Iowa State University

Graduate Council

Graduate Council Constitution

A. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The Graduate Council provides a mechanism for interaction among graduate students, graduate faculty members, and the administration of the Graduate College on questions of policy which concern the direction and process of graduate education at Iowa State University.

B. MEMBERSHIP

The Graduate Council is a representative body which consists of fifteen elected members of the Graduate Faculty and four elected graduate student members. Procedures for the election and appointment of members are found in Section D.

C. DUTIES OF THE COUNCIL

1. To serve as the executive committee of the graduate faculty.
2. To initiate and implement new Graduate School policies, to revise existing policies, and to act upon any questions affecting those policies.
3. To establish and publish rules governing graduate programs, including the revision and updating of the Graduate College Handbook in accord with policy changes approved by the Graduate Council and changes in Graduate Office administrative procedures.
4. To submit recommendations to the Faculty Senate regarding proposals for adopting, altering or abolishing courses and curricula involving graduate credit.
5. To evaluate and review new graduate programs, and to evaluate revisions in existing programs, including interdepartmental programs.
6. To approve, modify, or reverse actions taken by its standing committees.
7. To foster the relationship between graduate education and scholarly research.
8. To assist and advise the dean.
9. To participate in grievance procedures and disciplinary matters at the request of the Dean of the Graduate College.
10. To review and approve nominations for graduate faculty membership.
11. To recommend to the Graduate Dean the award of fellowships and graduate scholarships.
12. To review and approve candidates for graduate degrees.

D. STANDING COMMITTEES

The work of the graduate council is carried out by standing committees: Graduate Curriculum and Catalog Committee and the Graduate Faculty Membership Committee. Members of these committees are appointed by the Graduate Council, and are not restricted to concurrent members of the Graduate Council. The Graduate Curriculum and Catalog Committee consists of representatives from each college; nominations of candidates for membership are made by each college dean.

The committees are assigned specific responsibilities, but other functions may be assigned to them as the need arises.

E. ELECTION PROCEDURES

I. Membership

The Graduate Council is a representational body which consists of fifteen members of the Graduate Faculty and four graduate students. Five faculty members are elected as Graduate Faculty representatives from the Physical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering division; four faculty members are elected as Graduate Faculty representatives from the Biological and Agricultural Sciences division; four faculty members are elected as Graduate Faculty representatives from the Social Sciences and Education division; and two faculty members are elected as Graduate Faculty representatives from the Arts and Humanities division. Four graduate student representatives are elected, one from each division. Assignment of faculty members to divisions is made on the basis of departmental affiliation according to a departmental list. Jointly appointed members are assigned to only one division for election purposes. A new Graduate Faculty member is assigned to a division when joining the Graduate Faculty. A faculty member may be reassigned to another division at his or her request. A jointly appointed faculty member may change his or her departmental affiliation to another represented in the joint appointment upon request. Assignment of graduate students to divisions is made on the basis of the student's major department or program.

Nonvoting members of the Graduate Council include a Graduate College administrative representative (ex-officio), a Faculty Senate liaison representative appointed annually by the Faculty Senate Executive Board, and a member of the Graduate College staff to serve as secretary.

II. Terms

Faculty members of the Graduate Council serve for three year terms which may be renewed once. Five members of the Council are elected each year. Graduate student members of the Council serve for one year terms and may be re-elected one time.

III. Supervision of Elections and Appointments

The Graduate office supervises election of Graduate Faculty members of the Graduate Council. The Graduate Student Senate supervises election of student members. The Graduate Dean appoints a Graduate College administrative representative and requests the appointment of a Faculty Senate liaison representative by the Faculty Senate Executive Board each year.

IV. Eligibility

All members of the Graduate Faculty are eligible for Graduate Council membership except those with the title of President, Vice President, Associate Vice President, Assistant Vice President, Provost, Associate Provost, Assistant Provost, Dean, Director, Associate Dean, Associate Director, Assistant Dean, Assistant Director, Department Head or Department Chair.

V. Nomination and Election Process

A nomination ballot is sent to the Graduate Faculty on which a Graduate Faculty member may nominate one member of his or her division for a vacant faculty position on the Graduate Council. The candidate receiving the most votes on the final ballot is elected. Ties are decided by lot.

The Graduate Student Senate determines nomination and election processes for student members of the Graduate Council. See Appendix I for Graduate Student Senate guidelines for election of representatives.

VI. Graduate Council Organization

The Graduate Council elects a chairperson from among its members. A member of the Graduate Office staff serves as non-voting secretary. A majority of the active members of the Graduate Council constitute a quorum.

F. AMENDMENTS

Amendments to the Basic Document may be initiated by the Graduate Council or by at least twenty percent of the Graduate Faculty. All amendments must be approved by a majority vote of the Graduate Council before being submitted in writing to all members of the Graduate Faculty at least twenty (20) class days prior to a vote during the regular academic year. The Dean of the Graduate College shall poll the General Faculty by written ballot. Amendments approved by a majority of those voting shall be adopted.

APPENDIX I

Guidelines for Electing Graduate Council Student Representatives

1. The Graduate Student Senate elects four student members of the Graduate Council; the election process is supervised by the Graduate Student Senate elections committee. A student member of the Graduate Council need not be a senator.
2. A letter explaining the position and requesting interested persons to contact the Graduate Student Senate elections committee is sent to all department heads and chairmen in the division represented by the vacant Council seats. Dissemination of this material to all graduate students in the respective departments is delegated to the departmental executive officer and the departmental graduate student senator(s). Persons interested in serving as Graduate Council members will attend the Graduate Student Senate meeting at which Graduate Council elections are held.
3. Persons seeking election to the Graduate Council should expect to be able to fulfill the term. If a representative cannot fill his or her term, a replacement is appointed by the president of the Graduate Student Senate to fill the remainder of the unexpired term. The appointment is subject to Senate approval.
4. If none of the four representatives to the Graduate Council is a member of the Graduate Student Senate Executive Council, one of the representatives will be appointed as ex-officio member of the Executive Council by said council.
5. The Graduate Student Senate reserves the right to alter election guidelines as necessary

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