CONTENTS:
10.1       GRADUATE ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION
10.1.1    FACULTY SENATE GRADUATE COUNCIL
10.1.2    DEPARTMENTS AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
10.1.3    SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES
10.1.4    OFFICE OF GRADUATE STUDIES
10.2       FORMULATION AND REVIEW OF POLICES AND PROCEDURES
10.3       GRADUATE PROGRAM APPROVAL
10.3.1    INTERNAL APPROVAL PROCESS
10.3.2    EXTERNAL APPROVAL PROCESS
10.4       GRADUATE PROGRAM REVIEW
10.4.1    MONITORING AND EVALUATION AT THE ACADEMIC UNIT LEVEL
10.4.2    UNIVERSITY LEVEL MONITORING AND EVALUATION

10.1. GRADUATE ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION

Effective: March 28, 1989

AUTHORITY/SOURCE

Provost and Executive Vice President

POLICY

The Faculty Senate Graduate Council and the Council of Deans participate in formulating and recommending policy, reviewing procedures, recommending and assessing planning priorities, establishing criteria for maintaining quality and assessing needs. Graduate programs are administered at three distinct levels: the department, the college or school and the Office of Graduate Studies.

10.1.1. FACULTY SENATE GRADUATE COUNCIL

Effective: March 28, 1989

AUTHORITY/SOURCE

Provost and Executive Vice President

POLICY

The Graduate Council is an elected committee of the Faculty Senate. The Graduate Council, as charged by the Faculty Senate, shall recommend and evaluate policies and procedures concerning graduate education at the University, evaluate proposals for new graduate programs and perform related tasks as assigned by the Senate. The Graduate Council addresses:

     ·     long-range graduate program development plans to be included in the University Master Plan
     ·    criteria, policies, and procedures for the development and approval of new graduate programs,
     ·    including recommendations to the Faculty Senate on all new graduate program proposals
     ·    criteria, policies, and procedures for the evaluation of existing graduate programs
     ·    criteria, policies, and procedures for determining priorities for funding graduate programs
     ·    agreements with other institutions that relate to graduate education
     ·    policies and procedures for graduate student recruitment, financial aid and advisement

The Graduate Council engages in the following processes:

     ·    meets and recommends action under the leadership of a chairperson elected from within the Council

     ·    initiates activities relating to the purposes described above, including receiving proposals from the Dean of Graduate Studies, Provost, Faculty Senate Steering Committee, units, committees and faculty

     ·    reports regularly to the Faculty Senate and annually to the Provost and Dean of the University Graduate School

10.1.2. DEPARTMENTS AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS

Effective: March 28, 1989

AUTHORITY/SOURCE

Provost and Executive Vice President

POLICY

Each department has primary responsibility for developing, implementing and monitoring its graduate programs. These include:

     establishing admission standards
     formulating degree requirements
     recommending awarding of degrees
     evaluating faculty and program quality
     facilitating research and scholarly productivity
     achieving enrollment goals
     ensuring program quality

10.1.3. SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

Effective: March 28, 1989

AUTHORITY/SOURCE

Provost and Executive Vice President

POLICY

The faculty of the college or school formulates academic unit policies and procedures and evaluates faculty and program quality.The academic dean requests University support and sustains the resources of staff, budget and space. Further, he or she approves program development, pursues external resources, monitors program quality, evaluates faculty and coordinates linkages with other units within and without the institution.

10.1.4. OFFICE OF GRADUATE STUDIES

Effective: March 28, 1989

AUTHORITY/SOURCE

Provost and Executive Vice President

POLICY

The Office of Graduate Studies is headed by a Graduate Dean who is responsible for oversight and coordination of graduate programs under the direction of the University Provost. The Dean of the University Graduate School shall work with the Faculty Senate Graduate Council, the academic deans, and other bodies to assure the growth and development of graduate programs and the maintenance of quality standards.

The specific responsibilities of the Office of Graduate Studies include monitoring, coordinating and facilitating:

     graduate student recruitment, admissions and enrollment including minority student concerns
     program quality
     research and scholarly productivity
     program implementation
     policies and procedures for the operation of graduate programs at the University level
     graduate financial aid
     cooperation with the providers of other University support services

The Dean of the University Graduate School develops detailed goals and objectives to fulfill the mission of the Office. These are developed in consultation with the academic deans and the Faculty Senate Graduate Council.

10.2. FORMULATION AND REVIEW OF POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Effective: March 28, 1989

AUTHORITY/SOURCE

Provost and Executive Vice President

POLICY

The Faculty Senate is responsible for recommending the approval of University graduate policies and procedures. The Graduate Council is the body of the Faculty Senate responsible for the initiation and development of recommendations for those policies and procedures in consultation with members of the faculty, academic deans and the Provost.

Graduate Council recommendations approved by the Faculty Senate are forwarded to the Provost, who seeks the review of the Dean of the University Graduate School and the Council of Deans prior to concurring or dissenting. If revision is desired, the policy statement with suggested revision is returned to the Faculty Senate.

After completing this process, the policy or procedure is officially entered into the University Graduate Policies and Procedures Manual. Compliance is monitored by the academic deans, the Dean of the University Graduate School and the Faculty Senate Graduate Council.

10.3. GRADUATE PROGRAM APPROVAL

Effective: March 28, 1989

AUTHORITY/SOURCE

Provost and Executive Vice President

POLICY

Graduate programs require approval by the Faculty Senate, the administration and the Board of Regents as set forth in guidelines provided by the State University System.

10.3.1. INTERNAL APPROVAL PROCESS

Effective: March 28, 1989

AUTHORITY/SOURCE

Provost and Executive Vice President

POLICY

The University's internal approval process includes the following in this order:

     department curriculum committee
     department chairperson
     college or school curriculum committee and/or graduate council
     academic deans
     Faculty Senate
     Provost
     President

10.3.2. EXTERNAL APPROVAL PROCESS

Effective: March 28, 1989

AUTHORITY/SOURCE

Provost and Executive Vice President

POLICY

Graduate program approval processes at the state level are detailed in the most recent relevant Chancellor's memo.

10.4. GRADUATE PROGRAM REVIEW

Effective: March 28, 1989

AUTHORITY/SOURCE

Provost and Executive Vice President

POLICY

Graduate program reviews shall be conducted at both the academic unit and University level.

10.4.1. MONITORING AND EVALUATION AT THE ACADEMIC UNIT LEVEL

Effective: March 28, 1989

AUTHORITY/SOURCE

Provost and Executive Vice President

POLICY

Each graduate program shall conduct periodic and formal reviews of its principal components and outcomes to determine:

     whether academic goals are being met
     whether substantive changes are needed in program content, direction and scope
     whether adjustments are needed in the level of resource support

One outcome of the review shall be the development and/or refinement of a long-range plan for the program. This plan shall specify objectives and set target dates for accomplishing recommended changes. This effort is not intended to replace required program reviews by the Board of Regents or the requirements for review and evaluation by external accrediting agencies. Instead it is viewed as a continuing effort which should facilitate the accomplishment of University goals.

10.4.2 UNIVERSITY LEVEL MONITORING AND EVALUATION

Effective: March 28, 1989

AUTHORITY/SOURCE

Provost and Executive Vice President

POLICY

The Graduate Council shall monitor compliance with University standards, policies and procedures through periodic reports from the Dean of the University Graduate School and the academic units regarding graduate programs. Other data and resources may be used in an analysis of program performance.