Policy Number: 47

GRADUATE FACULTY

The Graduate Faculty is responsible for the development, execution, and review of graduate programs. Through its representatives on the Council on Graduate Studies, the Graduate Faculty shall recommend policy on all graduate matters to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the President.

The Graduate Faculty shall include the President, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Dean of Graduate School and International Programs, the Deans of the Colleges and the Chairs of departments which offer graduate programs. All other faculty shall be appointed as outlined below.

Eligibility

To be eligible for nomination as a Regular Member, a candidate must:

1. hold the rank of Assistant Professor, or above;
2. exhibit continued professional research or creativity activity in the area of specialization;
3. hold a terminal degree in the field of assignment, as defined in this document; and
4. have held a continuous, full-time, academic appointment of one year at the University or an equivalent institution.

Instead of Item 3 above, candidates may document exceptional expertise at a level of regional acclaim generally recognized in the field appropriate to their assignment and in direct relationship to the specific course(s) to be taught.

Under limited circumstances, faculty members who fail to meet eligibility requirements outlined in Items 3 and 4 above may be appointed as Associate Members of the Graduate Faculty for the purpose of teaching a specific graduate course, or courses.

To be eligible for nomination as Associate Members, candidates must:

1. hold the rank of Assistant Professor or above;
2. exhibit continued professional research or creative activity in the area of specialization in which they are nominated to teach.

If no Eastern Illinois University faculty member, who is either a Regular Member or an Associate Member of the Graduate Faculty, is available to teach a specific graduate course, an individual may be appointed as an Adjunct Member of the Graduate Faculty.

To be eligible for nominations as Adjunct Members, candidates may not be current members of the Eastern Illinois University faculty and must:

1. hold a terminal degree in the field of their proposed assignment, as defined later;
2. be regionally-recognized persons who offer exceptional expertise in the field of their proposed assignment in direct relationship to the specific course to be taught.

Nominations

Upon recommendation of the Department Graduate Committee and the Department Chair, nominations shall be submitted to the Dean on the proper form. Upon approval, the Dean shall forward the nomination to the Dean of Graduate School and International Programs.

In addition, nominations for Associate Members shall include documentation of the need for such an appointment, with the statement attached to the nomination form. The statement shall verify that existing, qualified members of the Graduate Faculty are not available to teach the course(s) for the term in question and shall include the specific course and term for which the nomination is sought.

Adjunct Member nominations shall also include documentation of the need to appoint an Adjunct Member.

Appointments

Appointments shall be made by the Dean, Graduate School and International Programs.

Associate Member appointments shall also require the approval of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Term

Regular members are appointed for a term of seven years.

Members appointed under the "exceptional expertise" clause shall be appointed on an annual basis.

Associate members shall be appointed for one academic term, fall, spring, or summer.

Adjunct Members shall be appointed for a single academic term, fall or spring, and may serve a maximum of one academic term in any two consecutive academic years.

Review

Eligibility for Regular membership shall be reviewed every seven years. The schedule shall coincide with the internal review schedule of graduate programs to which members are assigned. Members appointed under the "exceptional expertise clause" shall be reviewed annually.

Reappointments shall follow the same procedure as for initial appointments. The following reasons shall be sufficient for denying reappointment:

1. inability to demonstrate excellence in teaching,
2. inability to demonstrate continued professional research or creative activity, or
3. conduct or practice inconsistent with acceptable professional standards.

Duties

Regular Members shall perform the following duties:

1. serve as an advisor to a graduate, degree-seeking, student;
2. serve as a member of a committee for a graduate student;
3. serve on university-level graduate committees, including serving on, or voting for the members of, the Council on Graduate Studies; and,
4. teach courses numbered 5000 or above

Associate Members are appointed for the purpose of teaching a specific graduate course, or courses, and shall have only those duties. Associate Members may not vote in elections which determine membership on the Council on Graduate Studies.

Adjunct Members are appointed to teach a specific graduate course in a specific term.

TERMINAL DEGREE DEFINITIONS

For the purpose of this policy, a terminal degree shall be defined as the earned doctorate in the appropriate discipline, except as noted below.

College of Business and Applied Sciences

College of Arts and Humanities

College of Education and Professional Studies

The highest appropriate degree (or master's plus 30 semester hours in specified cases) must be earned from a regionally accredited institution in an academic area appropriate to the department or unit.

Appropriate equivalent degrees shall be approved, in writing, by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Approved:
President
March 15, 1989

Nomenclature Changes:
December 13, 2001

Monitor: Vice President for Academic Affairs