As part of the new strategic plan, the University has assembled a steering committee led by Jill Guttormson and Ralph Weber that has been tasked to lead efforts to ensure a “healthy campus”, under the moniker: “Marquette 2031: Securing our Future”. This steering committee will be making recommendations that will likely include changes to both graduate and undergraduate school programs. It is unclear how this steering committee’s efforts will coordinate with or bypass UBGS’s or UBUS’s role in shared governance. Concerned senators have reached out to UBUS and UBGS with a request for the committees to review their roles in shared governance as outlined in the Faculty Handbook and to draft a resolution regarding our understanding of the respective committee’s charges that can be sent to Academic Senate.
Below is a draft of the UBGS counterpart to the resolution that UBUS will discuss.
The University Board of Graduate Studies (UBGS) “formulates plans and policies for all graduate and professional education and serves as a forum to discuss continuous improvement of the graduate and professional programs”. Among the seven responsibilities listed in the Faculty handbook (responsibilities 3 and 4, p 34), the UBGS is charged to:
“Make recommendations for changes in existing graduate programs, expansion of programs, introduction of new programs, and termination of programs; and for approval of individual students’ Interdisciplinary Doctoral Programs” and to “forward those decisions to the University Academic Senate for approval and recommendation to the Provost.”
When UBGS recommendations are approved by University Academic Senate, they “represent the official collective stance of the Academic Division”.
To ensure shared governance, it is imperative that UBGS remains included in any process that makes recommendations on the creation or discontinuation of graduate programs (certificate, ADP’s, and/or MS/PhD level programs).
WHEREAS, under Article 4, Section 2.03 of the UAS Statutes, the University Board of Graduate Studies “formulates plans and policies for all graduate and professional education and serves as a forum to discuss continuous improvement of the graduate and professional programs” and “Makes recommendations for changes in existing graduate programs, expansion of programs, introduction of new programs, and termination of programs; and for approval of individual students’ Interdisciplinary Doctoral Programs”
WHEREAS, under Article 4, Section 2.03 of the UAS Statutes, the University Board of Graduate Studies “Forwards decisions to create a new graduate degree, major, or certificate or to discontinue an existing graduate degree or major to the University Academic Senate for approval and recommendation to the Provost.”
Now therefore:
BE IT RESOLVED, that it is the sense of the University Board of Graduate Studies that it must be given full opportunity to endorse any recommended changes to Graduate academic programs, with all recommendations of the University Board of Graduate Studies being sent to the University Academic Senate for a vote.
Adopted by University Academic Senate on April 15, 2024
