Ohio Administrative Code
Title 3341 - Bowling Green State University
Chapter 3341-3 - Graduate and Under-Graduate Policies
Section 3341-3-11 - Graduate faculty status-graduate
Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
(A) Policy statement and purpose
This policy describes the application process, criteria, and privileges associated with graduate faculty status.
(B) Policy
The BGSU graduate college grants two major categories of graduate faculty status (GFS), provisional and regular status (including three levels). In addition, courtesy appointments (adjunct and ad hoc) may be granted as appropriate. This document describes each category's privileges, the process for application, and the graduate college minimum qualifications needed for each category. It also includes guidelines for the required creation of academic unit qualifications beyond the graduate college minimum criteria. It should be noted that the granting of graduate faculty status is a graduate college designation and, though obtaining and maintaining graduate faculty status may be an expectation in some units, the review and receipt of graduate faculty status is a separate process from tenure, promotion, and workload allocation. In keeping with HLC and state policies, faculty who teach and supervise doctoral students must possess the terminal degree in the field.
GFS application process- graduate faculty status applications must be approved by:
Faculty may participate in graduate activities outside of the tenuring or hiring unit at the discretion of that unit. Faculty may not participate in graduate education without GFS. Retired faculty may retain graduate faculty status, if requested by their unit.
Provisional appointments may be requested for new full-time BGSU faculty members (TTF and QRF), or for continuing BGSU faculty members (TTF or QRF) who have held graduate faculty status for less than six years, or who have not previously held graduate faculty status. These new or continuing faculty members who hold the appropriate terminal degree, or at least a master's degree in addition to additional graduate course work and/or have developed extensive experience in the profession, may be nominated by their graduate programs for provisional membership at either the level II or level III status, depending on credentials. See paragraph (B)(3) of this policy for privileges of each level.
It is expected that the provisional appointment will provide the opportunity for faculty members to acquire the necessary credentials for regular membership. Provisional status is valid for up to six years and is non-renewable. In individual cases, programs may petition the graduate dean designate to permit provisional II members to direct doctoral-level students.
Regular graduate faculty status (GFS) may be earned by full-time BGSU faculty after a successful provisional status period or when requested for a new fulltime faculty member who is hired at the associate or full professor rank. Faculty who are not full-time may apply for adjunct status (see below). Regular graduate faculty status comprises three levels, each with its own privileges and criteria.
Criteria for regular graduate faculty status
The graduate college recognizes that the nature of research, academic scholarship, and creative productions in various departments and schools varies according to discipline; consequently, each unit will determine its criteria and performance indicators for level I, II, and III regular graduate faculty status. Each unit's policy document will outline its criteria for regular status, and it must meet at least the minimum standards set forth in this policy document. Minimally, these criteria and performance indicators must conform to the goals of graduate education (based on HLC and CCGS definitions of graduatelevel education). Initially, the line college dean, the graduate college dean or designate, and graduate council must approve the criteria and performance indicators for each unit. Subsequently, an evaluation of each program's criteria and performance indicators will be conducted routinely as part of the program review process and/or as a part of a discipline specific accreditation review.
Each program's graduate faculty documents must include performance indicators in each of the following categories for each level: degree qualifications; scholarship and creative activity; and graduate teaching. The graduate college minimum criteria are listed in this paragraph for each category. However, individual program GFS policy documents shall expand on these minimal criteria to develop discipline/field-appropriate policies. The graduate college will provide a template for this process.
The majority of work for graduate education at BGSU is conducted by regular or provisional graduate faculty at levels I, II, and III. However, other faculty are also called upon to provide expertise in graduate teaching and mentoring. Two categories of courtesy appointments are adjunct and ad hoc status.
The graduate college dean or designate may grant adjunct graduate faculty appointments to individuals who are not regularly and continuously on the staff full-time and do not normally receive a salary from BGSU. These individuals may be needed to teach graduate courses or serve on thesis or dissertation committees. Such adjunct appointments must have approval of the line college dean, and the graduate dean designate. Adjunct graduate faculty appointments are made for a designated time period and are renewable. The credentials of adjunct graduate faculty must be reviewed at least once every six years.
Graduate faculty adjuncts should hold a graduate degree appropriate to their field, either the doctorate or the terminal degree for those academic areas in which the doctorate is not normally required. However, in some cases, faculty without the terminal degree may demonstrate qualifications for this status when they have at least a master's degree in addition to additional graduate course work and/or have developed extensive experience in the profession for which they are expected to teach.
BGSU employees, who otherwise do not have graduate faculty status, may be authorized to teach specific graduate courses or serve on a thesis or dissertation committee in a capacity other than chair or principal advisor. An example of ad hoc members may be administrators or exadministrators who, because of the demands of administrative duties, do not currently meet the criteria for regular graduate faculty status. Ad hoc appointments are for one to three years and may be renewed.
Authorization to teach a specific course or serve on a committee must be gained prior to the beginning of the course or the constitution of the committee.
