University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Letters and Science 2002-2003 Graduate Program Committee Meeting: Thursday, March 12, 2003, 11:00 a.m. Holton Hall 241 Minutes No. 3 Present: Swarnjit Arora, Douglas Cherkauer, Bruce Horner, Connie Jo, Edward Mabry, Kristin Ruggiero, Charles Schuster Excused:     Jeffrey Hayes, Diane Reddy, Kyle Swanson Guest: Michael Allen, Denise Mueller The chair, Kristin Ruggiero, called the meeting to order at 11:02 a.m. in Holton Hall 241. Automatic Consent Minutes #2, 2002-2003 (Thursday, September 26, 2002 & Tuesday, October 15, 2002) were approved unanimously. Procedural Matters - None Old Business - None New Business Request for an Entitlement to Plan a PhD in Communication Allen presented to the Committee the proposal for an entitlement to plan a PhD in Communication. Charles Schuster asked if UW-Madison was aware of the department's plans to develop a doctoral program. He also expressed concern that System would be reluctant to approve a new program due to the budget crisis. He mentioned that, in the past, System had indicated that a proposal for a new program would require eliminating another program. Mike Allen explained that UWM is in a unique position for a doctoral program. He stated that UWM has the faculty to provide such a program whereas Madison has an unstable faculty. Edward Mabry informed members of the Committee that the nucleus of students enrolled in Communication is from the local area. Horner indicated that the focus on on-line courses seems to contradict the claim of local appeal of the program; he stated that distance learning frequently includes international students. Edward Mabry explained that most of the students taking on-line courses live 35-45 minutes from the university. Mike Allen explained that the presence of doctoral students would be a cost saving measure since they could teach courses that faculty otherwise would have to be hired to teach. The program would graduate students more likely to remain in Wisconsin, thereby meeting a state demand for Communication faculty. It was moved, seconded, and approved, with one abstention, to recommend to the L&S Faculty approval of the request for an entitlement to plan a PhD in Communication. Adjournment - The meeting was adjourned at 11:32 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Connie Jo Special Assistant to the Dean Secretary to the L&S Faculty D:comm./gpc/minutes#3 Distribution: Dean Richard Meadows Associate Deans Harris, Miller, O'Bryan Assistant Deans Horstman, Kissinger, Olfe Secretary of the University L&S Faculty (via web - http://www.uwm.edu/letsci/committees/index.html)