Provost Paul DeLuca, Jr., we know you were all ready to reform the grad school, but it looks like you might have to rethink that Che shirt, because it’s not revolution time just yet. DeLuca recently proposed the creation of a new vice chancellor for research, separate from the graduate school, to manage the University of Wisconsin’s research operations.

DeLuca’s proposal came in response to compliance issues in the university’s research facilities, specifically those regarding animal welfare and safety management. The fear was that UW’s compliance violations would cause the graduate school to lose federal funding for research. However, not all faculty members, administrators and students felt the graduate school’s problems would necessarily be solved by adding a new office to oversee research, especially with the financial and structural aspects of the plan not being clearly delineated.

Released Thursday, the final report of the Academic Staff Ad Hoc Committee that had been examining DeLuca’s proposal confirms that the graduate school need not change its current framework in order to effectively address its code violations.

As previously expressed by some of those who spoke against the proposal, there is insufficient evidence to prove that adding a new position to oversee research management would solve the grad school’s problems. The ad hoc committee’s report states the reason “there are problematic areas of the research enterprise that are not functioning properly…is not primarily due to the organizational structure” of the research entity. Instead, they cite a lack of lower-level oversight, clear “strategic vision” and relatively inexperienced Research and Sponsored Programs staff.

Moreover, it turns out even fears of a doom and gloom scenario involving serious Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare and Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care violations were misplaced. In a visit to campus at the end of last year, the US Department of Agriculture found the overall condition of research animals to be “good.” And despite the over 20 violations that turned up in December, a follow-up visit last week gave the research apparatus a clean bill of health.

In light of all this, and in agreement with the report’s recommendation, we believe the code violations would be more cost-effectively addressed by ensuring necessary funding and staff are provided to the specific departments where they are lacking, rather than imposing a top-down solution that risks hurting a thriving research department. Most importantly, these efforts must proceed as part of a clearly outlined plan, the details of which should be made available to all involved in the decision making process.

To date, most of Chancellor Biddy Martin’s term has focused on transforming the way the university approaches academic affairs. Often we have supported her. But in this case, Martin prepared for an extensive renovation where only a few minor repairs were needed.