Senate Document SD 07-13

(Approved, 3/17/2008)

TO:                              Fort Wayne Senate

FROM:                        Educational Policy Committee

Jonathan Tankel, Chair

SUBJECT:                   Establishing an IPFW Graduate Faculty

DATE:                         21 February 2008

DISPOSITION:           To the Presiding Officer for implementation

 

WHEREAS, IPFW offers graduate study in a number of departments, schools, and colleges; and

 

WHEREAS, graduate faculty status has heretofore been determined by criteria established by Purdue University or Indiana University; and

 

WHEREAS, IPFW has established the position of Director of Graduate Studies; and

 

WHEREAS, the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Subcommittee have determined that IPFW should establish a campus-wide process to certify IPFW graduate faculty status independent of Indiana University and Purdue University graduate faculty status;

 

BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate approve SD 07-13, IPFW Graduate Faculty Appointments.

 

 

 

Senate Document SD 07-13

(Approved, 3/17/2008)

 

 

IPFW Graduate Faculty Appointments

 

1. Regular Appointment (tenured, tenure-track, clinical, or other voting faculty)

 

Members of the IPFW Graduate Faculty are tenured, tenure-track, clinical, or other voting faculty members at IPFW who have been nominated by the head of a specific graduate program and an academic dean for appointment to the Graduate Faculty. This appointment will usually be concurrent with the appointment to the Graduate Faculty of Purdue University or Indiana University.  The IPFW Director of Graduate Studies, acting on behalf of the faculty Graduate subcommittee, grants Graduate Faculty status to IPFW faculty members. New faculty members may be nominated for appointment to the Graduate Faculty after their date of employment.  Nominations are made using the IPFW Graduate Faculty Appointment form.  When submitting the form, the section for regular status should be completed. The form is signed by the department head, the academic dean and forwarded to the IPFW Director of Graduate Studies. Upon approval, the Director will forward the form to Indiana University or Purdue University for notification or further approval as appropriate.

 

Individuals appointed at the rank of assistant professor, associate professor, or full professor who are classified as “visiting” may, at the discretion of the IPFW Director of Graduate Studies, be granted regular appointment to the Graduate Faculty.

 

Nominees for appointment to the Graduate Faculty must demonstrate ability to mentor and supervise the progress and work of graduate students. Faculty members with previous experience as graduate student mentors at other universities, upon the recommendation of their department heads and academic deans, will be assumed to have met this requirement. Nominees for Graduate Faculty status who do not have a record of experience as graduate student mentors must complete a Graduate School workshop on mentoring as part of the Graduate Faculty appointment process. Upon satisfactory review of previous experience as a graduate mentor or upon completion of a workshop on mentoring, the nominee will be appointed as a regular member of the IPFW Graduate Faculty.

 

Appointment to the IPFW Graduate Faculty will enable the faculty member to teach graduate-level courses, to serve on graduate student committees, to co-chair or chair graduate student committees, and to serve on the IPFW Graduate Subcommittee. It is the responsibility of the head of the graduate program to approve the level of participation of a Graduate Faculty member on a student’s committee.

 

2. Evaluation of Graduate Faculty Members

 

At five-year intervals, heads of graduate programs will be asked to evaluate the performance of Graduate Faculty in their programs and to recommend either continuance of Graduate Faculty status for another term of five years or a review of Graduate Faculty status by the program and the Office of Graduate Studies. Heads of graduate programs may initiate reviews at any time. If a review is called for, it will be conducted by the program head, in consultation with other program Graduate Faculty, and the IPFW Director of Graduate Studies. Such reviews may result in a recommendation to continue Graduate Faculty status, or to participate in appropriate mentoring workshops or consultations with other Graduate Faculty, or to discontinue Graduate Faculty status. The review will include consideration of two criteria: continued productivity as a Graduate Faculty member; and effectiveness as a Graduate Faculty mentor.

 

3. Special Appointment

 

A special appointment may be requested by the head of a graduate program for an individual who does not meet the conditions required for regular appointment, yet who can contribute special expertise to the work of graduate students. Such a person may serve as a member or as a co-chair, but not as chair, on graduate student committees and teach graduate courses. Nominations for special appointment to the Graduate Faculty are made on a IPFW Request for Graduate Faculty Appointment Form. When submitting the form, the section for special status should be completed. The form is signed by the department head, the academic dean and forwarded to the IPFW Director of Graduate Studies. Upon approval, the Director will forward the form to Indiana University or Purdue University for notification or further approval as appropriate. Nominations for special appointment to the Graduate Faculty must describe the special expertise that the nominee would bring to the graduate program and present the nominee’s qualifications to contribute to the work and progress of graduate students. Special appointment to the Graduate Faculty is for a term of five years. Such appointments may be renewed upon nomination by the head of a graduate program and approval by the IPFW Director of Graduate Studies.  Requests for renewal of a special appointment to the Graduate Faculty must include a positive review of the appointee’s contributions to the graduate program.

 

4. Roster of Graduate Faculty

 

The Office of Graduate Studies maintains a roster of Graduate Faculty members.  Both regular and special appointments to the Graduate Faculty remain on the Graduate School’s active list until the appointments are discontinued by the head of the graduate program and the department chair.