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Graduate Faculty Status Guidelines

The integrity of graduate programs rests fundamentally on the capabilities of the faculty. The policy regarding graduate faculty status is intended to ensure that student research and coursework are being directed by faculty members who are actively engaged in original scholarship and are current with respect to important developments in their discipline. An emeritus faculty member continues to serve as a dissertation chairman under the condition that the supervised dissertation has passed a proposal defense before the emeritus faculty member retires. 

There are three different categories of membership to the graduate faculty: full, associate, and external. The general procedure to attain membership to the graduate faculty is outlined immediately below. Additional details are provided in the sections related to each level.

GENERAL PROCEDURE FOR GRADUATE FACULTY MEMBERSHIP 

  • For Full and External Membership, the applicant submits an application file comprising an application form (available online), current CV, and narrative addressing qualifications of membership status. If the department chair (or equivalent) approves the application, the chair (or equivalent) digitally signs the application and it is forwarded to the college dean (or equivalent, e.g., the college director for graduate studies). If approved, the dean (or equivalent) digitally signs the application and the application is forwarded to the Graduate School for approval. (For Associate Membership, all full-time faculty and faculty with formal non-employment affiliation (e.g., joint programs and interinstitutional appointments) with a UofM academic department or program, with a research/scholarship agenda and/or creative activities, are automatically granted Graduate Faculty Status at the Associate Member level. Each year prior to the start of the Fall semester, department chairs will provide their updated list of all qualified members for Associate Membership. 
  • In the event of a disapproval of the application at any level, a detailed explanation must be provided. If the applicant wishes to appeal the decision, the applicant must submit a request to the Dean of the Graduate School within 45 days of the date of the disapproval. The Dean of the Graduate School will forward the appeal to the University Council for Graduate Studies (UCGS), which will review the case and make its recommendation to the Dean. The action taken by the UCGS at this point is final. 
  •  Copies of all files will be maintained at the Graduate School. 

  

CRITERIA 

GRADUATE FACULTY STATUS - FULL MEMBER (Application)

Who Is Eligible: 
All full-time faculty with significant scholarship or creative activity beyond the terminal degree and the ability to direct doctoral dissertations, even if the faculty member is in a department that does not offer such a program. Visiting professors may be granted Full Member status in the Graduate Faculty for the duration of their appointment. Application for full graduate faculty status must receive approval from the chair, dean, and graduate school as described above. 

Significant Scholarship Beyond the Terminal Degree 
At least six publications (in print or accepted for publication*) in nationally recognized refereed journals or equivalencies, as decided by the department and approved by the college/school, in a six-year period. The six years may be either the six years prior to the year of application or may include the year of application and the previous five years. Examples of equivalencies might be a book that contains original research and is published by a nationally or internationally recognized publisher, refereed or invited book chapters, refereed conference proceedings, films, and musical compositions. 

(*For publications cited as accepted, a copy of the letter of acceptance from the journal editor or publisher must be included.) Publications and equivalencies must maintain the standard and spirit of the requirement and be addressed in the faculty member's narrative (see below) and by the departmental recommendations. 

Requirements for Renewal:  
A continued pattern of scholarly activity of the quality expected for full membership. During the past 6 years the faculty up for renewal should have published books, edited chapters, and/or issued articles in refereed journals with national reputations; or shown other evidence of scholarly and/or creative activity which meets the faculty member’s departmental or program standards. The faculty’s recent participation in chairing theses and dissertations, serving on graduate student thesis or dissertation committees, and other scholarly activities are important considerations for renewal. 

Roles: 

  •  May serve on master's and doctoral committees 
  •  May chair both master's and doctoral committees 
  •  May chair master's and doctoral committees in other programs at that program's discretion 
  •  May vote on graduate issues 
  •  May serve on the UCGS 

Procedure - Initial Admission and Renewal: 
The faculty member submits a complete curriculum vitae (in the current U of M format) together with a supporting narrative to the appropriate departmental graduate committee. This narrative should emphasize the candidate's qualifications for full membership, including a coherent scholarly agenda that demonstrates currency in the field of study as well as the ability to teach advanced graduate courses and direct doctoral dissertations. The application then follows the General Procedure for Application described above. The same procedure is followed to apply for renewal, except that only an abbreviated curriculum vitae detailing the applicant's last six years is required. 

Term: 
Full Graduate Faculty status will be granted to an individual for a period of six calendar years.  

Resignation or Retirement: 
Upon retirement or resignation from the University, faculty who wish to retain their Graduate Faculty membership should write a memo to the Graduate School, endorsed by the department chair and dean, requesting continued membership for the sole purpose of completing their service on existing master’s and/or doctoral committees.  

GRADUATE FACULTY STATUS - ASSOCIATE MEMBER 

Who Is Eligible: 
All full-time faculty (including non-tenure track such as post docs and visiting professors) and faculty with formal non-employment affiliation (e.g., joint programs and interinstitutional appointments) with a UofM academic department or program, with a research/scholarship agenda and/or creative activities, are automatically granted Graduate Faculty Status at the Associate Member level. Other UofM employees that are not in a faculty position who possess a terminal degree in their field and whose expertise is relevant to the dissertation, may apply for Associate status using the application link above.   

Roles (at the discretion of the department chair): 

  • May serve on master's and doctoral committees 
  • May chair master's committees 
  • May chair master's committees in other programs at that program's discretion 
  • May NOT chair doctoral committees, but may Co-chair with a full member 
  • May vote on graduate issues 
  • May serve on University Council for Graduate Studies (UCGS)  if they are full-time UofM faculty. 

Procedure: Each fall semester College Graduate Directors send a list of new Associate members to the Graduate School for addition to the list of Associate faculty members.  

Term: 
Associate Graduate Faculty status will be granted to an individual for the duration of their affiliation with the UofM Graduate School. 

Resignation or Retirement: 
Upon retirement or resignation from the University, faculty who wish to retain their Graduate Faculty membership should write a memo to the Graduate School, endorsed by the department chair and dean, requesting continued membership for the sole purpose of completing their service on existing master's and/or doctoral committees. 

GRADUATE FACULTY STATUS - EXTERNAL MEMBER (Application) 

Who Is Eligible: 
This status is designed for individuals who hold terminal degrees and are not employed by the university as full-time faculty members nor have a formal non-employment affiliation with UofM, but who have special expertise that is of benefit to a particular graduate program. 

Roles: 

 May serve on master's and doctoral committees 

  •  May NOT chair or co-chair master's or doctoral committees 
  •  No more than one external graduate faculty member may serve as a voting member of a committee 
  •  May NOT serve on UCGS 

Procedure - Initial Admission and Renewal: 
The General Procedure for Graduate Faculty Membership must be followed. The individual's current CV together with an explanation from the department/unit regarding the qualifications of the individual and the anticipated role the individual will play in the graduate program must be included in the application  that is submitted for approval. 

Term: 
External Graduate Faculty status will be granted to an individual for a period of three calendar years.