Graduate Council (GC)
(Bylaws, 14.4)

Membership of GC

1. The Graduate Council shall consist of representation from the graduate faculty, the graduate students, and the administration.
   
   One faculty seat shall be apportioned to each graduate degree-granting college. The remaining faculty seats shall be apportioned as follows:
   
   
   1. Determine an allocation of eight additional seats in accordance with the ratio between the number of regular full-time members and associate members of the graduate faculty in each college, excluding the College of Law and members of the supportive professional staff, to the total number of such faculty members in all colleges, this being the number reported by the Office of the Provost on January 1 of each year.
      
      
   2. Determine an allocation of eight additional seats in accordance with the ratio between the number of graduate academic degree programs in each college to the total number of such degree programs in all colleges. Degree programs shall be considered to be those programs offered by departments for which a separate degree title is offered; options and specializations within degree programs shall not be considered as separate degree programs.
      
      
   3. Each college shall receive the maximum number of seats on the council to which it would be entitled under either formula 1) or 2) above. The number of faculty seats on the council apportioned under this subsection shall be above eight if necessary to accommodate the total number of seats determined to be needed under the application of these formulae.

Faculty members shall be elected by and from the university faculty who are eligible to elect, or be elected as, members of the University Council and who are also members of the graduate faculties of the college each represents, for three-year staggered terms to begin at the start of the fall semester.

Three additional faculty representatives shall be appointed by the dean of the Graduate School. These positions shall be apportioned to insure adequate representation of those graduate degree programs producing the largest number of graduates and those programs offering doctoral degrees. Appointed faculty representatives shall also serve three-year, staggered terms.

One representative from the College of Law, who shall be entitled to vote only on matters pertaining to the College of Law, and who shall be elected by and from the faculty of that college to serve a three-year term.

One graduate student member from each college shall serve a one-year, renewable term beginning at the start of the fall semester and ending at the start of the succeeding fall semester. Each graduate degree-granting department shall nominate one graduate student to the college student advisory committee which shall select the college representative.

The dean of the Graduate School shall serve ex officio as a member of the council and as the chair. A representative of the University Libraries, appointed by the director of the University Libraries, shall serve ex officio on the council but shall vote only on matters pertaining to the libraries. The associate dean and the assistant dean of the Graduate School shall serve as ex officio, nonvoting members.

The faculty representatives on the council shall elect from among their members a faculty representative who shall serve as the assistant chair of the council. The assistant chair shall be chosen annually at the first meeting of the council each fall semester and shall serve a renewable term of one year.

B. The Graduate Council shall have responsibility to:

1. Establish general policies for graduate study, including policies applicable to students-at-large.
   
   
2. Establish standards for admissions, retention, and awarding graduate degrees by the Graduate School.
   
   
3. Promote scholarship, research, and artistic activities among faculty and graduate students and create an environment on campus which is conducive to the pursuit of research and graduate studies.
   
   
4. Promote excellence in teaching among graduate faculty and encourage, where appropriate, the development of excellence in teaching among graduate students.
   
   
5. Promote, where appropriate, the integration of professional practice, teaching, and scholarly activity.
   
   
6. Approve graduate curricular proposals, including changes in graduate curriculum, submitted by departments and colleges; and approve and recommend all new graduate programs.
   
   
7. Subject to approval by referendum of the graduate faculty, the Graduate Council shall determine criteria for recommendations by departments and other instructional units of the university for appointments to the graduate faculty.
8. Request the college curriculum committees to report their decisions involving a duplication of courses for graduate credit to the chair of the council and to the vice president and provost.

C. The chair, the assistant chair, and such other faculty members as the council may designate shall comprise a committee to prepare the agenda for meetings of the council.

D. Minutes and reports of the Graduate Council shall be deposited in the University Archives and distributed to the University Council and to such others as deemed appropriate by the Graduate Council. Substantive changes in policies under the jurisdiction of the Graduate Council must be reported to the University Council.

* Chair
** Assistant Chair
^ Ex officio
+ Ex officio nonvoting
# Appointed at-large