Graduate Faculty

Full-time and part-time faculty who teach graduate courses must be approved for Graduate Faculty or Adjunct Graduate Faculty status.  This action is initiated in the academic department and subsequent approval is required of the Provost.

The minimum qualifications for appointment to teach graduate courses are a terminal degree in the discipline, or its equivalent, and evidence of appropriate scholarly engagement.  As part of their professional development, all graduate faculty are expected to maintain currency in their teaching field and to engage with peers, on a regular basis, in the exchange of knowledge and information in the discipline. 

It is the responsibility of each graduate faculty member and each department to ensure that its graduate faculty maintain eligibility for appointment to graduate faculty status.

Full-time graduate faculty provide instruction at the graduate level, assist students with graduate - level research and projects, and approve all changes to the graduate curriculum at the department level. All graduate curriculum and curriculum changes must be approved by the department, the school, the curriculum committee, and the faculty. Adjunct graduate faculty provide graduate-level instruction and may, upon approval of the department chair, assist students with research and projects.

Generally, faculty will teach one graduate course and two undergraduate courses each semester; the maximum number of graduate courses a faculty member may teach in a semester is two.

Graduate faculty contracts will specify between 18 - 24 hour teaching loads for the annual contract period with a maximum of 30 credit hours for a calendar year (July – June). Courses may be taught year round at the discretion of the department chair.

• 3 hour graduate class = 3.0 load credit hours
• 1 hour graduate class = 1.0 load credit hours.

Graduate faculty will be evaluated based on the following scale:

Teaching Effectiveness 60% Service 20% Professional Activities  20% (55%; 20%; 25% if on scholarly track)

*See Evaluation of Faculty for descriptions of the Criteria.

All graduate faculty are expected to engage in professional activities.  Professional activities include those pursuits that increase the body of knowledge in the faculty member’s discipline. While professional activities are expected from each faculty member, faculty rank and assignment will be taken into consideration when evaluating professional activities. The following are examples (non-exhaustive) of professional activities.

• Publications (books, chapters in books, peer reviewed journals and       publications)
• Curricula design
• Papers presented at meetings of professional societies
• Professional Consulting/Business Proposals
• Critical reviews of published works
• Patents
• Grant proposals/awards
• Activities and offices held with professional organizations
• Participation on accreditation reviews
• Participation on editorial boards/committees
• Additional certifications
• Continuing education certification and licensing