you or someone you know is experiencing hostile and intimidating behavior, we urge you to reach out to one of the following resources:

  • Your program’s director of graduate study or your department chair
  • The dean’s office of your school or college
  • Graduate and Professional Student Assistance Specialist Elaine Goetz-Berman, who is located in the Dean of Students Office

Your health and well-being are deeply important. If you are struggling, or if you’re concerned for someone you know, call University Health Services to speak with an on-call crisis counselor who will help address your most pressing concerns, assess your safety and help connect you will follow-up service needs.  They can be reached at (608) 265-5600, option 9.

The university has developed clear policies on employment-related matters for teaching assistants (TAs) and project assistants (PAs), titled Graduate Assistant Policies and Procedures (GAPP).  These policies are the result of a major, two-year collaborative effort involving graduate students, faculty, staff, and administrators. Similar policies for research assistants and other categories of graduate student employees are in development and will be shared more broadly for feedback before being finalized.

I know I speak not only for myself but for all of our deans when I say, we are committed to your success and to providing environments in which you can thrive.

Karl Scholz
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs