School of Education
University of Wisconsin–Madison

Programs Committee

The School of Education faculty as a whole has delegated the responsibility for the review of all proposed new courses, new programs, and revisions of existing courses and programs to the School’s Programs Committee.

The committee may initiate proposals for change that are then referred to another appropriate department or committee for further action, or the committee itself may elect to pursue a particular course of action.

In fulfilling these functions, committee members serve as liaisons with departments and provide feedback between departments and the committee. Other review bodies, including the faculty, the Chancellor’s Office, and System Administration, assume that the actions of the Programs Committee represent informed professional judgment in accordance with School and University policy. Actions taken by the Programs Committee are subject to faculty and administrative review at all levels.

If you wish to submit a course proposal to the School of Education Programs Committee, please initiate the course proposal in Lumen, UW–Madison’s system for course proposals. This system is accessible through the MyUW portal. Courses are approved at the department level, school/college level, and at University Curriculum Committee, the campus body responsible for course review.

For any questions about the course proposal system, program changes, or Programs Committee representation, please contact Maren Harris from the Dean’s Office at meharris2@wisc.edu or 608-262-1763.

Academic Year 2018-19

  • Carolyn Kelley, Committee Chair, Senior Associate Dean)
  • Bill Schrage​, Kinesiology
  • ​Dawnene Hassett, Curriculum & Instruction
  • Karen McShane-Hellenbrand, Dance
  • Amy Claessens, Educational Policy Studies
  • Meg Mitchell, Art
  • Malachy Bishop, Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education
  • ​Shuxing Fan, Theatre and Drama
  • Lynet Uttal, Counseling Psychology
  • ​Peter Steiner, Educational Psychology
  • Nick Hillman, Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis
  • Ex Officio 
  • Barbara Gerloff, Academic Services
  • Elizabeth Jach, Dean’s Office
  • Maren Harris, Admin Support

Meetings

Meetings are held the first Friday of each month from 12:30-2:00 p.m.​

2018-2019 ACADEMIC YEAR
2017-2018 ACADEMIC YEAR
2016-2017 ACADEMIC YEAR
2015-2016 ACADEMIC YEAR
2014-2015 ACADEMIC YEAR
2013 – 2014 ACADEMIC YEAR
2012 – 2013 ACADEMIC YEAR
2011 – 2012 ACADEMIC YEAR

Please ​the Dean’s office for minutes, agendas, and meeting handouts prior to the 2011-12 academic year.

Meeting Documents and Materials

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Directed Study Policy from the Undergraduate Catalog

Directed Study, also called Independent Study, offers the student an opportunity to work with a School of Education faculty member on an individual topic of interest. Most School of Education departments make directed study courses available to students on the basis of the student’s preparation and motivation and a faculty member’s willingness to accept the student in such an endeavor. Directed Study courses are numbered 199, 299, 399, and 699.

This study option is intended primarily for advanced students who have a depth of knowledge in a field, the self-discipline necessary for independent work, and strong motivation to pursue a special project. Many program areas limit the number of Directed Study credits that can be applied to major or minor requirements.

Directed Study is taken as a supplement to, but not as a replacement for, available course offerings. In this way, it may be used to expand areas of particularly strong interest. Extra responsibility is required from the faculty member involved, and no member of the faculty is obligated to accept a proposal for a directed study project. Students should have a well-defined outline of the topic to be studied before discussing the project with a faculty member.

Students who wish to pursue Directed Study must:

  • Contact the department or an individual professor in the desired academic area and present an outline for an individual project.
  • Develop an agreement (preferably written) that includes a determination of the number of credits (usually 1 to 3) to be received.
  • Enroll in the course sing the professor’s individual section number for Directed Study.