Graduate Council Organization Plan

(approved 6 February 1987; amended April 1993 and again in April 2007)

Graduate Faculty Membership

There are Full, Adjunct, and Special members of the Graduate Faculty. Criteria for membership and procedures for election to membership are established by the Graduate Council (hereafter to be referred to as the Council).



The Graduate Faculty Assembly

All Full, Adjunct, and Special members of the Graduate Faculty constitute the Graduate Faculty Assembly, which is a forum for discussion of matters relevant to graduate studies. Meetings of the Assembly may be called periodically by the Dean of the Graduate School (hereafter to be referred to as the Dean), by majority vote of the Council or by petition of 100 members of the Graduate Faculty. The Dean or his or her designee presides at Assembly meetings. The Assembly may refer issues to the Dean and the Council for further consideration.



The Graduate Council

The Council acts on behalf of the Graduate Faculty to ensure the quality of graduate study and research on this campus. It has authority, subject to administrative concurrence, over policies and procedures governing graduate studies, including but not limited to academic standards, admission standards, fellowships, degree-completion requirements, Council elections, periodic program review, membership in the Graduate Faculty, approval of and changes in graduate courses and programs, publications related to graduate studies, and graduate student life and welfare.



Representation on the Council

Council members from the Graduate Faculty are either elected from the several colleges or appointed by the Dean. From each college, one council member is to be elected for each 100 members of the Graduate Faculty or any fraction thereof. In addition, the Dean may appoint to the Council up to five members of the Graduate Faculty and one college dean.

The President of the Graduate Student Government shall be a voting member of the Graduate Council. The Graduate Student Government shall elect a second voting member of the Graduate Council from the body of graduate students in good standing, and shall do so in a timely fashion at the beginning of each academic year. The Dean shall then appoint three additional voting members from the body of graduate students in good standing.

The President, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Research, the Dean and Associate Deans of the Graduate School, and the Ombudsperson for Graduate Students are ex officio non-voting members of the Council.

Elected faculty members of the Council serve three-year terms. No more than one third of such members are elected in a single year. Elected members who serve a full three-year term are not eligible for election to consecutive terms. Appointed faculty members of the Council serve one-year terms. Vacancies on the Council are filled by appointment by the Dean from the constituency represented by the former member.



Meetings of the Council

Meetings of the Council are normally held at least twice each semester, exclusive of winter and summer terms, and are chaired by the Dean or his or her designee. Actions of the Council are by formal vote, a simple majority of voting members present prevailing, and are recorded in formal minutes taken by a secretary who is appointed by the Dean. A minimum of one more than one half of the voting membership of the Council must be present to form a quorum.



Committees

The Council has the following standing committees:

• Academic Standards
• Faculty Affairs
• Fellowships
• Programs, Curricula, and Courses
• Student Affairs


Special committees shall be established by the Council as deemed necessary to discharge its functions and responsibilities. The Dean may appoint such administrative committees as need dictates. All standing committees shall include at least one graduate student member. Chairs of standing and special committees of the Council must be members of the Council. Members of the committees are appointed by the Dean upon approval of the Council. Any Graduate Faculty member or graduate student in good standing is eligible for such appointment. Terms of standing committee members are for three years with approximately one third of the members appointed each year. The charge to special committees will dictate terms of office and the Dean may determine terms for members of the administrative committees.

Special committees will be structured according to the following provisions:


1. special committees will normally be chaired by an associate dean for as long as the Dean requests it; they may be chaired for a three-year term by a faculty member who is also a member of the Graduate Council;
   
   
2. members of special committees will serve three-year staggered terms, and members will represent an appropriate spectrum of campus programs and disciplines;
   
   
3. graduate students will serve on special committees if their presence is appropriate;
   
   
4. the committees will be administrative but may suggest through the usual routes policy changes or considerations to deans for discussion. Currently, the General Research Board and the Creative and Performing Arts Board are special committees of the Graduate Council.

Amendments

Any member of the Graduate Faculty or the Graduate Council may propose, in writing to the Dean, amendments to the Plan of Organization. Proposed amendments shall be reviewed by an appropriate committee, which will make recommendation to the Council. Upon approval by a majority of the Council, amendments shall be submitted to the Graduate Faculty for vote. Amendments are adopted if approved by two-thirds of the ballots cast. Proposed amendments shall be submitted to the Graduate Faculty for vote within six weeks of Graduate Council approval, exclusive of winter and summer terms.