Criteria for Graduate Faculty Appointments

The USM Graduate Council has established three criteria for graduate faculty appointments: (1) that the individual have a regular faculty appointment; (2) that the individual have a terminal degree in his/her academic discipline; and (3) that the individual have regular, ongoing responsibilities in a graduate program.

“The graduate faculty of the University shall consist of all faculty so designated by the President upon recommendation of the Associate Provost and Provost. To be eligible for appointment to the University Graduate faculty, an individual shall, teach regularly in or have programmatic responsibility for a graduate program at this institution. Faculty engaged directly in the planning of a new graduate program for which permission to plan has been granted by the provost are also eligible for appointment. Appointment as a graduate faculty member does not simply convey an honorific title, but rather signifies a working relationship with a graduate program.

Each academic unit having a graduate program shall develop and submit for review by the Graduate Council and the Provost its criteria for appointment to the Graduate faculty. In developing these criteria, the schools and colleges shall take into account the following university standards:

1. Academic preparation: The candidate shall hold an appropriate terminal degree or its equivalent.
2. Scholarship: The candidate shall show professional recognition from scholars or other professionals from outside the University through research, publications, or activities of an equivalent nature.
3. Professional Experience: A candidate from one of the professional schools or colleges shall normally have demonstrated experience and continued involvement in the profession.
4. Teaching Quality: The candidate shall show evidence of, or substantial promise for, effective teaching at the graduate level.

Appointment to the graduate faculty shall come from the appropriate academic unit and reviewed by the Associate Provost and Provost with appointments made by the President.

The term of appointment for a tenured faculty member shall be three years and is renewable. For a non-tenured faculty member, the appointment shall normally be coterminous with the individual’s contract.

Temporary appointments shall be either for one semester or one academic year as appropriate. Such appointments are also renewable.

A tenured, non-tenured, or visiting faculty member of the Law faculty shall be a member for the graduate faculty for a term coterminous with his/her appointment to the Law faculty.

Approved, 1981 Provost Kormondy

1985 Graduate Affairs Report