University Times

The University Council on Graduate Study (UCGS) is scheduled to meet Oct. 17 in closed session to continue its review of proposals from the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences to suspend or end graduate programs in three departments.

The school has proposed indefinitely suspending admissions to the MA and PhD programs in classics and German and to terminate the MA and PhD programs in religious studies at the end of the 2022 academic year. (See June 13 University Times.)

Initial proposals to suspend admissions to the three programs came under University Senate scrutiny amid concerns that University planning and budgeting system processes and academic program review guidelines had not been followed and that the chairs of the three departments had not been given the opportunity to defend their programs prior to the suspensions. (See June 14, 2012, University Times.)

UCGS, according to Pitt’s faculty handbook, “reviews, evaluates and makes recommendations to the provost concerning proposals to establish or terminate post-baccalaureate degree and certificate programs throughout the University.”

Requests for comment from UCGS were referred to the Office of University Communications. Kenneth Service, vice chancellor for University communications, told the University Times only that the programs remain “under review by the Graduate Council,” and that he was not aware of any deadline for a decision by UCGS.

The Senate budget policies committee has been monitoring the process as part of its duties under the University’s planning and budgeting system. BPC chair John J. Baker said BPC plans to make a report or statement on the issue.

—Kimberly K. Barlow