Operating Paper for the Graduate School

Section Two, Part One, and Section Three (as approved by the Graduate Faculty March 27, 1972, with amendments approved May 12, 1976, February 24, 1978, September 27, 1978, May 7, 1981, December 13, 1984, February 6, 1986, September 7, 1989, and November 2, 1989)

[The following text constitutes the Operating Paper of the Graduate Council.]

Section Two - Organization of the Graduate School

1. Organization for the Formulation of Policy
   1. The Graduate Faculty
      1. Membership in the Graduate Faculty
         1. All university faculty members who have an appropriate terminal degree in the field in which they will perform graduate faculty functions, and who have a continuing appointment in a department with an approved graduate program, shall be deemed qualified for regular membership in the graduate faculty. Appointments to regular membership on the graduate faculty are made by the graduate dean upon recommendation of the graduate program.
         2. Regular members of the graduate faculty may teach graduate-level courses, direct master's theses, serve on master's and doctoral committees.
         3. Graduate faculty members in departments with approved graduate programs who are tenured with the rank of associate or full professor shall be recommended to be eligible to direct doctoral dissertations.
         4. A faculty member who does not have a continuing appointment in a department with an approved graduate program may be recommended by a graduate program or may apply directly to the graduate dean for regular membership on the graduate faculty by reason of research or creative accomplishments.
         5. A department with an approved graduate program may recommend to the graduate dean that a graduate faculty member who is not tenured with the rank of associate or full professor be authorized to direct doctoral dissertations. Such recommendations should be based on departmental criteria and procedures approved by the Graduate School.
         6. Ex officio: The Chancellor of the university, the Provost and Vice Chancellor, the graduate dean, the deans of colleges and independent schools, and the Dean of Library Affairs hold ex-officio membership on the graduate faculty.
         7. Adjunct Membership: Individuals who can fulfill a specific need in the department's graduate program but who are not eligible for regular membership in the graduate faculty are eligible to be appointed adjunct members of the graduate faculty by the graduate dean. Such adjunct members are not eligible to direct dissertations, except for those adjunct faculty who are members of the administrative/professional staff of the university, who may be granted "direct dissertation status" by the graduate faculty, provided
            1. they hold an earned doctoral degree;
            2. they hold an adjunct faculty appointment at the rank of associate professor or higher in the relevant doctoral degree-granting department;
            3. their academic and research record is reviewed and their qualifications found indeed to be equivalent to at least an associate professor in the university;
            4. they are actively involved in research as evidenced by their current publication record;
            5. the "direct dissertation status" is recommended by the departmental graduate faculty who are at the rank of associate professor or above, the department chair, and the collegiate dean, and approved by the graduate dean.
         8. Members of the graduate faculty at the time of adoption of these policies will continue to hold membership in the graduate faculty unless they ask to have such membership terminated.
         9. Membership on the graduate faculty other than on, or in addition to, an ex-officio or adjunct basis confers full voting rights in the graduate faculty.
         10. Actions related to appointments to the graduate faculty may be appealed successively to the graduate faculty of the degree program, the graduate dean, and the Graduate Council.
      2. Powers of the Graduate Faculty
         1. The graduate faculty is empowered to determine policy on all matters having to do with research and graduate programs, except as authority is otherwise assigned by the Statutes of the Board of Trustees, or as its autonomy is limited by correct academic and administrative relations with other units of the university.
         2. Academic responsibility for graduate standards, for recommending establishment of new graduate programs, and for graduate degree requirements rests with the graduate faculty.
         3. The graduate faculty may delegate its powers to the Graduate Council, reserving these rights:
            1. to nominate and elect the members of the Graduate Council;
            2. to receive minutes of each Graduate Council meeting and, therein or separately, information concerning the agenda items to be considered for action at the next Graduate Council meeting;
            3. to receive an annual written report of Graduate Council activity;
            4. to refer agenda items and issues to the Graduate Council;
            5. to review Graduate Council actions;
            6. to meet on call but normally at least once each year.
            7. All meetings of the graduate faculty shall be chaired by the graduate dean.
   2. The Graduate Council
      1. Qualifications for Faculty Representatives
         1. Graduate faculty membership other than on an ex-officio or adjunct basis
         2. Full-time continuing appointment in the university
         3. Dual Service Rule: A person representing the graduate faculty on the Graduate Council cannot at the same time be a member of the Faculty Senate. A person cannot accept concurrent nominations to the Graduate Council and the Faculty Senate. A person is not eligible for nomination on the Graduate Council if election would violate the dual service rule. (This rule does not apply to overlaps of less than one semester.)
      2. Qualifications for Student Representatives
         1. Admitted to a graduate degree program
         2. Registered for graduate credit during the academic year in which the graduate student holds membership on the Graduate Council
      3. Composition, Constituencies, and Terms of Office
         1. Composition
            1. The Graduate Council shall consist of elected graduate faculty representatives, graduate student representatives, and ex-officio members.
            2. The graduate faculty representatives shall be elected as representatives of the graduate faculty constituencies. There shall be no more than one elected member from any department or equivalent academic unit.
            3. Five graduate students eligible for membership on the Graduate Council shall be nominated and elected by procedures determined by the Graduate and Professional Student Council.
            4. Ex-officio members, but without vote, shall include the Chancellor; the Provost and Vice Chancellor; the Dean of the Graduate School; one dean representing schools or colleges with research and/or graduate programs, chosen by deans of such schools and colleges; and the Dean of Library Affairs.
         2. Constituencies
            1. The graduate faculty shall be divided into constituencies and the elected graduate faculty members of the Graduate Council shall be elected representatives of those constituencies.
            2. The constituencies shall consist of the colleges and schools (except schools within colleges) which offer approved graduate programs, whose primary administrative officer is a dean.
            3. For voting purposes each graduate faculty member will be associated with only one constituency. If rank is held in more than one constituency, the association with a constituency for voting and election purposes will be determined by the faculty member's major graduate-program affiliation. Voting members of the graduate faculty who do not hold rank in a constituency will be assigned to a constituency by the graduate dean in consultation with the Membership Committee. To the extent possible, such assignment will be made in accord with the wishes of the graduate faculty members involved.
            4. The number of representatives from each constituency shall be determined as follows: the number of graduate faculty members associated with a constituency who are eligible to vote shall be reduced by the least number of graduate faculty members associated with any one constituency, and the result of this reduction divided by 40. The resulting quotient, rounded to the nearest whole number and increased by one, shall be the number of representatives of that constituency. The number of representatives for each constituency shall be determined each spring prior to the distribution of nominating ballots for the annual election of representatives. No elected representative shall be deprived of a seat on the Graduate Council on the basis of this reapportionment.
         3. Terms of Office
            1. Graduate faculty representatives shall be elected for three-year terms. When there are two or more representatives from a constituency, the election of those representatives will be spaced so that, as nearly as possible, one-third of the graduate faculty representatives to the Graduate Council are elected each year.
            2. Graduate student representatives shall be elected to one-year terms.
            3. Terms of office shall begin at the start of the summer session.
            4. A representative elected to a full or partial term shall be eligible to serve a second consecutive full term but may serve again only after the lapse of one or more years following the representative's last period of service.
            5. If a vacancy on the Graduate Council of more than one semester occurs between regularly scheduled elections, the eligible person who had received the next largest number of votes for the position shall serve as replacement until the return of the original representative or the expiration of his/her term. Absences of one semester or less can be filled by replacement determined by the absentee representative from his/her constituency, subject to there being no conflict with I.B.3.a.2.
            6. The Graduate Council shall be empowered to determine the existence and nature of any vacancy.
      4. Powers and Functions of the Graduate Council
         1. The Graduate Council is empowered to act as agent for the graduate faculty with delegated power to formulate policy with regard to the graduate program.
         2. Illustrative of the policy matters within the jurisdiction of the Graduate Council are the following:
            1. Establishing policy governing new programs at the graduate level and recommending the institution of specific programs subject to requisite administrative and Board of Trustees approval;
            2. Establishing policy for graduate major- and minor-field curricula and acting on such curricula;
            3. Establishing policy governing course approval by the graduate dean;
            4. Establishing over-all policies for student entrance into graduate degree programs and for retention in such programs;
            5. Establishing such other over-all policies related to graduate academic standards as may prove to be necessary;
            6. Establishing policy governing designation by the graduate dean of graduate faculty members not affiliated with a graduate degree program;
            7. Establishing policy governing the granting by the graduate dean of permission to direct doctoral dissertations;
            8. Establishing policy regarding graduate fellowships;
            9. Establishing policy, on matters within the Graduate School jurisdiction, regarding graduate teaching and research assistants;
            10. Establishing policy for facilitating, encouraging, and coordinating the research effort of the campus and developing that effort toward the highest level of excellence;
            11. Establishing policy to be followed in allocating available SIU funds for faculty research projects and monitoring the allocation of such funds;
            12. Establishing policy, on matters within the Graduate School jurisdiction, regarding the receipt and use of research and "cost of training" funds from outside agencies and monitoring the allocation of such funds;
            13. Making recommendations to the appropriate administrative officers concerning graduate faculty work loads and related matters;
            14. Maintaining a continuing two-way flow of information and recommendations between the Graduate Council and the graduate dean, the graduate faculty, the colleges, schools, departments, and other academic units;
            15. Maintaining a continuing review and evaluation of graduate programs, standards, and administration;
            16. Maintaining a continuing self-scrutiny concerning the procedural and substantive effectiveness of the Graduate Council;
            17. Maintaining a continuing study of effective means of enlisting the services and ideas of graduate faculty members not serving on the Graduate Council, as well as all other interested parties.
      5. Officers of the Graduate Council
         1. The Graduate Council shall elect annually its own chair and vice chair.
         2. The graduate dean will serve as executive officer. The dean's representative will serve as Secretary of the Graduate Council.
      6. Committees of the Graduate Council
         1. The Executive Committee shall consist of the chair, vice chair, and graduate dean.
         2. The Standing Committees shall include the following: the Research Committee, the Educational Policies Committee, the New Programs Committee, and the Department Review Committee.
         3. The Executive Committee of the Graduate Council shall determine the chairs and the members of these committees.
         4. The Graduate Council shall be empowered to establish and terminate additional committees and subcommittees, both standing and ad hoc.
         5. These committees may establish such subcommittees as may be necessary.
         6. Committees or subcommittees of the Graduate Council may include nonmembers as well as members of the Council.

Section Three - Rules of Procedure and Bylaws

1. Rules of Procedure and Bylaws for the Graduate Faculty
   1. Calling of Meetings
      1. The graduate dean in consultation with the other members of the Executive Committee of the Graduate Council shall call meetings of the graduate faculty.
      2. The graduate faculty will meet on call but normally at least once each year.
      3. Meetings may be called at the initiative of the Graduate Council, the graduate dean, the chancellor, or upon petition by ten percent of the membership of the graduate faculty.
   2. Agenda for Meetings
      1. The agenda for any graduate faculty meeting shall be set by the Executive Committee of the Graduate Council.
      2. The agenda of any graduate faculty meeting must be circulated to all members of the graduate faculty at last one week in advance of the meeting.
      3. Items may be placed upon the agenda at the initiative of the Graduate Council, the graduate dean, the chancellor, or upon petition by five percent of the membership of the graduate faculty.
   3. The Conduct of Meetings
      1. The graduate dean shall preside.
      2. Robert's Rules of Order shall be used, and assistance to the presiding officer shall be rendered by a parliamentarian appointed by the graduate dean.
      3. One-fourth of the graduate faculty shall constitute a quorum.
   4. Nomination and Election to the Graduate Council
      1. Nomination of Candidates from the Graduate Faculty
         1. Each voting member of the graduate faculty from the constituency to be represented shall receive a list of the eligible graduate faculty members from that constituency. Each such member of the graduate faculty shall also receive a ballot on which the member is to name from the above-mentioned list one person for each vacancy. Each name listed shall be counted once.
         2. The number of candidates nominated shall be two times the number of vacancies and the nominees shall be those having the greatest number of votes and who have indicated a willingness to serve on the Graduate Council. In cases where tied nominating votes produce more than two nominees for each vacancy, the election ballot shall be extended beyond the two nominees for each vacancy and shall include the names of those members who have tied for a position on the ballot.
      2. Election of Representatives from the Graduate Faculty
         1. Each voting member of the graduate faculty shall receive a ballot listing those individuals nominated in the member's constituency together with relevant supplementary information about the nominees.
         2. Each voting graduate faculty member shall cast one vote for each Graduate Council vacancy from the member's constituency.
         3. If there is more than one vacancy within a constituency, no more than one member from a department or equivalent academic unit may be elected. When there are two or more nominees from a department or equivalent academic unit, the individual who received the greatest number of votes shall be elected.
      3. Supervision and Time of Balloting for the Graduate Faculty Representatives
         1. The graduate dean or the dean's representative shall conduct nominations and elections subject to rules as set forth in this Section. The dean will be aided by an ad hoc committee appointed by the Chair of the Graduate Council.
         2. Nomination and elections shall be held annually in the spring semester, normally not less than four weeks prior to Commencement, at a time set by the Graduate Council.
      4. Election of Graduate Student Representatives
         1. Five graduate students eligible for membership on the Graduate Council shall be nominated and elected by procedures set forth by the Graduate and Professional Student Council.
2. Rules of Procedure and Bylaws for the Graduate Council
   1. Calling of Meetings
      1. The Chair of the Graduate Council, after consultation with the graduate dean, shall call meetings of the Graduate Council.
      2. The Graduate Council shall normally meet once each month and more frequently if necessary.
      3. Meetings may be called at the initiative of the Chair of the Graduate Council, the graduate dean, the chancellor, or upon petition by three members of the Graduate Council or ten percent of the graduate faculty.
      4. Meetings are open to any member of the graduate faculty.
   2. Agenda for Meetings
      1. The agenda for any Graduate Council meeting shall be set by the Chair of the Graduate Council in consultation with the graduate dean.
      2. The agenda of any regularly scheduled Graduate Council meeting shall be circulated to all members of the Graduate Council at least three days in advance of the meeting.
      3. If matters not on the announced agenda are to be discussed, action should not be taken until a subsequent meeting except under unusual circumstances and then as governed by Robert's Rules of Order.
      4. Items may be placed upon the agenda at the initiative of the Chair of the Graduate Council, the graduate dean, or the chancellor, or upon petition by three members of the Graduate Council or five percent of the graduate faculty.
   3. Conduct of Meetings
      1. The Chair of the Graduate Council shall preside.
      2. The Graduate Council shall conduct its meetings according to Robert's Rules of Order.
      3. Half of the voting Graduate Council membership shall constitute a quorum.
   4. Minutes of Meetings: The minutes of any of the Graduate Council meetings shall be circulated to all members of the graduate faculty as soon as possible after the meetings, preferably within ten days.
   5. Officers of the Graduate Council shall be elected annually at a special meeting of the newly elected Graduate Council, called for that purpose near the end of the spring semester.
   6. All other rules of procedure and bylaws for the Graduate Council that prove to be necessary, and are not in conflict with the rules and bylaws listed above, are to be formulated by the Graduate Council and require no ratification except by that body.