Implementation team hears dept. concerns

The Graduate School Implementation Team began gathering information on how departments could be affected by the school’s restructuring at their second meeting Friday.
Director of Graduate Admissions Dean Tsantir and Director of Student Services Karen Starry addressed their departments’ current functions at the committee’s second meeting and how they could be affected by the Graduate School reconstruction.
College of Liberal Arts Dean Jim Parente oversaw the meeting, since the committee's chair, Institute of Technology Dean Steven Crouch, is out of town.
“This is the very beginning of what we imagine to be a series of conversations with people in the Graduate School itself,” Parente said.
Tsantir said the meeting went well and that he appreciated the team asking him to give a presentation.
Graduate and Professional Student Assembly President Kristi Kremers, who participated in the meeting by conference call since she is out of the state, said she learned a lot about the depth of what the Graduate School does, but she is concerned about the six-week time frame the team has been given to make recommendations to the Provost’s Office.
“It definitely raises some red flags for me that we have such a short time to look at this process,” Kremers said. “It is still vitally important to the 14,000 students that use the services.”
University of Minnesota spokesman Daniel Wolter , however, said that if the team strongly feels they need more time, their wish will be respected.
“The goal is to do it right, not to do it quick,” Wolter said.
The committee will be holding an open meeting on Wednesday, Parente said.
The previous meetings have been closed to the media and public.
Parente said he expects the time and place of the meeting to be announced by e-mail to Graduate School faculty, staff and students on Monday.