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The Graduate Studies Committee shall carry out the functions of a School graduate committee as outlined in the Graduate Faculty Handbook.

Section XIV—Graduate Studies Committee

Each graduate program authorized to offer a graduate degree must have a Graduate Studies Committee. The Graduate Studies Committee oversees and administers its graduate degree programs and is the liaison between the Graduate School and the Graduate Faculty members in the graduate program.

Membership. Only Graduate Faculty members and graduate students in the graduate program are eligible to serve on the Graduate Studies Committee. The committee must have a minimum of three members.

Selection. The Graduate Faculty members in the graduate program determine the rules by which the Graduate Studies Committee’s members and its chair are selected and their terms of office specified. The head of the academic unit or department chair may be a member of the committee but normally does not serve as its chair.

General Responsibilities XIV.1
The Graduate Studies Committee is responsible for the conduct and administration of its graduate programs, although some duties may be delegated to other faculty members. Actions taken by the committee are subject to approval, modification, or reversal by the Graduate Faculty members in the graduate program. Decisions made by Graduate Studies Committees must comply with Graduate School rules. The Graduate Studies Committee assumes other responsibilities as assigned to it by the Graduate School, the Graduate Faculty members in the graduate program, the head of the academic unit, or the committee members. The committee reports on its actions taken during the year to Graduate Faculty members in the graduate program. The following list summarizes the responsibilities of the Graduate Studies Committee. This list is not exhaustive.

Rules. Formulates rules and procedures relevant to its own graduate programs within the policies established by the Graduate Council and the Graduate Faculty members in the graduate program.

  • Publishes and makes available to students and faculty in the graduate program a graduate program handbook containing the policies, rules, and procedures relevant to its own graduate programs
  • Establishes procedures for assigning and changing advisors
  • Considers and acts on student petitions that pertain to its rules. Considers and recommends action to the Graduate Council on student petitions that pertain to the policies and rules of the Graduate Council or the university faculty
  • Establishes rules respecting thesis and non-thesis master’s degree programs

Curricula, Program Changes, and Graduate Courses. Considers and recommends action on curricula, program changes, and graduate courses proposed for graduate credit to Graduate Council.

  • Considers and acts on requests for non-Graduate Faculty members to teach courses for graduate credit (500-, 600-, 700-level courses)
  • May propose other plan options for tagged master’s degrees to the Graduate Council

Graduate Faculty. Appoints faculty for Category M membership on the Graduate Faculty and nominates faculty for Category P membership to the Graduate School. Approves emeritus faculty members to continue specified Graduate Faculty functions. Reviews Graduate Faculty membership.

Admission. Specifies admission criteria and admission credentials in addition to those required by the Graduate School. Makes admission recommendations.

  • Specifies and monitors the conditions that must be satisfied by students admitted in the conditional classification
  • Approves provisional classification extensions and may withdraw the provisional offer of admission or recommend denial of further registration
  • Approves changes in a student’s admission classification
  • Approves extensions of the English as a Second Language time limit

Transfers, Re-entry, Senior Petition, Fresh Start. Reviews requests from current and former graduate students for changes in program, registration, and credits.

  • Considers and acts on requests from students to transfer into its graduate program
  • Establishes rules for reentry of students
  • Considers petitions to reenroll from students who have been denied further registration or dismissed or whose enrollment eligibility has been deactivated
  • Approves courses taken under Senior Petition to be counted toward the graduate degree
  • Determines achievement level required and number of graduate credits that may be earned through credit by examination (”EM” credit)
  • Recommends approval of graduate courses to be transferred from another university
  • Determines if the fresh start rule applies to former graduate students

Academic Standards and Program Quality. Establishes and enforces rules, procedures, and practices consistent with high quality graduate programs

  • Determines policies on time limits for completing degree requirements consistent with Graduate School rules. Such policies are then published in the graduate program handbook
  • Reviews students‟ academic performance
  • Determines reasonable progress and recommends action
  • May establish a foreign language requirement

Master’s Degree Programs. In addition to enforcing Graduate School rules regarding master’s degree programs, Graduate Studies Committees

  • May recommend awarding a master’s degree on the basis of passing the doctoral candidacy examination
  • May establish rules for designating master’s degree areas of specialization to be recorded on student transcript
  • Establish rules and procedures for the conduct of the master’s examination, including attendance by graduate students and faculty members other than the master’s examination committee members
  • Reviews student records to ensure that master’s degree requirements are met

Doctoral Degree Programs. In addition to enforcing Graduate School rules regarding doctoral degree programs, Graduate Studies Committees

  • May establish rules for designating doctoral degree areas of specialization to be recorded on student transcript
  • May establish a foreign language requirement
  • Approves credit hours in excess of the master’s degree to be counted toward the doctoral degree
  • Petitions the Dean of the Graduate School to waive the 135 minimum graduate credit-hour requirement
  • Establishes rules and procedures for the conduct of preliminary examinations
  • Establishes rules and procedures for the conduct of the candidacy examination
  • Determines whether students may take the supplemental candidacy examination
  • Establishes rules and procedures for selecting the dissertation committee
  • Establishes rules and procedures for selecting the final oral examination committee
  • Determines if other faculty members and graduate students may attend the final oral examination
  • Decides whether the advisor or another member of the Graduate Faculty serves as chair of the candidacy examination committee and whether the advisor is a member of this committee and reports this decision to the Graduate School

Combined Programs. Monitors progress of combined program students
Certificate Programs. May establish rules for graduate certificate programs of study Graduate

T&L POA

The Graduate Studies Committee shall carry out the functions of a School graduate committee as outlined in the Graduate Faculty Handbook.

The Graduate Studies Committee shall consist of five faculty members and one graduate student representative.

One of the members shall be a regional faculty member.

Faculty members on this committee shall be elected for staggered two-year terms so that the majority of the committee members are of Level P rank on the Graduate Faculty.

The student representative and one student alternate shall be appointed for one-year terms.

Full-time graduate students in the School of Teaching and Learning will be nominated by their peers or through self-nomination to serve on the Graduate Studies Committee. From the list of those students nominated, the Graduate Studies Committee will select the student representative and one student alternate.

The Chair of this committee shall be a Level P member of the Graduate Faculty serving the second year of his/her term on the committee.

The Chair or designee serves as the School representative to the Graduate School and is a member of the College of Education and Human Ecology College Council Curriculum Committee.