March 8, 2004

Present: Judith Anderson, Erik Bucy, Ellen Dwyer, Katy Fraser, Jeff Hart, Kevin Hunt (chair), Chuck Livingston (recorder), Al Ruesink, Rob Shakespeare

1. The meeting began at 2:00 PM with the approval of the minutes for March 1, as amended.

2. The Task Force on Graduate Education, convened by President Herbert, has asked the CPC for its views on the need for and best possible structure of the Graduate School. The Committee continued its discussion of the value of a strong Graduate School, as well its negative aspects for the College and University.

Committee members reviewed specific needs that the Graduate School might be able to address, including such bureaucratic functions as overseeing the formal process of the filing of dissertations, but also including such goals as encouraging cross-discipline activities. One committee member noted the lack of academic focus and effectiveness in the academic realm of the present Graduate School. There also was some discussion of the value of the Graduate School's review of proposals for new graduate programs, both with an eye to the quality of the proposals and to the possible replication of curricular efforts across the IU system, especially in times of limited resources.

Committee members raised concerns about the very short timetable given by the President's Task Force, and also of the limited representation by College faculty on the Task Force.

3. Dean Subbaswamy joined the meeting at 2:55 PM. He informed the CPC of his understanding that the Chancellor's Committee reviewing the School of Informatics is moving forward. He emphasized the need to resolve the many underlying issues regarding Informatics and the importance of this resolution in determining the status of the Department of Computer Science.

The next stage of the Commitment to Excellence programs calls for each School and the College to identify their strategic needs. Following a review of the Deans' submissions, the Chancellor's Strategic Planning Committee will invite specific CTE proposals. The Dean told the Committee that he is finalizing his submission. College priorities include: graduate student support, applied statistics, support for humanities programs (especially hiring in present departments), and start-up funds for the sciences. Any new proposals will be in the Arts and Humanities.

The Dean shared with the Committee a draft of his statement to the President's Task Force on graduate education. In that document, he argues that the Graduate School has achieved its goal of creating a highly effective and successful graduate program, and with this mission accomplished there is no longer a need for a Graduate School. In addition, he argues that by creating a system of shared responsibilities for graduate education, the effect of having the Graduate School is that there is an actual decrease in accountability.

He notes that both the MBA program and JD program function effectively without the oversight of the Graduate School. Furthermore, he suggests that in the academic realm individual Schools and departments already carry the burden of overseeing and supporting graduate education. In the Dean's view, having a strong Graduate School also creates a greater distance between the administration of the graduate program and the graduate students whom it should serve. While acknowledging that the Graduate School does carry out some essential functions, the Dean argues that these are not of an academic nature and could be more effectively carried out by other administrative units.

Committee members shared some of their concerns regarding not having the Graduate School and the Dean responded that in his view the Graduate School is not effectively addressing these concerns now, nor does he believe that a strengthened Graduate School will be more effective.

4. The Dean left the meeting at 3:30 PM.

5. The Committee briefly discussed whether any further action regarding the School of Informatics is needed, and decided to forward to President Herbert its letter to Chancellor Gros Louis describing its concerns on related issues.

6. The meeting concluded at 3:40 PM.

Questions or comments regarding the minutes and actions of the Policy Committee may be addressed to Kevin Hunt 5-3857, Dept. of Anthropology, Student Building 248, khunt@indiana.edu. Past minutes and College Policy Statements can be found at the CPC web page: www.indiana.edu/~college/faculty/policy/policies.shtml.