Appointment to Graduate School Faculty

Scope

Pursuant to IC-21-38-11, faculty governance organization actions are advisory only. To the extent that any portion of this policy conflicts with IC-21-38-11, Indiana law shall control. 

A foundational principle of Indiana University is its enduring partnership across its units, including faculty, to collectively advance the institution's mission. The establishment, revision, and retirement of academic policies will occur with consultation and input from the University Faculty Council. 

All Indiana University faculty who work with students pursuing graduate degrees granted by the University Graduate School, such as Ph.D., M.A., M.S., M.A.T. and M.F.A. It does not apply to graduate professional degrees such as M.B.A., J.D., and Ed.D. offered by specific schools. 

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Policy Statement

1. All tenure-track faculty are granted graduate faculty status at the time of appointment. 
2. Non-tenure-track faculty can also be appointed to graduate faculty status for a term not to exceed their employment contract. 
3. Membership in the University Graduate School Faculty is required to serve on dissertation committees. It is not required for teaching graduate courses or serving on Ph.D. qualifying examination or advisory committees. 
4. An endorsement to chair doctoral dissertation committees is granted separately from graduate faculty status by a vote of a departmental advisory or steering committee, or by a majority vote of the departmental graduate faculty, or by some other review process appropriate for the unit. Faculty who receive this endorsement must hold a tenured or tenure-eligible faculty appointment at Indiana University, but do not necessarily have to hold that appointment within the unit conferring the endorsement. However, if the faculty member holds a regular appointment in a unit other than the one conferring the endorsement, the faculty member must participate substantially in doctoral education within the department or program authorized to offer the Ph.D. 
5. Graduate faculty status with or without endorsement to chair Ph.D. dissertation committees may be granted by the Deans of the University Graduate Schools upon successful petition by the head of the faculty member’s unit. 
6. Graduate faculty status can be revoked for egregious behavior or scholarly or scientific misconduct by the Deans of the University Graduate Schools upon the recommendation of the Graduate Faculty Council. 

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Reason for Policy

The University Graduate School Faculty grants the majority of graduate degrees at Indiana University. Membership on the Graduate Faculty is required to serve on the dissertation committees of students seeking those degrees. 

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Procedures

1. All tenure- track faculty are granted graduate faculty status at the time of appointment; academic units shall notify the University Graduate School each fall of their new tenure-track appointments so an authoritative master list of graduate faculty members can be maintained. 
2. To nominate non-tenure-track faculty for Graduate School membership, an academic unit shall send a brief memo and a copy of the faculty member’s vita to the Deans of the Graduate Schools. 
3. To confer an endorsement to chair a dissertation committee on a faculty member who does not hold an appointment in the academic unit, the head of the unit shall notify the Deans of the University Graduate Schools of the election and verify that the faculty member participates substantially in doctoral education within the academic unit authorized to offer the Ph.D. 
4. To request graduate faculty status with or without endorsement to chair Ph.D. dissertation committees for any other person, the head of that individual’s academic unit shall petition the Deans of the University Graduate Schools by sending a brief memo explaining the request with a copy of the vita. 
5. A petition to revoke Graduate Faculty status must first go to the Graduate Faculty Council, and if affirmed by it, to the Deans of the University Graduate Schools for action. 
6. The Graduate Faculty Council may develop standards and procedures for implementing this policy and may amend the policy as needed. 

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History

Enacted by University Graduate School Council, October 4, 2004.
Amended by Graduate Faculty Council, January 2017.
Amended and approved by University Faculty Council, April 23, 2019.

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