[1997 Organizing Letter from then-President J. Wade Gilley]
September 17, 1997
TO: Graduate Council
FROM: Dr. J. Wade Gilley
RE: Graduate Council Responsibilities
Interim Executive Bulletin 12, in response to Senate Bill 67 that merged the West Virginia Graduate College and Marshall University, created an autonomous Graduate Council. For the 1997-1998 academic year members of the former Graduate Committee are asked to serve on the Graduate Council. A list of the Graduate Council membership is attached.
The general responsibility of the Graduate Council, as stated in Interim Executive Bulletin 12, is:
The Graduate Council will have the following responsibilities:
long range planning for graduate education at Marshall;
recommendation of new programs and courses to the
University President; evaluation of existing programs and courses;
facilitate graduate accreditation; recommendation of promotion
and tenure policies relating to graduate education and its new
mission, and recommendation of the approval of graduate
faculty to the President.
Specific tasks of the Graduate Council to be achieved during 1997-1998, include the following:
adopt a set of by-laws.
revise the criteria and application process for faculty appointment to graduate faculty status.
establish procedures designed to expedite the review of proposed new courses, degrees, and/or modification of courses/programs.
review of promotion tenure guidelines and criteria.
review format and procedure for evaluation of courses.
Dr. Dennis P. Prisk will chair the Council and he will convene the first meeting.
Thank you for your willingness to serve in this important capacity.
May 2002 Fac. Senate Constitution Amendment re. Grad. Council
AMENDMENT TO THE FACULTY SENATE CONSTITUTION REGARDING GRADUATE COUNCIL
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The following amendment to the Faculty Senate Constitution was approved by the Graduate Council and Faculty Senate in February and March of 2002. It was voted upon and passed by the full faculty by ballot in May 2002. It involves a closer and better-defined relationship between the MU Graduate Council, the Faculty Senate, and the President with respect to accountabilities and responsibilities.
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In an effort to effect congruence between and among the various documents concerning faculty governance subsequent to the merger of Marshall University with the former West Virginia Graduate College (i.e., SB 67, Interim Executive Policy Bulletin #12, the Constitution of the Marshall University Faculty Senate, and the Marshall University Graduate Council By-Laws), the Constitutional Ad Hoc Committee proposes two amendments to the Faculty Senate Constitution:
a. The deletion of Article VI, Section 11 titled “Graduate Committee”;
b. The insertion of the following as Article VII
(subsequent sections of Article VI and Articles following will be appropriately re-numbered)
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Article VII. Graduate Council
Section 1. The Marshall University Faculty Senate system shall include, in addition to the Faculty Senate itself, the Graduate Council. The Graduate Council has certain specified functions and works in cooperation with the Senate on other matters. The Graduate Council shall meet of its own accord, elect its own officers, determine its own committee and subcommittee structure(s), and have authority over other such matters as relate to its operation.
Section 2. Powers and Functions. The primary responsibility of the Graduate Council is to make policy recommendations with respect to the graduate education mission of the university to the university President. Specific functions include the facilitation of long range planning for graduate education at Marshall University, the recommendation of new programs and courses, the evaluation of existing programs and courses, the facilitation of graduate accreditation, the recommendation of promotion and tenure policies related to graduate education, and the recommendation of approval of graduate faculty to the university President.
Section 3. Membership. Voting representation on the Graduate Council shall include seven individuals from the South Charleston campus (four faculty members elected at large, one faculty member from CITE, one librarian with faculty rank, and a faculty senate liaison*), nine individuals from the Huntington campus (one representative each from the Lewis College of Business, the College of Education and Human Services, the College of Fine Arts, the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Science, the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, the College of Nursing and Health Professions, the School of Medicine; and the president of the Faculty Senate*), and one graduate student representative elected at-large. Ex-officio (nonvoting) members include the Dean of the Graduate College, the Provost/Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Vice President for Graduate Studies, and the Vice President of Research.
(*In the event the Faculty Senate President is from the South Charleston campus, the faculty senate liaison will be elected from the Huntington campus.)
Section 4. Elections and Terms. Each voting Graduate Council member’s term (other than the graduate student representative) shall be four years. Elections for voting members (other than the graduate student representative) shall occur in the spring of odd-numbered years to coincide with Faculty Senate elections. The graduate student representative shall have a one-year term with election each spring. Voting members may serve no more than two consecutive terms. The Bylaws of the Graduate Council determine additional procedures and policies as needed regarding elections, terms, attendance requirements, interim members, standing committees, vacancies, and so forth, and may be revised and clarified as needed by the Graduate Council.
Section 5. Graduate Council-Senate Relationship. All actions taken by the Graduate Council with respect to the functions specified in Section 2 shall be submitted directly to the university President or the President’s designee for approval. All such actions shall be communicated to the Faculty Senate. On matters not related to those functions, the Graduate Council and Senate will work collaboratively in whatever format is deemed appropriate by the respective executive committees.
* The Graduate Council reports to the university President or the President’s designee on matters relating to graduate education as specified in Article VII, Section 2 of the Constitution of the Marshall University Faculty. On all other matters, the Graduate Council works with the Faculty Senate through the Executive Committee.
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