James Madison University
Founded in 1908 and located in
the center of Virginia’s famous Shenandoah Valley, James Madison University is
a public, comprehensive university. The university offers programs at the
bachelor’s, master’s, educational specialist and doctoral levels.
The total enrollment for fall
2003 session was 16,203. This total included 14,991 undergraduate students, 808
graduate students and 384 non-degree seeking students. JMU has 91 major campus
buildings, including a 31-acre, off-campus farm. Nearly $143 million worth of
new facilities and improvements have been added since 1975. JMU offers students
a full program of extracurricular and social programs, as well as a diversified
program of intercollegiate and intramural athletics.
Location
JMU is located in
Harrisonburg, Va., a progressive city of over 40,000. The area is flanked by
the Blue Ridge Mountains on the east and the Allegheny Mountains on the west.
The JMU campus is located just off Interstate 81 and is a two-hour drive from
Washington, D.C. and Richmond, Va. and one hour from Charlottesville, Va.
The College of Graduate and
Professional Programs is located in the Grace Street House on West Grace
Street.
History
In its 96-year history, JMU
has grown from a state normal and industrial school for women to today’s
coeducational comprehensive university. In 1914, the name of the university was
changed to the State Normal School for Women at Harrisonburg. The university
became the State Teachers College at Harrisonburg in 1924 and continued under
that name until 1938, when it was named Madison College in honor of the fourth
president of the United States. In 1977, the name was changed to James Madison
University.
The College of Graduate and
Professional Programs
The JMU Graduate School was
established in 1954, when the State Board of Education authorized the
university to offer programs leading to the Master of Science in Education
degree. In October 2001, the Graduate School and the Office of Continuing
Education joined to form the College of Graduate and Professional Programs.
The College of Graduate and
Professional Programs is authorized to offer graduate programs leading to
master’s degrees, Educational Specialist degrees, Doctor of Philosophy degrees
and Doctor of Psychology degrees.
Mission
The mission of the College of
Graduate and Professional Programs is to:
§ Facilitate the development, growth and
maintenance of graduate programs of distinction.
§ Facilitate the development, growth and
maintenance of high quality continuing professional development programs for
non-degree seeking students.
§ Establish, implement and maintain a high
standard of excellence in graduate and professional programs at JMU.
§ Serve the needs of the Commonwealth of
Virginia, and those of national and regional graduate and non-degree seeking
students.
§ Support the continuation and development of
diverse, innovative graduate and professional programs by building on existing
graduate and undergraduate strengths.
§ Encourage and facilitate students in their
development of strengths in critical and creative thinking, communication, and
applied skills.
The mission of the College of
Graduate and Professional Programs is in concert with the overall mission of
the university, which states,
We are
committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who
will lead productive and meaningful lives.
Administration of the College of
Graduate and Professional Programs
The office of the dean of the
College of Graduate and Professional Programs has academic responsibility for
all issues of graduate education at JMU. In addition, the college oversees all
continuing professional development programming.
Significant in the
organization and administration of the College of Graduate and Professional
Programs are the university’s Graduate Council and the graduate faculty body.
The
Graduate Council
To accomplish the goals and
objectives of the college, the Graduate Council, under the leadership of the
dean of the College of Graduate and Professional Programs, develops broad
policies and procedures. Policies and procedures needing Graduate Council
approval are:
§ Graduate admission policies and procedures.
§ General academic standards of graduate
study.
§ Research standards for graduate students
and graduate faculty.
§ General procedures for the evaluation of
graduate students.
§ Addition of new graduate programs.
§ Deletion of existing graduate programs.
§ Addition or deletion of graduate courses.
§ Establishment of appointment standards for
graduate faculty.
§ Appointment of graduate faculty.
Graduate Council Membership
§ Dean of the College of Graduate and
Professional Programs, Chair
§ Coordinator of each graduate program (or
representative)
§ Two graduate student representatives
§ Representative from the JMU library system
§ Representative from the division of
Academic Affairs
Graduate Faculty Appointments
The graduate faculty hold a
position of honor at JMU. Graduate faculty membership is reviewed every six
years. Through the Graduate Council, the graduate faculty members assist the
dean in developing general policies and administrative procedures for graduate
programs. The office of the dean of the College of Graduate and Professional
Programs, assisted by the Graduate Council and the graduate faculty, has
responsibility for final approval of graduate degrees to be awarded.
