April 19, 2007
Report of the Graduate Studies Restructuring Committee
A Committee of 11 individuals listed in Appendix I met three times in March and
April, 2007 to discuss restructuring the administrative aspects of graduate study at KU. The
Committee was given the following charge from Provost Richard Lariviere:
“The goal for this committee is to recommend a structure that will better align graduate studies with research at KU while preserving the advances that have been made in establishing lines of communication among the students, faculty, and administrators who are the primary stakeholders in graduate education.”
The relationship between the Graduate School and research is essential, where research is considered in the broadest sense to be creative and scholarly activity, independent of source of funding. In that sense, we need doctoral education to be in step with research, and we strongly recommend substantive change in the relationship between the Vice Provost for Research and the Dean of Graduate Studies while retaining the strong international flavor to graduate education and research at KU.
Some benchmarks to be achieved by the restructuring would include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Ensure vigorous recruitment of competitive graduate students, including underrepresented groups
2. Ensure that the graduate experience provides opportunities for active participation in research and individual scholarship
3. Develop innovative graduate training programs to serve as national models
4. Build on interdisciplinary strengths, i.e., build strong initiatives from current and emerging leading edges of research and scholarship
5. Synchronize doctoral education and research momentum, i.e., aim to merge items
1-4 in ways that enhance high levels of graduate training, funding, and research
6. Provide competitive levels of funding for doctoral students
7. Remove administrative barriers to facilitate graduate education
Everyone agreed that an excellent staff with adequate resources and open lines of communication are the keys to success, regardless of what administrative structure is implemented. Two main items consumed most of the discussion: reporting lines and terminology of “Graduate School” vs. “Graduate Studies”.
The Committee voted seven for, two against, and two abstaining, in favor of changing
“Graduate School” to “Graduate Studies”. The principal argument in favor of the change revolves around the definition of School. For example, the graduate students, faculty and alumni do not identify themselves with the Graduate School; rather they identify with their graduate program or their institution. Students are admitted and graduate faculty appointments are made within the graduate divisions of each school/college. The outside view of KU does not identify with a Graduate School any more or less than a unit of
Graduate Studies.

April 19, 2007
The minority viewpoint is that a research one institution should have a Graduate
School more closely affiliated with the Provost’s Office, which would give a higher profile to the Graduate School.
There are several alternative structures at our peer institutions and other similar institutions as shown in Appendix II. Again, the people and effective communication aspects are probably more important than are the specific reporting lines. The Committee recommends on a vote of 10 to 1 the administrative structure shown in the chart below. This is not a return to a previous structure. There was little to no programming, very little recruitment, and no centralized application processing in the previous structure. The Grad
School in 1996 had a total of three FTE; now there are at least seven FTE.
Provost
Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Studies
Associate Vice Provost and Dean of
Graduate Studies
AVP’s for Research
The Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Studies
This Vice Provost would report directly to the Provost on issues concerning research and graduate education. The position would synergize the three tracks of graduate education at the University: The sponsored research operations of the KUCR, the non-sponsored research and academic operations within graduate programs, and service to graduate students. This position would include responsibility as CEO of KUCR, giving the University a direct link to programming efforts that meet the needs of the University. The Committee believes that innovatively seeking training grants from a broad spectrum of State, Federal, and private sources is necessary to long-term success with this proposed administrative structure. Also, this position would give Graduate Studies a direct link to the Provost’s Office to address matters of service and academic policy.
Associate Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies
This position is charged with overseeing many issues related to the academic and service component of graduate education. As the Associate Vice Provost, this person would oversee the academic operations of graduate education, including admissions, degree requirements, uniform policies across academic departments, and non-sponsored research across graduate programs. As the Dean of the Graduate Studies, this person would oversee the service component of graduate education, including fellowships, annual graduate program assessment , contact with the Graduate and Professional Association, and representation of graduate studies interests on appointed committees and within the Provost’s Office.

April 19, 2007
Rawitch, Allen
Ginsberg, Rick
Ross, Carole
Bell, Stuart R
Schofield, Ann
Rosen, Sara Thomas
Steinmetz, Joseph E
Implementation Period
The Committee recommends a designated implementation period involving periodic review of the progress of the new structure and organization. This would involve evaluation of the extent to which progress is made toward benchmarks such as the seven listed above.
Appendix I
Graduate Studies Administrative Structure Committee
John Augusto
Himes, Steve
Rice, Mabel L
Steeples, Don W
Research Coordinator, KUCR student, Exec. Director of the Graduate & Professional Ass’n.
Dist. Prof., Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences & Disorders
Vice Provost and McGee Prof. of Geology
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, KUMC
Dean, School of Education
Assistant Dean of the Graduate School
Dean, School of Engineering
Prof. of American Studies and of Women’s Studies
Chair, Department of Linguistics
Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Appendix II Graduate Schools who report directly to the Provost
New York University—at Stony Brooke—Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate
School----reports to the Provost
University of Iowa—Dean of the Graduate School
Iowa State University—Associate Provost for Academic Programs and Dean of the Graduate
School
Ohio State University—Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
UC—Santa Barbara—Dean of the Graduate Division reports to Executive Vice-Chancellor of Academic Affairs

April 19, 2007
University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana—Dean of the Graduate School
The University of Iowa-Associate Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate
School
University of Maryland—Associate Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Graduate
School
University of Michigan—Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of Rackham Graduate
School
University of Minnesota—Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
University of Missouri--Vice Provost for Advanced Studies and Dean of the Graduate School
Indiana University—Dean of the Graduate School
Graduate Schools who are with research and report to the Provost through Vice Chancellor or
Vice Provost for Research
Penn State University—Senior Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate
School
Colorado at Boulder—Vice Chancellor for Research and Dean of the Graduate School
Reports to the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
University of Oregon—Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies and Dean of
Graduate School, with a Vice Provost for Graduate Studies who is Associate Dean of the
Graduate School. The Vice Provost has two reporting lines. One to research and one to the provost.
University of Nebraska—Vice Chancellor for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies
University of Wisconsin—Vice Chancellor for Research and Dean of the Graduate School
Schools who report to VP for Research
Texas A&M—Dean of the Graduate School
University of Arizona—Associate Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate
College
Rutgers University—Dean of the Graduate School
Michigan State University—Dean of the Graduate School

April 19, 2007