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Graduate School Representative (GSR) Eligibility

In order to serve as a Graduate School Representative (GSR), the proposed candidate:

  1. Must be a Graduate Faculty member with an endorsement to chair (check Graduate Faculty Locator).
  2. Must be clear of any conflicts of interest (see below).  The GSR is responsible for ensuring that no such conflicts of interest, or appearance of conflicts of interest, exist, and must attest to this upon request.
Primary Appt. Joint Appt. Affiliate Appt. Adjunct Appt.
Proposed GSR has appt in student’s/committee chair’s dept No No No Yes
Proposed GSR does not have appt in student’s/committee chair’s dept Yes Yes Yes Yes
Proposed GSR has conflict of interest* No No No No

Yes = eligible to serve
No = not eligible to serve

  • Budgetary relationships, personal relationships, or research and/or publication relationships between the GSR and either the student or the committee chair are examples of possible conflicts of interest.

Policy 4.4: Interdisciplinary Committees and Degree-Offering Groups

Certain fields of knowledge or inquiry may be of interest to members of the graduate faculty associated with two or more academic units across different schools, colleges, or campuses. To facilitate collaboration, the Dean of the Graduate School may establish two types of faculty organizations under the Graduate School’s administrative structure: non-degree-offering interdisciplinary committees or degree-offering interdisciplinary groups.

Deans of colleges or schools other than the Graduate School may support interdisciplinary activities within those units according to local policies and established faculty governance. Policy 4.4 applies exclusively to interdisciplinary committee and degree-offering groups within the Graduate School.

The Dean of the Graduate School appoints Graduate School interdisciplinary committees and Graduate School interdisciplinary groups at the request of a group of graduate faculty. Interdisciplinary committees and groups may be established when the interests of participating faculty cannot easily be represented by a single chair, dean, or chancellor, and when a single college, school, or campus cannot provide the administrative structure required to support related educational activities. Interdisciplinary committee and group membership is limited to members of the graduate faculty. These faculty serve as committee or group members, nominate a chair who is appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School, and identify additional members. Faculty members active in these committees and groups retain primary association and faculty appointment in the home academic unit.

Graduate School interdisciplinary committees do not offer graduate degrees or certificates, while Graduate School interdisciplinary groups serve as qualified academic units that have been authorized to offer a graduate degree and/or graduate certificate. The Graduate School serves as the college-level administrative location for any resulting academic programs.

4.4.1     Interdisciplinary Committees

Graduate faculty members from more than one school, college, or campus who wish to establish an interdisciplinary committee concerned substantially with research or graduate education may ask to be designated as a Graduate School interdisciplinary committee.

  • Among the purposes of such committees may be to formalize coordination across institutional boundaries of research projects, proposal submissions, graduate student recruitment, consulting, seminars, or graduate curricula.
  • An interdisciplinary committee does not offer its own graduate degree, certificate, coursework, or independent curriculum; graduate students associated with such a committee must be enrolled in and meet all requirements of an authorized degree program.
  • Interdisciplinary committees may initiate development of a new graduate degree or graduate certificate program.

4.4.1.1     Establishing an Interdisciplinary Committee

A request to establish an interdisciplinary committee is made by letter from participating graduate faculty to the Dean of the Graduate School.

  • The letter should describe the purpose of the committee and list the proposed members along with faculty ranks and units of primary appointment.
  • The letter should also identify the committee chair or co-chairs who will serve for the duration of the committee’s activities or until the committee formally elects another chair.
  • The committee chair leads the committee and reports to the Dean of the Graduate School regarding committee activities.

Committees are initially appointed for up to three years, coinciding with the academic calendar.

The Graduate School normally does not offer financial support for committee activities.

4.4.1.2     Committee Administration

  • At the end of the appointment period, the committee chair must inform the Graduate School as to whether reappointment of the committee is desired.
  • Changes to either committee membership or the committee chair are by the following process: (1) nomination by a committee member or chair; (2) quorum majority vote endorsing the new chair or committee member (in person, electronic, or paper); (3) submission of vote results from the committee chair to the Dean of the Graduate School via the Office of Academic Affairs and Planning; and (4) confirmation from the Graduate School.
  • Members are removed from the committee when: (1) the faculty member resigns from the committee; (2) the faculty member’s graduate faculty appointment ends; (3) the defined appointment term on the committee ends; or (4) the committee members vote to remove the member according to the voting process described above.

4.4.2     Interdisciplinary Groups

If faculty wish to create an interdisciplinary graduate degree or certificate program under the Graduate School Dean’s Office, the first step is formation of an interdisciplinary committee. Following approval of the interdisciplinary committee, its faculty may propose a graduate degree or certificate program following the same process as a new degree or certificate proposal from any department, school, college, or campus.

If the Board of Regents grants authority to offer the new degree, the interdisciplinary committee is designated as a qualified degree-offering interdisciplinary “group” and is administered through the Graduate School. The chair of the interdisciplinary committee becomes chair of the newly formed interdisciplinary group on an interim basis. The chair’s appointment must be re-confirmed by vote of the faculty group according to the procedures below and be submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School for formal appointment.

4.4.2.1     Authority of the Interdisciplinary Group

A Graduate School interdisciplinary group functions as the degree-offering academic unit authorized to offer a graduate curriculum and to supervise graduate students associated with its graduate degree program.

  • The interdisciplinary group recommends admission to and graduation from its degree program.
  • It may administer an operating budget and space when these are available from cooperating schools and colleges; normally the Graduate School does not allocate such funds or facilities.
  • A group may administer research grants and contracts associated with the graduate program.
  • A group does not maintain primary appointments of its faculty; these are held in departments, schools, colleges, or campuses.

4.4.2.2     Interdisciplinary Group Membership

  • Members of an interdisciplinary group must be members of the University graduate faculty (see Policy 4.1).
  • Changes to group membership, group chair, or academic program director are by the following process: (1) nomination by a group member or group chair; (2) quorum majority vote by the faculty group regarding endorsement of the new member, chair, or director (in person, electronic, or paper); (3) submission of vote results from the group chair to the Dean of the Graduate School via the Office of Academic Affairs and Planning; and (4) confirmation by the Graduate School of new group members or formal appointment by the Dean of the Graduate School for a new chair or director.
  • Members are removed from the group when: (1) the faculty member resigns from the group; (2) the faculty member’s graduate faculty appointment ends; (3) the defined appointment term on the group ends; or (4) the group votes to remove the member according to the voting process described above.

4.4.2.3     Interdisciplinary Group Chair

The interdisciplinary group chair reports to the Dean of the Graduate School in the same manner that the chair of a department reports to the dean of a departmentalized school or college with regard to the academic program offered by the interdisciplinary group (Executive Order I.4). The chair is selected by the interdisciplinary faculty group as described under 4.4.2.2.

  • The chair has the additional responsibility of furnishing information regarding program details and coordinating support for the program with other chairs, directors, and deans who are directly concerned with the operation of the program.
  • The interdisciplinary group chair is responsible for monitoring the program’s budget and resources in coordination with program staff and the Graduate School.
  • The interdisciplinary group chair normally serves as the academic program director and Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC). In some cases, the role of the interdisciplinary group chair may be separate from the role of the academic program director. When these roles are distinct, either the chair or the program director may serve as the GPC. The academic program director must be a member of the graduate faculty and a member of the interdisciplinary group.

4.4.2.4     Group Administration

An interdisciplinary group may be continued indefinitely in the Graduate School, subject to periodic review by the Graduate School in the same manner as all graduate degree programs and at least once every ten years, or the degree program may be moved to another degree-offering unit following the appropriate university-level process. If the degree program is moved to another academic unit, the graduate faculty of that unit will have oversight of the degree program and the Graduate School interdisciplinary group will be dissolved.


Policy 4.4 revised: December, 1985; Updated: June 2010, October 2014; Revised: September 2017

Policy 4.3: The Graduate Program Coordinator and the Graduate Program Advisor

Each academic unit offering a graduate program must designate at least one Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC) and one Graduate Program Advisor (GPA). GPCs and GPAs are knowledgeable of UW Graduate School policies and internal unit and program-related policies and procedures. In general, GPC and GPA responsibilities include but are not limited to communicating and facilitating Graduate School policies for prospective and current graduate students, faculty, and staff, and serving as an intermediary between the student, graduate program, and the Graduate School.

4.3.1     The Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC)

The Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC) is appointed from the Graduate Faculty and must hold the rank of Professor, Associate Professor, Teaching Professor, or Associate Teaching Professor. Eligibility includes faculty in Research appointments and faculty in Without Tenure (WOT) appointments. The GPC serves as an official representative of an academic unit which offers a graduate degree program or graduate certificate program. One or more alternate GPCs may serve as deputy. An academic unit may define additional qualifications for the GPC beyond the Graduate School minimum requirements.

Individual units are responsible for assigning specific roles and responsibilities to the GPC. At minimum, the GPC role must encompass the oversight responsibility described under “Graduate Program Coordinator and Graduate Program Advisor Roles and Responsibilities” below.

The Chair/Director of each unit submits to the Graduate School the name(s) of graduate faculty member(s) recommended to serve as GPC and alternate GPC(s). Appointment to these positions is made by the Dean of the Graduate School.

4.3.2     The Graduate Program Advisor (GPA)

The Graduate Program Advisor (GPA) role is normally appointed to staff. The GPC may also serve as the GPA at the discretion of the academic unit. The GPA serves as an official liaison between the academic unit and the Graduate School. A unit may have one or more Graduate Program Advisors.

Individual units are responsible for assigning specific roles and responsibilities to the GPA. Recommended practices for the GPA are available on the Graduate School website.

The Chairperson/Director or GPC of each academic unit appoints the GPA(s) and submits the GPA name(s) to the Graduate School.

4.3.3     Graduate Program Coordinator and Graduate Program Advisor Roles and Responsibilities

At minimum, GPC responsibilities include acting on behalf of the Graduate Faculty to assure appropriate oversight and implementation of the items below. The GPA works in coordination with the GPC who may delegate specific duties to the GPA, other graduate faculty, or other members of the academic unit.

  • To advise, counsel and assist graduate students, or to arrange and verify that this service is rendered by another member of the Graduate Faculty or program staff, as appropriate. To ensure that special attention is given to newly admitted students and others with particular needs.
  • In accordance with Policy 3.1, to act for the unit in admitting students into Graduate School, i.e.,:
    • to receive documentation for graduate student admission applications;
    • to review applications with the faculty in the unit; and
    • to submit to the Dean of the Graduate School the recommendations of the unit respecting admissions of new students.
  • As soon as practicable to transmit to the Dean of the Graduate School the names of those to serve as Chairperson and Members of the Supervisory Committee for the student. (See Policy 4.2)
  • To acquire and maintain familiarity with policies and procedures of the Graduate School.
  • To serve as the liaison between the academic unit and the Graduate School in other appropriate ways.

Policy 4.3 revised: November 2020

Policy 4.2: Supervisory Committee for Graduate Students

This section outlines the policy for the supervisory committee of master’s students and doctoral students.

As a general principle, each student working toward a graduate degree at the University of Washington is guided by a faculty supervisory committee. This committee serves an important evaluative and mentoring function for the student throughout the student’s graduate career.

Questions about the timeline and process for appointing a supervisory committees for master’s or doctoral students should be directed to the Graduate School’s Graduate Enrollment Management Services (GEMS) office. All other questions about supervisory committee appointment or function, as well as concerns about the proceedings of an exam, should be directed to the Graduate School’s Office of Academic Affairs.

4.2.1     The Master’s Supervisory Committee

Appointment of a supervisory committee for students aspiring to the Master’s degree is determined by the Graduate Faculty in the degree-offering unit or program. The Graduate Program Coordinator, in consultation with the student and appropriate faculty members, appoints a committee of two to four members. The Chair and at least one-half of the total membership must be members of the graduate faculty.

For any thesis project that may include human or animal subjects, the GPC or GPA must advise the student of the need to  comply with the University of Washington Human Subjects Division and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee’s requirements, as appropriate, and the student and committee chair must complete the Use Of Human And Animal Subjects For UW Graduate Student Theses And Dissertations form.

4.2.2     The Doctoral Supervisory Committee other than Practice Doctorates

The appointment of a doctoral supervisory committee indicates that the Graduate Faculty in the student’s field find the student’s background and achievement a sufficient basis for progression to the next stage of a program of doctoral study and research.

Doctoral supervisory committee member responsibilities include the approval of a course of study which will fulfill the general course requirements of the student’s major and supporting fields, conducting the student’s General Examination and, when appropriate, recommending advancement to Candidacy.

The doctoral supervisory committee approves the Candidate’s dissertation proposal and guides the student in carrying out appropriate research for the dissertation. The Graduate School does not stipulate the content of the dissertation; guidance on the dissertation is the responsibility of the supervisory committee.

For doctoral committee responsibilities for the General Exam and Final Exam, see Policy 1.1.4.

4.2.2.1     Timeline and Process

  • In order to allow time to identify a suitable Graduate School Representative (GSR), it is suggested that the doctoral supervisory committee be established at least four months prior to the intended date of the General Examination.
  • The appointment of a committee is initiated by the Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC) after consultation with appropriate Graduate Faculty members in the student’s field and with the student.
  • The GPC recommends members of the supervisory committee to the Dean of The Graduate School by entering this information into MyGradProgram (MGP).
  • For any dissertation project that may include human or animal subjects, the GPC or GPA must advise the student of the need to comply with the University of Washington Human Subjects Division and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee’s requirements, as appropriate, and the student and committee chair must complete the Use Of Human And Animal Subjects For UW Graduate Student Theses And Dissertations form.

4.2.2.2     Committee Composition

  • The doctoral supervisory committee consists of a minimum of four members, at least three of whom (including one Chair and the GSR) must be members of the Graduate Faculty with an endorsement to chair doctoral committees.
  • A majority of the members must be members of the Graduate Faculty.
  • The GSR must be a productive scholar in the GSR’s own research area that may differ from that of the student’s dissertation project.
  • The members outside the GSR must be identified by the student’s appointing department or program as productive scholars in the student’s major field and/or subfields.

4.2.2.3     The Committee Chair

  • The Chair(s) of a committee must be able and willing to assume principal responsibility for advising the student. In addition, the Chair(s) should have adequate time available for this work and should expect to be accessible to the student.
  • Emeritus/a and affiliate faculty may serve as Chair(s) if the above conditions are met.
  • If a committee has Co-Chairs, both serve with equal importance on a student’s supervisory committee and equally share the responsibility for the student’s progress. In the case of Co-Chairs, the first Co-Chair must have a Graduate Faculty appointment with doctoral endorsement. The second Co-Chair may be appointed without Graduate Faculty status if the individual has a qualified UW faculty appointment. Qualified faculty appointments in this case are those appointments eligible for continuous or five-year graduate faculty roles. A Co-Chair without qualified UW faculty appointment may be appointed only by petition to the Dean of the Graduate School or the Dean’s designee.

4.2.2.4     The Role of the Graduate School Representative (GSR)

The GSR represents the broad interests of the Graduate School with respect to high standards of scholarly performance. The GSR is a voting member of the dissertation supervisory committee, and as such provides an important service function to the Graduate School and the University.

In all cases, the GSR must meet the following Graduate School requirements:

  • attest to the validity of examinations and indicate approval of the process by which examinations are conducted;
  • ensure that the student is treated in an unbiased manner; and
  • represent the Graduate School in ensuring university-wide standards of scholarly performance.

In addition, any graduate program may choose to define the role of the GSR to include one or both of the following:

  • ensure that the student’s mastery of the subject matter is broad and comprehensive;
  • provide additional support for the student as the student navigates the exam and dissertation process.

If a graduate program sets additional expectations for the GSR beyond the Graduate School requirements, the graduate program must clearly articulate these expectations, and the Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC) or designee must communicate them in writing to all parties (student, chair, committee members, GSR) upon appointment of the GSR. The minimum role of the GSR must be defined consistently across all committees in the graduate program.

The GSR’s signature on the committee signature form affirming the decision of the committee communicates to the Dean of the Graduate School that the Graduate School and program-level responsibilities have been met.

4.2.2.5     Graduate School Representative (GSR) Eligibility

  • As with all doctoral supervisory committee members, the GSR is proposed to the Graduate School by the Graduate Program Coordinator in the student’s degree-offering unit and must be a member of the Graduate Faculty with an endorsement to Chair.
  • Faculty members with a primary, joint, or affiliate appointment in the student’s degree-offering unit or the committee chair’s department are not eligible to serve as the GSR.
  • It is vital that a conflict of interest in the selection of the GSR be avoided. Budgetary relationships, personal relationships, or research and/or publication relationships between the GSR and either the student or the committee chair are examples of possible conflicts of interest. (See GSR Eligibility for more information.) The GSR is responsible for ensuring that no such conflicts of interest, or appearance of conflicts of interest, exist, and must attest to this upon request.

4.2.2.6 Reading Committee Timeline and Composition

  • After the General Examination, the Graduate Program Coordinator informs the Dean of The Graduate School of at least three members of the supervisory committee who will serve on the reading committee.
  • At least one of the members of the reading committee must hold an endorsement to chair doctoral committees. The reading committee is appointed to read and approve the dissertation.

4.2.2.7 Function of the Reading Committee

It is the responsibility of the reading committee to:

  • Ensure that the dissertation is a significant contribution to knowledge and is an acceptable piece of scholarly writing.
  • Determine the appropriateness of a candidate’s dissertation as a basis for issuing the Committee Signature Form for a Final Examination.

4.2.3 The Practice Doctorate Supervisory Committee

The appointment of a practice doctoral supervisory committee indicates that the Graduate Faculty in the student’s field finds the student’s background and achievement a sufficient basis for progression in the doctoral program.

Responsibilities of the practice doctoral supervisory committee include: approval of the student’s program of study; criteria for progression, which may include a general examination, certification, or other requirements set by the graduate program; approval and oversight of the student’s project proposal; and approval of the completed project.

4.2.3.1 Timeline and Process

The practice doctoral supervisory committee should be established as soon as possible during the student’s training. The Graduate Program Coordinator initiates the appointment of the committee after consultation with appropriate Graduate Faculty members in the student’s field and with the student. The Graduate Program Coordinator recommends members of the supervisory committee to the Dean of The Graduate School by entering this information into MyGrad Program.

4.2.3.2 Committee Composition

The practice doctoral supervisory committee consists of a minimum of three members. At least two committee members, including the Chair, must be members of the Graduate Faculty with an endorsement to chair doctoral committees, and at least half of the total number must be members of the Graduate Faculty. The following applies to all practice doctoral supervisory committees:

  • Any committee members who are not Graduate Faculty must be identified by the student’s appointing department or program as productive scholars or practitioners in the student’s major field and/or subfields.
  • Co-chairs may be appointed when both serve with equal importance on a student’s supervisory committee and equally share the responsibility for the student’s progress. If co-chairs are appointed, each must be a member of the Graduate Faculty with endorsement to chair.
  • The Chair or Co-chairs of a committee must be able and willing to assume principal responsibility for advising the student. In addition, the Chair or Co-chairs should have adequate time available for this work and should expect to be accessible to the student. Emeritus faculty may serve as a Chair if the above conditions are met.
  • A Graduate School Representative (GSR) is not required.

Policy 4.2 revised: October 2021, March 2022; May 2022; December 2022

Policy 4.2.1 and 4.2.3 revised March 2023

Policy 4.2.3.6 and 4.2.4 revised March 2023

Policy 4.2.3.7 and 4.2.3.9 were deleted March 2023, with content moved to Policy 1.1

Policy 4.2 revised October 2023

Policy 4.1: Membership in the Graduate Faculty and Doctoral Endorsement

The Graduate Faculty consists of those members of the University faculty who have been designated by the Dean of the Graduate School as actively participating in graduate education. Powers and Duties of the Graduate Faculty are given in Chapter 23; section 23-42 and 23-44 of the Faculty Code.

For purposes of Policy 4.1, “academic unit” refers to department, division, program, school, college, or interdisciplinary group offering a graduate degree or a graduate certificate.

A “graduate program” is one that offers a graduate degree or a graduate certificate.

4.1.1     Graduate Faculty Appointment

Graduate Faculty are granted either continuous appointments or 5-year renewable appointments, as described below under “Eligibility for Graduate Faculty Status.” New Graduate Faculty members are nominated to general membership by a quorum majority vote of Graduate Faculty from the academic unit where the faculty hold the primary faculty appointment. The nominated faculty are subsequently appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School (Faculty Code Section 23-42). In cases where the faculty member’s primary academic unit does not offer a graduate degree or graduate certificate, the faculty member may be nominated to the Graduate Faculty by a graduate degree-offering or graduate certificate-offering unit where that faculty member holds an adjunct appointment.

The academic unit is responsible for assessing whether a faculty member meets the following required qualifications for a Graduate Faculty appointment based on the faculty member’s academic background and the nature of scholarship and research in that unit.

  • Active involvement in (or, for an initial appointment, qualification for) graduate student teaching, mentoring, and/or research supervision.
  • Research-based scholarship as demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications, equivalent creative work, or equivalent teaching-based scholarship, as defined by the academic unit.

4.1.2     Doctoral Endorsement

Graduate Faculty members who substantively engage in doctoral education must also have a specific “doctoral endorsement.” A doctoral endorsement is required to chair a doctoral supervisory committee or to serve as a Graduate School Representative (GSR) to doctoral supervisory committees.

The academic unit is responsible for assessing whether a faculty member meets the following required qualifications for doctoral endorsement based on the faculty member’s academic background and the nature of scholarship and research in that unit.

  • Recent evidence of the ability to (or, for an initial appointment, qualification to) chair a doctoral supervisory committee, including supervising doctoral research and overseeing the doctoral dissertation or final project/capstone.
  • The ability to serve as the Graduate School Representative (GSR) for doctoral supervisory committees.

4.1.3     Eligibility for Graduate Faculty status

Graduate Faculty status can either be continuous or for a 5-year renewable term. The requirement for each category of Graduate Faculty status follows. The accompanying document contains a complete list of faculty appointments by eligibility.

4.1.3.1     Continuous status

  • Faculty must hold a title of assistant professor, associate professor, or professor.
  • Continuous Graduate Faculty status does not require tenure, nor do faculty need to be tenure-track.

4.1.3.2     5-year renewable term

  • Faculty with the title of assistant professor, associate professor, or professor who are appointed with emeritus, retired, affiliate, research, or clinical status may be nominated for a 5-year, renewable term and may be endorsed to chair doctoral supervisory committees if deemed appropriate by the academic unit.
  • Faculty with the following titles and ranks (including those with emeritus, retired, affiliate, research, or clinical status) may be nominated for a 5-year, renewable term and may be endorsed to chair doctoral supervisory committees if deemed appropriate by the academic unit and hired through a nationally competitive search for a faculty position:
    • Professor of Practice
    • Artist in Residence
    • Senior Artist in Residence
    • Lecturer
    • Assistant Teaching Professor
    • Associate Teaching Professor
    • Teaching Professor
  • Instructors and those in temporary, acting, or visiting appointments are not eligible for Graduate Faculty status.
  • Graduate Faculty status is automatically continued for the first five years of an otherwise eligible emeritus or retired faculty appointment. After that, retired and emeritus faculty are treated as all other renewable 5-year appointments.

4.1.4     Procedures for Graduate Faculty Membership

It is the responsibility of each graduate program-offering academic unit across all three university of Washington campuses to create a written policy for Graduate Faculty membership and for the doctoral endorsement. This policy and the specific criteria must be articulated to the faculty in the unit.

Faculty are nominated by vote to either general membership or to membership with doctoral endorsement. An individual first appointed as a general member can subsequently receive doctoral endorsement.

4.1.4.1     Voting Requirements:

  • All members of the Graduate Faculty with a primary appointment in the academic unit vote on proposed nominations.
  • Faculty with joint appointments may vote in multiple units.
  • For the doctoral endorsement, voting is restricted to Graduate Faculty members within the academic unit who hold that endorsement.
  • Renewal of a Graduate Faculty 5-year term requires a vote of the academic unit’s Graduate Faculty.

4.1.4.2     Nomination Requirements

Eligible faculty members from all three campuses of the university may be nominated for graduate faculty membership, including membership with doctoral endorsement. Nominations for Graduate Faculty status across all three University of Washington campuses should be made by a faculty member’s primary graduate degree-offering or graduate certificate-offering academic unit.

  • If a faculty member holds a joint appointment either academic unit can make the nomination.
  • If a faculty member holds an adjunct appointment, only the primary academic unit can nominate, unless the primary academic unit does not offer a graduate program.
  • If the faculty member’s primary appointment is in a unit that does not offer a graduate program, the Graduate School will accept a nomination to appoint the faculty member to the Graduate Faculty from (1) a unit where the faculty member holds an adjunct appointment or (2) the faculty of a Graduate School Interdisciplinary Group where the nominated faculty is active in the interdisciplinary field.

4.1.4.3     Process Requirements

  • Authorized administrative personnel in each academic unit will have access to process new Graduate Faculty nominations and renewals through the online MyGradProgram.
  • E-mail notification to the newly nominated or renewed faculty member and the chair/director of the faculty’s academic unit is automatically sent from MyGradProgram.
  • It is suggested that members of the faculty who are not members of the Graduate Faculty be considered annually for possible nomination.

4.1.5     Expectations of Graduate Faculty Members

The academic unit is responsible for assuring members of the Graduate Faculty show ongoing evidence of the following, based on the faculty member’s academic background and the nature of scholarship and research in that unit:

  • Active involvement in graduate student teaching, mentoring, and/or research supervision.
  • Continued research-based scholarship as demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications, equivalent creative work, or equivalent teaching-based scholarship, as defined by the academic unit.

Also see Faculty Code Chapter 23, Sections 23-42, 23-44. Executive Orders IV and VII.

4.1.6     Terminating Graduate Faculty Status

A vote of the Graduate Faculty of a faculty member’s appointing academic unit is required to terminate Graduate Faculty status. The unit informs the Graduate School of the decision and the Graduate School then updates faculty status online through MyGradProgram.


Policy 4.1 revised: October 2021