Graduate Faculty Review and Approval Process

Question

What is the Graduate Faculty Review and Approval Process?

Answer

USD Graduate Programs and Department Chairs Only

Graduate Faculty Status Procedure

Graduate Faculty Approval Form

1. The Department/Division Chair reviews a faculty member’s academic credentials based on a current Curriculum Vitae (C.V.) that includes USD position and prepares the Graduate Faculty Approval Form (the form). Current faculty member’s transcripts and other related records are on file as a condition of employment and are not required for graduate faculty approval.
2. The Department/Division Chair completes the form (with signature) and indicates if the faculty applicant (Tenure/Tenure Track, term-Based, full-time or part-time [Affiliates]) is Academically Qualified or Professionally Qualified/Tested Experience and provides supporting documentation as evidence for graduate faculty status.
   1. For Academically Qualified faculty, a terminal degree, (indicated in the SDBOR’s terminal degree table) must have been conferred before classes are taught by the faculty.
   2. For Professionally Qualified/Tested Experience faculty, information regarding the professional/technical experience and competency in the discipline related to the teaching assignment, must be demonstrated in the C.V. In addition, justification must be provided by the Department/Division Chair in the remarks section of the form. Additional information that indicate breadth and depth of real-world experiences equivalent to the degree it would otherwise require must be provided. The real-world experience is experience outside the University environment or classroom. The Department/Division Chair must also address the relevance of the prospective graduate faculty member’s “…skill sets, types of certifications, or additional credentials and experiences that would meet the tested experience requirements…” relevant to the content of the courses and degree level to which the faculty member will be assigned to teach. These tested experience requirements are approved by the faculty governance process at the department/division or college level. The Chair also indicates on the form if the faculty member is a tenure/tenure-track, term based, full-time or part-time, or affiliate.
   3. Additionally, information such as highest degree earned, date of degree, academic rank, and date of initial hire must be provided in the form.
   4. It is mandatory to attach a current C.V. (clearly indicating the credentials, experiences, skills, and USD position) for all graduate faculty seeking graduate faculty status. Additionally, a copy of a syllabus or course description of the graduate courses being taught (or a similar course taught previously if applicable) by the faculty seeking approval based on Professionally Qualified/Tested Experience is mandatory.
3. The form filled with all the details and containing current C.V., syllabus or course description for PQ/TE graduate faculty and other information as indicated above is then reviewed by the College or School Dean and, if signed and approved, forwarded to the Graduate School for review.
4. Graduate School forwards the form and supporting documents to a standing committee (Faculty Credential Review) of the Graduate Council.
5. The Faculty Credential Review Committee reviews the form and supporting documents and submits its recommendation to:
   1. The Graduate Council for i.) tenure/tenure track, full-time faculty, ii.) Academically Qualified, term-based, full-time and part-time faculty, and iii.) Professionally Qualified, term- based, full-time and part-time faculty. Note – visiting/exchange faculty are included in either ii or iii. The Graduate Council then votes on the recommendations.
   2. The Dean of Graduate School (Graduate Dean) for i.) Academically Qualified, affiliate faculty and ii.) Professionally Qualified/Tested Experience affiliate faculty.
6. The Graduate Dean acts as per the recommendation of the Graduate Council and/or the Faculty Credential Review committee.
7. Graduate School staff forwards recommendations regarding Graduate Faculty status for i.) tenure/tenure track, full-time faculty, ii.) Academically Qualified, term-based, full-time and part- time faculty, and iii.) Professionally Qualified, term-based, full-time and part-time faculty to the President, USD. The President then approves graduate faculty status and notifies the faculty, Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs, Vice-President for Human Resources, College or School Dean, Chair of the Division or Department, and the Graduate Dean.
8. For Academically and Professionally Qualified/Tested Experience, affiliate graduate faculty status, a letter is sent by the Graduate Dean to the faculty, Chair of the Division or Department, and College or School Dean.
9. The Graduate School staff maintains all graduate faculty status records.
10. Length of Approval:
    1. Tenure/tenure-track, or term based full/part-time faculty have ongoing graduate faculty status for the length of their contract at USD. If a faculty member leaves USD while serving on a student committee, they may continue serving on that student committee and their graduate faculty status would end when their committee service is over unless otherwise requested by the department to not continue their status. If a faculty member leaves USD, but is immediately hired as an affiliate faculty member, their status will change to the affiliate category and will then need to be renewed after 5 years if they continue to teach in that affiliate capacity for USD. Emeritus faculty retain their graduate faculty status after leaving USD.
    2. Affiliate graduate faculty need to be renewed for graduate faculty status at least every 5 years.