GRADUATE COUNCIL of

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

Adopted January 21, 2000

ARTICLE I

Mission

Section 1. To provide a forum in which matters of concern to graduate education may be discussed and the mission of the Graduate College fulfilled.

Section 2. To work with the Graduate College to review, establish, and update policies affecting graduate education.

 

ARTICLE II

Membership

Section 1. Members shall include representatives of the faculty, graduate coordinators, and graduate students. The Dean and Associate Deans of the Graduate College shall also be members.

Section 2. College faculty members are selected according to Faculty Senate rules. Faculty representation on the Graduate Council is based on the number of students enrolled in graduate programs within each academic college and the Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs. The term is four years.

Section 3. The Graduate Coordinators elect two representatives. The term is 2 years; terms shall be staggered.

Section 4. The Graduate and Professional Student Council select two representatives. The term is one year, renewable.

ARTICLE III

Officers

Section 1. The Dean of the Graduate College shall serve as the Chair of the Council.

Section 2. An Associate Dean of the Graduate College shall serve as the Vice Chair of the Council.

ARTICLE IV

Roles and Responsibilities

Section 1. The Council is a part of the university process for creating or changing graduate degree programs in both the planning and implementation stages, leading to approval by the Arizona Board of Regents.

Section 2. The Council recommends and reviews the policies and procedures of the Graduate College, including but not limited to admission requirements, the degree certification, graduate teaching and research assistantships and associateships, student grievances, and waivers of these policies and procedures.

Section 3. The Council takes an active role in the process for awarding the Graduate College Fellowships.

Section 4. The Council recommends priorities for graduate education and supports efforts to achieve them.

Section 5. The Council provides a means of communicating with graduate program directors and department heads concerning Graduate College activities.

ARTICLE V

Meetings

Section 1. The Council should meet four times a semester during the academic year.

Section 2. The meetings of the Council should be open to the public, subject to applicable state law.

Section 3. Notice of meetings should be given to the members of the Council and the Master Calendar at least one week in advance of any meeting by email message and/or printed material sent through campus mail.

Section 4. An agenda should be circulated to members of the Council at least two days in advance of a meeting.

Section 5. Methods of Voting. Voting on motions before the Council should be by viva voce, by a show of hands, or by paper or email ballot, as decided by the presiding officer. A majority vote of those members voting will carry a motion, except for motions to adopt or amend Graduate College policies or to approve formal proposals to change or create degree programs, in which case a majority vote of the members of the Graduate Council will carry a motion.

Section 6. All members of the Graduate Council have voting rights. The Chair shall vote only in the event of a tie.

Section 7. Voting on the Consent Calendar. Items on the Consent Calendar may be dealt with by the Graduate Council via email vote, provided:

1) there are no substantive objections to the proposed action,

2) the proposers do not themselves need direct input from the Graduate Council, and

3) no member of the Graduate Council has substantive questions about the proposal.

The Graduate College will provide copies of such proposals along with any recommendations from the Program Review Committee a week before the vote is to be taken, and the members of the Graduate Council will have a week to vote.

ARTICLE VI

Committees

Section 1. Committees should meet between Council meetings in order to review their business and produce a recommendation for the full Council's consideration. Each committee should organize itself including electing a chair. The committees should adopt recommendations for Council consideration by a majority vote of the members. Such votes may be viva voce, by a show of hands, or by paper or email ballot.

Section 2. There should be at least two standing committees of the Council: The Program Review Committee and the Graduate Rules and Policies Committee. All members of the standing committees are appointed by the chair of the Council and will serve for a 2-year term.

A. The Program Review Committee will be given all requests for new academic graduate degree programs or changes to existing academic graduate degree programs. The Committee will request any additional information needed from departments including interviews with appropriate faculty members or administrators.

B. The Graduate Rules and Policy Committee will be given all requests from the staff of the Graduate College, or from the University community, for new policies or procedures or changes to existing policies or procedures of the Graduate College, for review and recommendation to the Council for action.

C. Other standing committees may be created by action of the Dean of the Graduate College or the Council. Standing committees may be dissolved only by action of the Council.

Section 3. Ad hoc committees may be created by the Dean of the Graduate College or by action of the Council for specific tasks or intervals. An ad hoc committee should be automatically dissolved when the council accepts its final report.

ARTICLE VII

Bylaws

Section 1. The bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of the members of the Council.