A University of Wisconsin-Madison Faculty Senate working group presented a draft outlining changes to a research and graduate school position at a committee meeting Monday, recommending a division between the two roles.
Martin Cadwallader, who currently holds the title of vice chancellor of research and dean of the Graduate School, is stepping down from his post August 2014. With the shift in leadership, the UW-Madison University Committee charged a group of faculty with determining the efficacy of the position being split and delegated to two different people.
Chancellor Rebecca Blank spoke to the proposal of splitting the position, there will be more room to grow the individual departments and potentially attract better candidates.
“I want the strongest possible team working for me as my vice chancellors,” Blank said. “You are not going to get the top rate people that you need by asking someone to do twice as much as we’re currently asking.”
Some faculty members voiced concern the university’s focus should be addressing lack of resources for the departments rather than the leadership structure. Working group members said structural flexibility is crucial, and changing organization is one way to advance the university’s efforts in research and graduate success.
Town hall meetings will be held March 4 and 5 to facilitate public discussion on the potential shift before the group presents a finalized plan at the April 7 Faculty Senate meeting.
Faculty members also heard a recommendation to merge the Department of Liberal Studies and the Arts and the Department of Professional Development and Applied Studies, to create the condensed Department of Liberal Arts and Applied Studies.
The proposed recommendation asserts the merger makes sense in terms of the programs, function and fiscal structure the two departments employ, as the two have been essentially operating as one already. The merger will be up for vote at the April meeting.
