In response to what University of Wisconsin Chancellor Biddy Martin called the “single greatest complaint” she has received thus far as chancellor, a proposal has been constructed that would significantly change the structure of the graduate school, including the addition of a separate vice chancellor for research.

Specifically, Martin said she has heard many concerns the UW research enterprise has “serious, serious problems,” in her address of the faculty at the faculty senate meeting last Monday.

Martin said the graduate program, frequently ranked among the top five research institutions in the country and comprising a vast majority of UW’s total expenditures, needs significant changes.

“Not to make these serious changes would be a potentially serious detriment to our research enterprise,” Martin said.

The majority of graduate school problems and concerns stem from the fact that under the current structure, the dean of the graduate school, Martin Cadwallader, is responsible for both the graduate education enterprise and the university’s research enterprise at the same time, UW-Madison Provost Paul DeLuca Jr. said.

While these two areas of responsibility are interconnected in many ways, according to DeLuca, the specific roles of each are simply too extensive to be adequately addressed by one individual.

Under the proposal, these roles would be split between two individuals, with the creation of a brand new vice chancellor for research position.

DeLuca said there is concern among the faculty that segregating these roles would dissolve the very important relationship between them, and negatively impact both the graduate program and the research enterprise alike.

“That’s always a potential risk, but then this institution would never tolerate anything like that. It would insist that there is a strong relationship between those two (roles),” DeLuca said.

DeLuca said the restructuring he and Martin have proposed are designed to address a spectrum of issues largely related to how difficult it is for individual faculty to actually pursue research on this campus.

One serious concern is UW does not have the presence in Washington D.C. other universities increasingly have. UW is not systematically developing relationships with federal agencies, and as a result was not part of the agenda setting in Washington regarding national research, Martin said.

There have also been several “extraordinarily serious” safety and compliance issues over the course of the past three years, according to Martin.

“There were some real near misses,” she said.

She added she is very concerned about the lack of integration and operational effectiveness in UW’s safety and compliance in research and sponsor programs in the way research is administered as a whole.

The size and scope of research being done at UW has increased dramatically in the last few years, with dramatic changes to not only the type of research being done, but the way in which it is carried out, according to DeLuca.

“[This] has added a distinct layer of complexity to what we do,” DeLuca said.

There will be a town hall meeting this Wednesday at noon in the microbial science building for faculty, students and staff to voice their thoughts and concerns about the proposed restructuring. All involved in the UW community are invited to attend.