Graduate Faculty Membership and Graduate Committee Eligibility

I. Graduate Faculty Membership

UWM Policies and Procedures 2.02(2), July, 2009, gives the Graduate Faculty Committee (GFC) authority to establish qualifications for membership in the Graduate School Faculty (hereafter “Graduate Faculty”).  

1. Criteria for Initial Membership on the Graduate Faculty – To approve someone for initial membership on the Graduate Faculty, the Executive Committee of the program/department must verify that the person: 
   1. Is a voting member of the Faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as defined in UWM Policies and Procedures 1.01(1). 
   2. Possesses a terminal degree. 
   3. Meets the membership criteria established by the department/programmatic unit. Individual programs may specify more stringent or specialized requirements beyond minimum GFC requirements. 
2. Criteria for Continuing Membership on the Graduate Faculty – To approve someone for continuing membership on the Graduate Faculty, the Executive Committee of the program/department must verify that the person meets the criteria in I.A [3], and, during the previous three academic years, has: 
   1. Demonstrated scholarly or creative activity, 
   2. Participated in graduate education by teaching graduate level courses, directing graduate level independent study, or serving as a member of a thesis or dissertation committee, and 
   3. Where applicable, been involved in service at the state or national level as evidenced by activities such as participation in professional organizations or serving as a journal reviewer or editor.  
3. Duties requiring Graduate Faculty status
   1. Serving on the GFC or other graduate faculty governance committees. 
   2. Teaching courses that carry graduate credit. In exceptional circumstances, departments may assign graduate teaching responsibilities to individuals who do not hold Graduate Faculty status, but who otherwise meet the department’s criteria for such duties. 
   3. Serving as a major professor, advisor, or committee chair for master’s students. (See exception in Section II.) 
   4. Serving as a doctoral student’s major professor or on a doctoral student’s committee. (See exceptions in sections IV, V and VI.) 
4. Department/Program Criteria
   1. Each department or programmatic unit must file with the GFC a statement of any criteria for membership on the Graduate Faculty that are in addition to those listed above. This statement should be reviewed annually by the department Executive Committee and any revisions filed with the GFC. 
   2. If department/program criteria are revised, current faculty members shall have at least one academic year, but no more than three academic years, to meet the revised criteria. 
   3. Responsibility for interpreting minimum GFC requirements and departmental criteria rests with the individual department or programmatic unit. An individual faculty member may challenge the validity of such interpretation on a case-by-case basis. If the department or programmatic unit and the individual fail to reach agreement in such cases, the matter shall be resolved by the GFC. 
   4. For an interdisciplinary graduate program that does not have an Executive Committee, all provisions described in this policy requiring Executive Committee approval (such as Academic Staff participation on student committees) must be requested by the program Director through the Request for Exception process in the Graduate School. 
5. Procedures for Removal of Graduate Faculty Status
   1. A vote of the Executive Committee within the departmental or programmatic unit is required to remove graduate faculty status from a current graduate faculty member. 
   2. Any UWM faculty member who wishes to contest the removal of graduate faculty status shall present their case to the GFC. 

II. Master’s Advisor, Major Professor, or Committee Chair

1. The advisor, major professor, or committee chair for a master’s student must be a member of the UWM Graduate Faculty.  
2. Additionally, a member of the UWM Instructional or Research Academic Staff may serve as advisor, major professor or committee chair for a master’s student provided that they have qualifications equivalent to faculty and have been approved by the student’s department Executive Committee.  
3. However, upon retirement or resignation, an individual who has been serving as a committee chair for a particular master’s student may continue in that role for up to two years. After two years, they may be permitted to serve as co-chair with the approval of the department Executive Committee 
4. A continuing UWM faculty member whose graduate faculty status has been removed, and who has been serving as thesis director for a particular student, may continue in this role until the completion of the thesis, with the approval of the department Executive Committee. 

III. Master’s Committees

With the exception of the advisor, major professor, or committee chair, the composition of and criteria for master’s advisory and examining committees is at the discretion of the department or programmatic unit. Upon retirement or resignation, an individual who has been serving as a committee member for a particular master’s student may continue in that role for up to two years. After two years, they may be permitted to serve as a committee member with the approval of the student’s department or program Executive Committee. 

IV. Professional Doctorate Program Faculty Advisor, Major Professor, or Committee Chair

1. The faculty advisor, major professor, or committee chair for a student in a professional doctorate program (e.g. DPT, DNP) must 
   1. Be a member of the UWM Graduate Faculty or a member of the UWM Instructional or Research Academic Staff. Academic Staff must be approved by the Executive Committee of the student’s department to serve in that role.  
   2. Have a record of continuing scholarly or creative work which is published or otherwise displayed for examination by the scholarly community, in accord with the traditions of the discipline. 
2. However, upon retirement or resignation, an individual who has been serving as a committee chair for a particular doctoral student may continue in that role for up to two years. After two years, they may be permitted to serve as co-chair with the approval of the department Executive Committee. 

V. Doctoral Advisor, Major Professor, or Committee Chair

1. The advisor, major professor, or committee chair for a student in a Ph.D. program must 
   1. Be a member of the UWM Graduate Faculty or the UWM Category B Research Academic Staff with the Scientist title (any prefix), and 
   2. Have a record of continuing scholarly or creative work which is published or otherwise displayed for examination by the scholarly community, in accord with the traditions of the discipline. 
   3. Be approved by the Executive Committee of the department or program as being eligible to serve as a committee chair. 
2. However, upon retirement or resignation, an individual who has been serving as a committee chair for a particular doctoral student may continue in that role for up to two years. After two years, they may be permitted to serve as co-chair with the approval of the department Executive Committee. 

VI. Other Doctoral Committee Members

1. UWM Graduate Faculty are eligible to serve as doctoral committee members.  
2. Additionally, UWM Instructional and Research Academic Staff are eligible to serve as doctoral committee members provided that they have qualifications equivalent to faculty and have approval from the student’s department Executive Committee. 
3. The majority of the members of a student’s doctoral committee must be individuals qualifying under Section V.A. and V.B. 
4. At the recommendation of the student’s major professor, the Executive Committee of the department may appoint one member of a doctoral student’s committee, including a co-chair, who does not qualify under section V.A. or V.B. Such appointments are made on the basis of appropriate professional and academic credentials for those whose expertise would make a relevant and significant contribution to the student’s progress. 
5. At the recommendation of the Executive Committee of a department, UWM Visiting Faculty with expected residence of three or more years may be approved by the Graduate Curriculum Committee (GCC) as doctoral committee members for that program for the length of the faculty visit.  
6. At the recommendation of the Executive Committee of a department, current faculty from other institutions with whom UWM has an approved cooperative agreement (in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding) may be approved by the Graduate Curriculum Committee (GCC) as doctoral committee members for that program. 
7. Upon retirement or resignation, an individual who has been serving as a committee member for a particular doctoral student may continue in that role for up to two years. After two years, they may be permitted to continue to serve as a committee member with the approval of the department Executive Committee.  

VII. Procedures for Maintaining the Graduate Faculty Roster, and Lists of those Eligible to Serve on Doctoral Committees and as Doctoral Committee Chairs

1. At the beginning of each academic year, the Graduate School will solicit from each department or programmatic unit a list of faculty members approved by their respective Executive Committee for membership in the Graduate Faculty, and for eligibility as doctoral committee members or committee chairs (including those approved under Section VI.D. and VI.E. above). The department chair or program director will submit the list, including current rank of the faculty, by September 30. Additional changes throughout the academic year should be sent to the Graduate School. 
2. The graduate faculty roster for each program shall be included in the respective Bulletin copy.

VIII. Recommendation for Action

1. That the policy and procedures designated herein be approved. 
2. That the policy and procedures become effective immediately following administrative approval. 

December 14, 2017

No. 3134

September 17, 2020

No. 3134R1

May 13, 2021

No. 3134R2