University of Southern Maine
(November, 2003)
The authors of the Report of the Commission on Graduate Education at the University of Southern Maine, published in 1992, did not see the need for a traditional graduate school. They did, however, recommend the establishment of a full time administrative leadership position, "Dean of Graduate Affairs and Research" to replace the faculty-based half time Associate Provost position. They hoped to promote coordinated planning and growth of graduate programming, promotion of research and scholarship, and attention to graduate student affairs, as well as implementation of graduate policies and procedures. Since the publication of that document, USM has added 12 more degree programs across a wide spectrum of disciplines, including two at the doctoral level as well as numerous graduate level certificate programs. Rapid growth has led to pressing need for more centralized resources and management of graduate studies, and a more focused administrative structure. At the same time that the program offerings were expanding, throughout the mid and late nineties, the infusion of Research and Development funds into the university led to steadily increasing accomplishments and support needs in the area of research. To respond to these changing needs and opportunities, a restructuring of the administration of Graduate Studies has taken place over the past two years. First, the functions of leadership in research and in graduate studies were divided with the appointment of a separate Director of Research Initiatives. Second, the responsibilities of the leader of Graduate Studies was acknowledged with the change from a half time to a three quarter time Associate Provost for Graduate Studies, and finally (2002) to a full time Associate Provost/Dean of Graduate Studies.
Another important change over the past three years has been the consolidation of Graduate Admissions under one Director, housed in the Portland office, with a large satellite office serving graduate programs based on the Gorham campus, under the direction of an Associate Director. (See Organizational Structure diagram.)
The Associate Provost/Dean of Graduate Studies serves as the leader and coordinator of all facets of graduate studies at USM. Responsibilities include: guiding the development of new graduate programs; monitoring the operations of existing programs; and overseeing the Office of Graduate Studies, which administers graduate admissions, graduate assistantships, and services for graduate students. S/he chairs the Graduate Council, making recommendations to the Provost with the Council's advice and aid, and facilitates the work of the Faculty Senate Research Committee.
The Associate Provost/Dean of Graduate Studies is selected by the Provost, upon recommendation of a search committee. The term of appointment is generally three years but may be extended at the Provost's discretion.
Graduate faculty consists of all faculty members so designated by the President upon recommendation of the Associate Provost and Provost. Each college has established criteria for membership in the Graduate faculty; the University-wide criteria are as follows:
Graduate faculty appointments are recommended by deans through the internal process of their school or college, and are approved by the Associate Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies and Provost. Appointments are made by the president through the Provost's office. The normal term of membership is three years, and is renewable. Faculty members may be reappointed to the Graduate Faculty upon satisfactory review of their performance according to the graduate criteria of their institutional unit.
Within the context of each college or school, faculty members determine the graduate program goals, outcomes, requirements, and curriculum. As defined within each school or college, faculty members determine program-specific policies, as well as regulate the admission, instruction, advising, and evaluation of students, and conduct periodic evaluation of their programs.
Each school or college has established a structure for oversight and coordination of local and university policies relating to graduate faculty and graduate curriculum within that unit. While individual programs have full responsibility for program and course content, the college-wide graduate committee (or its equivalent) monitors course additions, deletions, and significant changes in requirements, and serves as a forum for communication and consistency among the graduate programs in that college. College level graduate bodies review all "free-standing" (not part of a graduate degree program) graduate level courses and certificate programs to ensure appropriate rigor and content; they also review the qualifications of faculty members who do not hold Graduate Faculty appointments to teach these courses.
The Graduate Council is the graduate faculty's advisory body to the Provost (Chief Academic Officer) regarding all aspects of graduate education at USM. Each graduate program is represented on the Graduate Council by the program chair or his/her designee. ("Program" is defined, for this purpose, as granting a unique degree.) One graduate student representative is appointed by the Associate Provost/Dean of Graduate Studies from students recommended by graduate faculty. The Associate Provost/Dean of Graduate Studies serves as chair and facilitator of the Graduate Council.
The Council makes recommendations to the Provost concerning the qualifications for designation as graduate faculty, the organization and administration of graduate studies, the review of existing graduate programs, and the development of graduate programming including the review of proposals for new graduate degrees. The Council is charged with decision-making and advising that is based on the best interests of graduate education as a whole at USM. All university-wide policies pertaining to graduate programs, faculty, and students are developed with input from the Council, and must be approved by the Council as well as by the Provost.For more information, please see Decision-Making Structure and Communication Structure diagrams.
