{"id":10761,"date":"2026-04-21T12:06:32","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T17:06:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/secu\/?p=10761"},"modified":"2026-04-21T12:06:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T17:06:35","slug":"march-16-2026-graduate-faculty-committee-gfc-minutes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/secu\/march-16-2026-graduate-faculty-committee-gfc-minutes\/","title":{"rendered":"March 16, 2026 \u2013 Graduate Faculty Committee (GFC) \u2013 Minutes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Time: 3:00 p.m.
Location: Videoconference on Microsoft Teams<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Present: <\/strong>Amy Kalkbrenner, Jerald Thomas, Itziar Lazkano (chair). Winson Chu, Joshua Mersky (GPRC), Jeb Willenbring, Taylor Mathewson Levandoski, Timothy O\u2019Brien (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)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Meeting called to order at 3:00p.m.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Announcements\n
      \n
    1. Announcements from Dean Porter\n
        \n
      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\n
          \n
        1. Especially affects previously categorized professional degrees (only Clinical Psychology program considered professional now for UWM)
          <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        2. Emphasizing affordability of UWM programs
          <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        3. Automatic Consent\n
            \n
          1. Minutes of February 16, 2026, approved as distributed.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          2. New Business\n
              \n
            1. Discussion led by GFC Chair\n
                \n
              1. Grade forgiveness \u2013 Itzi Lazkano: What different needs do departments have with low grades in core classes?\n
                  \n
                1. Lubar, Economics expressed grade forgiveness would be beneficial<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                2. Seems that smaller programs face less issues with this<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                3. Students taking elective courses to boost GPA after failing and taking a core class a second time<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                4. Cumulative assessment or survey of all graduate programs?
                  <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                5. Change\/reset of GPA with various conditions \u2013 Jerald Thomas\n
                    \n
                  1. Issues of students wanting to transfer to a different program, but carrying poor GPA with them from previous program<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  2. This has happened on a case-by-case basis rarely, but has been done through RFE, not uniformly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  3. Graduate School total GPA vs program-specific GPA
                    <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  4. Continuing Business\n
                      \n
                    1. \u00a0Faculty Doc. 3197R1: Qualitative Reviews of Graduate Programs – proposed revisions (vote needed) – Josh Mersky\n
                        \n
                      1. A motion was made by Winson C. to approve this policy change and seconded by Amy K. Motion passed unanimously.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      2. Reports\n
                          \n
                        1. No reports.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        2. Other business \u2013 None.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        3. Meeting adjourned at p.m.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                          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\u2019Brien (GCC), Hamid Ouali (vice chair), Peninnah Kako, Mohammad Rahman, Jorg Woehl, Pamela Bermender, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7888,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"categories":[60],"tags":[43,24,14],"class_list":["post-10761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-graduate-faculty-committee","tag-2025-2026","tag-faculty","tag-minutes"],"yoast_head":"\nSecretary of the University<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/secu\/march-16-2026-graduate-faculty-committee-gfc-minutes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"March 16, 2026 \u2013 Graduate Faculty Committee (GFC) \u2013 Minutes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Time: 3:00 p.m.Location: Videoconference on Microsoft Teams Present: Amy Kalkbrenner, Jerald Thomas, Itziar Lazkano (chair). 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