Regulations for Graduate Faculty Membership The University of

Regulations for Graduate Faculty Membership

The University of Texas at Tyler

(Revised January 2022)

The purpose of graduate faculty credentialing is to ensure that graduate programs are supported by

faculty who have the expertise to teach graduate courses and to mentor students as researchers. Those

faculty who teach graduate-level courses, advise graduate students, or otherwise participate in graduate

education at UT Tyler must be members of the Graduate Faculty. There are two classifications of

Graduate Faculty – Graduate Teaching Faculty and Graduate Research Faculty. All members of Graduate

Faculty are eligible to serve on the Graduate Council.

Graduate Teaching Faculty

All full-time or professional doctoral faculty who hold terminal degrees will be appointed to serve as

Graduate Teaching Faculty, and may teach masters and doctoral courses and serve on comprehensive

examination committees.

Graduate Research Faculty

Graduate Teaching Faculty are eligible to apply for consideration to appointment as Graduate Research

Faculty. Appointments can vary in length up to a maximum of 5 years. The length of the appointment

may depend on several factors including the candidate’s experience and history of scholarship and

research. Those with an established, ongoing record should qualify for the maximum. For recently

terminally-degreed candidates with limited scholarship and research, the appointment may be as little

as two years.

Additional Criteria for Appointment as Graduate Research Faculty. In order to be considered for

appointment to Graduate Research Faculty, applicants must

1. Have a terminal degree in their principal area of faculty appointment or an area that is closely

related;

2. Demonstrate a consistent and continuous level of research/scholarship/creative activities in the

discipline that meets the goals and objectives of the unit/department/college; and

3. Agree to serve as student advocate on thesis and dissertation committees.

Privileges. Those granted Graduate Research Faculty status are eligible to

1. Teach masters and Ph.D. level courses;

2. Serve on master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation committees and on comprehensive and

proficiency examination committees in the member’s area of expertise; and

3. Chair master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation committees.

The academic department will determine from their Graduate Research Faculty who is qualified to serve

in the role of chair of a thesis or dissertation committee.

Visiting Graduate Faculty

A Visiting Graduate Faculty Member would typically be a faculty member at another university or health

institution, an individual active in industry or business, or a retired faculty member. Visiting Graduate

Faculty may serve on thesis or dissertation committees.

Applicants for Visiting Graduate Faculty status will be reviewed each time they are nominated to serve

on a thesis or dissertation committee if their service will extend beyond the period for which they were

approved in a prior application.

Visiting faculty granted a Graduate Faculty status must possess a terminal degree or achievement of

professional accomplishment of an unusually high order and consistent level of

research/scholarship/creative activity pertaining to the topic of the thesis/dissertation

Application for Membership

The following process will be used to apply for Graduate Research Faculty or Visiting Graduate Faculty

membership.

1. The applicant will submit an application form and a full current vita to the academic department

head/chair.

2. Applications for Graduate Research Faculty status or Visiting Graduate Faculty appointments

should be voted on by at least three faculty in the department in which graduate faculty

membership is being sought who hold Graduate Research Faculty appointments. The vote of the

reviewing faculty will be recorded on the candidate’s application. In situations where there are

not three qualified faculty in a department to vote on an application, the initial approval will be

that of the chairperson of the department.

3. Applications will be approved or disapproved by the chairperson of the department, the dean of

the college in which the graduate program is located, and the Dean of the Graduate School. The

applicant will be notified of the approval/disapproval decisions at each level of the review.

4. Should the faculty member wish to appeal the decision of a chairperson, dean of a college, or

the Dean of the Graduate School, he/she may do so by submitting a written appeal to the

appropriate administrator at the next level of review within 10 days of receiving notice of the

decision. Decisions made by the Dean of the Graduate School may be appealed to the Provost

and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Renewal of Membership

Membership on the graduate faculty carries with it the responsibility for active participation in the

graduate program and for maintaining a high level of professional competence in the member’s

discipline. As a means of maintaining high standards, the university requires all Graduate Research

Faculty members to have their graduate credentials renewed periodically through a review process.

Graduate Faculty may apply for appointment to the Graduate Research Faculty at any time using the

application process outlined above

Emeritus Faculty

Retired faculty who have been nominated or granted emeritus status and who held Graduate Research

Faculty status upon retirement may serve on thesis or dissertation committees, at the request of the

student or determination of the committee chair, with approval of the Graduate School Dean.

Such requests should be submitted to the Graduate School by the committee chair via

GradForms@uttyler.edu. If approved, the appointment will last until the thesis or dissertation defense.

Approved emeritus faculty may serve on thesis or dissertation committees as member or as a co-chair,

but may not serve as a sole chair.