[Moderate revision–posted 10/15/21 (replaces 5/6/16 edition)]
[PDF Version]
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
OP Categories
01 Chancellor
02 Development
04 Audit Services
10 President
30 Academic and Student Affairs – General
32 Academic Policies – Faculty
34 Academic Policies – Students
36 Academic Programs
40 Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action
48 Communication Services
52 Information Technology
60 Environmental Health and Safety
61 Facilities Management
62 Financial and Accounting
63 General Services
64 Graduate Programs (Faculty and Students)
65 Research Accounting
66 Libraries
67 Mail Services
68 Communications and Marketing
69 Payroll and Tax Services
70 Human Resources
72 Purchasing, Contracting, and Payables
74 Research
76 Security
77 Student Services and Registrar
78 Traffic and Parking
79 Travel
80 Vehicles
Operating Policies & Procedures
-
Address
Texas Tech Downtown Center Room 218 -
Email
officialpublications@ttu.edu