University Senate

Policy 711.1

Graduate Faculty Status
(Proposal 10-19) (Faculty Handbook Section 1.5.3)

Senate Policy 711.1

A. Membership

The Graduate Faculty consists of members of the academic faculty holding the rank of ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, or PROFESSOR who have been
appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School. Tenured and tenure‐track faculty who are awarded EMERITUS status upon retirement remain members of the Graduate Faculty.

The Dean of the Graduate School may also grant Graduate Faculty Status to other academic faculty with an on‐going professional relationship with Michigan Tech including RESEARCH faculty, LECTURERS, INSTRUCTORS, PROFESSORS OF PRACTICE, and ADJUNCT faculty.

Under special circumstances, the Graduate Dean may appoint qualified individuals with special technical expertise to Graduate Faculty Status for a specific term and purpose, such as serving as a member of a student's advisory committee.

B. Types of Appointments

There are two types of appointments to Graduate Faculty Status:

Full Appointment: Members with full appointment to Graduate Faculty Status are eligible to teach graduate courses (5000 level and above), serve as members on Master's and PhD committees, and supervise Master's and PhD students as sole or co‐advisor.

Associate Appointment: Persons with special technical expertise may be appointed to associate Graduate Faculty Status to serve as member of a student's advisory committee and/or to serve as a co‐advisor for a graduate student and/or to teach 5000 and 6000 level courses.

Those with an associate appointment to Graduate Faculty Status are ineligible to serve as a graduate student’s sole advisor. Associate appointments are for a specific term and purpose. Eligibility and roles for the two types of Graduate Faculty Status appointments are summarized in Tables 1 and 2.

Table 1. Graduate Faculty Status eligibility based on University appointment.

University Appointment Full Appointment to Graduate Faculty Status [1] Associate Appointment to Graduate Faculty
Status
T/TT faculty[2] or academic administrators – with terminal degree Yes Yes
T/TT faculty[2] or academic administrators–
without terminal degree		 Yes Yes
Emeriti faculty Yes Yes
Non‐TT faculty[3] – with terminal degree Yes Yes
Non‐TT faculty[3] – without terminal degree Not generally
eligible[4]		 Yes
Adjunct faculty Not eligible Yes
No Michigan Tech employment Not eligible Yes

1. Requires emeriti faculty appointment or 50% or greater regular faculty appointment (regular = long‐term commitment at a minimum of 50% effort; not temporary).
2. See Faculty Handbook 1.5.1
3. See Faculty Handbook 1.5.5
4. The Dean of the Graduate School may, under special circumstances, consider a full appointment to Graduate Faculty Status when:

a. The tested experience of the candidate is relevant to assigned teaching and scholarly duties, and
b. The candidate is recognized by peers for distinguished professional accomplishments, and
c. The candidate is considered an expert in the course(s) taught or scholarly activity supervised.

 

Table 2. Delineation of roles based on Graduate Faculty Status.

Role Full
Appointment		 Associate Appointment
Teach graduate courses Yes Teach course(s) specified at the time of appointment
Sole‐advisor to
graduate students		 Yes Not eligible
Co‐advisor to graduate
students		 Yes Co‐advise student(s) specified at the time of
appointment
Serve on graduate advisory committees Yes Serve on student(s) committee(s) specified at the time of the appointment
Term length of Grad Faculty Status Eight years • Permission to teach: Should match faculty appointment, or every 8 years, whichever is shorter
• Permission to serve on research advisory committee: Until student(s) complete degree(s)
Renewal process Review by academic unit every eight years At reappointment or every eight years, whichever is shorter.

 

C. Qualifications of those with Graduate Faculty Status.

It is expected that all appointed to Graduate Faculty Status possess:

• a record of research, scholarship, or achievement appropriate for the graduate program that nominates them;
• the necessary background for, and a continued interest in, teaching graduate courses; and
• a commitment to advising and mentoring graduate students to success, including timely degree completion.

Evidence that a candidate meets the qualification requirements may include, but is not limited to, that:

• They regularly publish articles in recognized journals having national distribution, author books/chapters related to their field of study, or are otherwise recognized for their research and scholarship.
• They have earned the terminal degree in their field.
• They have a record of advising and mentoring graduate students to success, including timely degree completion.

 

 

History:
Proposed to the Graduate Faculty Council on September 11, 2018.
Approved by the Graduate Faculty Council on September 25, 2018.
Dean’s Council on October 10, 2018
Introduced in Senate : February 20, 2019
Adopted by Senate: March 6, 2019
Approved by Administration: March 15, 2019