We had a wonderful town hall seeking input on decisions regarding the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences on Monday. This is a report on some key input from the meeting. It’s also a way for me to widen the input, by seeking comments from readers of this blog. If you go to this link you’ll find a PDF of a powerpoint presentation of the options for three different functions of the School: 1) the oversight and administration of graduate education, 2) research administration, 3) the oversight of various other units (e.g., the GU Press, some interdisciplinary activities). It’s not completely self-explanatory, but you can get a sense of the options on the table for the 3 components above.
With regard to graduate education, there were some comments about the real need to strengthen supports for graduate students. There were not many in the audience arguing for devolving approval and evaluation of terminal professional Master’s programs to the schools, away from the Graduate School. Some argued for a continuing need for a central body to review new programs and evaluate current ones. At this meeting, in contrast to others, there was little support for a new Graduate School of Sciences, separate from a graduate school for other fields.
With regard to research administration, some said that whichever approach was taken, it should strengthen support for research. Some noted that the traditional “voice for research” was the Graduate School dean, and that such support should not be diminished by the decision that we make. Most agreed that the important point in this decision is to maximize the support for faculty in getting proposals submitted, project accounts established, staff hired, subcontracts completed, and projects successfully completed.
With regard to the oversight of other units, most of the discussion involved the role of the Graduate School in interdisciplinary educational and research programs. Most agreed that interdisciplinary programs were aided by having a unit that had the freedom to think broadly, and that the Graduate School had traditionally provided that perspective. The group members disagreed on whether the best role of the Graduate School was to act as an incubator or a permanent home for interdisciplinary programs.
I have another meeting on April 24th with a group to discuss this second iteration of planning for the Graduate School. After that point, we intend on presenting the university with one or two options for a final deliberation. I’d welcome your comments on the options detailed in the PDF before the 24th. I’d also welcome comments from those at the town hall whose input I failed to characterize correctly.