AA/PPS 04.01.30 - Nomination and Evaluation Procedures for Graduate Faculty

POLICY STATEMENT

1. This document outlines policies and procedures related to nominating and evaluating graduate faculty.

CRITERIA

1. Graduate faculty may serve as instructors of record for graduate courses (e.g., 5000, 6000, and 7000 level). Individuals lacking graduate faculty status are not allowed to teach graduate level courses.

2. Graduate faculty may chair or serve on dissertation or master’s committees. No member of the graduate faculty may chair the committee directing a student to a degree higher than the level of the highest degree earned by the graduate faculty member.

3. Minimum Graduate College criteria for graduate faculty status include:

   1. completion of doctorate or other recognized terminal degree from an accredited institution;

   2. completion of doctorate or recognized terminal degree in a discipline in or related to the assigned graduate courses;

   3. proven record of scholarship or creative activity; and

   4. to chair a dissertation or master’s thesis committee, the graduate faculty member must have a sustained record of scholarly or creative activity.

   Any exceptions to minimum Graduate College criteria must be clearly justified and approved by the department chair, school director, college dean, and dean of The Graduate College. Appointing an individual lacking graduate faculty status to teach a graduate course or to serve as a member of a graduate committee is considered a serious violation of university policy.

4. Nominated individuals must meet minimum Graduate College criteria. Each department or school may develop additional criteria and guidelines for eligibility that conform to the expectations of each department, school, and college regarding scholarly or creative activity in place for tenure requirements. Departments or schools offering doctoral programs or teaching doctoral courses should also include criteria for nominating faculty at the doctoral level.

5. The department or school criteria for nomination and evaluation of graduate faculty will be submitted for approval through the college dean to the dean of The Graduate College. Approved copies will be kept on file in the department or school and in The Graduate College. These criteria must be reviewed by the department or school every five years, and any subsequent revisions will be routed through the aforementioned review process. Although required every five years, departments or schools may choose to review criteria at any time as needed and route revisions through the aforementioned review process.

6. Categories of graduate faculty include:

   1. Regular Doctoral – tenured and tenure-track faculty at Texas State University who may teach doctoral and master’s level courses, may chair dissertation and master’s committees, may serve as a member of dissertation and master’s committees, and may serve on the Graduate Council.

   2. Associate Doctoral – tenured and tenure-track faculty at Texas State who may teach doctoral and master’s level courses, may chair master’s committees, may serve as a member of dissertation and master’s committees, and may serve on the Graduate Council.

   3. Adjunct Doctoral – may teach doctoral and master’s level classes and who may serve as a member of dissertation and master’s committees. Individuals external to Texas State may be nominated in this category.

   4. Regular Graduate – tenured and tenure-track faculty at Texas State who may teach master’s level courses, may chair master’s committees, may serve as a member of master’s committees, and may serve on the Graduate Council. Departments may petition that clinical faculty, faculty of practice, and research faculty may also assume these duties, provided they have the appropriate qualifications.

   5. Associate Graduate – faculty at Texas State who may teach master’s level courses as indicated in Nomination/Renomination form of the graduate faculty, and may serve as a member of master’s committees when the individual’s expertise is relevant to a particular student’s research topic.

   6. Adjunct Graduate – may teach master’s level courses and may serve as a member of master’s committees. Individuals external to Texas State may be nominated in this category.

7. Additional graduate faculty appointments include:

   1. Faculty with Administrative Assignments – Faculty holding administrative positions (e.g., department chairs or school directors, assistant deans, associate deans, and individuals holding the rank of dean or higher) are appointed to the graduate faculty following the same procedures for all faculty; however, the expectations for scholarship may be adjusted to reflect the time commitment and responsibilities of the administrative appointment.

   2. Courtesy Appointments – Members of the graduate faculty may be appointed to teach, chair, or serve on dissertation or master’s committees in a department or school other than their home department or school upon written request approved by the relevant department or school graduate faculty committees, department chair or school director, college dean, and dean of The Graduate College.

   3. Resignation or Retirement – Membership in the graduate faculty automatically ceases upon resignation or retirement. An individual wishing to retain membership in the graduate faculty must request adjunct membership in writing. The request must be approved by the department or school graduate faculty committee, department chair or school director, academic dean, and dean of The Graduate College. Upon expiration of the term, adjunct membership may be renewed following the standard review process.

8. Regular doctoral, associate doctoral, and regular graduate faculty may be nominated for terms up to five years. Adjunct doctoral, adjunct associate and adjunct graduate faculty may be nominated for terms up to three years. Associate and adjunct graduate faculty lacking a terminal degree are appointed for one semester or summer term to teach a specific course or serve on a specific master’s committee, but may be appointed for up to one year with proper approval.

PROCEDURES FOR NOMINATION OF GRADUATE FACULTY

1. Nomination of graduate faculty is initiated at the departmental or school level. Departments or schools offering master’s programs may nominate graduate faculty with master’s level responsibilities. Departments or schools offering doctoral programs may nominate graduate faculty with doctoral level responsibilities. Departments or schools offering doctoral courses, but without doctoral programs, may nominate graduate faculty as associate doctoral or adjunct doctoral to teach doctoral level courses. For each proposed graduate faculty member, the department chair or school director should initiate the Nomination/Renomination form for graduate faculty. A complete and current Texas State vita must be attached to the form. In exceptional cases, individuals lacking a terminal degree may be nominated to serve on a master’s committees or teach a master’s level course. Such cases will be approved only if the individual possesses documented and demonstrated competencies and achievements related to a specific graduate student’s research project or related to the specific graduate courses they would be assigned. Nomination of graduate faculty not possessing the doctorate or terminal degree in the discipline in which they will teach must include detailed justification consistent with Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) requirements. Individuals lacking a terminal degree may only be nominated for associate or adjunct graduate faculty status. If the nominee does not hold the terminal degree, the department chair or school director must also submit the Appointment Justification form. Justification for such exceptions is kept on file in The Graduate College. An individual lacking a doctorate or recognized terminal degree is appointed to graduate faculty status for up to a one-year term. Upon expiration of their term, the graduate faculty member may reapply, at which time their credentials will be reevaluated in reference to specific graduate courses to be taught.

2. The credentials of the proposed graduate faculty member should be examined and reviewed by the department’s or school’s graduate faculty committee, and an elected representative of the graduate senior faculty will sign the nomination form, recommending approval or denial.

3. The department chair or school director will examine the credentials of the proposed graduate faculty member and recommend concurrence or non-concurrence. This information will be forwarded to the college dean.

4. The college dean will examine the credentials of the nominee and recommend concurrence or non-concurrence. This information will be forwarded to the dean of The Graduate College.

5. The dean of The Graduate College will examine the credentials of the nominee and approve or deny the appointment. The dean of The Graduate College will provide written notification of the decision to the department chair or school director and nominee.

6. In order to continue as graduate faculty, members must reapply upon completion of the approved term. Appointment dates will be recommended by the department, with the concurrence of the college dean and approved by the dean of The Graduate College.

7. The Graduate Council will elect from its members a seven-person appeal committee, composed of one representative from each college. An individual denied graduate faculty status at any level may appeal to this committee. A written request for an appeal must be submitted within 45 days from the date the faculty member is notified of denial.

REVIEWER OF THIS PPS

1. Reviewer of this PPS includes the following:

   Position	Date
   Dean, The Graduate College	April 1 E5Y

CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

This PPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents Texas State Academic Affairs policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.

Dean, The Graduate College; senior reviewer of this PPS

Provost