Graduate Faculty Status Guidelines

Guidelines for Appointment of Graduate Faculty Status

College of Health Sciences and Professions

This policy goes into effect April 30th, 2023.

The College of Health Sciences and Professions (CHSP) Graduate Faculty Status (GFS) guidelines provide specific information about Graduate Faculty eligibility, responsibilities, and nomination procedures. According to the OHIO Faculty Handbook, “Graduate Faculty Rank is a role that a faculty member may hold in graduate education. It is a designation separate from faculty status as defined in the Faculty Handbook. Colleges, departments, schools, or programs determine appropriate criteria necessary to classify individuals who have faculty rank at Ohio University as having Graduate Faculty Rank” (p. 23).

In accordance with the Faculty Handbook, individuals who have faculty rank at CHSP may serve as Graduate Faculty Rank at each of the following levels:

Full Graduate Faculty: Persons designated as Full Graduate Faculty have faculty rank at Ohio University and are granted this classification based on college, department, school, or program criteria consistent with academic unit guidelines. Full Graduate Faculty may serve faculty roles in both masters-level and doctoral-level programs according to program specifications.

Associate Graduate Faculty: Persons designated as Associate Graduate Faculty have faculty rank at Ohio University and are granted this classification based on college, department, school, or program criteria consistent with academic unit guidelines. Associate Graduate Faculty may serve faculty roles in master-level programs, and doctoral programs on a limited basis, according to program specifications.

Affiliate Graduate Faculty: Colleges, departments, schools, or programs may also appoint persons to serve as Affiliate Graduate Faculty. Affiliate Graduate faculty are persons without faculty rank at Ohio University or Ohio University faculty without a graduate faculty designation. For examples, a college, department, school, or program may designate Affiliate Graduate Faculty rank to (a) faculty who hold faculty rank or status at another University or (b) subject matter experts with appropriate qualifications who are outside the program. Colleges, departments, schools, or programs should determine the appropriate criteria necessary to appoint persons as Affiliate Graduate faculty. Colleges, departments, schools, or programs should determine the roles and responsibilities appropriate for Affiliate Graduate faculty in their graduate programs.

MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES

1) Full Membership

1. Qualifications:
   1. Completed doctorate or appropriate terminal degree in area of specialization.
   2. Hold a regular continuing faculty appointment at Ohio University within the College of Health Sciences and Professions.
   3. Be actively engaged in both graduate education and research and continuing scholarly, activity depending on each faculty member's designated workload responsibilities.
   4. Present an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced their field.
2. Duties and privileges of full membership:
   1. Propose, design, and teach graduate-level courses.
   2. Direct and mentor students in dissertation research.
   3. Serve on or chair doctoral advisory committees, and comprehensive examination committees, and supervise graduate projects or internships.

2) Associate Membership:

1. Qualifications:
   1. Hold a master's or doctoral degree, or equivalent terminal degree.
   2. Hold a regular continuing faculty appointment at Ohio University within the College of Health Sciences and Professions.
   3. Demonstrated responsibility in both graduate education and research or scholarly activity, depending on each faculty member's designated workload responsibilities.
2. Duties and privileges of associate membership:
   1. Propose, design, and teach graduate courses.
   2. Advise graduate students as assigned.
   3. May serve on doctoral advisory committees, dissertation committees, and comprehensive examination committees, and supervise graduate projects or internships.

3) Affiliate Membership:

1. Qualifications:
   1. Possess an advanced degree or earned distinction.
   2. Does not hold a regular continuing faculty appointment at Ohio University. (Affiliate membership may be held by visiting and part-time faculty, part-time clinical or visiting appointees, and fellows.)
   3. Affiliate membership is for those professionals who would make a significant contribution to graduate education, research, and service.
2. Duties and privileges of full membership:
   1. May contribute to teaching graduate-level courses.
   2. May serve on, but may not chair independent research projects, doctoral advisory committees, and comprehensive examination committees.

PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES GRADUATE FACULTY STATUS COMMITTEE

On an annual basis, each school/department Chair/ Director in CHSP will make an appointment to the Graduate Faculty Status Committee, in consultation with the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs. The Associate Dean will coordinate with faculty to ensure that the Committee membership reflects a balance of both Associate and Full Graduate Faculty. Should any Committee member be under consideration for renewal during a given year, they will be recused from discussions and decisions regarding their own status.

INITIAL APPOINTMENT TO ASSOCIATE OR FULL GFS

The school/department Chair/Director determines initial (new faculty) Associate or Full GFS appointments. At the time of hire, Associate or Full Graduate Faculty Status (GFS) may be granted by the school/department Chair/Director for a period of three years. In consideration for Full Graduate Faculty Status, the school/department Chair/Director can consider a scholarship published within the previous five (5) years. Upon recommendation by the school/department Chair/Director, at the end of the initial appointment (3 years), a faculty member may be renewed at Associate or Full GFS for a period of five (5) years. For faculty who were not appointed at the point of hire, the school/department Chair/Director will make an initial appointment as described for new faculty.

REAPPOINTMENT PROCEDURES

On an annual basis, the Graduate Faculty Status Committee will meet to review appointments for faculty status for those faculty whose initial appointment has expired. Candidates for renewal will be required to submit a curriculum vitae and a request for renewal to the Graduate Committee. In consideration for reappointment of Full Graduate Faculty Status, the school/department Chair/Director can consider a scholarship published within the previous five (5) years. The members of the Graduate Committee will review the Curriculum vitae and make a recommendation to the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, who will make appointments for renewal and notify the faculty member and the school/department Chair/Director of the status of the renewal request.