Committee Charge

Identify common problems with either Graduate Council policies concerning graduate faculty status, or Graduate School administration of these policies, and recommend potential solutions for consideration by the Graduate Council and Graduate School.

Rationale

Last year 11 of the 13 colleges or commonwealth campuses that the Chair visited in the Fall (of 17 total colleges and campuses with graduate programs) to discuss their concerns regarding graduate education and the direction of the Graduate Council raised concerns about graduate faculty status. The most common concern was the process of getting graduate faculty approved to teach graduate courses, including both the amount of work involved and restrictions imposed by Graduate School administration of Graduate Council policy. Concerns were also raised about uneven standards concerning the application of graduate faculty membership rules for tenure track vs. non-tenure track faculty. This topic was considered recently and extensively by the Academic Standards committee, and policies were modified within the last 5 years by the Graduate Council, but nevertheless this was the most common problem raised by the graduate leadership (Associate Deans, Grad Program Heads) of our units in discussions with the Chair last fall and spring.

The Graduate Council is being asked to create an ad hoc committee to investigate these problems further, identify, if possible, common problems, and suggest possible solutions. The committee is welcome to consider issues of both policy and administration of policy, with the understanding that the Graduate Council does not govern the administration of policy but is interested in all issues impacting graduate education, consistent with the Council Articles of Authority which state, “ultimate responsibility for all matters pertaining to graduate education and graduate research rests with the Graduate Faculty.”

This issue could be addressed by our Academic Standards committee, but the Chair suggests that 1) the Academic Standards Committee already has a full slate of issues to address this academic year and 2) the people who have raised the concerns about this issue are typically unit administrators who deal directly with how the policies are administered, and most Academic Standards members will not have this experience. Selecting a committee that includes those unit representatives who deal with this issue first-hand will help to evaluate whether or not common concerns exist, and what potential solutions can be proposed.

Outcome

A brief report that articulates the problems encountered with the current system regarding Graduate Faculty status is requested. In addition, this committee could suggest solutions to these problems including: 1) recommended changes to Graduate Council policies concerning graduate faculty status, and; 2) recommended changes in the administration of current Graduate Council policies.

Any recommendations developed by the Ad Hoc Committee will be brought to Graduate Council for additional consultation, final review, and approval.

Membership

• Rick Brazier, Interim Dean and Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Research, University College
• Bill Clark, Associate Dean, The Graduate School
• Andy Cole, Professor of Landscape Architecture, College of Arts and Architecture
• David Fusco, Associate Teaching Professor, College of Information Sciences and Technology
• Stuart Echols, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, College of Arts and Architecture
• Lisa Holden, Associate Professor of Dairy Science, College of Agricultural Science, University Faculty Senator
• Christine Kirchhoff, Associate Professor of Law, Policy, and Engineering, College of Engineering
• Karyn Marvasti McKinney, Associate Professor of Sociology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Penn State Altoona, University Faculty Senator
• Jennifer Wagner-Lawlor, Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, College of the Liberal Arts
• Christopher Witko, Professor of Public Policy and Political Science, College of the Liberal Arts
• Michael Verderame, Senior Associate Dean, The Graduate School
• Kent Vrana, Professor of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University Faculty Senate Liaison to the Graduate Council
• Jan Reimann, Chair of Graduate Council, Ex Officio