Appendix I. Graduate Faculty Status
I. 1.0 Conditions for Graduate Faculty Status. The Graduate Faculty at the University of Rhode Island shall be tenure-track, adjunct, clinical, emeritus, lecturers, or research faculty who have: a) earned the highest degree available in their discipline; b) published or produced products that contribute to their discipline or have distinguished themselves as leading practitioners based on fundamentals of their discipline; and c) for tenured and tenure-track faculty after their initial appointment, demonstrated their effectiveness as educators and mentors of students in graduate degree programs. (Amended November 21, 2022)
I. 2.0 Requirement for Serving on Graduate Student Committees. Graduate Faculty Status shall be a requirement for a University of Rhode Island faculty member to serve on any graduate student committee. Scholars from outside the URI faculty may serve as members of student committees; however, they must first apply for Graduate Faculty Status from the Graduate School. Only tenure-track continuing faculty may serve as major professors on student committees. Scholars from outside URI may serve as co-major professors with a URI faculty.
I. 3.0 Graduate Faculty Status and Newly Hired Faculty Members. Graduate Faculty Status is automatically granted to newly hired tenure-track faculty who have achieved the highest degree in their discipline. The colleges must notify the Graduate School by submitting a Graduate Faculty Status form of nomination. Their Graduate Faculty status shall be subject to the review procedures outlined in Appendix I. 5.0. (Amended November 21, 2022)
I. 4.0 Graduate Faculty Status of Current Faculty Members. Members of the University of Rhode Island faculty who do not have Graduate Faculty Status can be nominated for that status at any time by the Dean of the college or their designee in which they have a formal appointment, if they meet the criteria specified in Appendix I. 1.0. The Dean of the college or their designee shall submit a form of nomination, together with a curriculum vitae, to the Dean of the Graduate School for review and notification to the Graduate Council. Appointment or retention of Graduate Faculty status will be approved for faculty who have met the conditions specified in Appendix I. 1.0.
I. 5.0 Periodic Review of Graduate Faculty Member Status. Periodic renewal of Graduate Faculty Status is required. Faculty requesting continuation will be subject to College review in a maximum of 4-year intervals, and will be based on their prior performance, measured by the criteria set forth in Appendix I. 1.0 above. Renewal of Graduate Faculty Status of adjunct, non-tenure track faculty, and non-URI members will be performed by the College Deans on the same regular schedule. Requests for continuation or removal of Graduate Faculty status will be submitted by the Dean of the College in which the faculty member resides to the Dean of the Graduate School for review. The Graduate Council will then approve or reject the request.
I. 6.0 Removal of Graduate Faculty Status. The Dean of the Graduate School, after consultation with the academic dean, chair, and faculty member involved, may also request removal of Graduate Faculty Status in cases where graduate students were put at risk by poor mentoring, gross misconduct, or neglect. In the case of such a request, the Dean should submit written evidentiary documentation to the Graduate Council to request removal of Graduate Faculty Status. The faculty member can also submit a written rebuttal or challenge in their defense to retain Graduate Faculty Status. The Graduate Council may form a subcommittee of no more than five members to investigate the matter and to make recommendations to the Council. The Graduate Council will then approve or reject the request of the Dean. The faculty member may appeal the decision of the Graduate Council to the Provost. If Graduate Faculty Status is removed, the faculty member may, with the signature of the academic dean and department chair, reapply in writing for Graduate Faculty Status after a period of three years.