Graduate Studies records

On December 30, 1965, Acting Chancellor Bonnie Cone appointed a Graduate Committee "charged with responsibility for studying problems relating to future graduate offerings at Charlotte, and for developing institutional guidelines for future graduate programs at Charlotte." Professor James Wahab served as Chairman of the Committee until February 1968, when Dr. E. Daymond Turner, Jr. assumed the chair.

The University initiated its first graduate degree programs (M.Ed., M.A.Ed.) in 1970. That same year, the Graduate Committee recommended the following administrative and structural changes:

1. An administrative structure for graduate studies comprised of the Graduate Faculty as a separate academic unit equal to "divisions" or colleges.

2. The replacement of the appointed Graduate Committee with an elected Graduate Administrative Board (GAB).

3. The appointment of a Director of Graduate Studies (DGS).

The Graduate Committee adjourned sine die June 30, 1970.

The Graduate Faculty, which had existed since 1966, held its first meeting on December 17, 1970. Departments had submitted nominations for graduate faculty membership in November 1969. At that time, the Graduate Faculty included every faculty member meeting Southern Association standards for graduate teaching, even though particular departments might not be involved with graduate teaching. In 1978, membership on the graduate faculty required an earned, accredited doctoral degree.

The Graduate Administrative Board (GAB) met for the first time on July 3, 1970. Its charge was to deal with policy questions referred to it by the colleges and by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). Membership in the GAB consisted of one elected representative for each College (two-year term), the Director of Graduate Studies, and one graduate student from each graduate degree program. Dr. Sherman L. Burson, Jr., Charles H. Stone Professor of Chemistry and Chairman of the Department of Chemistry, was elected to a three-year term as chairman of the GAB and as president of the Graduate Faculty.

The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) was an administrative appointee of the Chancellor. As an ex-officio non-voting member of the GAB, the DGS called meetings of the GAB under the provisions of the Graduate Faculty by-laws, and was empowered to call meetings of the Graduate Faculty. Responsibilities of the DGS included "developing and maintaining an information system designed to serve the various college [having] graduate programs, providing guidance and counseling to the Graduate Faculty upon request, . . . [and] serving as UNC Charlotte representative on the University Graduate Council [of the UNC General Administration in Chapel Hill] . . ..”

Though appointed by the Chancellor, after 1977, the DGS reported to and worked under the direction of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. The original position was an interim one; a permanent director's position was to be evaluated after the initial three-year term of office. Professor E. Daymond Turner, Jr., former chair of the Graduate Committee, assumed the director's position in September 1969 and served until 1980.

In June 1981, the Division of Academic Affairs took over the administrative functions of the Office of Graduate Studies and the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies, a newly created position, received responsibility for the program. Dr. Barbara Goodnight held this position until 1984. Dr. Robert W. Carruba was appointed Dean of the Graduate School in 1984. In 1993, Dr. Denise M. Trauth became the first Associate Vice Chancellor for Graduate Programs and Dean of the Graduate School. Dr. Trauth was name Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs in 1998. Robert J. Mundt served as interim until his appointment as Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean in 1999.

The following history is taken from the university’s catalogs:

“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)

For records of the Graduate School, which closely relate to the records in this collection and some of which predate 1985, see the Graduate School Dean’s Office records (UA0133).