Qualifications and Procedures for Graduate Faculty Membership
Effective 04/27/04
- Qualifications and Procedures for Graduate Faculty Membership
- The Graduate Faculty Criteria and Responsibilities
- Graduate Faculty members are University professors, with a terminal
degree in their area of expertise (as defined by the discipline) or
otherwise have exceptional qualifications or scholarship, and who
are assigned responsibilities in graduate level teaching, student
advisement and research. Exceptional qualifications will include extraordinary
professional experience and considerable years of leadership in business
(e.g., CEO of a large company), government (e.g., high ranking appointment
at local, state or federal level), education (e.g., superintendent),
a renowned scholar, artist, or performer. A Master’s degree and
45 hours beyond professional certification may also constitute exceptional
qualification. All exceptional qualifications must be adequately documented.
The Graduate Council recommends that appointments on the basis of
exceptional qualifications be kept to a minimum number of individuals
and only for exceptional reasons as noted above.
- Graduate Faculty members may chair and/or serve on thesis dissertation
committees, and perform other such academic duties as may be necessary
to promote graduate education at Park University.
- Faculty members nominated for Graduate Faculty membership are expected
to be active scholars. They should disseminate, publish or exhibit
their scholarly and/or creative products through publications, presentations,
performances and exhibitions at local, national, and/or international
scholarly events.
- Appointment to the Graduate Faculty
- Faculty members with terminal degrees in their area of expertise
(Ph.D., Ed. D., J.D., or hold highly recognized professional certificates
and/or have documented experience as explained above) and who are
assigned significant responsibilities in graduate education, research,
and scholarly activity are eligible for membership in the Graduate
Faculty. The process for seeking Graduate Faculty status begins when
a faculty applies for membership. The application must be made in
February for Summer and Fall Semesters, and in September for the following
Spring semester. The application must include the candidate’s
current curriculum vitae and a completed application form that includes
the classification sought, endorsement of the Program Director, Associate
Dean, Graduate Academic Council, and approval by the Graduate Dean.
- Faculty who lack terminal degree in the discipline must provide
adequate, documented justification.
- Persons who do not hold graduate faculty status but who have special
expertise relevant to a particular student’s topic may serve
as an external member of a thesis/dissertation committee upon the
recommendation of the School’s Graduate Program Director, and
with approval of the Associate Dean of the School and the Dean of
Graduate and Professional Studies. Determination of whether such an
external member is a voting member is made by the appropriate academic
unit with the approval of the Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies.
Only one external member is allowed on a committee.
- Application Process
- A faculty members’ application is reviewed by the Graduate
Program Director and forwarded to the Associate Dean of the College
with a recommendation who, in turn, forwards it to the Dean of Graduate
and Professional Studies for appropriate action. The Graduate Dean
approves or disapproves a faculty’s application, as the case
may be, after receiving a recommendation from the Graduate Council
and its Subcommittee concerning the application. The final approval
will be made by the Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies.
- Appeals. Faculty whose application for Graduate Faculty membership
is disapproved may appeal the decision to the Provost whose decision
will be final.
- Graduate Faculty Membership
- Senior Graduate Member
- Tenured and tenure-track faculty or full-time faculty.
- Role
- Teaches courses for which they demonstrate competence
- Chairs and/or serves on graduate dissertation and/or thesis
committees
- Chairs and/or serves on graduate committees in other programs
(at that program’s discretion)
- Serves on Graduate Academic Council
- Helps develop and evaluate graduate programs
- Engages in demonstrable and substantial scholarly and creative
activities
- Participates in the election of Graduate Academic Council
member
- Minimum Criteria (Initial)
- Holds terminal degree or equivalent
- Has 3 years experience of full-time teaching in graduate
classes
- Presents evidence of substantial scholarly activity, including
scholarship of discovery, integration and teaching, and application
- Is involved in the University and community for the common
good
- Has ability to teach advanced graduate courses
- Minimum Criteria (Renewal)
- Evidence of continued evidence of scholarly or creative
activities is expected for initial membership
- Provides proof of continuing engagement and service in
the University and community
- Presents continued evidence of proficiency in graduate
teaching
- Associate Graduate Member
- Tenured and tenure-track faculty or full-time faculty
- Roles
- Teaches graduate courses
- Chairs and/or serves on graduate dissertation and/or thesis
committees
- Chairs and/or serves on graduate committees in other programs
at that program’s discretion
- Serves on Graduate Academic Council
- Participates in the election of Graduate Academic Council
members
- Minimum Criteria (Initial)
- Terminal degree and/or special expertise (e.g. Fulbright
Scholarship)
- Minimum of two years full-time graduate teaching
- Some evidence of scholarly activity, including scholarship
of discovery, integration and teaching, and application
- Minimum Criteria (Renewal)
- Continued evidence of proficiency in graduate teaching
- Continued evidence of scholarly activity
- Adjunct or Affiliate Member
- Individuals with a terminal degree who are not employed at Park
University as full-time faculty
- Roles
- May teach graduate courses in area(s) of expertise
- May serve on graduate dissertation and/or thesis committees,
but may not chair them
- Minimum Criteria (Initial)
- Terminal degree in the discipline
- Evidence of professional activity, relevant expertise, or
significant achievement in relevant field of study
- Minimum Criteria (Renewal)
- Same as initial
- Continued evidence of proficiency in graduate teaching
and professional accomplishments
- Term: Three years
- Temporary Graduate Faculty
- In exceptional/emergency situations, the Graduate Dean may grant
temporary graduate faculty status to qualified individuals for
one semester at a time
- Term: One semester
- Graduate Faculty Application Instructions
- Persons who meet the criteria set forth in the “Qualifications
and Procedures for Graduate Faculty Membership” may apply for appropriate
graduate faculty status by submitting a completed application and curriculum
vitae to the Graduate Program Director for review and recommendation.
Faculty members seeking reappointment would only include those items accomplished
in the previous five or three year term, as the case may be.
- The Graduate Program Director will forward the application to the Associate
Dean. The Associate Dean reviews the application and, with endorsement
of comments, forwards the application and supporting documentation to
the Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies.
- The Graduate Dean will then bring the application to the Graduate Faculty
Committee for its recommendation.
- The Dean of the Graduate and Professional Studies will then make the
final decision and will inform the graduate faculty applicant.
- Application for Graduate Faculty
Contact for Interpretation: Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies
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