Graduate Faculty

Graduate Faculty Membership Policy

Serving as a member of the graduate faculty is an additional valuable contribution to Utah State University that integrates the core faculty responsibilities of research, teaching, service, and/or extension. To formally supervise or mentor graduate students is a privilege that requires a robust commitment to the ethical and compassionate treatment of students in accordance with student rights and the policies of USU and the School of Graduate Studies. Good standing as a member of the USU Graduate Faculty is required to serve as a major professor, direct supervisor of a graduate assistant, chair or co-chair of a student supervisory committee, chair or co-chair of a thesis or master’s project committee, and chair or co-chair of a dissertation committee.

Criteria

Faculty must be members of the graduate faculty in good standing to serve in any of the following roles:  

  • Major professor
  • Direct supervisor of a graduate research assistant or graduate teaching assistant
  • Chair, co-chair, or member of a student supervisory committee
  • Chair, co-chair, or member of a thesis or master’s project committee
  • Chair, co-chair, or member of a dissertation committee

To be a member in good standing of the graduate faculty, the following criteria must be met:  

  1. The dean of the faculty member’s college must include the faculty member on the list of intended graduate faculty members.  As a default standard, it is expected that any tenure-line faculty member with research designated as their area of excellence and teaching as an area of effectiveness will be included on this list from the beginning of their employment in this role with Utah State University.

  2. The faculty member must have no substantiated complaints or grievances against them for violation of policies related to the appropriate or ethical treatment of students. This includes complaints filed with the Office of Equity/Title IX, the Office of Human Resources, the School of Graduate Studies, or any college or department of Utah State University. Depending on the nature of a pending complaint or grievance, the School of Graduate Studies may deem a faculty member to not be in good standing prior to the completion of an investigation; this decision will be made in discussion with the dean of the appropriate college and/or provost. If (1) a pending complaint or grievance is resolved in favor of the faculty member and (2) the dean of the relevant college includes the faculty member on the list of intended graduate faculty members, the faculty member will immediately be placed in good standing.

  3. The faculty member must not have received a sanction or reprimand for the violation of policies related to the appropriate or ethical treatment of students within the previous 3 years. If a formal sanction changes this default time period, the terms of the sanction will supersede the 3-year duration.

Submitting Graduate Faculty to the School of Graduate Studies

  • Departments will indicate who they want to have as Graduate Faculty.
  • The faculty names go to the Dean for approval, then over to the Vice Provost for Graduate Studies for approval.
  • This is done by submitting a spreadsheet of the faculty names directly to the Vice Provost, Graduate Registrar, Assistant Graduate Registrar, and Registrar Assistant.
  • For committee members from outside the university, the Department Head will need to send the potential committee member’s CV to the Vice Provost for approval.
  • Departments should do this at least once per year.
  • Departments may submit new graduate faculty throughout the year.

Changes to Graduate Faculty Status

  • Should the university or the School of Graduate Studies find that the commitment to uphold USU and SGS policies or rights of students is not met, the Vice Provost for Graduate Studies may determine that a faculty member is no longer in good standing and revoke their status as a member of the graduate faculty (see Policies 1000C.4.4[8] and 1000C4.4[12]).
  • If a faculty member loses eligibility to serve on the graduate faculty for any reason or duration related to the mistreatment of graduate students, they cannot return to good standing without a written plan to monitor and ensure appropriate and ethical treatment of students under their supervision that is approved by their department head, the dean of their college, and the vice provost for graduate studies. This plan must remain on file with the School of Graduate Studies. Violation of the terms of this plan may revoke the good standing of the faculty member.
  • If a faculty member disagrees with the School of Graduate Studies’ determination of standing, the faculty member may appeal to the Utah State University provost with the concurrence of their college dean. The School of Graduate Studies and the disagreeing party will each have an opportunity to present relevant information and evidence to the provost, and the provost will render a final decision.
    • Note: Concurrence of the dean is required, because appointment to the graduate faculty requires a dean’s approval on an annual basis. Appeal without a dean being willing to add the faculty member to the list of graduate faculty from their college would not produce a different outcome than the original SGS decision.

Definitions

  • Pending complaints or grievances entail any credible allegation of a relevant policy violation, whether or not a formal grievance is filed. This includes complaints brought directly to the School of Graduate Studies by students related to improper conduct, which are considered of sufficient severity to prompt fact-finding efforts.
  • Substantiated complaints or grievances entail any finding by the School of Graduate Studies, the Civil Rights & Title IX Office, or a formal grievance process that policies related to the appropriate or ethical treatment of students have been violated by a faculty member.
  • Sanctions and reprimands are formal consequences of policy violations attained through mechanisms established under USU Policy 4002, including both formal grievances and consequences for policy violations imposed by department heads, deans, the provost, or the president of Utah State University.

Policies on this page can be referenced in the School of Graduate Studies Catalog.