Graduate Council
(FS Bylaws, 4.4)

GC Membership 

4.4 The Graduate Council

4.4.1 Composition 

4.4.1.1 Faculty Representation

(A) One seat shall be apportioned to each graduate degree-granting college.

(B) 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 executive vice president and provost on January first 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 Graduate Council to which it would be entitled under either formula (1) or formula (2) of this subsection. The number of faculty seats on the council apportioned under this subsection shall be increased above eight if necessary to accommodate the total number of seats determined to be needed under the application of these formulae.

(C) Faculty members shall be elected by and from the university faculty who are eligible to elect, or be elected as, members of the Faculty Senate, who are tenured, 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.

(D) Three additional faculty representatives shall be appointed by the dean of the Graduate School. These positions shall be apportioned to ensure 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.

(E) If, in a given year, no voting member of the Faculty Senate has been elected or appointed to the Graduate Council under the provisions of sections 4.4.1.1 (C) and (D) of these bylaws, the Faculty Senate shall elect one Faculty Senate member to serve on the council as an ex officio nonvoting member for that year.

(F) There shall also be one representative of 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. 

4.4.1.2 Student Representation There shall be one graduate student member from each college. This representative 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 department granting graduate degrees shall nominate one graduate student from its department to the college student advisory committee which shall select the college representative. 

4.4.1.3 Administration Representation

(A) The dean of the Graduate School shall serve ex officio as a member of the Graduate Council.

(B) A representative of the University Libraries, appointed by the dean of the University Libraries, shall serve ex officio on the council, but shall vote only on matters pertaining to the libraries. 

4.4.2 Chair 

4.4.2.1 The dean of the Graduate School shall serve as the chair of the Graduate Council and shall vote when necessary to break a tie vote. 

4.4.2.2 The faculty representatives on the Graduate Council shall elect from among their members a faculty representative who shall serve as the assistant chair of the council. The assistant chair shall preside over council meetings in the absence of the chair, act as a liaison between the chair and council members between meetings of the council, and perform such other duties as may be assigned by either the council or the council chair. 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. 

4.4.2.3 The Graduate Council chair shall be responsible for transmitting to the chair of the Baccalaureate Council, the Office of Registration and Records, and the editor of the university catalogs curricular proposals approved by the Graduate Council for recording and publication. 

4.4.3 Duties 

4.4.3.1 Establish general policies for graduate study, including policies applicable to students-at-large. 

4.4.3.2 Establish standards for admission, retention, and awarding graduate degrees by the Graduate School. 

4.4.3.3 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. 

4.4.3.4 Promote excellence in teaching among graduate faculty and encourage, where appropriate, the development of excellence in teaching among graduate students.

4.4.3.5 Promote, where appropriate, the integration of professional practice, teaching, and scholarly activity. 

4.4.3.6 Approve graduate curricular proposals, including changes in graduate curriculum, submitted by departments and colleges; and approve and recommend all new graduate programs. 

4.4.3.7 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. 

4.4.3.8 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 executive vice president and provost. 

4.4.5 Substantive changes in policies under the jurisdiction of the Graduate Council must be reported to the Faculty Senate. If it disapproves, the Faculty Senate shall report its disapproval, together with a written statement of its rationale, to the Graduate Council. The Graduate Council shall reconsider policy changes in question and either:

(i)  agree with the Faculty Senate and rescind its prior action;

(ii)  modify the policy change and notify the Faculty Senate of its action; or

(iii)  reaffirm its policy decision. If the council reaffirms its policy position, it shall report that action to the Faculty Senate, together with a written statement of its rationale. The policy proposal shall take effect unless disapproved by a two-thirds vote of the total membership of the Faculty Senate. The Faculty Senate shall have no authority to alter, amend, or otherwise modify a policy decision of the Graduate Council. Policy changes reported by the Graduate Council to the Faculty Senate shall be considered approved by the Faculty Senate unless the Faculty Senate takes action to disapprove the proposed policy within six consecutive weeks of fall or spring semester classes after receipt of the proposal from the Graduate Council.

Graduate Council membership

The Graduate Council meets monthly on Mondays at 10 a.m., hybrid modality
2023-2024 meeting dates: Sep 11, Oct 1, Nov 6, Dec 4, Feb 5, Mar 4, Apr 1, May 6.
Meeting Minutes

* Appointed at-large from graduate faculty
** Student member
# Chair
## Assistant Chair