Graduate Studies
Graduate Council Bylaws
from the Faculty Handbook:
2.01.A. 4 f. Graduate Council (GC)
i. Faculty Membership: The Graduate Council (GC) is composed of no more than thirteen faculty members elected by the faculty: base membership includes one representative from each college that offers a graduate degree (Business, Community and Public Service, Education, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Engineering and Computing, Health Professions, Nursing, Interdisciplinary Studies), plus one from the university libraries. Colleges will have an additional faculty representative when the number of regular faculty teaching graduate courses exceeds 25 (this number is subject to change, if numbers exceed the 13 person limit). Additional representation will be based on an Academic Year review completed in Winter Semester each year of the number of eligible faculty by program. Faculty will serve for staggered three-year terms. It is desired, that, to the extent feasible, representatives on the GC be faculty who teach courses at the graduate level. At least one member of the GC shall serve as a non- voting ex-officio member of the UCC.
ii. Student Membership: Two graduate student representatives from different graduate programs, selected by the Graduate and Professional Student Association, or in the dissolution of or inaction of this body, by the Student Senate.
iii. Administration Membership: The Graduate Dean serves as an ex-officio member, as a representative of the Provost. Other ex-officio members include administrative staff that have a central role in graduate education, to include Registrar, Admissions, and Continuing Education designees.
iv. Responsibilities: The GC is responsible for matters related to graduate education at Grand Valley, to include (but not limited to):
a) To review and recommend actions upon new courses proposed for graduate programs and/or revisions to current graduate courses or programs.
b) To review and recommend actions upon and, as needed, initiate policies and standards related to graduate education that ensure consistency, equity, and fairness, while not impinging upon the disciplinary expertise and responsibility of the program faculty. This shall include matters related to admission, program progress, and completion for post-baccalaureate students in non-degree, certificate, and degree program statuses.
c) To review and recommend actions upon requests for exceptions to university minimum standards or policies.
d) To review and recommend actions related to new graduate degree and certificate programs and to review and recommend actions related to existing graduate programs at the time of assessment and/or program review and/or accreditation.
e) To consider and recommend graduate financial aid policies and options and advise on allocation of university financial support for graduate students.
f) To call meetings of all faculty to discuss emerging issues in and strategic planning for graduate education at Grand Valley.
g) To identify and monitor quality indicators of graduate education.
v. Procedures -- Curricula and Program
a) Course proposals and requests for program exceptions from graduate policies will be sent from the College Curriculum Committees to the UCC, which will transmit such proposals and requests to the GC.
b) Curriculum proposals submitted to the GC should be as detailed and complete as possible. Requests for program exceptions should contain a complete and convincing rationale for the exception and show what other aspects of the program address the policy to which an exception is being requested. Curriculum proposals and exceptions will be reviewed and evaluated on the basis of graduate policies in place at the time of the review.
c) Curricular proposals to be considered by the GC will be referred to its Curriculum Subcommittee (GC-CC). While the GC-CC is reviewing proposals, the documents will be available for review of the entirety of the GC on the Council’s web site, or general web sites of Grand Valley Faculty Governance. Proposals requiring vote of the GC to formalize the actions of the GC-CC include the following: a) all final plan documents, b) program changes with associated course proposals, c) prospectuses of all types, d) proposals denied approval by the GC-CC. Proposals approved by the GC-CC that do not fall within the categories above will be forwarded to UCC for action by the GC chair no sooner than five (5) calendar days after the GC-CC’s approval.
d) At any time subsequent to the GC-CC approval and prior to the forwarding of proposals to UCC, action of the GC as a whole may be requested for documents that would not usually be reviewed by this governance body in its entirety. Any GC member, deans, department heads or faculty of the proposing college/department, chairpersons of any other faculty governance body including the ECS/UAS, or the Provost may make these requests. Such requests shall be directed to the GC chair. Consideration of the proposal(s) referred to the GC general membership will then be scheduled for the next regular meeting of the GC. e) Positive recommendations from the GC related to curriculum and program matters will be referred to the UCC for final action.
f) As curriculum and program matters are reviewed by the GC, the proponents of the matter will be invited to participate in the discussion and review process. If, upon review, there are concerns or problems with the request it will be referred back to the appropriate College Curriculum Committee and the initiating unit, with clarification of concerns and suggestions for revision.
g) If the item is resubmitted, and if the GC again rejects it, an appeal of the GC decision may be taken to the UCC.
h) The UCC may convene representatives of both parties to review the matter. The decision of the UCC will be final.
vi. Policies and Standards: Positive recommendations regarding policy changes or new policies and standards for graduate education will be referred to the ECS for final action.
Page last modified February 18, 2013
