Description

The Graduate Council is the chief legislative and policy formulating body of the Graduate Faculty. The council formulates, reviews, and approves policies concerned with the conduct of graduate study at Kansas State University, providing effective leadership in advocating graduate education and scholarship of the highest caliber.

Compositions

Representatives are elected for three-year terms. There is one representative from each academic college and four representatives from each academic area:

Applied Natural Sciences
Arts and Humanities
Basic Natural Sciences
Business and Education
Mathematical and Engineering Sciences
Social Sciences

Role of Graduate Council

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To fulfill these responsibilities, Council members are expected to obtain input on agenda items from graduate faculty colleagues prior to Council meetings and report Council actions to the graduate faculty in their academic units following the meetings.

Election Committee

The election committee is composed of representatives from each academic area caucus who are completing their term of office.

The committee is charged with coordinating and certifying the election process by which academic area and college representative are selected to serve on the Council. This includes identification of graduate faculty members from their academic area or college to run on the ballot.

Eligibility to Serve and Vote in Council Elections

Members of the graduate faculty who do not hold 50% or greater administrative appointments are eligible to serve on the Graduate Council.

Only those with regular graduate faculty membership are eligible to vote in Graduate Council elections. Electronic election ballots are distributed by the Graduate School each spring, and the election process is to be completed by April 1st, with new members announced at the May Graduate Council Meeting.

Policy Committees

The Graduate Council is composed of four policy committees:

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Graduate Council Student Affairs Committee

The Student Affairs Committee addresses all matters related to admissions, retention, and success of graduate students and serves as the Graduate Council Grievance Committee and the Graduate Council Readmissions Committee. They also participate in benchmarking K-State graduate policies relative to peer institutions.

Graduate Council Academic Affairs Committee

The Academic Affairs Committee reviews proposals concerning graduate courses, curricula, and programs, as well as nominations for graduate faculty membership and certification. The committee then forwards their recommendations to the Graduate Council.

Graduate Council Committee on Planning

The Committee on Planning is responsible for monitoring and planning activities of matters that influence the quality of graduate education and the administration of the Graduate Council. This committee also reviews Graduate Handbook policy changes and then presents those changes to the Graduate Council. Changes to the Graduate Handbook must be approved by the Graduate Council.

Graduate Council Assessment and Review Committee

The Assessment and Review Committee reviews and approves assessment plans for new graduate programs.

The committee also reviews graduate program documents for the Kansas Board of Regents program review, which must be completed every eight years. The committee provides programs with feedback to enhance their program review prior to final submission to the University Office of Assessment.

Graduate Council Resources

Meeting Schedule
Meeting agendas and minutes
Graduate Handbook chapter on Graduate Council