UW-Madison's Faculty Senate almost unanimously approved a resolution Monday opposing any action to restructure the graduate school until a thorough, shared governance process is completed.
The sociology department submitted the resolution in response to Provost Paul DeLuca's plan to separate the grad school's education and research components by adding a new vice chancellor of research to manage grants, federal compliance issues and influence federal grant agencies.
Sociology professor Bob Hauser, who wrote the resolution, said the grad school has issues to solve, but was not in a ""crisis situation.""
""The provost has been quoted as describing some recent compliance efforts as ‘mid-air collision' avoidance. We should equally try to avoid flying into aircraft while building it.""
Hauser said the provost's initial expectation that faculty would welcome his proposal was a ""major blunder and breach of trust."" He added DeLuca's five town hall meetings were ""useful,"" but said they revealed no evidence the provost's ""sketchy proposal"" to separate research and graduate education was ""necessary or sufficient"" to solve the current problems.
Chancellor Biddy Martin could not vote on the resolution but said she didn't oppose it, adding that the initial proposal was influenced by many research-related complaints she heard from faculty last year.
""I think the provost has acknowledged that he was overly optimistic about how quickly people would accept it, but that's not the same as having intended to railroad it through the faculty.""
Later, Martin clarified statements she and DeLuca had made regarding interim steps that might be required if the two ad hoc committees examining the proposal had not submitted recommendations before the end of the semester.
She said action may be needed if ""serious compliance and safety"" issues emerge, but that she would first consult the University Committee and any changes would not affect the ""overall organization.""
Hector DeLuca, chair of the University Committee's ad hoc committee, said he has only seen an ""outline of the plan"" so far, and hopes the administration provides them a ""much more metamorphosed plan"" to guide the committees.
The senate also voted to request the city rename Campus Drive ""Karl Link Drive,"" after the late UW scientist.
