Faculty Rights and Responsibilities

I. University Organization

II. University Aim, Mission, and Plan

III. Academic Freedom, Free Speech and Diversity

IV. Faculty Rights and Responsibilities

V. Teaching

VI. Curriculum

VII. Students

VIII. Research

IX . Resources

Graduate Faculty Membership

Visit the School of Graduate Studies
(Approved May 9, 1988 by the Graduate Council)

The Graduate Faculty, the body primarily responsible for graduate study, is comprised of faculty members whose experience and record of scholarship qualify them to offer graduate-level instruction. The Graduate Faculty's purpose is to encourage and contribute to the advancement of knowledge and/or professional practice through instruction, supervision, and research of the highest quality. Emphasis is placed on the totality of a Graduate Faculty member's instructional, advising, and professional responsibilities as well as explicit scholarship criteria.

1. Eligibility Criteria
   In order to be appointed to the Graduate Faculty on a permanent basis, a faculty member must have (a) the appropriate terminal degree for graduate instruction in the field, (b) demonstrated involvement in graduate instruction through teaching and, where applicable, graduate student supervision, (c) scholarly accomplishment through research, publications, professional activities, and creative work, and (d) rank of assistant professor or above.
   Other faculty members may receive associate appointments to the Graduate Faculty for terms up to five years.
   
   The dean of the School of Graduate Studies and/or the graduate membership committee may, with the approval of Graduate Council, establish additional criteria for membership on the Graduate Faculty.
   
2. Functions of the Graduate Faculty
   Graduate Faculty members have the privilege of (a) instructing students at the graduate level, (b) serving as members of a student's advisory committee, (c) serving as members of Graduate Council, and (d) serving as chairs of Graduate Council committees.
   Permanently appointed Graduate Faculty members have the privilege of supervising a master's thesis or doctoral dissertation. However, before a Graduate Faculty member can serve as a thesis/dissertation director, that person must be approved on a case-by-case basis (for each specific thesis or dissertation) by the chair/director of the program and the dean of the School of Graduate Studies. The department chairs/program directors shall be responsible for initiating the recommendation for these individuals. If a department chair/program director refuses to support a Graduate Faculty member's request to direct a particular thesis/dissertation or if the chair/director supports the request and the dean of the School of Graduate Studies does not concur and disapproves the recommendation, the faculty member may appeal that ruling. The membership committee will act as the final appellate body for this process.
   
   Individuals appointed to the associate Graduate Faculty have the privilege of (a) instructing students at the graduate level and (b) serving as members of a student's advisory committee but do not have the privilege of serving on the Graduate Council, serving as chairs of Graduate Council committees, or serving as directors/supervisors of theses or dissertations.
   
3. Procedure for Nomination to Graduate Faculty Membership
   
   1. Associate Graduate Faculty Membership
      
      1. Department chair, graduate committee chair, program director, or college dean submits the Graduate Faculty nomination form to the dean of the School of Graduate Studies.
         
      2. The dean of the School of Graduate Studies, acting for the Graduate Membership Committee and Graduate Council, approves or denies the nomination.
         
      3. Written notification of the dean's decision is sent to the department chair, program director, or dean who submitted the request with a copy to the faculty member concerned.
         
      4. All documents pertaining to the nomination are kept on file in the School of Graduate Studies.
   2. Graduate Faculty Membership
      
      1. Department or program faculty committee completes the Graduate Faculty Nomination Form and forwards to college/school dean.
         
      2. The college or school Graduate Committee reviews the nomination and forwards the form with the committee's recommendation to the School of Graduate Studies.
         
      3. The membership committee will review the nomination in accordance with the established criteria and recommend action to the Graduate Council.
         
      4. Graduate Council will take final action on the nomination.
         
      5. Written notification of the Graduate Council's decision is sent to the department chair and dean who submitted the request with a copy to the faculty member concerned.
         
      6. All documents pertaining to the nomination are kept on file in the School of Graduate Studies.
         
      7. At the request of the dean of the School of Graduate Studies, a Graduate Faculty member can be required to submit a current vita or other updated information, subsequent to that person's admission to the Graduate Faculty.
         
4. Review and Removal of Graduate Faculty Status
   
   1. Responsibility for Maintaining Quality of Graduate Faculty
      
      1. 1. It shall be the responsibility of each department/program and/or each college/school Graduate Studies Committee to ensure that its Graduate Faculty remain academically qualified for continued graduate level responsibilities.
         
      2. If the college recommends that an individual faculty member be removed from Graduate Faculty membership, the faculty member may appeal that decision to the Graduate Membership Committee which has authority over retention unless, on further appeal, the Graduate Council overturns the membership committee's decision.
         
   2. Removal of Graduate Faculty Status for Misconduct
      A faculty member can have Graduate Faculty status removed as a result of academic or other misconduct. Upon presentation of evidence to the dean of the School of Graduate Studies sufficient to demonstrate probable cause for removal of Graduate Faculty status, the graduate dean will recommend that the Graduate Membership Committee hold a removal hearing. The Graduate Faculty member may appeal the decision of the membership committee to the Graduate Council.