F. GRADUATE FACULTY STATUS

1. There is an over-arching Graduate College for the entire University of Nebraska system, which is administered form Varner Hall. It encompasses graduate studies and research and creative activity on every campus and in every academic unit of the university and adjudicates graduate issues of system-wide significance. Within the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, in parallel with the University Graduate College, the UNL Office of Graduate Studies presides over all UNL graduate activities; it is overseen by UNL's Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Graduate Education.  The system-wide Graduate College has an Executive Graduate Council. The Graduate Council of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln The UNL Graduate Council serves as an advisory body to the UNL Dean of Graduate Education and, as the administrative body for Graduate Studies, is subject to the authority of the UNL Graduate Faculty. It acts as the agent of the graduate faculty on the Lincoln campuses and governs the graduate components of the various academic units of those campuses. The various graduate programs of the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts are subject to the regulations of the UNL Office of Graduate Studies as articulated by the Dean of Graduate Education and the UNL Graduate Council. Graduate degrees are system-wide degrees and their diplomas state that the degree is granted by NU, not UNL.
2. Every current and future tenure-line faculty member is automatically granted Graduate Faculty status if they possess a terminal degree and hold a primary appointment in a department that houses a graduate major. No application or review process of any kind is required. In the case of tenured or tenure-leading future hires, it is assumed that the department faculty are making a conscious decision to grant Graduate Faculty status simultaneous with the hiring decision. Such faculty members who are hired “ABD” will not be granted Graduate Faculty status until the terminal degree has been awarded. When the terminal degree has been completed, the faculty member is automatically granted Graduate Faculty status without an application or review process.
3. Non-tenure-line faculty (holding a full- or part-time appointment that does not hold the potential for tenure), including Professors of Practice and Research Professors at all ranks, must apply for Graduate Faculty status.
   1. Required criteria for appointment as Graduate Faculty include:
      1. Hold the rank of Senior Lecturer, Assistant Professor, or above;
      2. Hold the terminal degree in the discipline or its clear equivalent;
      3. Be actively involved in graduate teaching as part of regularly assigned duties;
      4. Have demonstrated clear evidence of continuing scholarly/creative activity at the national level, and potential in the discipline beyond teaching.
   2. The process for applying to become a Graduate Faculty member is as follows:
      1. Submit CV and appropriate documentation (requirements available from the GKSOM Graduate Secretary) to the Chair of the Graduate Committee;
      2. All Graduate Faculty vote on the application; the support of a two-thirds majority is required in order for the nomination to move forward. If the vote is positive, the Chair of the Graduate Committee forwards the file, with a letter of support, to Dean of the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts.
      3. The Dean will review the nomination and if approved, it will be forwarded to UNL Graduate Studies.
      4. The UNL Dean of Graduate Studies will review the nomination, and if approved, it will be forwarded to the Dean of the NU Graduate College.
      5. The Dean of the NU Graduate College will review the nomination, and if approved, will formally appoint the faculty member to Graduate Faculty status.
4. The primary role played by graduate faculty is on supervisory committees for masters and doctoral students. Masters degree committees are now composed of at least three Graduate Faculty; doctoral committees are now composed of at least four Graduate Faculty.

The GKSOM expects that all of its faculty members who teach, coach, mentor, or advise graduate students have Graduate Faculty status.