Graduate Faculty Committee – Annual Report – 2024-2025

Members:

Name	Rank	Department	Div	E/A	Term Ends	Email
Winson Chu 1	FAC	History	AH	E	2027	wchu@uwm.edu
Gordon Gauchat	FAC	Sociology	SS	E	2027	gauchat@uwm.edu
Peninnah Kako	FAC	Nursing	PR	E	2027	pmkako@uwm.edu
Itziar Lazkano	FAC	Economics	SS	E	2027	lazkano@uwm.edu
Brian Schermer	FAC	Architecture	PR	E	2027	bscherm@uwm.edu
Hamid Ouali	FAC	Linguistics	AH	E	2026	ouali@uwm.edu
Jerald Thomas 2	FAC	Computer Science	PR	E	2026	jeraldlt@uwm.edu
Jeb Willenbring, Chair	FAC	Mathematical Sciences	NS	E	2026	jw@uwm.edu
Jorg Woehl	FAC	Chemistry & Biochemistry	NS	E	2026	woehl@uwm.edu
Therese Crary	AS	College of Engineering & Applied Science	–	A	2025	crary@uwm.edu
Michael Newman *	FAC	English	AH	E	2025	mznewman@uwm.edu
Gabriel Rei-Doval 3	FAC	Spanish & Portuguese	AH	E	2025	reidoval@uwm.edu
Nicole Ridgway	AS	College of the Arts & Architecture	–	A	2025	ridgwayn@uwm.edu
Erin Winkler, Vice-Chair	FAC	African & African Diaspora Studies	AH	E	2025	winklere@uwm.edu
Timothy O’Brien	FAC	Sociology (GCC Chair)	SS	o	2025	obrien34@uwm.edu
Joshua Mersky	FAC	Social Work (GPRC Chair)	PR	o	2025	mersky@uwm.edu
< >	FAC	(GSFC Chair)		o	2025
Erin Flynn	AS	Graduate School staff	x-o	o	2025	ecfmke@uwm.edu
Victoria Moerchen	Assoc Dean	Graduate School	x-o	o	2025	moerchev@uwm.edu
Kristian O’Connor	Interim Dean	Interim Vice Provost for Research and Dean of the Graduate School	–	o	2025	krisocon@uwm.edu
Andrew Frohmader	Student	Graduate Student	–	A	2025	frohmad4@uwm.edu
< >	Student	Graduate Student	–	A	2025

Charter:

A3.05  Graduate Faculty Committee

The Graduate Faculty Committee is UWM’s main policy making body for graduate education. As such it oversees academic and administrative matters across graduate programs and acts as an advocate for graduate students and graduate programs within the University.

1. Membership
   Twenty-two (22) members as follows:
   1. Twelve (12) Faculty elected from among the Graduate Faculty from the Divisions of Arts and Humanities, Natural Sciences, Professions, and Social Sciences. At least two Faculty members must serve from each of these four Divisions, and no more than one member may serve from any one department or non-departmentalized school or college. Faculty members are elected to staggered, three-year terms, and no member may serve more than two (2) consecutive terms or portions thereof. Elected members of the committee should reflect the range of disciplinary competencies in the University and represent the colleges insofar as the size of the committee allows.
   2. The three (3) Faculty Chairs of the Graduate Curriculum Committee, the Graduate Program Review Committee, and the Graduate Student Fellowships Committee.
   3. Two (2) graduate student members appointed annually by the Student Association. Student members must be currently enrolled graduate students and both members must not come from the same college.
   4. Two (2) members of Academic Staff appointed annually by the Academic Staff Committee from among those whose work is pertinent to graduate education or research or to UWM Administration of graduate programs.
   5. Ex-officio members shall include the Dean, one Associate Dean, and a staff person from the Graduate School.
   6. The Committee elects its Chair for the following year from among its Faculty membership at its March meeting. By May of that year, the Chair-elect designates a vice-Chair elect. The Chair-elect and the vice-Chair-elect assume their full, one-year duties on August 1.
   7. The Chair or the Chair’s representative sits on the APBC, RPAC, and PEC committees, in order to have the information necessary for Chairing the Committee and to inform those committees of Graduate Faculty Committee actions. The Chair communicates as needed with the Faculty Senate, the University Committee, the Secretary of the University, graduate program representatives, and the various Deans and Associate Deans.
   8. The Committee meets at least once a month during the academic year, and on request of the Dean of the Graduate School or of five (5) Graduate Faculty Committee members.
   9. The Committee has the authority to declare vacant the seat of those committee members who fail to attend three (3) regular meetings in an academic year
2. Functions
   1. Advises the Dean of the Graduate School on all academic and administrative issues that pertain to graduate education.
   2. Formulates and reviews policies concerning UWM graduate programs.
   3. Considers general policy recommendations from Graduate Curriculum Committee, Graduate Program Review Committee, and Graduate Student Fellowships Committee pertaining to their areas of governance. The Graduate Faculty Committee reviews and approves all general policies that apply across graduate programs.
   4. Establishes criteria for membership in the Graduate Faculty of the University.
   5. Reviews Graduate School regulations and requirements with general application to student admission, continuation, and graduation, and the academic operation of UWM graduate programs. Based on this review, the committee recommends appropriate changes for dissemination through sources such as the Graduate School website, the Graduate School Bulletin and the Graduate Student and Faculty Handbook.
   6. Reviews policies and procedures affecting graduate student assistantships, fellowships, awards and any other sources of funding, and advocates for fair and competitive levels of graduate student compensation and workload.
   7. Reviews policies and procedures at all levels of the University that impact graduate student success, such as those related to health and wellbeing, funding for graduate study, diversity, professional development, retention and completion, and campus safety. The Committee will make recommendations to governance committees, administrative offices, or academic units as appropriate.
   8. Undertakes investigations into larger and more complex issues pertaining to graduate study recommended by its own members, by Graduate Curriculum Committee, Graduate Program Review Committee, or Graduate Student Fellowships Committee, or by Graduate School Administration.
   9. Designates two members who will serve, if needed, on a Graduate Assistant Appeals Panel for Step Three grievance proceedings, as described in the Graduate Assistant Employment Grievance Procedure.

Meetings:

The Graduate Faculty Committee met on the following dates:

• Monday, September 16, 2024
• Monday, October 21, 2024
• Monday, November 18, 2024
• Monday, December 9, 2024
• Monday, April 21, 2025
• Monday, May 5, 2025

During the 2024-25 academic year, the GFC:

1. Accepted Annual Reports
   1. Graduate Faculty Committee, 2023-24
   2. Graduate School Scholastic Appeals Committee, 2023-24
2. Approved Policies and Procedures
   1. Faculty Doc. No. 3078R2: Recommendation for English Proficiency Requirements for Applicants to the Graduate School
   2. Faculty Doc. No. 3203R1: Recommendation of the Graduate Faculty Committee for Changes to the Admission, Continuation, and Dismissal Policies of the Graduate School
   3. Faculty Doc. No. [new]: Graduate School Policy on Non-Degree Student Status and Graduate Credits
   4. Faculty Doc. No. [new]: Graduate School Policy on Transfer Credit
   5. Faculty Doc. No. 3196R1: Requirements for Graduate Credit in Graduate Level Courses and Combined Undergraduate/Graduate Level Courses