June 1, 2001

 

To:        Deans, Directors and Department Heads

 

From:    Gary Pivo, Dean
             Director, Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs

 

Subject:  Minimum Graduate Class Size

 

On April 23, 2001, the Academic Council approved the following policy concerning the minimum size for graduate classes. This follows on an effort by the Graduate College and Council to have the minimum size of graduate classes reduced from 7 to 5 in order to better meet the needs of graduate programs. The Provost has authorized me to inform you of this change in University policy. A revision to the University Handbook for Appointed Personnel (UHAP), reflecting this change, will be made in the near future. Please note that no changes were made in the minimum class size for undergraduate courses and the Vice President for Undergraduate Education will continue monitoring compliance with those standards.

1. The minimum class size for graduate classes will be 5 students. This policy does not apply to Individual-Studies graduate courses, which are those with numbers ending in 91, 93, 94 and 99, as well as all 900-level courses. The minimum size for 400/500 classes will be 5 graduate students or 12 students in total.
   
   
2. Colleges shall work in consultation with the Vice President for Undergraduate Education, assisted by the Provost as needed, to develop a curriculum planning method that enables the colleges to know in advance of a given semester whether they will make a sufficient contribution to meeting the Undergraduate Consolidated Accountability Report (UCAR), General Education, Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) and other undergraduate instructional responsibilities. If there is a significant degradation in the University's capacity to satisfy these responsibilities before this task is completed, the reduction in the minimum graduate class size will be reconsidered.
   
   
3. While the curriculum planning approach is being developed, college deans are authorized to set limits on course listings and teaching assignments, as needed, to ensure that the lower minimum course size does not cause an inadvertent increase in small graduate classes at the expense of other instructional responsibilities.
   
   
4. A review of this policy change will be conducted within at least 3 years. Until then, the Office of Decision and Planning Support will monitor changes in the distribution of faculty teaching assignments between class levels and sizes each semester. Any pattern of significant change that would adversely affect the University's ability to meet its instructional responsibilities will cause a review of the policy. Any such review will examine whether the policy change has affected the distribution of teaching activities among different class sizes and levels, whether the change has affected graduate program quality measures such as time-to-degree, student course loads, and retention, and whether the change has affected the University's capacity to fulfill its undergraduate instructional responsibilities. The Graduate College and the Office of Decision and Planning Support will monitor relevant indicators of graduate education quality in order to allow the effects of the minimum graduate class policy to be measured and evaluated in comparison to changes it may cause in undergraduate instruction.
   
   
5. The quantity and quality of 400/500 courses should be considered as part of departmental learning outcomes assessment in order to ensure that they are meeting the needs of undergraduate and graduate students.

Please let me know if I can answer any questions on this matter. Your continuing support of graduate education is sincerely appreciated.