Texas Tech University

 

[Moderate revision–posted 10/15/21 (replaces 5/6/16 edition)]
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 Texas Tech University Double T

Operating Policy and Procedure

OP 64.09: Graduate Council

DATE: October 15, 2021

PURPOSE: The purpose of this Operating Policy/Procedure (OP) is to specify the charge, function, and composition of the Graduate Council.

REVIEW: This OP will be reviewed in March every five years by the Dean of the Graduate School with substantive revisions forwarded to the Provost and Senior Vice President.

POLICY/PROCEDURE

The Graduate Council, with input from and on behalf of the graduate faculty, provides leadership in approving membership on the graduate faculty, approving proposed graduate programs and curricula, approving students for doctoral candidacy, setting admissions standards, adjudicating petitions and appeals, and formulating other policies to advance the quality of graduate education at Texas Tech University.

The Graduate Council is composed of 15 voting members. The graduate faculty elects 12 members (three-year, non-renewable terms), the Graduate Dean appoints two members (two-year terms), and the Faculty Senate elects one from its graduate faculty membership (one-year, renewable term). By a system of rotation, some new members join the council each year, replacing those whose terms of office have expired. The Graduate Dean is ex officio and chairs the Council. Other ex officio members include the following: the Provost (or designee), associate deans, and representatives from the Library, the Law School, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, and others appointed by the Dean. The Graduate Student Vice President of the Student Government Association and the President of the Graduate Assembly also serve as ex officio members.

The Graduate Council meets on the first Thursday of each month during spring and fall terms (except for the month of January, when no meeting is held). The Graduate Council meets once during the summer. For purposes of conducting official business, a quorum of the Graduate Council is defined as a simple majority (at least eight persons) of the 15 elected and appointed members. Council members who must be absent may not send substitutes to represent them in a voting capacity. Interested persons may attend Graduate Council meetings as visitors and should call the Graduate School beforehand to arrange to be present. Three committees of the Graduate Council, each chaired by an associate dean or an assistant dean, make recommendations to the Council. Those committees are the Committee on Graduate Faculty, the Committee on Student Affairs, and the Committee on Academic Programs.

The following are the areas from which representatives to the Graduate Council are elected:

Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources

All departments

Architecture

All areas

Arts & Sciences

Humanities

Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures
English
History
Philosophy

Sciences and Mathematics

Biological Sciences
Chemistry and Biochemistry
Geosciences
Kinesiology and Sport Management
Mathematics and Statistics
Physics

Social Sciences

Economics
Health, Physical Education, and Recreation
Museum Science
Political Science (including Public Administration)
Psychological Sciences
Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work

Business

All areas

Education

All departments

Engineering

All departments

Human Sciences

All departments

Media & Communication

All departments

Veterinary Medicine

All areas

Visual & Performing Arts

All schools

Operating Policies & Procedures