Graduate Faculty Guidelines
October, 2007
To: Faculty, Department Heads, and Deans of the Colleges
From: Linda Lacey, Dean of the Graduate School
Re: Revised Guidelines on Graduate Faculty Appointments
The revised guidelines on graduate faculty appointments were
reviewed and approved during the February 3, 2005 meeting of the
Graduate Council. The guidelines provide information on the
criterion for selection and re-appointment, the length of
appointment and the role and responsibilities of members of Graduate
Faculty. To allow time for the sub-committee and the dean of the
Graduate School to review the nominations and re-appointment
requests, approval letters are mailed to departments and colleges in
the months of December, March, June and September. Copies of the
approval letters are sent to the academic dean, the department head
and the nominated faculty member.
The Review Process
The sub-committee on Graduate Faculty are elected members of the
Graduate Council. Members usually serve a term on 2 to 3 years on
the committee. They are tenured faculty of New Mexico State
University. They assist the dean in reviewing nominations and
re-appointments.
Criterion for Selection
Appointments to Graduate Faculty are the responsibility of the dean
of the Graduate School and the sub-committee on Graduate Faculty of
the Graduate Council. The sub-committee, which consists of three
senior faculty, reviews the applications and makes recommendations
to the Dean. As indicated in the New Mexico State University Policy
Manual, approval of nominations for Graduate Faculty appointments is
based on the following criteria: a) creative activity; b) continual
study in their field, and c) successful teaching. Other criterion
that is used by the sub-committee includes a current vita that
contains all the available information pertinent to Graduate Faculty
appointment at NMSU (including a NMSU campus address and contact
information). The nominee must also have the written endorsement of
their department head and the dean of the college. Peer review
publications are considered the main evidence of creative activity.
In disciplines where peer review publications are not the norm or
where other means of creative activity are more important, the
department head must elaborate on the nominee’s contribution to
creative activity in their field of study.
Length of Appointment
Appointment of new members to Graduate Faculty is for a period of
three years. At the end of three years, the member must be nominated
and reviewed again. The qualifications of continuing Graduate
Faculty members will be reviewed every 3 to 5 years. A Graduate
Faculty member who is being considered for continued appointment is
expected to show evidence of ongoing creative activity.
Responsibilities of Members
Members of Graduate Faculty, as indicated in the New Mexico State
Policy Manual, can chair all graduate committees, direct master’s
thesis and doctoral dissertations, teach 600-level courses, serve as
representatives of the dean of the Graduate School, serve on
educational specialists’ exams, and serve on doctoral exams.
Appointments Outside of Home Department
In order to promote interdisciplinary research and teaching, any
qualified member of the Graduate Faculty may join any graduate
program within a department. Applicants will be approved by the
graduate program to which they are applying, through a process to be
determined by that program, before their application is forwarded to
the Dean of the Graduate School. Individuals accepted for membership
in a graduate program will have responsibilities as described in the
previous paragraph (“Responsibilities of Members”. – see above).
Emeritus Faculty of New Mexico State University
Newly retired faculty of New Mexico State University can continue to
hold their status of Graduate Faculty for the remaining years of
their appointment. Once their appointment as Graduate Faculty
expires, the department head can request that they be renewed to
Graduate Faculty status. The endorsement of the academic dean is
required. The nomination must include an updated resume and a
statement of the types of service that the emeritus faculty will
perform as Graduate Faculty. This could include teaching and/or
serving on graduate student committees.
Appointment of University Staff that are not Employed by the
Department and/or not hired in a Tenure Track Position
Usually, individuals nominated for membership in the graduate
faculty are expected to hold a tenure track position in a graduate
department. Exceptional cases may occur when non-tenure track
faculty and professional staff may request graduate faculty status.
Both the professional staff and the non-tenure tract faculty must
have the credentials and have demonstrated creative activity similar
to those of tenure track faculty. The nomination of a non-tenure
track faculty member or a professional staff member must include a
justification as well as a description of the duties on teaching,
research, graduate advising, that the nominee will perform. The head
of the department must prepare the nomination where graduate faculty
status is requested. The dean of the college must endorse the
nomination in writing.
Appointment of Non-NMSU Employees
Occasionally, specialized expertise from another institution,
industry, government, or other sector, could be an asset to a
graduate program. In these cases, the sub-committee of Graduate
Council on graduate faculty appointments can recommend, after
reviewing the supporting documentation, that temporary graduate
faculty status be granted by the dean of the graduate school, to
perform a specific duty.
If you have any questions about these guidelines, please contact me
at 575 646-5746 or lacey@nmsu.edu.
We hope the guidelines will be useful for NMSU.