The Faculty Senate wrapped up the 2013-2014 school year Monday afternoon, voting to approve the creation of two different positions in the graduate school administrative offices as well as the framework of the new campus-wide Diversity Plan.

Graduate School Administrative Positions  

University Committee Chair Michael Bernard-Donals noted the financial statistics of research facilities going into the future. He cited the decline of federal funding for research universities as a reason for increasing the number of  administrators within the graduate school.

Bernard-Donals assured faculty members the change to split the top-level administer duties into two separate positions was to protect the longevity and success of the University of Wisconsin as a research institution.

After much debate in which faculty members both praised for the plan as a means to protect UW’s reputation as a top research institution and concern for the speed of the process to increase the number of administrators, the faculty senate voted to create the new positions.

Diveristy Plan Framework 

Ad Hoc Diversity Planning Committee Chair Ruth Litovsky also gave a presentation to the Senate on the framework of UW’s new Diversity Plan.

Faculty members debated some of the wording in the document, adding a few amendments to the language. The Senate then passed the framework unanimously.

However, faculty members maintained they were only approving the framework, which is subject to change.

This was the last Faculty Senate meeting of the academic year. The Senate will meet again next October.