If Marshall’s new role as a major institution is to be sustained and enhanced, what are the implications for both graduate and undergraduate education?

he merger with the former West Virginia Graduate College and the creation of the Marshall University Graduate College in South Charleston provides the university with the foundation upon which to build and expand the graduate programs outside of the Huntington campus. The commitment of MUGC to program delivery throughout the region provides the university with a gateway through which selected graduate programs can be expanded and made accessible across the state and region.

With the addition of the Marshall University Graduate College, the university is poised to move aggressively to expand its role in graduate education. Such a process should be guided by a comprehensive and integrated strategic plan. To achieve this end the committee is recommending a task force be formed to study graduate education at Marshall University.

This task force is to be charged with developing mission and goal statements and recommending a strategic plan to facilitate the growth of the university as a comprehensive graduate institution. Specific issues to be addressed include:

1. To study and make recommendations on graduate faculty workload

2. To create strategies to make possible an increase in the level of research activity among the graduate faculty.

3. To study a means of increasing compensation for graduate assistants.

4. To articulate differences between the roles of undergraduate and graduate education within the institution.