June 16, 2010

Dear Faculty Senate,

Please forgive the delay in getting the report to you.  The delay arose from my inexperience as a University Committee Chair and appointment during the second semester. During the first semester, Professor Rob Dixon chaired the Graduate Council. Professor Bernadette Taylor was the secretary throughout the year.

Graduate Council met on a bi-weekly basis from September through May. Key activities are listed below:

                - Graduate Faculty Application Review                          - Profession Travel Grant Review

                - Graduate student RSEL Grant Review                         - Student appeals

                - Theses Review

Important issues examined by the committee, each of which were included in the August 17 “charge” letter sent to VJ Agarwal (as convener), during the year included:

a. Academic Dismissal from a graduate program

                - The committee voted and Faculty Senate agreed to a revised process wherein graduate programs were

 empowered to re-admit students without the need to get approval from the Graduate Council.

b. Graduate assistantship continuity while on probation

                - Voted to allow graduate students on probation to retain assistantship

c. Criteria for Graduate Faculty membership

                -Issues included documentation of activities needed to make proper decision and the proper way to disseminate information about Graduate Council decisions.

d. English Language requirement

                - The 550 TOEFL score requirement was retained. However, graduate programs were given flexibility to

 admit students, with the Faculty Senate agreeing to change. Graduate programs are  required to report back

 to Graduate Council regarding the frequency with which such language proficiency exemptions were

 given.

Significant events during the academic year included a UW system Graduate Administrators Meeting (October 2009).  In February 2010, a Joint Meeting of Graduate Program Directors and Graduate Council was held.

The Committee ended the year with a discussion of graduate program assessment, which will continue into the fall. Committee Minutes can be found at the following link on the UW-L web site: http://www.uwlax.edu/FacultySenate/committees/Gradcouncil.html

It was a privilege to serve as chair of Graduate Council this spring,

Tom Krueger

Professor of Finance

Department of Finance

406G Carl Wimberly Hall         1725 State Street, La Crosse, WI 54601