Rule 3341-3-11 | Graduate faculty status-graduate.
(A) Policy statement and purpose
This policy describes the application process, criteria, and privileges associated with graduate faculty status.
(B) Policy
(1) Appointments to the BGSU graduate faculty
The BGSU graduate college grants two major categories of graduate faculty status (GFS), provisional and regular status (including three levels). In addition, courtesy appointments (adjunct and ad hoc) may be granted as appropriate. This document describes each category's privileges, the process for application, and the graduate college minimum qualifications needed for each category. It also includes guidelines for the required creation of academic unit qualifications beyond the graduate college minimum criteria. It should be noted that the granting of graduate faculty status is a graduate college designation and, though obtaining and maintaining graduate faculty status may be an expectation in some units, the review and receipt of graduate faculty status is a separate process from tenure, promotion, and workload allocation. In keeping with HLC and state policies, faculty who teach and supervise doctoral students must possess the terminal degree in the field.
GFS application process- graduate faculty status applications must be approved by:
(a) The tenuring or hiring unit for TTF and QRF, respectively;
(b) The line college dean; and
(c) The graduate college dean or designate.
Faculty may participate in graduate activities outside of the tenuring or hiring unit at the discretion of that unit. Faculty may not participate in graduate education without GFS. Retired faculty may retain graduate faculty status, if requested by their unit.
(2) Provisional appointments
Provisional appointments may be requested for new full-time BGSU faculty members (TTF and QRF), or for continuing BGSU faculty members (TTF or QRF) who have held graduate faculty status for less than six years, or who have not previously held graduate faculty status. These new or continuing faculty members who hold the appropriate terminal degree, or at least a master's degree in addition to additional graduate course work and/or have developed extensive experience in the profession, may be nominated by their graduate programs for provisional membership at either the level II or level III status, depending on credentials. See paragraph (B)(3) of this policy for privileges of each level.
It is expected that the provisional appointment will provide the opportunity for faculty members to acquire the necessary credentials for regular membership. Provisional status is valid for up to six years and is non-renewable. In individual cases, programs may petition the graduate dean designate to permit provisional II members to direct doctoral-level students.
(3) Regular appointments
Regular graduate faculty status (GFS) may be earned by full-time BGSU faculty after a successful provisional status period or when requested for a new full-time faculty member who is hired at the associate or full professor rank. Faculty who are not full-time may apply for adjunct status (see below). Regular graduate faculty status comprises three levels, each with its own privileges and criteria.
Criteria for regular graduate faculty status
The graduate college recognizes that the nature of research, academic scholarship, and creative productions in various departments and schools varies according to discipline; consequently, each unit will determine its criteria and performance indicators for level I, II, and III regular graduate faculty status. Each unit's policy document will outline its criteria for regular status, and it must meet at least the minimum standards set forth in this policy document. Minimally, these criteria and performance indicators must conform to the goals of graduate education (based on HLC and CCGS definitions of graduate-level education). Initially, the line college dean, the graduate college dean or designate, and graduate council must approve the criteria and performance indicators for each unit. Subsequently, an evaluation of each program's criteria and performance indicators will be conducted routinely as part of the program review process and/or as a part of a discipline specific accreditation review.
Each program's graduate faculty documents must include performance indicators in each of the following categories for each level: degree qualifications; scholarship and creative activity; and graduate teaching. The graduate college minimum criteria are listed in this paragraph for each category. However, individual program GFS policy documents shall expand on these minimal criteria to develop discipline/field-appropriate policies. The graduate college will provide a template for this process.
(a) Level I privileges (for regular I graduate faculty only)
(i) Chair doctoral dissertation or master's thesis committee.
(ii) Participate as a member of a thesis or dissertation committee and all other graduate responsibilities associated with both the master's and doctoral level of graduate study.
(iii) Teach graduate courses of any level (5000, 6000, 7000).
(iv) Participate as a graduate faculty representative (GFR) on dissertation committees.
(v) Represent graduate program at graduate council.
(b) Regular level I criteria
(i) Degree qualifications: members of level I status are tenure-track faculty who hold a graduate degree appropriate to their field, either the doctorate or the terminal degree for those academic areas in which the doctorate is not normally required.
(ii) Scholarship and/or creative activity: the criteria must include evidence of a continuous record of productive scholarship or creative endeavors that represents a significant contribution to the knowledge base and/or the creative practice of one's field of study. While the unit will define the type of research or creative work, the quality of that work will have been verified by a peer review process. At a minimum, the graduate college requires at least three separate pieces of academic/creative work or the equivalent during the previous six years of this reappointment.
(iii) Graduate teaching: the criteria must include evidence of active and productive participation in the instruction of graduate students. This may include activities such as teaching graduate courses, advising, course development, thesis/dissertation advising, and other activities that contribute substantially to the educational experience of graduate students.
(c) Level II privileges (for regular II and provisional II graduate faculty)
(i) Chair master's thesis committees and supervise master's plan II experiences.
(ii) Participate as a member of doctoral dissertation, qualifying exam, and preliminary exam committees, in addition to participating in master's thesis committees and plan II experiences.
(iii) Teach graduate courses at any level (5000, 6000, 7000).
(iv) Participate as a graduate faculty representative on dissertation committees.
(v) Represent graduate program at graduate council.
(d) Regular level II criteria
(i) Degree qualifications: members of level II status are full-time BGSU faculty members (specifically including tenure-track and qualified-rank) and hold a graduate degree appropriate to their field: either the doctorate or the terminal degree for those academic areas in which the doctorate is not normally required. However, in some cases, faculty without the terminal degree may demonstrate qualifications for this status when they have at least a master's degree in addition to additional graduate course work and/or have developed extensive experience in the profession for which they are expected to teach.
(ii) Scholarship and/or creative activity: the criteria must include evidence of a record of productive scholarship or creative endeavors that represents a contribution to the knowledge base and/or the creative practice of one's field of study. While the unit will define the type of research or creative work, the quality of that work will have been verified by a peer review process. At a minimum, the graduate college requires at least two separate pieces of academic/creative work or the equivalent during the previous six years of this reappointment.
(iii) Graduate teaching: the criteria must include evidence of active and productive participation in the instruction of graduate students. This may include activities such as teaching graduate courses, advising, course development, thesis/dissertation committee work, and other activities that contribute substantially to the educational experience of graduate students.
(e) Level III privileges (for regular III and provisional III graduate faculty)
(i) Participate as a non-voting reader on a thesis committee.
(ii) Teach graduate courses at the 5000 and 6000 level.
(iii) Supervise master's plan II experiences (if approved).
(iv) Participate in master's plan II experiences.
(v) Represent graduate program at graduate council.
(f) Regular level III criteria
(i) Degree qualifications: members of level III status are full-time BGSU faculty members (specifically including tenure-track and qualified-rank) and normally hold a graduate degree appropriate to their field: either the doctoral degree or the terminal degree for those academic areas in which the doctorate is not normally required. However, in some cases, faculty without the terminal degree may demonstrate qualifications for this status when they have at least a master's degree in addition to additional graduate course work and/or have developed extensive experience in the profession for which they are expected to teach.
(ii) Scholarship, creative and/or professional activity: the criteria must include evidence of scholarly, creative, or professional activity that represents a contribution to the knowledge base and/or the creative practice, or professional practice of one's field of study. The unit will define the type of scholarly, creative, or professional activity; however the graduate college expects at least one piece of scholarly/creative/professional work or the equivalent during the previous six years of this reappointment.
(iii) Graduate teaching: the criteria must include evidence of active and productive participation in the instruction of graduate students. This may include activities such as teaching graduate courses, advising, and course development.
(4) Courtesy appointments
The majority of work for graduate education at BGSU is conducted by regular or provisional graduate faculty at levels I, II, and III. However, other faculty are also called upon to provide expertise in graduate teaching and mentoring. Two categories of courtesy appointments are adjunct and ad hoc status.
(a) Adjunct appointment
The graduate college dean or designate may grant adjunct graduate faculty appointments to individuals who are not regularly and continuously on the staff full-time and do not normally receive a salary from BGSU. These individuals may be needed to teach graduate courses or serve on thesis or dissertation committees. Such adjunct appointments must have approval of the line college dean, and the graduate dean designate. Adjunct graduate faculty appointments are made for a designated time period and are renewable. The credentials of adjunct graduate faculty must be reviewed at least once every six years.
(i) Adjunct privileges
(A) If approved, serve as members of thesis and dissertation committees, supervise or participate in master's plan II experiences, or other duties.
(B) If approved, teach courses at the 5000 through 7000 levels.
(ii) Adjunct criteria
Graduate faculty adjuncts should hold a graduate degree appropriate to their field, either the doctorate or the terminal degree for those academic areas in which the doctorate is not normally required. However, in some cases, faculty without the terminal degree may demonstrate qualifications for this status when they have at least a master's degree in addition to additional graduate course work and/or have developed extensive experience in the profession for which they are expected to teach.
(b) Ad hoc appointment
BGSU employees, who otherwise do not have graduate faculty status, may be authorized to teach specific graduate courses or serve on a thesis or dissertation committee in a capacity other than chair or principal advisor. An example of ad hoc members may be administrators or ex-administrators who, because of the demands of administrative duties, do not currently meet the criteria for regular graduate faculty status. Ad hoc appointments are for one to three years and may be renewed.
(i) Ad hoc privileges
(A) If approved, serve as members of thesis and dissertation committees, supervise or participate in master's plan II experiences, or other duties.
(B) If approved, teach courses at the 5000 through 7000 levels.
(ii) Ad hoc criteria
(A) Ad hoc graduate faculty should hold a graduate degree appropriate to their field, either the doctorate or the terminal degree for those academic areas in which the doctorate is not normally required. However, in some cases, BGSU employees without the terminal degree may demonstrate qualifications for this status when they have at least a master's degree in addition to additional graduate course work and/or have developed extensive experience in the profession for which they are expected to teach.
(B) Ad hoc appointments will be made only if all of the following stipulations apply:
(i) There is a demonstrated need for the course or committee service to be conducted by the appointee nominee, and
(ii) No regular or provisional graduate faculty are available.
Authorization to teach a specific course or serve on a committee must be gained prior to the beginning of the course or the constitution of the committee.
Last updated December 6, 2021 at 11:03 AM
Supplemental Information
Amplifies: 3345
Prior Effective Dates: 3/24/2015, 12/4/2017, 2/25/2019