U of Minn. restructuring Graduate School

The University of Minnesota is restructuring its Graduate School, a free standing college within the U that provides oversight and support of graduate programs.

By fall a new department in the provost's office will take over the duties of the Graduate School.

University of Minnesota spokesman Dan Wolter said some of the 50 Graduate School employees will be moved to the new department, and some positions will be eliminated.

"So there's certainly going to be some people that are moved to other positions in the provost's office probably to the college unit, but there probably will be some reductions in force as a part of this," Wolter said.

Wolter said the move is in part a cost saving measure, but said the university doesn't have figures on how much money will be saved.

The Graduate School has a yearly budget of $4.5 million dollars, a small portion of the U's overall budget of 2.8 billion dollars.