ARTICLE I: THE MISSION OF THE COMMITTEE

1.1:      GENERAL MISSION: The Graduate Committee is responsible to the EHS Graduate Faculty for guiding graduate programs in cooperation with the academic departments.

1.2:      SPECIFIC MISSIONS:

1.21:    The Graduate Committee receives graduate student petitions and where appropriate approves and disapproves these petitions.

1.22:    The Graduate Committee reviews all graduate course proposals at the 500 level and above and evaluates graduate degree/program proposals submitted by the faculty and forwarded by departments.

1.23:    The Graduate Committee may initiate, review and make recommendations on all matters affecting the graduate programs within the college. It then submits its recommendations to the EHS graduate faculty and the graduate council.

1.24:    The Graduate Committee members with Level A standing evaluate and make recommendations to the Graduate Council for renewals of Level A graduate faculty status.

1.25:    The Graduate Committee may exercise leadership in reviewing graduate mission statements of department programs and make recommendations to the EHS Graduate Faculty when discrepancies are identified.

ARTICLE 2: THE OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE COMMITTEE

2.1:      MEMBERSHIP: The membership of the Graduate Committee consists of one full- time, tenure track or TCPL faculty member with Graduate Faculty standing from each of the college departments, chosen for staggered two-year academic terms according to each department's procedures.

2.2:      STUDENT MEMBERSHIP: When and if the Graduate Committee chooses, it may invite, either through election or appointment, graduate student representation on the committee for a one academic year term.

2.3:      ADMINISTRATIVE REPRESENTATION: The Dean or the Dean's designee serves as an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Graduate Committee. The Dean's designee provides essential secretarial assistance with the agenda, minutes, processing student petitions and faculty requests for standing, as well as graduate course/program documentation.

2.4:      ALTERNATE REPRESENTATIVE(S): Each department shall also identify an alternate department representative who may vote in the representative's absence. The alternate serves a two-year term. In the event that both department representatives are absent for a Committee meeting, the department chair may designate a special alternate to represent the department and vote at that meeting.

2.5:      CHAIRPERSON: The Dean or the Dean's designate shall convene the first meeting of the academic year and chair the meeting until the new chairperson has been elected.

2.51:    The Chairperson of the Committee shall be elected at the first meeting of each academic year from among the departmental representatives, and shall serve one academic year.

2.52:    The Chairperson shall retain his/her voting status.

2.6:      RECORDER: The Dean or the Dean's designate shall serve as the recorder for the year. The Chairperson may appoint a substitute recorder when necessary.

2.7:      MEETINGS:

2.71:    REGULAR MEETING TIMES: The Graduate Committee will establish its schedule of meetings at the first meeting of the fall term each academic year in accordance with the schedule of meetings for the Graduate Council. The Committee will meet a minimum of once each month, publishing its schedule of meetings for each semester.

2.72:    All materials to be considered by the Graduate Committee must be submitted at least ten working days prior to scheduled monthly meetings.

2.73:    SPECIAL SESSIONS: Special sessions of the Committee may be called by the Chair and the Dean's designee when important business necessitates.

2.74:    QUORUM: A quorum is present when a simple majority of the voting department representatives are in attendance at a regularly scheduled meeting or a special session.

2.75:    AGENDA AND ORDER OF BUSINESS: The Dean's designee and the Chair will draft an agenda for an upcoming meeting and submit the agenda, minutes of previous meetings and all appendixes to the committee at least three (3) working days in advance of the meeting. The committee's order of business will be to proceed through the agenda as listed unless the order is altered by a motion and a majority vote to amend the order of business.

2.76:    PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES: The Graduate Committee will follow Robert's Rules of Order during all of its proceedings.

2.77:    VOTING: A majority vote consists of simple majority votes on any motion before the Committee. The Dean's designee will record the voting pattern as affirmative, negative and abstain.

2.78:    MINORITY STATEMENTS: Any department representative may request that the minutes show the basis for a minority opinion. This opinion will be so recorded with the understanding that the department and the final vote will not be identified.

ARTICLE 3: APPEALS PROCEDURES

The Committee will consider appeals or re-submissions of items only when, in the opinion of the Chair and the Dean's designee, the appeal is warranted. Whenever such action is taken, it is reported to the full committee at the committee's next meeting.

ARTICLE 4: REPORTING COMMITTEE ACTION

4.1:      MINUTES: Minutes of each meeting of the Graduate Committee will be taken by the Dean's designee. These minutes will be distributed with the agenda according to section 2.75.

4.2:      REPORT TO DEPARTMENTS/ADVISORS/STUDENTS: Following Committee action on an item, the Dean's designee will so inform the party/parties accordingly.

4.3:      REPORTS TO EHS FACULTY: On behalf of the committee, the Dean's designee will file a summary of the committee's academic year's actions by May 15^th of each year. This report will be submitted to the Dean's office for transmission to the EHS Graduate Faculty and others if so warranted. The Dean's Office is responsible for archiving these documents.

ARTICLE 5: OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES

5.1:      CURRICULUM AND MISSION STATEMENT REVIEW:

5.11:    Periodically the Committee shall review graduate programs, courses, and mission statements for their appropriateness, consistency, and effectiveness for the purpose of making recommendations to the EHS Graduate Faculty and the department(s) concerned regarding their possible action. The Committee may appoint subcommittees or hold hearings in order to accomplish this task.

5.2:      SUBMISSION AND ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSAL, APPLICATIONS, AND PETITIONS:

5.21:    All proposals, applications, and petitions shall be submitted to the Committee through the Office of the Dean.

5.22:    The Committee will accept program and/or curricular proposals for review and recommendation from the Graduate Faculty, academic departments, EHS or Interdepartmental faculty committees, and the Graduate College. In the case of a proposal coming before the Committee without the affected department's approval, the Committee will delay Committee action on the proposal until such time that the affected departments consider the proposal and forward their recommendation to the Committee for its consideration and action.

5.3:      PROGRAM AND COURSE PROPOSAL REVIEW:

5.31:    The Committee shall review proposals for new or revised graduate programs and courses for the purpose of making recommendations as per section 1.22 of the EHS policy manual to EHS Graduate Faculty and the department(s) concerned regarding their possible action.

5.32:    Those courses and programs approved unanimously by the Graduate Committee will be considered approved by the Faculty unless the chair of the. Committee is notified of a request for faculty consideration prior to the next scheduled meeting of EHS graduate faculty.

5.4:      GRADUATE FACULTY APPLICATION REVIEW:

5.41:    The Graduate Committee shall review applications, for the purpose of making recommendations to the Dean of the Graduate College, for appointment to Level B standing for faculty without the doctorate and renewals to Level A standing on the Graduate Faculty of the University.

5.42:    The Committee shall follow the criteria for evaluating such applications as set by the Graduate Council.

5.5:      GRADUATE STUDENT PETITION REVIEW:

5.51:    The Committee shall review graduate student petitions regarding EHS graduate academic regulations and requirements for the purpose of approving or disapproving them, then sending its action to the graduate council.

5.52:    Each petition shall be submitted on a petition form and support materials shall be attached. Support material may include course description, course outlines, an academic transcript, plan of study, and any other material related to the petition. Petitions must be signed by the appropriate individuals.

5.53:    The Dean's designee is empowered to make decisions on behalf of the committee during the summer, polling members of the Committee or their alternates as needed. When a simple majority have voted the same way on the issue, polling may cease. The Dean's designee will report the results to the Committee at the first meeting during the fall semester.

5.6:      REPORTING OF COMMITTEE ACTION:

5.61:    In accordance with section 1.23 of the EHS policy manual, the Dean, on behalf of the committee, will announce a meeting of the EHS graduate faculty. At least three working days prior to a meeting of EHS Graduate Faculty, the Committee shall distribute to all members of the Graduate Faculty a notice summarizing all recommendations that are to be made at the meeting. Extra copies of the materials will be available at the meeting as well. The Chairperson shall also include with this notice a summary of any minority recommendations by Committee members who voted in the minority.

5.7:      APPEAL PROCEDURES:

5.71:    All Committee actions may be appealed to the EHS Graduate faculty, since the Committee operates under its authority and at its direction.

Last revised November 2014.