CHARTER OF THE GRADUATE FACULTY OF
THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-SUPERIOR

Preambule 

The Graduate Faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Superior, in order to enhance high quality learning at the graduate and post graduate levels, so as to provide an opportunity whereby individual graduate faculty and students shall participate in determining the conduct and direction of graduate education in the university, encourage research in all academic areas, provide leadership in education for the region which the university serves, and to be of general service to the State of Wisconsin, do hereby adopt this Charter.

Article 1

Composition and Function

Section 1. The official name of the body shall be The Graduate Faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Superior.

Section 2. This charter shall become effective and replace the previous charter of the Graduate Faculty upon adoption by a two-third majority of the Full Graduate Faculty Members voting, the University of Wisconsin-Superior Faculty Senate, and by approval of the Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Superior.

Section 3. The Graduate Faculty is the community of scholars responsible for creating the academic climate for graduate education by teaching graduate courses, stimulating and conducting research, and advising graduate students. The chairperson of each department shall, upon the recommendation of the graduate faculty in that department, forward names of Graduate Faculty candidates with current and appropriate credential documentation to Dean of Faculties. The Dean of Faculties shall present candidates to the Graduate Council for approval. Non-approved candidates by the Graduate Council shall be referred back to the recommending department for reconsideration and reapplication for full or limited membership. Possession of the earned doctorate or terminal degree does not automatically constitute either a full or limited graduate faculty appointment. The Dean of Faculties shall notify the candidate in writing of the Graduate Council's action within ten days. Membership on the Graduate Faculty is of two types, full and limited.

(a) Full membership: Full Graduate Faculty Members shall:

(1) possess the earned doctorate or terminal degree in their academic discipline;

(2) have full-time University of Wisconsin-Superior faculty appointments;

(3) be authorized to teach graduate classes, advise graduate students, direct and guide graduate research and theses;

(4) be authorized to conduct oral and written comprehensive graduate examinations;

(5) be eligible to serve as a member of the Graduate council;

(6) be eligible to serve as an officer of the Graduate Faculty; and

(7) need to be approved only once during a period of continuous appointment.

(b) Limited membership: Limited Graduate Faculty Members shall:

(1) generally possess the earned doctorate or terminal degree in their academic discipline, or a level of experience appropriate for teaching graduate students as recommended by each individual graduate program;

(2) have full-time or part-time faculty appointments, adjunct or ad hoc faculty appointments, or full- or part-time academic staff appointments;

(3) be authorized to teach graduate courses;

(4) on special occasion participate in the conducting of comprehensive oral and written graduate examinations;

(5) not be eligible to serve as a member of the Graduate Council;

(6) not be eligible to serve as an officer of the Graduate Faculty; and

(7) be approved annually by the Graduate Council.

Section 4. The Graduate Council shall be the policy making body for the Graduate Faculty and Graduate Programs, acting within the limits of the graduate faculty charter, policies of the State of Wisconsin and the Board of Regents of The University of Wisconsin System.

Section 5. The Graduate Council shall serve as a council of the University of Wisconsin-Superior Faculty Senate. All powers necessary to implement this charter and those necessary for controlling operation of graduate education and programs shall be reserved to the Graduate Faculty.

Article II

Officers and Duties of the Graduate Faculty

Section 1. The officers of the Graduate Faculty shall be a Chairperson of the Graduate Council and a Secretary of the Graduate Faculty.

(a) The Chairperson of the Graduate Council shall:

(1) be appointed by the University of Wisconsin-Superior Faculty Senate Executive Committee from among Senators who are Full Graduate Faculty Members within graduate programs comprising the Graduate Council to a one year term;

(2) convene and chair all Graduate Council meetings;

(3) convene and chair all Graduate Faculty meetings; and

(4) perform those responsibilities and duties normally associated with the office.

(b) The Secretary of the Graduate Faculty shall:

(1) be elected to a biennial term by a majority of the Graduate Faculty present at its annual meeting;

(2) be responsible for sending a copy of the agenda and other pertinent materials to members of the Graduate Council five days prior to a meeting of the Council;

(3) be responsible for sending a copy of the agenda and other pertinent materials to the Dean of Faculties fifteen days prior to a meeting of the Graduate Faculty for dissemination to the maintained list of all Graduate Faculty members five days prior to a meeting of the Graduate Faculty; and

(4) perform those responsibilities and duties normally associated with the office.

Section 2. The Graduate Faculty shall adopt its own rules of order except that it may not depart from conventional procedures.

Section 3. The Graduate Faculty shall hold at least one meeting each academic year. Additional meetings may be called if needed. Meetings of the Graduate Faculty will be called by Chairperson of the Graduate Council. Upon absolute majority vote of the Graduate Council or upon presentation to the Graduate Council a petition bearing the signatures of at least one fifth of the Full Graduate Faculty Members, the Graduate Council shall request that the Chairperson of the Graduate Council call a meeting of the Graduate Faculty within fourteen days following such a Graduate Council vote or the receipt of such petition.

Section 4. Meetings of the Graduate Faculty shall be open to any interested person. At these meetings the Dean of Faculties shall report on the activities of graduate education at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. An agenda for meetings of the Graduate Faculty shall be distributed to the Graduate Faculty and graduate students by Dean of Faculties via normally accepted means of notice five days in advance of any meeting.

Section 5. In order to vote on any question at a Graduate Faculty meeting, a full member of the Graduate Faculty must be present at the meeting at the time of the vote. Only Full Graduate Faculty Members shall be eligible to vote. No member shall vote by proxy. A quorum of the Graduate Faculty at a graduate faculty meeting shall be twenty-five percent of the total Full Graduate Faculty Members as indicated by the last roll of members maintained by the Dean of Faculties.

Article III

Structure and Standing Committees

Section 1. The University of Wisconsin-Superior academic departments shall formulate requirements for graduate degrees within the framework of the Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin-Superior Faculty Senate, University of Wisconsin System and policies of the Board of Regents.

Section 2. Within the framework of policies established by the Graduate Faculty each graduate program shall be responsible for recommending graduate candidates for degrees, completion of course and writing requirements, as well as administration of final comprehensive written and oral examinations.

Section 3. Each department or designated graduate program shall be responsible for continual evaluation, adjustment, and improvements of existing graduate programs and the development of new graduate programs. Department chairpersons or designated graduate program representatives shall make recommendations regarding the graduate program to Dean of Faculties for final action by the Graduate Council, the University of Wisconsin-Superior Faculty Senate Executive Committee, the Chancellor of the University and the Board of Regents.

Section 4. The Graduate Council shall have a standing petition committee to act on all student petitions and problems related to admission, retention, suspension, and granting of degrees. The petition committee shall elect is own chair, convene meetings independent of the Graduate Council so as to be held on a monthly basis during the academic year. The Full Graduate Member Representatives of the Graduate Council shall be assigned by the Secretary of the Graduate Faculty to a semester long appointment to the petitions committee.

Article IV

Composition of the Graduate Council

Section 1. The Graduate Council shall consist of one Full Graduate Faculty Member Representative selected from the graduate degree programs of: (a) Communicating Arts; (b) Educational Administration; (c) Counselor Education; (d) Instruction; (e) Reading; (f) School Psychology; (g) Special Education; and (h) Visual Arts. The Chairperson of the Graduate Faculty, Secretary of the Graduate Faculty, and Dean of Faculties shall also serve as voting members of the Graduate Council. The Chairperson of the Faculty Senate shall be an ex officio member of the Graduate Council.

Section 2. The Chairperson of the Graduate Council shall be appointed by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee from among the Full Graduate Faculty Membership who are also Faculty Senators within the graduate degree programs comprising the Graduate Council.

Section 3. A quorum of the Graduate Council shall be a majority of the Full Graduate Faculty Member Representatives. In order to vote on any question, a member of the Graduate Council must be present at the meeting at the time of the vote.

Section 4. Upon the entitlement of a new graduate degree program to the University of Wisconsin-Superior, a Full Graduate Faculty Member Representative from that program area shall be selected to membership on the Graduate Council.

Section 5. Full Graduate Member Representatives on the Graduate Council shall be selected by each graduate department or designated graduate program no later than the end of the spring semester to serve from August 1 to July 31 of the following year.

Section 6. The Graduate Council shall follow Roberts Rules of Order, latest edition.

Article V

Functions of the Graduate Council

Section 1. The Graduate Council shall be the legislative body recognized by the University of Wisconsin-Superior for graduate program policy in all matters related to graduate education including, but not limited to, new program authorization, program planning and review, program operation and resource allocation.

Section 2. The University of Wisconsin-Superior Faculty Senate shall be the body recognized by the Graduate Faculty in matters related to faculty governance aside from graduate program policy matters as set forth in Article V, Sec. 1.

Section 3. The Graduate Council shall be the policy making body for graduate education and act on behalf of the Graduate Faculty in the operation of graduate programs. The Graduate Council shall be responsible to the Graduate Faculty.

Section 4. The Graduate Council shall continuously review all aspects of graduate education and may do so through committees composed of Graduate Council Members or Graduate Faculty Members as appointed by the Chairperson of the Graduate Council and approved by the Graduate Council.

Section 5. The Graduate Council shall consider and approve for a semester basis any person who is not a full or limited member of the Graduate Faculty to teach a specific course open to graduate student enrollment.

Section 6. Proposals for new graduate workshops, institutes, courses or any academic activity awarding graduate credit shall be presented to the Graduate Council for consideration and approval a minimum of thirty days prior to the offering.

Section 7. The Graduate Council shall distribute its meeting agenda through normally accepted means of public dissemination.

Section 8. The Graduate Council shall hold regular biweekly meetings throughout the academic year and as needed during the summer session. Additional meetings of the Graduate Council may be called by the Chairperson of the Graduate Council. All meetings shall be open except when a matter under consideration subject to state or federal law must be closed.

Article VI

Duties of the Dean of Faculties

Section 1. The Dean of Faculties shall be the principal administrator of the Graduate Program. The Dean administers graduate policies, standards and procedures approved by the Graduate Council. The Dean of Faculties shall act on behalf of the university in the administration of the Graduate Program and in the voting membership on the Graduate Council.

Section 2. In cooperation with graduate education departments and designated programs, Dean of Faculties shall administer procedures for the effective operation of the graduate program.

Section 3. The Dean of Faculties shall serve as admissions officer for the graduate program subsequent to an applicant's admission determination made by each program area designated graduate program representative.

Section 4. The Dean of Faculties, upon the recommendation of each program area designated graduate program representative, shall be responsible for making final verification on admission, candidacy, completion of degree requirements and any other aspects of a graduate student's degree program prior to the awarding of a degree.

Section 5. The Dean of Faculties shall prepare the graduate catalog and all other publications related to general administration of the graduate programs.

Section 6. In cooperation with graduate education departments and designated Dean of Faculties shall provide administrative leadership and advocacy for:

(a) entitlement to plan new graduate programs;

(b) support, development and operation of new graduate programs; and

(c) successful pursuit and attainment of external accreditation.

Section 7. In cooperation with graduate education departments and designated Dean of Faculties shall provide administrative leadership and advocacy for the promotion and marketing of the university's graduate program.

Article VII

Amendments

Section 1. Amendments to this charter may be initiated by:

(a) a two-third vote of the Graduate Council; or

(b) petition of one-third of the Full Graduate Faculty Members as determined by the last roll of members maintained by the Dean of Faculties.

Section 2. Having been initiated in either manner, the Secretary of the Graduate Faculty shall distribute the proposed amendment to the Graduate Faculty seven days prior to a meeting of the Graduate Faculty. Following the Graduate Faculty meeting and discussion of the proposed amendment, a mail ballot shall be conducted among the Full Graduate Faculty Members no later than seven days. Approval of two thirds of the Full Graduate Faculty members voting, the University of Wisconsin-Superior Faculty Senate Executive Committee and by the Chancellor of the University of required for adoption.

Article VIII

By-Laws

Section 1. By-laws to this charter shall become effective when they have been approved by two-thirds of the Full Graduate Faculty Members voting, the Faculty Senate Executive Committee and by the Chancellor of the University.

Section 2. Membership and organization of the Graduate Council existing prior to the adoption of this charter shall remain in full existence and effect until a new charter has been adopted by the Graduate Faculty.

As adopted by the University of Wisconsin-Superior Graduate Council on this

 
1^st Day of May, 2001.

Communicating Arts ____________________________________________

William H. Stock

Educational Administration ___________________________________________

P.J. Powers

Counselor Education _____________________________________________

Clyde W. Ekbom

Instruction _____________________________________________

Richard Walker

Reading _____________________________________________

Cecilia E. Schrenker

School Psychology _____________________________________________

Suzanne C. Griffith

Special Education _____________________________________________

Gail Peterson Craig

Visual Arts ___________________________________________

Mel E. Olsen

 
Approved and ratified by the University of Wisconsin-Superior Graduate Faculty on this

 __1st___ Day of _________May____________, 2001.

Secretary ________________________________

Gail Peterson Craig

Approved and ratified by the University of Wisconsin-Superior Faculty Senate on this

 __1st__ Day of _______May_____________, 2001.

Chair ________________________________

David F. Beran

With effect by the University of Wisconsin-Superior Administration on this

 __1st__ Day of _______May_____________, 2001.

Chancellor ________________________________

Julius E. Erlenbach