Procedure for Review of Graduate Faculty Membership

The Northern Illinois University "Policies and Procedures for Graduate Faculty Membership" (see Section II, Item 1) stipulate that full and senior members of the graduate faculty have their membership reviewed at the time of their departments' eight-year academic program reviews. The following procedure has been adopted by the Graduate Council:

A. Process

1. All full and senior members of the graduate faculty shall be reviewed by their respective departments during the year those departments are undergoing academic program review. The departments' recommendations shall be forwarded to the college dean and the affected faculty members.
2. The college dean will review the departmental recommendations and transmit them, and his or her own recommendations, to the Graduate School. The dean's recommendation will also be transmitted to faculty member if it differs from the department's recommendation.
3. The dean of the Graduate School will receive the above recommendations and compare the faculty members' records with the requirements of the departmental graduate faculty membership criteria.
4.  The graduate dean will pass the above recommendations to the Graduate Faculty Membership Committee.
5.  The Graduate Faculty Membership Committee will compare the faculty members' records with the requirements of the departmental graduate faculty membership criteria and will conclude which of the faculty should remain in their current membership category and which should be moved to the next lower category.
6.  A summary of the Committee's recommendations, by department, will be transmitted to the Graduate Council.

B. Outcomes

1.  Move to a higher membership category: The review could result in the conclusion that a full member should be changed to a senior member. (Although such action can be recommended by a department at any time, the formal periodic review process may serve to remind departments that they have faculty deserving of this action.)
2.  Continue in category until the next eight-year review: The review could result in a conclusion that a full or senior member meets the current departmental criteria for that membership and should remain in that membership category for another eight years.
3.  Continue in category for a total of six years: the university guidelines state that a person who has been a full or senior member for less than six years shall not have his or her membership changed prior to the end of six years in that membership category. If such a person reviewed at the time of the program review is found not to meet the current departmental criteria, that person will be so notified but will not have a change in membership category. Instead, another review of that person will take place after the six years have expired, at which time it will be determined what his or her membership category will be until the next departmental review.
4.  Move to the next lower membership category: The review could result in a conclusion that a full or senior member does not meet the current departmental criteria for that category of membership. This would mean that senior membership would change to full membership (until the next eight-year review or until changed by the usual membership procedures) or full membership would change to provisional membership (for three years or until changed by the usual procedures).

C. Appeals

1.  If a faculty member disagrees with the decision of the department, the faculty member may request a reconsideration by the department.
2.  If a faculty member disagrees with the decision reaching the dean of the Graduate School from the department or college dean, the faculty member may submit a written appeal to the graduate dean (and may also appeal in person). The appeal, will be transmitted to the Graduate Faculty Membership Committee, before which the person may also appeal in person.
3.  If there is a negative decision by the graduate dean, the faculty member will be so notified and may submit a written appeal to the Graduate Faculty Membership Committee (and may also appeal in person).
4.  If there is a negative recommendation by either the graduate dean or the Graduate Faculty Membership Committee, then the person may submit a written appeal to the Graduate Council (and may also appeal in person). The decision of the Graduate Council and the dean of the Graduate School will be final.
5.  A person who is moved to a lower membership category may be proposed for a higher category in any subsequent academic term.

Approved by the Graduate Council, February 3, 1992 
Editorial corrections, April 1, 1994 
Modified by the Graduate Council, February 3, 1997 
Editorial modifications, June 5, 1997