Associate Graduate Faculty Membership Policy

Click here for Associate Graduate Faculty Nomination Form

Designation:  Associate Graduate Faculty Members may teach, on a temporary basis, a graduate level course or courses when, due to sabbatical or other reasons, the designated member of the Graduate Faculty is not available.  Associate Graduate Faculty Membership is available to tenure track faculty who currently lack a terminal degree, annually contracted faculty, or EIU employees who do not hold faculty rank but meet the research and degree criteria. 

Faculty Appointments:  To be eligible for nomination, an EIU employee must meet the following Rank, Research/Creative Activity, and Degree Criteria:

1. Rank:  Hold faculty rank in a tenure track or an annually contracted faculty appointment;
2. Research/Creative Activity: Exhibit continued professional research or creative activity in his/her specialization in which he/she is nominated to teach, and compliance with institutional policies on research;
3. Degree:  Hold a graduate degree appropriate to the field of specialization. A terminal degree is not required.   

Faculty Appointment Exceptions:  There are no exceptions for the Rank, Research/Creative Activity, and Degree Criteria.

Administrative Appointments:  Administrators without faculty rank who are not Graduate Faculty may be nominated for Associate Graduate Faculty Membership if they meet the Research/Creative Activity and Degree Eligibility Requirements.   

Staff Appointments:  Staff without faculty rank may be nominated for Associate Graduate Faculty Membership if they meet the Research/Creative Activity and Degree Eligibility Requirements.

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 GraduateSchool.  At the time of nomination, the Department must document that the designated member of the Graduate Faculty is not available to teach the designated course or courses during the specified term or year; therefore an Associate Member is needed.

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

Length of Appointment:  Associate Graduate Faculty Members serve a one year term.

Reappointment:  Associate Graduate Faculty members must be reappointed each year.   Reappointment parallels the process used for initial appointment. 

Denial of Reappointment:  Reappointment will be denied when the Research/Creative Activity Criteria are not met.  Denial may include evidence that the Associate Member has not continued to participate in research/creative activity appropriate to his/her specialization or has engaged in research and related professional conduct that is non-compliant with institutional policies on the conduct of research/creative activity.     

Duties & Limitations:  Associate Graduate Faculty Members are appointed to teach a specific graduate level course or courses for a specific term.  Associate Graduate Faculty may not serve on committees, serve as a primary advisor, serve as committee chair, serve on the Council on Graduate Studies, or vote or deliberate in matters related to the Council. 

Approved by the Council on Graduate Studies: February 7, 2006