Graduate Programs Committee - Academic Senate

Approved by GPC: November 30, 1995

Amended February 9, 2018 and March 15, 2018

Article I. Committee Membership and Meeting Schedules

1.1 The Graduate Programs Committee (GPC) is a major standing subcommittee of the Academic Senate.

1.2 The GPC shall consist of nine members of the faculty having graduate faculty status and up to two graduate students in good standing, who shall serve as nonvoting ex officio members. The administrator in charge of Graduate Education and Research shall serve as a nonvoting ex officio member. Faculty membership shall be determined in accordance with Article 7 of the Bylaws of the Academic Senate.

1.2.1 Nominations for graduate student membership shall be invited from the leadership of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) of Northern Michigan University.

1.3 The GPC shall establish a regularly scheduled time and place for meeting called as necessary by the Chair.

1.4 A quorum shall consist of five (5) of the voting members.

1.5 If a regular voting member is absent without an excuse for three or more meetings in any academic year, the Chair is automatically authorized to seek the immediate replacement of the member.

1.6 Approval of a motion shall require a simple majority of those members present and voting.

1.7 The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson shall have at least one year’s experience on the Committee. The term of office shall be one calendar year.  An election will be held for Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and Secretary by the end of the Winter semester.

1.8 In order to insure sufficient membership in the interim between the close of the academic year and the opening of the fall semester, the Committee may, at the discretion of the Chair, include faculty who have been appointed to the Committee for the next academic year.

Article 2. Responsibilities of Officers

2.1 The Chair shall be responsible for convening meetings and distributing agendas, appointing and overseeing subcommittees, and coordinating the activities of the GPC with those of other academic bodies on campus when and where appropriate.

2.2 The Chair shall be responsible for submitting reports to the Senate, as requested.

2.3 The Vice-Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair during his/her absence.

2.4 The Secretary shall be responsible for maintaining a record of the meetings and of unfinished business of the Committee.

2.5 Approved minutes of the GPC meetings shall be filed with the Academic Senate by the Secretary.

Article 3. Objectives and Functions of the GPC

3.1 As the policy-making body for all graduate programs, the GPC shall be responsible for the development and review of criteria for: new graduate courses and new graduate programs, granting Graduate Faculty Status, and admission and expulsion of graduate students.

3.2 The GPC shall be responsible for recommending approval and disapproval of all eligible faculty members to graduate faculty status. The Chair represents the GPC in recommending approval and disapproval of eligible faculty members.*  The responsibility for obtaining timely approval of graduate faculty status rest with the department and the individual faculty member.  *In accordance with Academic Senate minutes dated 4/21/92.

3.3 The GPC shall evaluate, and rank for the suitability of funding, Excellence in Education Research Grant awards to support Graduate Student scholarly research and creative works.

3.4 The GPC shall act in an advisory capacity to the administrator in charge of Graduate Education and Research in the administration of the graduate programs in line with the policies and criteria established by the GPC.

Article IV. Subcommittees

4.1 The Chair shall create or abolish subcommittees as necessary.

4.2 All subcommittees shall be responsible for reporting to the GPC as a whole.

Article V. Amendments

5.1  These procedures can be amended or rewritten if approved by the Committee, as long as they do not conflict with the Bylaws of the Academic Senate. All approved changes to these operating procedures will be shared with the Senate.

5.1.1  Amendments to the Operating Procedures shall require approval by two-thirds of the eligible members present and voting.