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Standing Rules

ARTICLE I. RULES OF PROCEDURE

Section A

  1. A quorum for the transaction of business shall consist of twenty-five Council members.
  2. The rules of procedure in the meetings of the Graduate Council, except as may be otherwise specified in the Articles of Authority, Bylaws, and Standing Rules, shall be the current edition of the American Institute of Parliamentarians Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure. All motions, except as may be otherwise specified in these documents, shall be determined by a majority of the votes cast. Roll Call votes may be initiated by the decision of the Chair or by five or more of the Council members present and voting.

Section B

The order of business at each regular meeting of the Council shall be as follows:

  1. Minutes of the preceding meeting.
  2. Communications to the Graduate Council.
  3. Announcements by the Chair.
  4. Announcements by the Dean of the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School.
  5. Announcements by the University Faculty Senate Liaison to Graduate Council.
  6. Remarks of the Vice President for Research [as appropriate].
  7. Report from the Graduate and Professional Student Association.
  8. Reports of Standing Committees.
  9. Reports of Ad Hoc Committees.
  10. Special reports.
  11. Unfinished business.
  12. New business.
  13. Comments and recommendations for the good of the graduate community.

The order of business may be changed by the Chair prior to any meeting. Any or all items in this section may be suspended at any regular meeting of the Council by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present and voting and at any special meeting by decision of the Chair.

Section C

The order of business for any special meeting of the Council as outlined in the Bylaws, Article III, Section A, Number 2, shall be determined by the Chair.

Section D

An agenda and appendices shall be distributed at least four (4) business days1 before the regular meeting to which they pertain to all members of the Council and to all non-Council members of Council Committees. Each academic and principal administrative unit of the University and the Graduate and Professional Student Association shall be sent a copy. The organizations shall receive the aforesaid agenda with appendices on the same time schedule as do Council members.

Section E

  1. To introduce new business, a Council member may address a request to the Chair indicating the item of business that the Council member wishes to be considered. This request must be made to the Chair, in writing, through the Secretary to the Council, at least ten (10) business days before the regular meeting to be considered for that meeting agenda. Items of new business introduced in this way may be discussed and referred to committee at the meeting, but a vote to consider a main motion must be postponed until the next regular meeting of Council unless the Chair calls a special meeting to consider this item before the next regular meeting as outlined in the Bylaws, Article III, Section A, Number 2.
  2. A Council member may also introduce, by a direct motion from the floor, new business that they consider to be of exceptional urgency. When such a motion has been made and seconded, a vote to consider the motion must be postponed until the next regular meeting of the Council unless the Chair calls a special meeting to consider this item before the next regular meeting as outlined in the Bylaws, Article III, Section A, Number 2.
  3. The chair or another member of a standing or ad hoc committee may also introduce a motion to Council on behalf of the committee. When such a motion has been made, a vote to consider the motion must be postponed until the next regular meeting of Council unless the Chair calls a special meeting to consider this item before the next regular meeting as outlined in the Bylaws, Article III, Section A, Number 2. This provision does not apply to motions to approve membership of standing or ad hoc committees.
  4. Only members of the Council may introduce new business.
  5. At the discretion of the Chair, any member of the Graduate Faculty, graduate education administration, or graduate student body not a member of the Council may request to address Council on any item of business already before the Council. Such a request must be made to the Chair, in writing, through the Secretary to the Council, at least four (4) business days before the meeting at which the faculty member, administrator, or graduate student wishes to speak.
  6. At the discretion of the Chair, any member of the Board of Trustees, faculty, administration, student body, or staff not a member of the Council may request to address Council to make comments and recommendations relevant to and for the good of the graduate community. Requests shall be made to the Chair, in writing, through the Secretary to the Council, at least four (4) business days prior to the meeting at which the individual wishes to speak and must include the topic on which the individual wishes to speak.
  7. The Chair shall have the authority to place a time limit on the remarks of any nonmember of the Council.
  8. The rules of this section may be suspended only by a two-thirds vote of the Council members present and voting.

Section F

New Standing Rules of the Council and amendments to these rules may be acted upon only after they have been presented in writing to all Council members at least six days before a regular meeting of the Council, except that this requirement may be suspended by a two-thirds vote of the Council members present and voting. Following approval, the amended Standing Rules will be submitted by the Chair to the University Faculty Senate for ratification.

Section G

The Council shall send minutes of its meetings to those specified in Section D.

Section H

Duties of Council Members:

  1. Attend Council meetings.
    1. Graduate Council members are expected to attend all meetings of Graduate Council. Although in-person attendance is preferred, Graduate Council members may participate in Graduate Council meetings remotely via videoconference using appropriately equipped University videoconferencing facilities or University-supported web-conferencing technology from a non-public and quiet location.
    2. If an elected Graduate Council member is unable to attend a meeting of Council, they must notify the Secretary in advance. The member must also notify their voting unit to provide an elected alternate to replace them at the meeting. If an elected alternate is available to attend the meeting, either the member or the voting unit must notify the Secretary at least 4 hours prior to the meeting start time to allow the alternate to receive the same voting privileges as the Council member for whom they are substituting for the day. The elected alternate must have been previously identified by the voting unit as eligible to serve as an alternate.
    3. If a Council member is absent from three or more Council meetings in an academic year without advance notice to the Secretary and has not resigned from their elected seat on Graduate Council, the Council will remove the member and require the voting unit to replace that member with a duly elected alternate representative. This provision does not pertain to sabbatical, medical, or other leaves of absence, or other absences related to professional responsibilities. It is the member’s duty to notify the Secretary of the reason for an absence.
  2. Attend their assigned Standing and Ad Hoc committee meetings.
    1. Committee members may participate in committee meetings remotely via videoconference using appropriately equipped University videoconferencing facilities or University-supported web-conferencing technology from a non-public and quiet location.
    2. If a committee member is unable to attend a committee meeting, an elected alternate may attend the committee meeting in their place. The member must notify their voting unit to provide an elected alternate to replace them at the committee meeting. The elected alternate must have been previously identified by the voting unit as eligible to serve as an alternate. If an elected alternate is available to attend the meeting, either the member or the voting unit must notify the Secretary at least 4 hours prior to the committee meeting start time to allow the alternate to receive the same voting privileges as the committee member for whom they are substituting.
  3. Communicate the activities of the Graduate Council to the Graduate Faculty in their home unit.
  4. In considering legislation, Council Members must balance the needs of their academic unit with the overall goal of maintaining and improving the quality of graduate education across the University.

Section I

Attendance at Graduate Council and Committee Meetings:

  1. Guests of Graduate Council and members of the University community who are not members of Graduate Council shall have the right to attend all meetings of the full Graduate Council as observers. Observers will participate remotely using appropriately equipped University videoconferencing facilities or University-supported web-conferencing technology. Members of the University community who are not members of Graduate Council may request to address Graduate Council as outlined in Article I, Section E above.
  2. Meetings of the committees of Graduate Council are open only to committee members and invited guests.

Section J

Nominations, Elections, and Removal of Officers:

  1. The Secretary will request nominations for the Chair-Elect from elected members of Council in February. Nominees must consent to be added to the ballot for election and must provide a brief statement of interest. Nominations must be received by 5:00 p.m. on March 5. The election must be concluded by March 31.
  2. Only current elected members of Graduate Council are eligible to vote in the election of the Chair-Elect.
  3. Election of the Chair-Elect shall be electronically by secret preferential ballot, with the preferred candidate for each office being designated by “1,” the next by “2,” and so on. In counting votes, a Borda count system shall be used to determine the winner. In the event of a tie, the results of the election shall be determined by drawing lots among the tied candidates.
  4. Votes shall be counted and verified by the Secretary, who will immediately report the results of the election to the current officers and candidates. The full Graduate Council will be notified in a timely fashion.
  5. The Chair has the discretion to undertake a recount of the ballots at any time before June 1 when the terms of office officially begin. An elected faculty member of Graduate Council wishing to contest the election results may request that the Chair conduct a recount within 30 days after the notification of the election results is sent. The Chair has the authority to decide whether or not to grant the request.
  6. At any meeting of Graduate Council, a petition may be presented to the Chair requesting that the Chair, Chair-Elect, or Immediate Past Chair be removed from office for neglect of duty or misconduct in office. The petition must be signed by at least five elected faculty members of Graduate Council. The Executive Committee of Graduate Council after appropriate investigation and discussion shall vote on whether the Graduate Council shall be polled to consider the removal of the officer. A majority vote of the members of the Executive Committee present and voting shall be required. If the Committee votes to poll the Graduate Council, a ballot by mail or electronically will be sent to all Council members allowing at least ten business days for voting. A two-thirds majority vote of Council members voting shall be required for removal of the officer.

ARTICLE II. GRADUATE COUNCIL COMMITTEE STRUCTURE

Section A

Committees may be created according to the provisions of Article II, Section A, of the Bylaws of the Graduate Council. A roster of Graduate Council members, as well as membership on Standing and Ad Hoc Committees, shall be made available to the University community on the Graduate Council section of the Fox Graduate School's website.

Section B

The Chair is an ex officio member of all Standing and Ad Hoc Committees and may authorize the Chair-Elect or Immediate Past Chair to be a representative at any committee meetings. The Chair of Graduate Council has full authority to decide which Committee has responsibility for considering and proposing legislation and/or consultation on any item which may overlap the responsibilities of more than one Committee.

Section C

All Standing Committees except the Committee on Committees and Procedures may add to their membership with the approval of the Committee on Committees and Procedures.

All Standing Committees are encouraged to invite individuals to render testimony or advice on particular questions as circumstances might indicate. All Standing Committees may appoint Ad Hoc Subcommittees as needed.

Section D

All Standing Committees must be chaired by elected faculty members of Graduate Council. The other appointed members of the committees should be representatives of the graduate community (Graduate Faculty, students enrolled in the Fox Graduate School, or graduate education administrators) and need not be members of the Graduate Council. Ex officio members of committees may vote in committee meetings if they are voting members of Council as specified in the Bylaws Section D. The Graduate and Professional Student Association will determine the committee assignments for the elected graduate student members of the Council.

Section E

All committee positions, except those of the Committee on Committees and Procedures, are tenable for one year, from June 1 in a given year to May 31 of the next year. Term lengths for the Committee on Committees and Procedures are stated in the Bylaws, Article II, Section A; however, the term start and end dates are the same as for the other committees. Committee chairs (with the exception of the chair of the Committee on Committees and Procedures) are nominated annually by the Committee on Committees and Procedures, in consultation with the Chair of Graduate Council, to Graduate Council.

Section F

Standing Committees of the Graduate Council:

  1. Committee on Committees and Procedures

Membership: It shall consist of six elected Graduate Council faculty members, plus one graduate student representing the Graduate and Professional Student Association. One-half of the membership normally shall be elected each year. The Immediate Past Chair and the Dean, Senior Associate Dean, and Director of Graduate Council Administration of the Fox Graduate School shall be ex officio members of this committee.

Selection: By the Graduate Council. All elected Graduate Council faculty members who have at least two years left in their terms will be on the ballot, unless they request to be removed. The Council will elect the Committee members electronically by secure and secret ballot. The three candidates who receive the largest number of votes are elected to the committee. The candidate with the fourth largest number of votes will serve as an alternate and will take over for any of the three committee members elected that year if they cannot complete their term. In the event of a tie, the results of the election shall be determined by drawing lots among the tied candidates.

Duties:

    1. It shall recommend appointment of members of all other Standing Committees. To the extent possible, it shall take the following criteria into account:
      1. Member preferences and availability;
      2. Continuity of committee membership; and
      3. Diversity of perspectives, including but not limited to discipline, college, and faculty rank.
    2. It shall assist the Chair in the appointment of Ad Hoc Committees if requested.
    3. It shall elect its own presiding officer. The chair must be elected after June 1 (when the committee terms begin) and before the September meeting of Graduate Council.
    4. It shall periodically review these Articles, Bylaws, and Standing Rules and recommend changes as necessary.
  2. Executive Committee

Membership: It shall consist of the Chair, Chair-Elect, Immediate Past Chair, and Secretary; the chairs of the Committees on Academic Standards, Committees and Procedures, Fellowships and Awards, Programs and Courses, Program Review and Evaluation, Graduate Research, Graduate Exhibition, and Graduate Student and Faculty Issues; the liaison member from the University Faculty Senate Council; the Dean and the Senior Associate Dean of the Fox Graduate School; plus at least three elected faculty members from the Graduate Council appointed by Graduate Council and one graduate student appointed by the Graduate and Professional Student Association from the elected graduate student members of Graduate Council. The Chair of Graduate Council chairs this committee.

Duties:

      1. Provide advice and counsel as requested by the Chair.
  2. Committee on Academic Standards

Membership: It shall consist of at least seven elected faculty members and one elected graduate student member of Graduate Council. The Dean, Senior Associate Dean, Associate Dean, Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Services, and Director of Graduate Council Administration of the Fox Graduate School shall be ex officio members of this committee.

Duties: It shall be responsible for standards of quality of graduate programs and research and is authorized to select Subcommittees as needed for the following activities:

    1. Admissions: Studies admission and evaluation techniques and recommends to the Graduate Council standards and policies for the admission of students.
    2. Degree Requirements: Recommends standards and policies for degree requirements and assessment, registration, and satisfactory academic progress of students.
    3. Membership of the Graduate Faculty: Recommends criteria for membership in the Graduate Faculty.
    4. Theses and Dissertations: Considers general policy, objectives, standards, regulations, procedures, and requirements relating to theses and dissertations.
  2. Committee on Programs and Courses

Membership: The Committee shall consist of:

  • at least nine elected faculty members, one of whom serves as chair of the committee;
  • one Graduate Faculty representative from each academic college and school of the University that offers graduate programs, appointed by the dean or unit executive, one of whom serves as vice chair of the committee. The appointed representatives also serve as consultative resources for curricular proposal development within their unit.
  • one graduate student member of Graduate Council; and
  • a non-voting faculty librarian from the University Libraries appointed by the Dean of the University Libraries. The University Libraries representative will a) review all graduate curricular changes and advise on the current availability and suitability of Libraries’ resources for the study of those subjects and b) proactively work with graduate programs to ensure that appropriate resources and services are available to support the ongoing evolution of the curriculum.

The Dean, Senior Associate Dean, Associate Dean, Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Services, and Director of Graduate Council Administration of the Fox Graduate School shall be ex officio members of this committee.

The vice chair of the committee will be nominated by the Chair of Graduate Council, in consultation with the Chair of the Committee on Programs and Courses, and elected by the committee. The chair and vice chair of the committee will alternate presiding at committee meetings, on a schedule to be determined by themselves.

Duties: It shall be responsible for and is authorized to select Subcommittees as needed for the following activities::

a. Suggest policy related to programs and courses.

b. Review, evaluate, and approve or reject all graduate program and course proposals that have been submitted for curricular review.

c. Review all requests for extended degree programs submitted through the established protocols of the University.

d. Develop criteria for evaluating program and course proposals and recommend procedures for handling these proposals.

e. Review and comment, in consultation with the Dean of the Fox Graduate School, on other issues that have impact on the quality of graduate education.

5. Committee on Program Review and Evaluation

Membership: The Committee shall consist of one Graduate Faculty representative from each academic college and school of the University that offers graduate programs, appointed by the dean or unit executive. The Dean, Associate Dean, and Director of Graduate Council Administration shall be ex officio members of this subcommittee.

Duties: It shall be responsible for and is authorized to select Subcommittees as needed for the following activities:

a. review quality indicators of existing graduate programs.

b. make recommendations to the Dean of the Fox Graduate School on those.

6. Committee on Graduate Research

Membership: It shall consist of at least seven elected faculty members and one graduate student member of Graduate Council. The Associate Vice President for Research, and the Dean and Senior Associate Dean of the Fox Graduate School shall be ex officio members of this Committee.

Duties: This committee meets jointly with the University Faculty Senate Committee on Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity. It may also meet separately as needed. It shall be responsible for and is authorized to select Subcommittees as needed for the following activities:

      1. Advise the Graduate Council on policies and procedures that affect graduate research.
      2. Foster graduate research at The Pennsylvania State University by aiding the Graduate Council in recognizing and rewarding outstanding graduate research performed by faculty and students of The Pennsylvania State University.
      3. Support efforts, at all University levels, to enhance the funding of graduate research.
      4. Support efforts to attract and retain excellent graduate students.
      5. Inform and advise the Graduate Council on issues and opportunities associated with industrial-academic-related research areas, particularly as they affect graduate research and graduate study.
      6. Recommend to the Graduate Council appropriate policies or actions on emerging political, budgetary, and academic issues related to graduate research.

7. Committee on Graduate Exhibition

Membership: It shall consist of at least four elected faculty members of Graduate Council. Additional participants may be invited to attend based on their expertise. The Associate Dean for Graduate Student Affairs is an ex officio member of this Committee.

Duties: This committee helps to implement the annual Graduate Exhibition and makes recommendations to the Dean of the Fox Graduate School concerning the Graduate Exhibition.

8. Committee on Graduate Student and Faculty Issues

Membership: It shall consist of at least six elected faculty members, and two elected graduate student members of Graduate Council, and five ex officio members: the Assistant/Associate Dean for Graduate Educational Equity and the Associate Dean for Graduate Student Affairs in the Fox Graduate School, and one representative each from the Division of Student Affairs, the University Office of Global Programs, and the Office of Student Aid.

Duties: It shall be responsible for and is authorized to select Subcommittees as needed for the following activities:

      1. Review existing and proposed policies and make recommendations concerning the welfare and ethics of the Graduate Faculty and graduate students.
      2. Promote the intellectual development and social welfare of an inclusive graduate community by fostering an awareness and appreciation of cultural and social differences.
      3. Keep the Dean of the Fox Graduate School apprised of issues of concern to graduate students.
      4. Assist the Dean of the Fox Graduate School in the review of appeals concerning the violation of accepted norms of professional behavior of Graduate Faculty members and graduate students with authorization to review and make recommendations to the Dean when it is charged that individual rights have been violated and responsibilities unfulfilled.

9. Committee on Fellowships and Awards

Membership: It shall consist of one Graduate Faculty representative from each academic college and school of the University that offers graduate programs, appointed by the dean or unit executive. The Director of Graduate Fellowships and Awards Administration is an ex officio member of this committee.

Duties: It shall consider policies on awards; examine and judge applications for Fox Graduate School fellowships; and make recommendations to the Dean of the Fox Graduate School for awards.

Section G

Ad Hoc Committees of the Graduate Council

  1. Ad Hoc Committees may be established by Graduate Council to examine and recommend action concerning specific problems.
  2. Membership shall depend upon the subject matter of the Ad Hoc Committee.
  3. The Chair of Graduate Council may appoint Graduate Council members to Ad Hoc Committees (Bylaws Article II, Section A, Number 6). Non-Graduate Council members appointed by the Chair of Graduate Council to an Ad Hoc Committee must be approved by Graduate Council.
  4. To expedite the business of Graduate Council, an ad hoc committee may be established to perform a task that falls within the duties of an existing standing committee, with advance concurrence of the Chair of Graduate Council and the chair(s) of the appropriate standing committee(s).

1 Graduate Council defines "business days" as Monday through Friday, excluding any day the University is officially closed.

Revision History

Revised by Graduate Council: December 14, 2022
Revised by Graduate Council: May 4, 2022
Revised by Graduate Council: Dec. 15, 2021
Revised by Graduate Council: Oct. 20, 2021
Revised by Graduate Council: Jan. 20, 2021
Revised by Graduate Council: April 8, 2020
Revised by Graduate Council: March 18, 2020
Revised by Graduate Council: April 10, 2019
Revised by Graduate Council: Oct. 17, 2018
Editorial revisions to reflect the new name of the Fox Graduate School, July 19, 2024