Graduate School Dean's Office Records

The Graduate School at UNC Charlotte was established in 1984, when its first dean was appointed. However, graduate programs at the University began as early as 1970, and a director of graduate studies was appointed in the fall of 1970. The following history and organization is taken from the university’s catalogs. For a more detailed history of the beginnings of the Graduate Studies program, see the administrative history note for the Graduate Studies records (UA0109).

“Shortly after UNCC emerged as the fourth campus of the University of North Carolina system, the University’s trustees authorized the new institution to ‘provide graduate and undergraduate instruction and research opportunities in the basic natural sciences, the social sciences, the humanities, the fine arts and teacher education.’ Two graduate degree programs designed primarily for teachers in the public school system were approved in 1969. They were a Master of Education degree and a Master of Arts in Education degree with majors in English, history and mathematics. A third graduate degree program was added in 1970 with the approval of the Master of Management degree program in the College of Business Administration.” (1972-1973 Graduate Catalog, p. 6 https://library.digitalnc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/yearbooks/id/7416/rec/17 )

The 1989-1991 university catalog explained the purpose and organization of the Graduate School and its subsets as follows:

“The executive and administrative affairs of the Graduate School are carried out by the Dean of the Graduate School, who acts in cooperation with the deans of the […] colleges.

“The Graduate Council, whose voting members are elected by the faculty, reviews, develops and makes recommendations concerning Graduate School policy. All curricular proposals and all criteria for membership in the Graduate Faculty come before the Graduate Council, which also creates appropriate committees and hears grievances. In addition, the Graduate Council serves in an advisory capacity to the Dean of the Graduate School.

“The Graduate Faculty. In accordance with criteria developed by each graduate program or unit and approved by the Graduate Council, the Dean of the Graduate School appoints faculty members to membership on the Graduate Faculty for a renewable term of five years. Members of the Graduate Faculty offer courses and seminars and supervise research and theses at an advanced level of scholarship.

“The Graduate Student Association was chartered in 1986 and serves as the official organization for UNC Charlotte graduate students, all of whom are automatically members. Its purposes include: (a) establishment of an appropriate voice for graduate students; (b) assistance with their special social, emotional, intellectual and physical needs; and (c) liaison with the administration and faculty. The GSA holds monthly meetings, sponsors social events and publishes a newsletter.

“The Charlotte Graduate Center is a unit of the Graduate School administered by the Dean of the Graduate School. It operates under the policies established by the Graduate Faculty of UNCC. Its purpose is to employ the full range of resources for advanced study within The University of North Carolina to meet the needs and interests of students located within the Charlotte metropolitan area. The interinstitutional master’s and doctoral programs offered are those which UNCC cannot offer solely with its own academic or financial resources.” (1989-1991 Catalog, p. 357 https://library.digitalnc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/yearbooks/id/7395/rec/34 )