FGS Senate Approved February 2015 Criteria and Procedures

1.0 General Criteria and Procedures for Membership in the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS)

1.1 Only members of the Faculty of Graduate Studies may be involved in graduate supervision and teaching.  Membership in the Faculty of Graduate Studies and the method by which membership is granted is described for each category below.

2.0 Faculty of Graduate Studies Membership Categories

2.1 Non-Core Membership

Non-Core Membership describes individuals providing limited graduate educational activities for limited time periods.

Qualifications:

Appropriate scholarly, creative and/or professional record commensurate with the program activities and the nominee's responsibilities. Limited to the period of graduate activity (up to three years).

Responsibilities:

  • Participation as Thesis Supervisory Committee member
  • Participation as an Internal Examiner for thesis/dissertation
  • Graduate course activities: includes all teaching activity incorporated under a graduate course number, such as instruction or service as a second reader on research projects and instructor involvement in practicum courses, internships/co-ops and field courses
  • Participation as a reader on a major research paper and/or PhD comprehensive examination
  • Organizing/conducting/evaluating graduate colloquia, presentations, exhibitions, seminars, field trips/excursions

Appointment to Non-Core Status:

All faculty members will be granted non-core status upon hiring to a tenure-track position at Lakehead University if they are being appointed to a Department, School or Program offering graduate programming. This membership will be on recommendation of the program if the individuals do not meet the Core status qualifications. Term appointments, minimum of twelve months, may also be given non-core status on recommendation of the program for which they are hired.  Members who were previously core status who are not renewed as core will become non-core members and can apply to become core again after a three year probationary period. 

2.2 Categories of Core Membership

2.2.1 Core Master's describes individuals providing graduate educational activities on a continuing and substantial basis.

Qualifications:

  • Ph.D. degree or other terminal degree appropriate to the discipline
  • An appropriate track record of peer-reviewed research publications or other evidence of peer-reviewed scholarly productivity appropriate to the discipline
  • A program of research or performance

Responsibilities:

  • Participation as a member of thesis/dissertation Supervisory Committee
  • Participation as an Internal Examiner for a thesis/dissertation
  • Participation as an External Examiner for a thesis/dissertation
  • Supervisor of a master's thesis
  • Supervisor of a master's project, cognate paper or portfolio
  • Graduate Course Activities: includes all teaching activity incorporated under a graduate course number, such as instruction or service as a second reader on research projects and instructor involvement in practicum courses, internships/co-ops and field courses
  • Participation as a reader on a major research paper and/or Ph.D. comprehensive examination
  • Organizing/conducting/evaluating graduate colloquia, presentations, exhibitions, seminars, field trips/excursions
  • Serving as a General or curriculum advisor for a graduate student (general mentoring - program counselling for students regarding course selection, career paths)
  • Chair a doctoral defence, and comprehensive and qualifying exams
  • All Doctoral activities except Doctoral supervision

Appointment to Core Status:

Core Masters members of the Faculty of Graduate Studies will be those persons appointed by the Dean of their Faculty as they are granted a tenure-track faculty appointment.  Nomination to this appointment will be initiated by the Graduate Coordinator and Department Chair during the hiring process. This appointment will be of a probationary nature and will be reviewed in the third year of their appointment. (See process described in 4.0 below).  A successful candidate must exhibit active involvement in Graduate Programs including teaching and supervision of students.

2.2.2 Core Doctoral

Qualifications:

  • Ph.D. degree
  • An appropriate track record of peer-reviewed research publications or other evidence of peer-reviewed scholarly productivity appropriate to the discipline
  • An established program of research or performance, e.g., a juried performance piece
  • A record of successful participation in graduate education (such as teaching a graduate course or serving on a thesis committee)
  • Satisfactory supervision of at least one master's thesis (or other appropriate experience in graduate education and research).

Responsibilities:

  • In addition to all activities listed under Core Master's, supervisor of a doctoral dissertation

Appointment to Core Status:

Core PhD members of the Faculty of Graduate Studies will be those persons who are approved by the Faculty of Graduate Studies Membership Committee.  Upon successful completion of at least one master’s thesis, faculty members may apply to become Core PhD members.  See application procedure below.

2.2.3 Emeritus Faculty

Faculty members who are granted Emeritus/Emerita status may maintain their current Faculty of Graduate Studies status by submitting a letter to the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies indicating their interest to do so.

3.0 Faculty of Graduate Studies Membership Committee

There shall be a Faculty of Graduate Studies Membership Committee established by the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies which reviews all probationary appointments to the Core Masters Category and the Core PhD category.  This committee shall be chaired by the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and will consist of two Deans from Faculties which have existing Graduate Programs and one Graduate Coordinator from each Faculty or their designate.  The appointment of the Deans will occur through Deans’ Council. The committee will meet before the end of October to make their recommendations. 

4.0 Application and Review Process

Faculty members seeking non-probationary core Master membership or Core PhD status in the Faculty of Graduate Studies will submit an application to the Faculty Dean by September 15th using the specified form.

4.1 The Graduate Coordinator/Graduate Chair will submit a Membership Nomination Form and Curriculum Vitae in OCGS format prepared by the applicant. The Graduate Coordinator/Graduate Chair or the applicant's immediate supervisor will write a Letter of Recommendation. The Letter of Recommendation should outline how the applicant meets the membership criteria and how s/he contributes to the graduate program.

4.2 The FGS Membership Committee will review all applications received by the deadline in 4.0; make a decision (simple majority, including one decanal vote, is required for a positive decision). The names of those approved for membership will be forwarded to the Faculty of Graduate Studies Council for information. The Dean of Graduate Studies, will communicate the results to the applicant, the immediate supervisor, the Graduate Coordinator, and the Office of the Registrar.

4.3 Core membership in the Faculty of Graduate Studies is in effect for up to eight years and will be harmonized with the program reviews undertaken by the academic unit in accordance with requirements of IQAP. Non-core membership in the Faculty of Graduate Studies is in effect for up to three years.

4.4 The Office of Graduate Studies will be responsible for maintaining a list of the members of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

5.0 Appeal

5.1 An applicant for membership in the Faculty of Graduate Studies may appeal the decision of his/her Faculty of Graduate Studies Membership Committee, within 15 working days, through application to the Faculty of Graduate Studies Membership Committee.  The Appeal Committee will consist of two Deans having graduate programs within their Faculties who are not current members of the Faculty of Graduate Studies Committee. The meeting will be Chaired by the current Chair of the Programs/Regulations Committee of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, or in the case of a conflict of interest, their designate. A meeting to hear this appeal will be held within one month of the application and the member and his/her immediate supervisor may attend this meeting. The decision of this appeal committee is binding.

5.2 An unsuccessful applicant has the right to re-submit his/her application in the following academic year.

6.0 Adjuncts

This policy will not replace the senate policy on adjunct professors.

External

External Adjuncts may apply for membership in the FGS as Core or Non-Core members.  Their membership will be determined according to the process described in section 4.0

Internal

A member of the FGS may become a core graduate faculty member of any other Lakehead University graduate program with permission of that graduate program. The list of core graduate faculty will be maintained by each graduate program coordinator/chair and communicated to the Dean of Graduate Studies in August of each year.

7.0 Membership Term

All core membership in FGS will continue until the next IQAP Cyclical Review. As part of the cyclical review, faculty members requesting that their membership status be maintained at their current appointment must submit a copy of their curriculum vitae in advance of submission of the Appraisal document, to the Faculty of Graduate Studies Membership Committee for review. This review will normally take place six months in advance of the submission of the Appraisal document.  A faculty member who is core to one graduate program may maintain their core status in that program if they change department or school designation.

8.0 REMOVAL FROM THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES

The Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies reserves the right to remove faculty after thorough investigation with affected policies and in consultation with their Faculty Dean, from Core status in cases such as, but not limited to, failure to provide supervision to students under their supervisory  guidance, failure to uphold funding agreements provided to the students through the funding form completed according to Graduate Studies policy, failure to ensure a student’s progression as a result of negligence.  The Dean will provide a letter of warning to the faculty member and the Faculty Dean. This warning will detail the infraction and explain the consequences of further behaviour.  A second letter will terminate the faculty member’s ability to begin the supervision of any new students.  Removal as a Core member will affect all supervision in all programs in which a faculty member may belong.  A program or Graduate Coordinator may also initiate an investigation into a faculty member’s supervisory status, and working in cooperation with the Faculty of Graduate Studies, according to the rules established above, have a faculty member removed from Core status in a graduate program.

(Approved by Senate February 23, 2015)