Appointment to the Graduate Faculty
Date of Current Revision: July 2002
Responsible Office: Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
- PURPOSE
This policy is to provide for procedures for appointment of faculty members at the university to the Graduate Faculty.
- AUTHORITY
The Board of Visitors has the authority to enact personnel policies for all employees of the university. Where this authority has not been exercised by the board, it is delegated to the President. - DEFINITIONS
Adjunct Graduate Faculty Member:
A faculty member who can add a unique quality to the graduate program and who is expected to participate in aspects of the graduate program other than teaching.
Graduate Faculty:
The members of the faculty who are authorized to teach graduate courses at the 500 level or above at James Madison University.
Graduate Faculty Member:
A full member of the graduate faculty.
Graduate Instructor:
A member of the graduate faculty who does not yet hold the terminal degree in his or her field, or a new faculty member who, although holding the terminal degree, has not yet had graduate-level teaching experience.
Graduate Adjunct Instructor:
A member of the graduate faculty who generally is not authorized to teach classes at the 500 level or above.
- APPLICABILITY
This policy applies to all instructional faculty members at the university. - POLICY
In certain circumstances, faculty members may be appointed to the Graduate Faculty when they are hired at James Madison University. Current faculty members may apply for appointment to the Graduate Faculty by using these procedures. - PROCEDURES
6.1 Eligibility
6.1.a Graduate Faculty Member.
Faculty members may be recommended for appointment as Graduate Faculty Members if they meet the following criteria:
- The faculty member must possess the appropriate terminal degree in his or her teaching field;
- The faculty member must present evidence of current scholarly productivity (within the last six years) as appropriate for his or her field; and
- The faculty member must present evidence of successful teaching at the graduate level within the last six years or other contributions to graduate education. If this is the only criterion missing, the individual may be approved as a Graduate Instructor and be "rolled over" to graduate faculty with a memo from the academic unit head after the requirement is met.
Faculty members may be recommended for appointment as Graduate Instructors to teach graduate courses if they meet the following criteria:
- The faculty member must possess at least an appropriate master's degree in his or her field, preferably working toward the appropriate terminal degree. If this is the only criterion missing, the individual may be approved as graduate instructor and may be "rolled over" to a Graduate Instructor with a memo from the academic unit when the criterion is met;
- The faculty member must present evidence of scholarly productivity and/or appropriate professional experience (within the last six years) as relevant for his or her field; and
- The faculty member must present evidence of successful teaching at the undergraduate level within the last six years.
Faculty members may be recommended for appointments as an Adjunct Graduate Instructor to teach 500-level courses and below if they meet the following criteria. Graduate Adjunct Instructors desiring to teach 600-level courses must apply through the regular procedure to become a Graduate Faculty Member or Graduate Instructor.
- The faculty member must possess at least an appropriate master's degree in his or her field, preferably working toward the appropriate terminal degree;
- The faculty member must present evidence of scholarly productivity and/or appropriate professional experience; and
- The faculty member must present evidence of successful teaching at the university level.
A faculty member wishing to be a member of the Graduate Faculty should submit an application to his or her academic unit head by August 1.
By August 24 of each year, academic unit heads will submit recommendations for the appointment to the Graduate Faculty to their academic deans.
Academic deans will submit recommendations for the appointment to the Graduate Faculty to the Dean of the Graduate and Professional Programs by September 1 of each year.
The Dean of the Graduate and Professional Programs will post such recommendations on the JMU website at least fifteen (15) class days prior to the first scheduled meeting date of the Graduate Council each year.
The Graduate Council will consider and recommend to the Dean of the Graduate and Professional Programs on the nomination of each candidate for the Graduate Faculty.
Appointments to the Graduate Faculty are made by the Dean of the Graduate and Professional Programs. The faculty member will be informed of the appointment to the Graduate Faculty, and a copy of the appointment letter will be returned to the initiating dean and academic unit head.
Appointments are for six years, and are renewable.
Withdrawal of Graduate Faculty membership may be accomplished by action of the Dean of the Graduate and Professional Programs, after consultation with the Graduate Council upon recommendation of the appropriate academic dean. Such action is appropriate when the member no longer meets eligibility requirements, or for good cause. - RESPONSIBILITIES
The Dean of the Graduate and Professional Programs is responsible for making appointments to the Graduate Faculty.
Academic unit heads are responsible for making recommendations to their academic deans on appointments to the Graduate Faculty from their academic units.
Academic deans are responsible for making recommendations to the Dean of the Graduate and Professional Programs on appointments to the Graduate Faculty within their colleges.
The Graduate Council is responsible for making recommendations to the Dean of the Graduate and Professional Programs on appointments to the Graduate Faculty. - SANCTIONS
None - EXCLUSIONS
None
- INTERPRETATION
The authority to interpret this policy rests with the President, and is generally delegated to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Approved:
July 2002
Linwood H. Rose, President
Index Terms
Graduate faculty
College of Graduate and Professional Programs