3361:50-77-11. The graduate school: governance

The all-university graduate faculty has the responsibility for determining educational policies and regulating requirements for the admission of students, their candidacy, and the awarding to them of degrees. The executive officer of the faculty is the vice provost and university dean of the graduate school, who is assisted in his/her duties by a graduate council, the members of which are chosen as representatives of the major graduate program groupings.

(A) Vice provost and university dean of the graduate school. The graduate school is headed by the vice provost and university dean of the graduate school and he/she reports directly to the senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. In this capacity, the vice provost and university dean of the graduate school will:

(1) Assume the central role in all graduate programs throughout the university, including joint graduate-professional programs but excluding professional programs leading to the "Doctor of Medicine" (college of medicine) and "Juris Doctor" (college of law) degrees. The vice provost and university dean of the graduate school will serve as coordinator to such programs; provide central administrative services; help define and maintain standards; serve as the advocate for graduate education at the university; and exercise leadership in strengthening existing graduate programs and initiating new ones to foster excellence in teaching and research.

(2) Consult with deans of colleges containing graduate programs and be advised by the graduate council.

(3) Chair meetings of the graduate council and the all-university graduate faculty. The vice provost and university dean of the graduate school is an ex-officio member of all committees of the graduate faculty.

(4) Assign and monitor departmental allocations of all graduate funds.

(5) Be consulted by the senior vice president for academic affairs and provost on decisions regarding promotion, appointment, and reappointment of members of the graduate faculty.

(6) Be responsible for interaction with the "Ohio Board of Regents" on all matters concerning graduate education (university policy).

(7) Provide leadership especially for those programs which cut across conventional departmental or college lines.

(B) University graduate faculty:

(1) The university graduate faculty shall include all faculty with full time tenure track appointments in programs offering the master's or doctoral degree.

(a) Members of the university graduate faculty shall:

(i) Have voting rights,

(ii) Be eligible for committee appointments, and

(iii) Be eligible for membership in the graduate council.

(b) Candidates seeking appointment to the university graduate faculty must be nominated by their academic graduate programs following an academic program-level peer-review process. Nominations are to be submitted by an academic program to the dean of the graduate school in the form and manner set forth in the graduate faculty status policy. Faculty members who are not nominated by their program may petition the dean of the graduate school for membership consideration.

(c) Appointment and reappointment to the university graduate faculty is subject to the following policies and procedures:

(i) The dean of the graduate school has the responsibility for making all appointments. The dean of the graduate school shall have authority to accept or refuse the recommendations of the nominating academic program. In making this determination the dean shall utilize the following criteria:

(a) The candidate must possess appropriate credentials as defined and approved by the academic program.

(b) The candidate must have demonstrated the ability to conduct and guide graduate research or other creative professional contributions at an advanced level. In addition, the candidate must be engaged currently in research, scholarship or creative professional activities that are indicative of substantive contributions to the field.

(ii) In instances of refusal, the dean of the graduate school shall provide a letter to the graduate program director articulating the basis for refusal.

(iii) All faculty appointed as university graduate faculty shall undergo review for reappointment concurrent with external program review. The process and criteria used for review and reappointment shall be the same as for the appointment process. Faculty not reappointed shall cease to be university graduate faculty.

(iv) Members of the university graduate faculty shall be appropriately identified by the graduate school.

(v) All faculty holding the title of university graduate faculty as of November 15, 2011 shall retain that status until the next external review of their programs, at which time they will be reviewed for reappointment in accordance with this rule.

(2) Role of the graduate faculty:

(a) To chair thesis and dissertation committees. Only university graduate faculty members are permitted to chair these committees.

(b) To provide leadership for graduate education and scholarly activity within each academic program.

(c) To support the mission of the graduate school, including serving on the university graduate council if elected, as outlined in paragraph (B)(4)(a) of university rule 3361: 50-77-11 of the Administrative Code.

(3) Fellows of the graduate school: the fellows of the graduate school are chosen from the university faculty in recognition of their outstanding scholarly accomplishments. Recommendation is by the fellows, and appointment is by the board of trustees for life.

(4) Graduate council:

(a) Composition of the graduate council: the graduate council shall consist of representatives from the graduate faculty, elected by the graduate faculty members of each group listed below for a period of two years.

The associate deans of the graduate school shall be non-voting, ex-officio members of the council, and in addition, one graduate student, elected by the graduate student governance association, shall be a voting member of the council. Each member of the council is instructed and empowered to appoint an alternate for attendance at meetings which he/she is unable to attend. The composition of the graduate council shall consist of one representative from each of the following:

Chair of the college of arts and sciences council on graduate affairs

College of arts and sciences associate dean for academic affairs

Humanities (college of arts and sciences)

Social/behavioral sciences (college of arts and sciences)

Natural/physical sciences (college of arts and sciences)

College of business administration

College-conservatory of music

College of design, architecture, art, and planning

College of education

College of engineering

College of medicine

College of nursing and health

College of pharmacy

College of allied health sciences

Graduate student governance association

Faculty senate (two representatives)

University libraries

Registrar's office

(b) Duties and responsibilities of the graduate council: the graduate council shall meet at regularly established times or at the request of two or more elected council members in order to consider matters pertaining to the policy of the graduate school, and to present recommendations to the faculty; it shall keep written minutes of its meetings. No observers are permitted at meetings of the graduate council unless prior permission is obtained from the council. The secretary to the council is instructed to make a special effort to inform colleges of decisions affecting them. The duties of the graduate council will be:

(i) To assist the vice provost and university dean of the graduate school in enforcing the rules and regulations of the graduate faculty.

(ii) To propose and consider measures and policies for the improvement of the graduate school.

(iii) To indicate to the vice provost and university dean of the graduate school its approval or disapproval of appointments to fellowships, assistantships, and scholarships after nomination by the departments concerned.

(iv) If called upon by the vice provost and university dean of the graduate school to assist in matters of discipline, and in deciding upon petitions of the students and staff members.

(v) To codify and publish the rules and regulations of the graduate faculty and to review the content of the "Graduate Bulletin."

(vi) To receive applications for new graduate programs. Each application should set forth the qualifications of the departmental staff desiring to offer work, its material equipment to that end, an outline of the work it proposes, and the benefits of adding the subject to the graduate curriculum. After an investigation, the council will report to the graduate faculty its approval or disapproval of the application; adoption to be by a majority vote of the graduate faculty.

(vii) To keep the faculty from which a council member is elected properly informed of the policies considered and the business transacted by the council. This will be the responsibility of the individual members of the council to the groups they represent.

(c) Board approval: It is understood that any action taken (by the graduate council and/or graduate faculty) shall be in conformity with the by-laws and rules of the board of trustees and shall be subject to the approval or disapproval of the board.

Effective: 12/1/2011
Promulgated Under: 111.15
Statutory Authority: R.C. 3361
Rule Amplifies: R.C. 3361
Prior Effective Dates: 3/16/1978, 10/20/1999, 2/14/2001, 10/21/2002, 4/18/2005, 7/13/2007, 4/14/2008