UW-Madison’s Graduate School moves to Office of the Provost

After a transition spanning several months, the Graduate School will move administrative homes on July 1, 2024, from a component of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research to reporting to the Office of the Provost.

“UW–Madison has a long history of excellence in graduate education and research funding for graduate students,” says Dean of the Graduate School William J. Karpus. “The new structure ensures that we are even better positioned to support the success of our over 11,000 master’s and doctoral students.”

For over a century, oversight of research and graduate education at UW–Madison was under a single individual who held the title of dean and vice chancellor for research. In 2014, at the recommendation of the Faculty Senate and a faculty-led task force, the university formed the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education (OVCRGE), with the Graduate School housed within.

William J. Karpus was hired in 2015 as the first dean of the Graduate School in the OVCRGE. Under Karpus’s leadership, restructuring of the Graduate School has enhanced organizational partnerships, improved support and preparation of graduate students for a variety of career options, increased graduate stipends by nearly 80%, and grown the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)-derived support for graduate students from $7.5M to $12.5M.

The nature of graduate education nationally has evolved in that same period. Karpus says, “In recent years, we’ve seen an increased focus on flexibility and access to high-quality graduate education that also prepares students for a wide spectrum of career outcomes, there’s been growth in demand for professional development, we’ve seen an increased focus on inclusion and mentorship, and we’ve needed to increase graduate assistant stipend rates.”

In December 2023, after campus-wide listening sessions and shared governance engagement, the Faculty Senate voted and Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin approved to move the reporting line of the Dean of the Graduate School to the Provost and to rename the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education title to Vice Chancellor for Research.

The change better aligns the academic mission of the Graduate School with the academic portfolio of the Office of the Provost. It also makes the reporting line for the Graduate Dean consistent with other deans at UW–Madison and across peer institutions. The Dean of the Graduate School will retain a “dotted” reporting line to the Vice Chancellor for Research, maintaining the inextricable link between graduate education and research.

“Research is a fundamental part of graduate education at UW–Madison, ranging from work in laboratories and the field, to archival scholarship and clinical support. The Graduate School plays a vital role in our research infrastructure, supporting innovation and discovery in service to the Wisconsin Idea,” says interim vice chancellor for research Cynthia Czajkowski. “The OVCR, with resources from WARF, will continue to support graduate education and student fellowships.”

“Our graduate students, faculty, and staff across the university will not notice changes on a day-to-day basis,” says Karpus. “The level of service and support that our organization provides will remain the same; however, the restructuring signifies a turning point where the Graduate School becomes more agile, adaptable, better integrated into the academic enterprise of the university, and ultimately more innovative as a national leader in graduate education.”

Learn more about the Graduate School through its most recent annual report, data resources, and strategic priorities.

The Graduate School, at a glance

  • Doctoral degrees conferred (2022-2023): 817
  • Master’s degrees conferred (2022-2023): 2,732
  • Applications for admission (2023-2024): 22,879
  • Total new enrollments, matriculants (2023-2024): 3,591
  • Total graduate enrollment (2023-2024): 11,461
  • WARF endowment for student support (FY23): $16.2 million
  • Graduate School employees (FTEs): 25

Source: Graduate School Data Explorer

A brief history of graduate education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison

  • 1882: The first master’s degree was awarded, 34 years after the university’s founding and over 20 years before a graduate education unit was created. The first PhD was awarded by the university in 1892.
  • 1904: The UW–Madison Graduate School was created, with astronomer G.C. Comstock as its director, who was named dean a decade later.
  • 1917: The Research Committee was formed and ultimately became dedicated to providing resources for faculty research.
  • 1925: Biochemist and professor Harry Steenbock and his colleagues founded The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF). In the years to come, the WARF endowment has become a critical source of funding that supports and develops the research and graduate education enterprises of the university.
  • 2014: The Faculty Senate approved a reorganization of leadership in the university’s research and graduate education enterprise, dividing the responsibilities into two positions – the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education and the Dean of the Graduate School.
  • 2015: Marsha Mailick was appointed as Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education.
  • 2015: William J. Karpus was chosen as first Dean of the Graduate School following the creation of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education position.
  • 2023: The Faculty Senate voted to move the reporting line of the Dean of the Graduate School to the Provost and to change the title “Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education” to “Vice Chancellor for Research.” The Dean of the Graduate School has a strong “dotted” reporting line to the Vice Chancellor for Research, which maintains the inextricable link between graduate education and research, as well as funding streams for graduate student support.
  • 2024: The Graduate School reports to the Office of the Provost.

Source: The Graduate School Celebrates 100 Years (2004)