C.25 Duties and Responsibilities of the Graduate Faculty and Graduate Council

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  1. The Graduate Faculty

    The teaching of graduate courses and the direction of graduate theses and dissertations shall be carried out by members of the Graduate Faculty. Members of the Graduate Faculty shall also have the responsibility for recommendation for admission of graduate students to graduate programs and the recommendation of those to be awarded graduate degrees. There shall be two categories of graduate faculty membership.

    1. Categories of Graduate Faculty Status

      Regular Graduate Faculty

      1. Regular membership is reserved for faculty members who hold the terminal degree in his/her field, have a renewable appointment in excess of one year and is tenured or on the tenure or clinical track. The graduate faculty member shall have successful teaching experience and an active record of research and publication. Regular Graduate Faculty members shall teach graduate courses; direct graduate theses, final or capstone projects, and dissertations; and participate in department or program graduate committees. Graduate faculty status will be reviewed every six years for tenured graduate faculty. The tenure and promotion process will serve as the first six year review for graduate faculty membership for tenure track faculty. Graduate faculty status will be reviewed at the beginning of the appointment cycle for renewable teaching faculty and clinical track faculty holding the terminal degree in their discipline.

        Regular Graduate Faculty members will receive three credit hours of release time during any semester in which they teach one of more stand-alone graduate-level course(s).

        Affiliate Graduate Faculty Status

      2. Affiliate graduate faculty status is assigned to graduate faculty members who hold one year appointments and/or adjunct or part-time faculty. Affiliate graduate faculty members possess significant experience specifically suited to a particular graduate course. The necessary qualification is demonstrable evidence that the candidate possesses the knowledge, experience, and capability in the area of intended participation in the graduate program of the University. Affiliate faculty members shall teach sections of the courses for which they are approved and may participate in department or program graduate committees. Affiliate graduate faculty status is approved yearly. Affiliate graduate faculty members may be approved for years subsequent to their first appointment. In that event, evidence of teaching effectiveness must be presented. Affiliate graduate faculty are not eligible for the three credit hours of release time.

       

    2. Criteria for Election or Reappointment to the Graduate Faculty--necessary for regular graduate faculty membership status

      1. Evidence of Scholarship and Professional Activity

        Faculty involved in the direction of graduate study must be active in the research, application, and/or practice of scholarship in their fields or subject of an interdisciplinary nature reflecting the content of the program in which they are teaching. Scholarship can be evidenced in a variety of ways depending on the academic discipline. Some pertinent criteria are the following:

        1. Publications, both professional and directed toward an informed general audience
        2. Presentations at professional meetings
        3. Manuscripts in preparation
        4. Performance or professional practice activity
        5. Art or music activity
        6. Involvement with professional organizations
        7. Service activities requiring professional expertise
        8. Relevant experience
        9. Appropriate terminal degree

         

      2. Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness

        Faculty involved in the direction of graduate study must be successful teachers at the graduate level. Evidence of successful teaching at the graduate level may be demonstrated by a variety of methods. Some relevant methods are the following:

        1. Course evaluation
        2. Departmental review
        3. Evidence of curricular development, assessment, and advising
        4. Student exit interviews
        5. Directing graduate projects

         

       

    3. Procedures for Election to the Graduate Faculty

      The process consists of:

      1. Faculty completion of application for graduate faculty membership in the CurriculogTM curriculum management system.
      2. Review of graduate faculty application by the college level Graduate Council.
      3. Recommendation of approval/disapproval of graduate faculty status to the dean of the college by the chair of the college level Graduate Council.
      4. Recommendation of approval/disapproval of graduate faculty status to the Dean, School of Graduate Studies by the dean of the faculty's College.
      5. Recommendation of approval/disapproval of graduate faculty status to the Provost by the Dean, School of Graduate Studies.
      6. Decision of approval/disapproval by the Provost.
      7. The Dean, School of Graduate Studies informs the faculty member of the decision.

       

     

  2. The Council of Graduate Program Directors and Chairs

    The Council of Graduate Program Directors and Chairs is the academic, executive, and planning committee of the graduate faculty. Its membership consists of the director or chair of each graduate program. In addition, the Registrar, Director of Library and the provost are ex officio members. The Dean, School of Graduate Studies serves as the chairperson.

    1. The Council of Graduate Program Directors and Chairs

      1. Develops the policies and standards for graduate education;
      2. Reviews and approves recommendations regarding new academic courses and programs;
      3. Serves as the legislative and administrative body for graduate programs at the university;
      4. Serves as the long-range planning committee for graduate studies at the University.

       

    2. Meetings

      The Council of Graduate Program Directors and Chairs will meet at least twice each semester, with meeting times dictated by the current workload.

    3. The College Level Graduate Council

      1. The college level graduate council is comprised of the following individuals:
      2. An assistant/associate dean of the college who serves as a non-voting, ex officio member and chair of the council The assistant/associate dean also serving as program director is eligible to vote.
      3. Every graduate program director in that particular college serve as voting members.
      4. At least two elected faculty representatives from the college serve as voting members.
      5. The Dean, School of Graduate Studies serves as a non-voting ex officio member.
      6. The Registrar or designee and the Collections Development Librarian serve as non- voting ex officio members.

       

      Role of College Level Graduate Council

      The college level graduate council serves as the college’s graduate curriculum committee and as the college’s graduate faculty vetting committee. The college level graduate council will determine the standards for teaching and scholarship for graduate faculty with their college when evaluating applications for graduate faculty membership.