GSH Section 12 - Graduate Faculty Membership

GSH Section 12 - Graduate Faculty Membership

Graduate Faculty Membership Introduction - 12.0

The Graduate Faculty (3335-5-29) are those members of the general faculty approved to conduct graduate education at Ohio State. Appointment to the general faculty must precede appointment to the graduate faculty. A faculty appointment, however, does not in itself confer graduate faculty membership.

Graduate faculty play a significant role in the graduate student’s academic experience. Academic freedom and academic responsibilities of the graduate faculty, as well as collaboration between student and committee members, is an integral component of the degree completion process. The Graduate School recognizes that these important relationships develop over time and, when faculty leave the university either through resignation or retirement, there remains a responsibility to advise the student through the dissertation and to completion of the degree.

Graduate Faculty Categories - 12.1

Faculty. Current tenure-track faculty and research track faculty at the university are eligible for appointment as Category M or P Graduate Faculty. Clinical track faculty are eligible for appointment as Category M Graduate Faculty. Graduate Faculty accept the responsibilities of that role as detailed in Section 12.4. Faculty title definitions are established by the university’s Board of Trustees in its Bylaws and Rules (see Chapter 3335-5-19 for more information).

Primary Advisor. This graduate faculty member will serve as the advisor of record for the graduate student and the point of contact with the Graduate School and is listed on GRADFORMS. He/she will be responsible for the coordination of the graduate program of the student.

Co-Advisor. This graduate faculty member assists the primary advisor in coordination of the graduate program of the student and is listed on GRADFORMS. In circumstances where the primary advisor is no longer at the university, the co-advisor will become the point of contact with the Graduate School.

Emeritus Faculty. The designation “emeritus” may be conferred at retirement upon recommendation by the regular faculty member’s chair, dean, and the executive vice president and provost. See 3335-5-19. Emeritus Faculty who remain active in research and scholarship must request the Graduate School to retain their graduate faculty status. The request must be based on the same criteria used by the Graduate Studies Committee to appoint regular Graduate Faculty and must be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee, the department chair, and the dean of the college. The request must specify a fixed term, not to exceed five years, after which it may be extended by another request following the same process. Emeritus faculty who retain graduate faculty status accept all responsibilities of that role as detailed in Section 12.4. Emeritus faculty who do not request to retain graduate faculty status are subject to the rules pertaining to faculty who retire or leave the university under the Continuing Graduate Committee Service policy.

Continuing Graduate Committee Service. Graduate programs must approve a request to continue graduate committee service prior to a graduate faculty member’s retirement or resignation. With the approval of the graduate program and the Graduate School, faculty who have retired or leave the university may:

  • Continue to serve as the primary advisor for their students who are in candidacy or who are master’s students at the time of the faculty member’s retirement or resignation. A current Category P faculty committee member in the student’s home program with contractual obligation to the university must be named to serve as the student’s co-advisor.
  • Remain as a regular member of a dissertation committee of a student in candidacy at the time of the faculty member’s retirement or resignation for a period up to the expiration of the student’s initial five-year candidacy status. Only one such member of any dissertation committee can be identified as counting toward the required number of valid committee members.
  • Serve as an extra member on new dissertation committees for students who are pre-candidacy or for students not in progress toward a master’s at the time of resignation or retirement.
  • Not serve as the advisor for a new student.

Associated or Auxiliary Faculty. Associated faculty are “persons with adjunct titles, clinical practice titles, visiting titles, and lecturer titles; also professors, associate professors, assistant professors, and instructors who serve on appointments totaling less than 50 percent to the university” (University Rule 3335-5-19). Associated faculty are not eligible for appointment to the graduate faculty. Associated faculty may serve on master’s and doctoral examination committees upon petition by the Graduate Studies Committee of the student’s program and approval by the Graduate School. Associated faculty may, under extraordinary circumstances, serve as an external co-advisor upon petition by the Graduate Studies Committee and approval by the Graduate School.

Ex Officio Members. The Executive Vice President and Provost, the Vice President for Research, the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School, the College Deans, and the Director of Libraries are granted a courtesy appointment as Graduate Faculty and are ex officio members of the graduate faculty. Ex officio members can maintain their already existing M or P status if applicable. Ex Officio members who do not have an existing M or P status may need to apply for such a status to a graduate program if needed.

Functions of Graduate Faculty - 12.2

Only Graduate Faculty members are authorized to perform of the following functions:

  • Serve as advisor for master’s degree students.
  • Direct master’s theses.
  • Serve as advisor for doctoral degree students.
  • Direct doctoral PhD dissertations or DMA documents.
  • Serve as Graduate Faculty Representative (GFR) on second candidacy examination and final oral examination committees.
  • Participate in the governance of graduate education at all levels within the university.

Preclusion. A faculty member whose highest degree was awarded by this university and who is approved for graduate faculty membership at any category may not serve as an advisor for or serve on the master’s examination, candidacy examination committee, or final oral examination committee of former fellow students.

Appointment of Graduate Faculty - 12.3

Appointment can be directly to either Category P or M. The two categories do not imply a sequence. The appropriate category level (P or M) is determined by the faculty member’s qualifications and the functions the faculty member is expected to perform by the graduate program.

Nominations, Appointment, and Notification. The Graduate Studies Committee appoints Category M Graduate Faculty members and notifies the Graduate School of its actions. The Graduate Studies Committee submits nominations for Category P membership on the graduate faculty to the Graduate School and certifies by appropriate documentation that those nominated meet published Graduate School criteria as detailed in Section 12.4 of this Handbook. Graduate programs may establish additional local criteria.

Multiple Appointments. Faculty may hold graduate faculty appointments in more than one graduate program. For faculty already holding Category P status in one program, a Category P appointment in another program is made by the Graduate School upon written nomination by that program’s Graduate Studies Committee.

Advisor’s Appointment. The advisor of a master’s (thesis or non-thesis) or doctoral (including professional doctorate) student must hold graduate faculty membership at the appropriate level (at least Category M for a master’s student and only Category P for a doctoral student) in the graduate program of the student. Associated faculty may, under extraordinary circumstances, serve as an external co-advisor upon petition by the Graduate Studies Committee and approval by the Graduate School.

Qualifications, Rights and Responsibilities - 12.4

Minimum Category P Qualifications.

The faculty member:

  • Holds a tenure-track or research faculty appointment.
  • Holds an earned PhD or DMA.
  • Is engaged and primarily directs an active program of research, scholarship, or creative activity, or demonstrates significant promise of establishing such a program.
  • Has engaged and demonstrated experience in mentoring graduate students.

Rights and Responsibilities of Category P Graduate Faculty.

  • Acts as the primary advisor for master’s and doctoral students.
  • Participates in the governance of graduate education at all levels within the university.
  • Serves on doctoral examination committees.
  • Serves as a GFR on second candidacy examinations and final oral examinations.

Minimum Category M Qualifications.

The faculty member:

  • Holds a tenure-track or clinical faculty appointment.
  • Holds a master’s degree or higher, or equivalent.

Rights and Responsibilities of Category M Graduate Faculty.

  • Acts as the primary advisor for master’s students.
  • Participates in the governance of graduate education at all levels within the university.
  • Serves on doctoral examination committees at the discretion of the Graduate Studies Committee.

Committee Service - 12.5

Graduate faculty with M or P status may serve on master’s and doctoral (candidacy and final oral) examination committees as listed below. The advisor for a student must have appropriate graduate faculty status in the student’s graduate program.

A Master’s examination committee includes at least two current graduate faculty members, including the primary advisor. Both members can have M or P status.

A Specialist in Education (EdS) examination committee (Section 6.8) includes at least two current graduate faculty members, including the primary advisor. The primary advisor must have P status while the other committee member can be M or P.

A Doctoral candidacy committee includes at least four current graduate faculty, including the primary advisor and the co-advisor (if applicable). The primary advisor must have P status while the rest of committee members can be M or P.

A Doctoral final examination committee includes at least three graduate faculty members, including the primary advisor and the co-advisor (if applicable). The primary advisor must have P status, while the rest of the committee can be M or P.

A Professional doctoral examination committee includes at least three members, with an option for one of the members to be a non-graduate faculty member. The primary advisor can be M or P, but if M must have a PhD or an equivalent professional degree that is in line with the respective professional doctorate program.

Former graduate faculty members who have retired or left the university and are no longer current graduate faculty at Ohio State are allowed to serve on their students’ masters or doctoral final examination committee(s) under the Continuous Service policy (Section 12.1) upon petition by the student submitting a Committee and Examination Petition on GRADFORMS. Faculty approved under this policy will count toward the regular number of graduate faculty members needed for a valid committee. Retired or resigned faculty who are not approved under the Continuous Service policy can only serve as an additional external member for a doctoral candidacy exam upon petition by the student using GRADFORMS.

External Member. Persons who are not graduate faculty members at Ohio State may serve on master’s or doctoral (candidacy and final oral) examination committees upon the recommendation of the Graduate Studies Committee of the student’s program as an external member of the committee upon request by the student submitting a Committee and Examination Petition on GRADFORMS. Petitions will need to include a curriculum vitae for the external member. Approval by the Graduate School is granted upon special petition by the Graduate Studies Committee, outlining the special qualifications and expected contributions of the proposed committee member.

Review of Graduate Faculty Status - 12.6

The Graduate Studies Committee should review, on a regular basis, the membership categories of graduate faculty in its graduate program. The reviews may include the track record of a graduate faculty member in advising and mentoring graduate students, evaluation of the faculty by past graduate students and service on graduate examination committees. The review may also consider any written complaint(s) filed against the faculty member by graduate students as per faculty rule 3335-5-04. Based on this review, the Graduate Studies Committee may recommend to the Graduate School that the category P level be continued, reduced (changed from P to M) or removed, or that the faculty member’s graduate faculty P status be considered probationary until certain specified conditions are met. Appropriate documentation must accompany such a recommendation, including verification that the faculty member has been notified of the possible action and has been allowed to respond in writing within a timeline specified by the Graduate Studies Committee. The faculty member’s response, if any, must be included in the information sent to the Graduate School. The Graduate School will review the recommendation and determine a final action. The Graduate School can approve, deny or work with the Graduate Studies Committee and/or Chairs and Deans to define a probationary remediation plan.