March 16, 2026 – Graduate Faculty Committee (GFC) – Minutes

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Time: 3:00 p.m.
Location: Videoconference on Microsoft Teams

Present: Amy Kalkbrenner, Jerald Thomas, Itziar Lazkano (chair). Winson Chu, Joshua Mersky (GPRC), Jeb Willenbring, Taylor Mathewson Levandoski, Timothy O’Brien (GCC), Hamid Ouali (vice chair), Peninnah Kako, Mohammad Rahman, Jorg Woehl, Pamela Bermender, Erin Flynn (ex-officio), Bryan Porter (ex-officio), Riley Harrison (admin support)

  1. Meeting called to order at 3:00p.m.
  2. Announcements
    1. Announcements from Dean Porter
      1. One Big Beautiful Act/RISE act changes and effects on grad students: July 1, 2026 Grad Plus loans will not be possible for new grad students
        1. Especially affects previously categorized professional degrees (only Clinical Psychology program considered professional now for UWM)
      2. Emphasizing affordability of UWM programs
  3. Automatic Consent
    1. Minutes of February 16, 2026, approved as distributed.
  4. New Business
    1. Discussion led by GFC Chair
      1. Grade forgiveness – Itzi Lazkano: What different needs do departments have with low grades in core classes?
        1. Lubar, Economics expressed grade forgiveness would be beneficial
        2. Seems that smaller programs face less issues with this
        3. Students taking elective courses to boost GPA after failing and taking a core class a second time
        4. Cumulative assessment or survey of all graduate programs?
      2. Change/reset of GPA with various conditions – Jerald Thomas
        1. Issues of students wanting to transfer to a different program, but carrying poor GPA with them from previous program
        2. This has happened on a case-by-case basis rarely, but has been done through RFE, not uniformly.
        3. Graduate School total GPA vs program-specific GPA
  5. Continuing Business
    1.  Faculty Doc. 3197R1: Qualitative Reviews of Graduate Programs – proposed revisions (vote needed) – Josh Mersky
      1. A motion was made by Winson C. to approve this policy change and seconded by Amy K. Motion passed unanimously.
  6. Reports
    1. No reports.
  7. Other business – None.
  8. Meeting adjourned at p.m.