Regular Membership
- Regular members may chair students’ committees or direct master’s and doctoral research, theses, and dissertations.
- Regular members generally hold appointments in tenure-track positions.
- Regular members must hold either a terminal degree or have demonstrated equivalent scholarly or creative achievement as defined by their school or college.The definition of equivalent credentials must include, as a minimum, the attainment of the rank of associate professor.
- Regular members must present evidence of continuing scholarly research or creative activity.
Schools and colleges set and publish their particular quantitative and qualitative criteria regarding scholarly activity. These criteria are to be applied for the appointment to, as well as continuation of, graduate faculty membership. These initial criteria and any subsequent amendments or changes are subject to approval of the University Graduate Council.
Associate Membership
Associate members may perform the same function as regular members with the exception of chairing students’ committees or directing master’s theses and doctoral dissertations (or equivalent). It is the prerogative of the schools and colleges to establish and publish their own criteria for associate membership. These initial criteria and any subsequent amendments or changes are subject to approval of the University Graduate Council.
Exceptions
The following individuals also must meet the same criteria (regular or associate) for review, approval, and continuation as do tenure-track graduate faculty.
- Visiting professors may be appointed as members of the graduate faculty for the term of their appointments but cannot chair committees.
- Faculty holding non tenure-track appointments may be considered for graduate faculty membership.
- Emeritus faculty members may remain on the graduate faculty, subject to school or college review.
- Off-campus professionals willing to participate in graduate education may be acceptable as graduate faculty but may not chair student committees (exceptions maybe approved by the associate provost of graduate academic affairs).
- Individuals holding faculty appointments in institutions participating in cooperative doctoral programs may be considered graduate faculty, subject to school or college review.
Degree Candidates
Normally, no candidate for a degree at WVU may be a regular or associate member of the graduate faculty. Individuals seeking exceptions to this policy must submit a petition to the director of graduate education.
Evaluation of Graduate Faculty
Individuals interested in appointment to the graduate faculty must request their evaluation for initial membership. Associate members interested in reclassification as regular members also must request evaluation. Faculty seeking graduate faculty status must first be evaluated by the school or college in which they hold their primary faculty appointment. If a faculty member holds a secondary appointment in another school or college or wishes to have graduate faculty status in a second school or college, this is permissible; however, faculty may not be designated a regular graduate faculty member in any school or college if such a status is not held in the primary school or college.
Time Schedule
Schools and colleges should establish an appropriate time schedule for evaluating faculty for initial appointment to the graduate faculty and for upgrading graduate faculty status. All graduate faculty are reviewed annually. The annual review is intended to assist graduate faculty members in gauging their continued progress in scholarship, research, or creative activity. The review process for graduate faculty membership should coincide with the annual review process of all faculty. Schools and colleges determine the appropriate mechanisms by which faculty are reviewed (e.g., School or College Graduate Council, Promotion and Tenure Committee, etc.). The results are placed in the individual’s personnel file.
Continuance
Once every three years, the graduate faculty review of individuals must be accompanied bya decision to continue or discontinue their current level of membership. A faculty member whose graduate faculty membership is discontinued or changed from regular to associate status will be permitted to complete current responsibilities but may only assume additional responsibilities which are consistent with the new status.
Appeals
Appeals regarding graduate faculty membership classification shall be handled through grievance procedures identified in West Virginia University Board of Governors Policy 2. Exception to any of the above must be approved by the University Graduate Council.
Faculty Pursuing Advanced Degrees
No faculty member holding a tenured or tenure-track position at the rank of assistant professor or above in a program unit may be admitted to a graduate degree program offered through that unit. Only those individuals in other ranks or in non tenure-track positions can simultaneously pursue a degree in their own unit. Faculty holding professorial rank may be admitted to a graduate degree program in another program unit.