Graduate Program Faculty Policies and Procedures

Policies and Procedures for Graduate Program Faculty

Approved September 26, 2018

A. Rationale

The quality of graduate programs in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences and the reputation of the University of Georgia as a leading public research and land-grant university rests with the Graduate Program Faculty, ensuring that research skills are taught and graduate students are supervised by those with preeminent research experiences and expertise.

B. Qualifications for Membership in the Graduate Program Faculty

Doctorate or highest earned terminal degree from an accredited institution in the faculty member’s discipline or equivalent professional experience.
Faculty Rank. Individuals in the ranks listed below are eligible for appointment.
1. Part-time and full-time faculty
2. Tenure-track and tenured faculty
3. Non-tenure track faculty
4. Adjunct faculty who are from outside the University and hold non-paid, non-voting courtesy appointments in an academic Unit of the College
5. Faculty who retire from or leave UGA who were previously appointed Graduate Program Faculty in an academic Unit of the College
Proficiency in conducting scholarly research and/or active practice of the profession. Through their own current research productivity and practices, members of the Graduate Program Faculty have established themselves as leaders in their disciplines. Evidence of demonstrated proficiency includes, but is not limited to:
1. An active research agenda as indicated by the publication of scholarly books, articles in refereed journals, refereed conference presentations, grants and contracts received, patents, and creative activities appropriate to the various disciplines.
2. Active practice of the profession, through clinical, laboratory, or industry and community work as indicated by scholarship of practice, consultations, exhibitions, presentations at professional conferences, contracts, awards, licensures, and maintaining active licensure or other certifications.
3. Recognition of research and creative contributions by awards, prizes, and fellowships; and editorial work, such as service on editorial boards of scholarly journals, editing of scholarly books, and the professional review of manuscripts for scholarly journals and presses.
4. In the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, we further define professional and clinical faculty as practitioners who teach and/or supervise UGA graduate and undergraduate students in industry and community settings related to the disciplinary area of the clinical faculty position. Scholarly activities and expectations for clinical and public service faculty may be more applied and consistent with the budgeted time, and proficiency clearly demonstrated through innovation and creativity in their scholarly products and publications.
Proficiency in supervising scholarly research or practice of the profession. Members of the Graduate Program Faculty bear primary responsibility for teaching and preparing future generations of researchers, scholars, and practitioners. Evidence of demonstrated proficiency in supervision includes one or more of the following:
1. Prior supervision of student research, professional skills development, and/or service as a major professor/advisor or committee member for applied projects, theses, and dissertations.
2. Prior supervision of practitioners in academic or non-academic settings.
3. Demonstrated potential to successfully direct masters or doctoral degree candidates to degree completion.
4. Sustained support, commitment, and access necessary to ensure students with whom Graduate Program Faculty have been entrusted receive the mentoring, practical, professional, and research training appropriate for a university of the stature of the University of Georgia.

C. Responsibilities and Rights of the Graduate Program Faculty

Primary responsibilities of Graduate Program Faculty members include overseeing research/scholarship and training of masters and doctoral students and preparing masters and doctoral students for the practice of their profession.

Responsibilities of a member of the Graduate Program Faculty include teaching graduate students effectively and in a civil, professionally appropriate manner, conducting scholarly research and creative work of high quality and/or remaining active in the practice of the profession, and directing the research/professional development of graduate students so that they progress toward graduation in a timely manner appropriate to the field.

The benefits and responsibilities of Graduate Program Faculty include opportunities to:

serve as a major professor to doctoral students.
serve as a major professor to master students.
serve on doctoral dissertation and masters committees.
teach 8000-9000 level courses as assigned by the Unit Head.
vote on appointment and reappointment of faculty members to the Graduate Program Faculty in the College.
otherwise participate in the graduate program of the Unit through recruitment and selection of new graduate students, and provide input on curricula and other key decisions pertaining to the quality of the graduate education in the Unit and the College.
serve as Graduate Coordinator for their Unit.

In addition, members of the Graduate Program Faculty have the right to:

serve as a member of the Graduate Council.
vote for faculty as representatives to serve on the Graduate Council.
otherwise participate in the graduate program of the Unit and the university.

Members of the Graduate Program Faculty, through the representative Graduate Council, make key decisions pertaining to the quality of graduate education at the university.

D. Major Professor Status

Although part-time and external adjunct faculty members may hold Graduate Program Faculty status, they are not eligible to serve as major professor for doctoral students or master’s degree students writing a thesis.

Retired faculty or faculty who leave the university and who maintain Graduate Program Faculty status may continue to support doctoral students as a major professor per Graduate School guidelines.

E. Graduate Committee Composition

Advisory committees for doctoral students must have a minimum of three members of the Graduate Program Faculty.

Advisory committees for masters’ students must have a minimum of two members who are members of the Graduate Program Faculty in the College or university.

In all cases where the advisory committee consists of more than three faculty members, greater than 50% of the committee members must be members of the Graduate Program Faculty.

F. Procedures for Appointment and Reappointment of Graduate Program Faculty

Procedures outlined below apply to all eligible faculty members. The term “Program” is considered synonymous with “Department” or “Unit” in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. The term “Dean’s Office” is considered synonymous with the Dean of the College of Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS).

In FACS, appointment/reappointment to the Graduate Program Faculty will be decided at the Unit level and forwarded as a recommendation by the Unit Head to the Dean. A quorum of the Graduate Program Faculty in the Unit, including the Department (Unit) Head, should vote on appointment and reappointment decisions.

A review of qualitative and quantitative evidence of the faculty member’s performance over the previous five-year period, or three-year period in the case of adjunct faculty, or since the last Graduate Program Faculty appointment/reappointment. The evidence should include a current CV and material providing documentation of the faculty member’s accomplishments and proficiency in conducting scholarly research and/or active practice of the profession and proficiency in supervising scholarly research and/or practice of the profession readily available and relevant to the review for promotion, tenure, or post-tenure review or periodic review and reappointment of non-tenured, retired or adjunct faculty.

The Dean will approve and seek Graduate School Dean approval for faculty members who are not members of the Graduate Program Faculty to teach 6000 and 7000 level courses on a case-by-case basis.

The times at which Graduate Program Faculty appointment and reappointment occur will be part of the regularly scheduled reviews of faculty including:

Appointment at the time of initial hiring.
Appointment of current faculty member.
Reappointment:
1. Tenure-track faculty at the time of tenure review.
2. Tenured faculty every 5 years, coinciding with each post-tenure review (5 year intervals).
3. Non-tenure track faculty every 5 years, coinciding with promotion or every 5 years, whichever comes first.
4. Adjunct faculty from outside the university every 3 years, coinciding with adjunct faculty reappointment every 3 years.
5. Retired or faculty leaving FACS and UGA at time of retirement or separation and reviewed for reappointment every 5 years.

Appointment at the time of initial hiring. To be eligible for Graduate Program Faculty status upon appointment, the Dean’s Office must receive recommendation from the Unit Head with a summary of department vote (Yes, No, Abstain) of the faculty decision with the hiring proposal. The appointment and effective date are noted in the Letter of Offer.
Appointment of current faculty member. Faculty who do not currently hold Graduate Program Faculty status may be considered for appointment during a regularly scheduled review as noted below or may request consideration during a fall or spring semester via a written request to the Unit Head accompanied by a current curriculum vita. If the Dean of the College receives a recommendation from the Unit Head with a summary of the department vote (Yes, No, Abstain) of the faculty decision by August 1, Graduate Program Faculty status will be effective fall semester. If recommendation from the Unit Head is received by January 1, Graduate Program Faculty status will be effective spring semester. The Dean’s Office will notify the Dean of the Graduate School.
Reappointment Within Periodic Review Processes
Review and evaluation for reappointment is an integral part of the tenure and post-tenure review for tenure-track and tenured faculty and the promotion processes for non-tenure track faculty. Each Unit in the College, in addition to the Dean’s Office, will maintain a list of their Graduate Program Faculty. Review of current faculty including retirees will occur in the Spring Semester to coincide with reappointment milestones (e.g. post-tenure review and promotions effective July 1). A list of faculty scheduled for review and evaluation will be initiated by the Dean’s Office in February each year, with verification by each Unit in the College. A list of adjunct and retired faculty scheduled for Graduate Program Faculty status review will be maintained by each Unit in the College.

Units will conduct reviews for reappointment between February and April 30. Units will provide faculty with advance notice in anticipation of Graduate Program Faculty status reappointment reviews.

Consistent with the university’s appointment and promotion policies, deference to decisions of colleagues closest to the discipline will be employed to determine Graduate Program Faculty status. Successful review at the department level at any of these career milestones will result in appointment or reappointment to the Graduate Program Faculty. The Dean’s Office should be notified of these outcomes by May 1 of each year for tenure, post-tenure review, faculty promotions effective July 1. Failure by the Unit to meet the May 1 deadline will result in non-reappointment. In such circumstances, faculty may request consideration for reappointment Graduate Program Faculty status described above (F.2.).

If, at the time of retirement or departure from the university, a faculty member who holds Graduate Program Faculty status may request consideration via a written request to the Unit Head accompanied by a current curriculum vita and process outlined in F.2 for appointment to Graduate Program Faculty. These faculty members may be reappointed following a successful 5-year review if they are still actively involved in graduate education at the University of Georgia. The Dean’s Office should be notified of these outcomes by May 1 of each year for reappointment of retired members of the faculty.

If, at the time of appointment of an adjunct faculty who by definition is a non-paid courtesy appointment of someone outside the university, he or she may request consideration via a written request to the Unit Head accompanied by a current curriculum vita and process outlined in F.2 for appointment to Graduate Program Faculty. These faculty members may be reappointed following a successful 3-year review if they are still actively involved in graduate education at the University of Georgia. The Dean’s Office should be notified of these outcomes by May 1 of each year for reappointment of retired members of the faculty.

The outcome of all such periodic reviews for reappointment to Graduate Program Faculty will be sent to the Dean of the Graduate School by the College of Family and Consumer Science Dean’s Office.

The criteria for appointment and reappointment to the Graduate Program Faculty includes discipline specific standards outlined in the Unit’s promotion and tenure guidelines https://www.fcs.uga.edu/faculty_staff_resources/policies-and-procedures-performance-reviews and in the College’s guidelines for clinical faculty. Annual performance reviews of faculty should also include evaluation by the Unit Head of the faculty member’s scholarly activity, courses taught at the graduate level, participation on graduate student committees, service as major professor, timely completion of graduate students, guidance of students on graduate assistantships, and other mentoring activities the faculty member has engaged in during the past year and since the last Graduate Program Faculty review.

G. Revocation of Graduate Program Faculty Status

Denied/Revocation Within Periodic Review Process
A member of the faculty of the College of Family and Consumer Sciences may have their Graduate Program Faculty status revoked if they fail to meet any or all of the expectations outlined above as assessed during the periodic review process.

If a candidate does not concur with the vote of the Unit’s Graduate Program Faculty to deny or revoke Graduate Program Faculty status, the candidate may make a written request for reconsideration to the Dean of the College within 10 days of receipt of the program faculty’s decision. The reconsideration must specify the basis for the request (e.g., introduction of new information, explanation of information in the original materials).

The Dean will notify the Unit Head that an appeal has been filed, and the Unit Head will have 10 business days to supply materials in support of the Unit’s decision. If the Unit Head voted with the minority of faculty members, a faculty member who voted with the majority should provide the materials from the Unit.

The Dean will appoint an ad-hoc appeals committee consisting of five members from the Graduate Program Faculty within the College but outside the home Unit of the candidate; members may not have a conflict of interest with the candidate. The recommendation of the ad-hoc appeals committee is advisory to the Dean. The appeals committee will meet within 15 business days of receipt of the Unit materials to consider all materials submitted by the candidate and the Unit. At the conclusion of its deliberations the committee will take a vote by written secret ballot about whether or not to support the Unit vote. A faculty member who votes with the majority will write the appeal committee’s recommendation letter to the Dean, reporting the numeric vote and outlining the substance of the discussion. This recommendation letter will be delivered to the Dean, the candidate, and the Unit Head within 10 business days of the committee’s vote.

The Dean will have 10 business days to consider the material submitted by the candidate, the Unit, and the appeals committee. The Dean shall notify the candidate, Unit Head, and members of the appeals committee in writing of the final decision. The Dean is the final level of approval within the College.

If the candidate does not concur with the Dean’s decision, the candidate may appeal to the Appeals Committee of the Graduate Council as specified in Section V, Item 7 of the Graduate School’s procedures http://grad.uga.edu/index.php/faculty-and-staff/graduate-faculty-information/graduate-faculty-procedures/ . Such an appeal must be made within 15 business days of the date on the Dean’s decision letter.
Revocation Outside the Periodic Review Process
Graduate Program Faculty status may be revoked by the Dean of the College, the Dean of the Graduate School, the Provost, or the President outside the periodic review process for egregious acts or when a faculty member fails to fulfill the responsibilities of a member of the Graduate Program Faculty to a) teach graduate student(s) effectively, in a civil, professionally appropriate manner, b) conduct scholarly research and creative work of high quality, c) remain active in the practice of the profession, and/or d) direct the research/professional development of graduate student(s) so they progress toward graduation in a timely manner appropriate to the field. Failure to teach graduate students effectively and/or to direct the research and professional development of graduate student(s) also includes, but is not limited to, abuse of power, intimidation and harassment, and violation of work place violence policies.

Graduate Program Faculty status will be immediately revoked for any faculty member found in violation of UGA non-discrimination or anti-harassment regulations.

Procedures for revoking Graduate Faculty status and appeal to the Dean of the Graduate School were approved by the Graduate Council on November 30, 2016 http://grad.uga.edu/index.php/faculty-and-staff/graduate-faculty-information/removal-of-graduate-faculty-status/
1. When a graduate student or faculty member has a complaint about the performance or behavior of a faculty member directly related to their responsibilities as a Graduate Program Faculty member, the first course of action should be to try to resolve the complaint directly with the faculty member. The only exception to this step is if the complaint involves a violation of Non-Discrimination Anti-Harassment Policy or the Sexual Misconduct Policy, in which case, the student or faculty member should immediately make a report to the Equal Opportunity Office.
2. If the student/faculty member is unable to resolve the complaint with the Graduate Program Faculty member, then an oral or written complaint should be delivered to the Unit Head and/or the departmental Graduate Coordinator.
3. The Unit Head and/or Graduate Coordinator must investigate the complaint and work to resolve the concern with the student/faculty member making the complaint (complainant) and the Graduate Program Faculty member.
4. The Unit Head and/or Graduate Coordinator must provide a final written summary to the complainant, to the Graduate Program Faculty member against whom the complaint was made, and the Dean of the outcome of the investigation and of the recommendations made to resolve the issue. A copy of this letter will be placed in the personnel file of the Graduate Program Faculty member.
5. If the Unit Head and/or Graduate Coordinator are unable to resolve the issue, then they must appoint a committee to investigate the complaint. The committee will consist of three Graduate Program Faculty members, at least one of whom must be from outside the Unit.
  OR
  
  If the complainant is not satisfied with the resolutions provided by the Unit Head and/or Graduate Coordinator then they can make a written request to the Unit Head and/or Graduate Coordinator for the formation of a committee to investigate the complaint. A committee consisting of three Graduate Program Faculty members (at least one of whom must be from outside the Unit) must be appointed in response to this request.
6. The appointed committee must convene to review the complaint and to meet with all affected parties and provide a written assessment to the Unit Head and/or Graduate Coordinator with recommendations for necessary action. A copy of this letter will also be provided to the complainant and the Graduate Program Faculty member against whom the complaint has been made, and a copy will be placed in the personnel file of the Graduate Program Faculty member.
7. In response to the recommendation from the committee, the Unit Head and/or Graduate Coordinator may initiate procedures for re-evaluation of the Graduate Program Faculty status of the faculty member against whom the complaint has been made.
8. Graduate Program Faculty in the academic Unit will review and vote on the Graduate Program Faculty status of the faculty member and shall follow Appointment and Reappointment procedures for recommendation to the Graduate Program Faculty including consideration of all documentation associated with the recommendation.
9. The outcome of the Graduate Program Faculty vote along with a letter from the Unit Head and/or Graduate Coordinator and all documentation associated with the recommendation will be forwarded to the Dean of the College.
10. The Dean of the College of Family and Consumer Sciences will forward this information together with a letter of recommendation to the Dean of the Graduate School.
11. The Dean of the Graduate School will forward the information or review to the Appeals Committee of the Graduate Council. The committee will provide a recommendation to the Dean of the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, who will render a decision and notify all parties as to the resolution of the matter. If the decision results in revocation of Graduate Program Faculty status, then the Dean of the College of Family and Consumer Sciences will work with the academic Unit to develop a plan of action that will allow the faculty member to reapply for Graduate Program Faculty status.
12. If Graduate Program Faculty status is revoked, the faculty member has the right to make an appeal against the decision to the Provost. This appeal must be made in writing within 14 days of the Dean of the Graduate School providing notification of the removal of Graduate Program Faculty status. The Provost is the final arbiter of the decision to revoke Graduate Program Faculty status.
All investigations into complaints against Graduate Program Faculty must be dealt with expeditiously. Normally, there should be no more than 30 days between the presentation of the complaint and resolution of a complaint or, if necessary, a vote by the Graduate Program Faculty in the academic Unit on the Graduate Program Faculty status of the faculty member against whom the complaint was made. If efforts are ongoing to informally resolve the complaint, the Unit Head and/or Graduate Coordinator may extend the time for formal review of the complaint.

Both the faculty member and the complainant have the right to seek the advice of an attorney, but attorneys are not authorized to participate in the dispute resolution process.

Students and faculty members who, in good faith, report what they believe to be a valid complaint, or who cooperate in any investigation, will not be subjected to retaliation. Any student or faculty member who believes he or she has been the victim of retaliation for making a complaint or cooperating in an investigation should immediately contact the Unit Head and/or graduate coordinator. Any person found to have retaliated against a person who has cooperated in an investigation will be in violation of this policy and will be subject to disciplinary action.

H. Role of the Graduate School

All appointment and reappointment decisions made by the College are forwarded by the Dean’s Office to the Dean of the Graduate School, who will maintain a record of all Graduate Program Faculty for the purpose of verifying masters and doctoral committee membership. The Graduate School will maintain copies of procedures developed by individual colleges and schools and make them available to all members of the university community.

The College of Family and Consumer Sciences policies and procedures are based on the UGA Graduate School policies and procedure and subject to change by the Graduate Council.

May 1, 2012

Updated 2016

Updated September 26, 2018