EIU Graduate School

Adjunct Graduate Faculty Membership Policy

• Click here for Adjunct Graduate Faculty Nomination Form.

Designation:  Adjunct Graduate Faculty Members may teach or serve on a graduate candidate's committee when expertise is required and not currently available from among the existing Graduate Faculty.

 Appointment:  To be eligible for nomination, an individual must meet the following Employment, Expertise, and Degree Criteria:

1. Employment:  May not hold current employment at Eastern Illinois University as full-time faculty, staff or administrator;
2. Expertise: Hold regionally recognized expertise and/or research/creative activity in the field of his/her proposed assignment in direct relationship to the specific course or courses to be taught or candidate committee to be served;
3. Terminal Degree:  Hold a terminal degree in the field of his/her proposed assignment (as defined by the Graduate Faculty Guidelines).

Eligibility Exceptions:  In lieu of the Terminal Degree Criteria, tested experience exceptions may apply. The use of tested experience should be coupled with advanced experience in the profession, specialized licensure, clinical training, and/or considerable post-graduate work beyond the master’s degree to the greatest extent possible. Any exceptions to the tested experience exception must have approval of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.  

 Administrative Appointments:  Not applicable to Adjunct Membership

 Staff Appointments:  Not applicable to Adjunct Membership

 Nomination:  The Department Graduate Committee or Coordinator and Department Chair nominate faculty who meet the eligibility requirements for Associate Graduate Faculty Membership to the College Dean and the Dean of the Graduate School.  At the time of nomination, the Department must document that expertise required for the course, courses, or committee is not available from among the existing members of the Graduate Faculty during the specified term or year; therefore an Adjunct Member is needed.  Adjunct Faculty will not be approved when qualified Graduate Faculty Members are available.

 Appointment:  The Dean of the Graduate School is responsible for appointment of the Adjunct Graduate Faculty.

 Length of Appointment:  Adjunct Graduate Faculty Members may be nominated to serve a one, two, or three-year term(s) depending on the needs of the program.

 Reappointment:  Adjunct Graduate Faculty members may be reappointed at the conclusion of the appointment period.  Reappointment parallels the process used for initial appointment.

 Denial of Reappointment:  Reappointment will be denied when the Expertise Criteria are not met.  Denial may include evidence that the Adjunct Member is unable to provide the level of expertise required to assure program or committee quality.

 Duties & Limitations:  Adjunct Graduate Faculty Members are appointed to teach a specific graduate level course or courses or to serve on a graduate candidate's thesis, examination, or advisory committee for a specific term or year.  Adjunct Graduate Faculty may not serve as the candidate's primary advisor, as a committee chair, as a member of the Council on Graduate Studies, or vote or deliberate in matters related to the Council.