Appendix - A: The Graduate College

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The Graduate College and graduate faculty at Iowa State University are responsible for the quality of graduate education, for administering students’ graduate programs, and for promoting research support from various governmental, industrial, and private agencies.

A.1 Administration and Advisory Groups

A.1.1 The Graduate College

Administrators and staff in the Graduate College (1137 Pearson Hall) oversee implementation of policies and procedures developed by representatives of the graduate faculty who serve on the Graduate Council.

A.1.2 Graduate Faculty

The graduate faculty in various programs handle admission and classification of graduate students, establish requirements for advanced degrees, and have charge of instruction and research at the graduate level. Graduate faculty members also teach graduate courses, serve on program of study (POS) committees, and direct work of master’s and doctoral students. All graduate courses are taught by graduate faculty members or graduate lecturers. For more information on graduate faculty membership, see Appendix G.

A.1.3 Directors of Graduate Education (DOGE)

Directors of Graduate Education (DOGEs) coordinate and oversee administration of graduate degree programs. The DOGE must be a member of the graduate faculty. The DOGE ensures that graduate students meet the academic requirements of the program. Responsibilities include approval of POSC forms and graduation applications. The DOGE acts as a liaison between the Graduate College and the graduate program, represents the program at periodic meetings called by the Graduate College or the home college of the major to discuss graduate education and research issues, and reports to the program faculty regarding these meetings. The DOGE may have additional duties, including:

  • mediating disputes between graduate students and advisors,
  • acting as a temporary advisor for graduate students without a major professor,
  • leading discussions of issues important to the major,
  • participating in recruitment and retention initiatives, and
  • collaborating with the Graduate College on data collection regarding graduate education and outcomes.

Graduate programs may assign other duties to the DOGE. A position description for the DOGE, including the duration of service and method of selection, should be incorporated in program governance documents.

Graduate certificate programs have a designated Director of Certificate Studies (DOCS). Duties of a DOCS are similar to those of a DOGE. A position description for the DOCS should be incorporated in program governance documents.

A.1.4 Graduate Council

The Graduate Council is a representative body consisting of fifteen elected members of the graduate faculty and four elected graduate student members. The Graduate Council serves as the executive committee of the graduate faculty and sets policy that concerns the direction and process of graduate education at Iowa State University. Meeting monthly during the academic year, the council provides a mechanism for interaction among graduate students, graduate faculty members, and the administration of the Graduate College. Meetings are open to any interested members of the graduate faculty, staff, or student body.

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.

Some of the work of the Graduate Council is carried out by two 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 for membership are made by each college dean.

A.1.5 Departmental and Program Graduate Committees

Many of the programs offering graduate degrees have standing committees that deal with policy matters related to graduate education, e.g., curriculum, departmental requirements, evaluation procedures, professional standards, and the placement of graduates. A combination of faculty and student members is encouraged so that student input is available to the graduate committee along with faculty experience and expertise. Subcommittees of a departmental graduate committee may also hear student grievances according to procedures outlined in Chapter 9.

A.2 Graduate College Committees

A.2.1 Graduate Associate Faculty Membership Committee

Non-tenure track faculty members may be nominated to associate graduate faculty membership by the department chair or by other members of the graduate faculty (see Appendix G). The Graduate Faculty Membership Committee (GFMC), composed of members of the Graduate Council, and the Graduate College administration review nominations for associate memberships of two to five years. 

A.2.2 Graduate Curriculum and Catalog Committee

Members of this committee represent each of the eight academic colleges at ISU. A chair is appointed to preside at meetings and serve on the Faculty Senate Curriculum Committee (FSCC). There may be more than one committee member from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in order to represent the wide diversity among the curricula of that college. Each college dean suggests several graduate faculty members as candidates from whom the Dean of the Graduate College appoints committee members and a chair each year. The Dean of the Graduate College (or their designee) also serves as an ex-officio member of the committee. The committee reviews all material dealing with Graduate College curricula: the ISU Catalog; experimental courses; and proposed new majors, minors, areas of specialization, degree programs, and interdepartmental programs. It reports its recommendations to the Dean of the Graduate College and the Graduate Council. The committee also participates in the post-audit review of graduate programs or majors five years after their approval by the State Board of Regents.