Graduate Council By-Laws, March 2019

The Graduate Council is the chief policy-formulating and advisory body for The Graduate School. Its duties are to formulate, review, and approve or recommend for approval policies and other items concerning the conduct of graduate study at James Madison University, and to provide leadership in advocating for graduate education and scholarship of the highest caliber. The Graduate Council actions are reported to the graduate faculty, to college deans and to appropriate administrators of the University.

Responsibilities of the Graduate Council:

• Communicating policy on issues affecting graduate education;
• Monitoring and advocating excellence in graduate education;
• Setting the broad framework for all graduate study;
• Making recommendation on policies with regard to graduate degrees and any changes or additions to such policies;
• Making recommendations on procedures regarding student appeals

Specifically, Graduate Council approval is required for the following:

• New program proposals
• Deletion of graduate programs
• Standards for graduate faculty
• University-wide graduate policies
• Graduate courses

The Graduate Council membership includes:

• a representative from each graduate program;
• the dean of The Graduate School, who will chair Council meetings;
• a representative from the JMU library system;
• a representative from the Office of Academic Affairs;
• and two graduate students

Click here for a listing of the members of grad council: JMU Commissions and Committees