College of Graduate Studies

The Full-time Member is:

Full-time faculty member, emeritus, senior affiliate faculty or academic administrator holding faculty rank at the rank of assistant professor or higher; tenured or tenure-track, who holds an earned doctorate or equivalent terminal degree in an appropriate discipline from an appropriately accredited institution and who also has achieved an appropriate level of scholarship or creative activity and erudition characterized by peer reviewed publications, conference publications, recitals, exhibitions, and/or externally funded research grants.
Term - 6 Years

Full-time Member requirements and responsibilities include:

• A Full Graduate Faculty member may serve as a graduate student's academic advisor for master's, specialist, and doctoral degrees.
• A Full Graduate Faculty member who serves as the graduate student's advisor must chair or co-chair the student's advisory committee and must hold such faculty rank in the department in which the student is majoring.
• A Full Graduate Faculty member may be asked to serve as a member of the Graduate School Executive Committee.
• Each instructor is responsible for ensuring that students in graduate classes have sufficient background prerequisites required for the course.
• All approved graduate faculty may serve as a committee member.
• A qualified member of the graduate faculty may be asked to serve as an instructor of a graduate course, as an instructor of a readings or special problems course, as a director of some phase of development of the research facilities of Tennessee Tech, as a member of the Graduate Studies Executive Committee (Full member), and/or a member of a graduate student's advisory committee, including serving as the students research advisor.

The Associate Member is:

Full-time faculty member not eligible for full membership who holds an earned doctorate or equivalent terminal degree in an appropriate discipline from an appropriately accredited institution.  (Job titles may include Lecturer or Instructor.)
Term - 3 Years

Associate Member requirements and responsibilities include:

• An Associate Graduate Faculty member may serve as a graduate student's academic advisor for master's and specialist degrees.
• An Associate Graduate Faculty member who serves as the graduate student's advisor must chair or co-chair the student's advisory committee and must hold such faculty rank in the department in which the student is majoring.
• Each instructor is responsible for ensuring that students in graduate classes have sufficient background prerequisites required for the course.
• All approved graduate faculty may serve as a committee member.
• A qualified member of the graduate faculty may be asked to serve as an instructor of a graduate course, as an instructor of a readings or special problems course, as a director of some phase of development of the research facilities of Tennessee Tech, and/or a member of a graduate student's advisory committee, including serving as the students research advisor

The Adjunct/Consultant Member is:

Part-time faculty member employed for graduate teaching, advisement, or research who holds an earned doctorate or equivalent terminal degree in an appropriate discipline from an appropriately accredited institution.
Term - 3 Years

Adjunct/Consultant Member requirements and responsibilities include:

• Each instructor is responsible for ensuring that students in graduate classes have sufficient background prerequisites required for the course.
• All approved Adjunct and Adjunct Consultant graduate faculty may serve as a committee member.
• Non-university professionals may become voting members of graduate committees as consultants.  These consultants must have earned a doctorate or equivalent terminal degree in an appropriate discipline and completed all procedures necessary to be appointed at the Adjunct Faculty membership level.  Only one such member (Adjunct-Consultant) may serve on an individual students' committee, and this member may not serve as academic or research advisor.  Consultants not meeting the above requirements may serve on the committee, but do not have voting privileges.
• A qualified Adjunct member of the graduate faculty may be asked to serve as an instructor of a graduate course, as an instructor of a readings or special problems course, as a director of some phase of development of the research facilities of Tennessee Tech, and/or a member of a graduate student's advisory committee.

The Clinical Member is:

Full or part-time faculty who participate in directing educational experiences in a clinical/professional setting where the faculty member practices, who holds at least a master's degree and professional certification in an appropriate discipline from an appropriately accredited institution/agency/association and relevant experience in the field.
Term - 3 Years

Clinical Member Requirements and Responsibilities include:

• Clinical Graduate Faculty may only teach clinical or practicum designated courses.

As a member of the graduate faculty, the appointee may be asked to serve as a teacher of a graduate course, as a teacher of a readings or special problems course, as a director of some phase of development of the research facilities of the University.

As a member of the graduate faculty, the graduate faculty may be asked to serve as a member of a graduate student's advisory committee, including serving as the student's academic and/or research advisor. (If appropriately qualified, a faculty member may serve as both academic and research advisor.)

 A Full Graduate Faculty member may be asked to serve as a member of the Graduate School Executive Committee.

The graduate faculty member who holds faculty rank in the department in which the student is majoring may serve as the student's academic advisor and chair or co-chair the student's advisory committee. (Only Full Graduate Faculty members may chair or co-chair the doctoral student's advisory committee.)

A student's research advisor may hold faculty rank in a department other than that in which the student is majoring but must have research capability in a discipline closely related to a discipline associated with the student's department.

For a doctoral student, the academic advisor shall be an experienced faculty member with demonstrated ability to effectively mentor both students and faculty; the research advisor must have demonstrated significant research capability and be experienced in directing independent study.

A graduate student's academic and/or research advisor must be reviewed and approved by the student's departmental chairperson, the dean of the college, and the Associate Dean of the College of Graduate Studies.

A faculty member may not direct independent study/research courses taken by a student who is a relative of the faculty member and may not be a member of a relative's graduate advisory committee. For the purposes of this policy, “relative” means a parent, foster parent, parent-in-law, child, spouse, brother, foster brother, sister, foster sister, grandparent, grandchild, son-in-law, brother-in-law, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, or other family member who resides in the same household.

At the discretion of the departmental chairperson, responsibilities of an associate member may be any of those normally given to a full member of the graduate faculty, except serving on the Graduate School Executive Committee, or serving as a doctoral-level academic or research advisor. Serving as a master's-level academic and/or research advisor must be reviewed and approved by the student's departmental chairperson, the dean of the college, and the Associate Dean of the College of Graduate Studies.

A teacher of any course for which students receive graduate credit must be a member of the graduate faculty. The teacher has the normal responsibilities appropriate to the course. When students are enrolled in undergraduate classes (4000/5000) for graduate credit, the faculty member has the responsibility of making appropriate additional assignments to ensure students receive proper value from the courses. A general description of the extra work required of students taking a 4000/5000 level course for graduate credit must be included in the description of the course approved by the Graduate School Executive Committee. Teachers of undergraduate courses are provided class rolls that show the names of those students seeking graduate credit for work in their classes. Each teacher is also responsible for seeing that the students in graduate classes have sufficient prerequisites to permit the subject matter to be presented and discussed without hindrance.

Non-university professionals may become voting members of graduate committees as consultants.  These consultants must have earned a doctorate of equivalent terminal degree in an appropriate discipline and completed all procedures necessary to be appointed at the Adjunct Faculty membership level.  Only one such member (Adjunct-Consultant) may serve on an individual students' committee, and this member may not serve as academic or research advisor.  Consultants not meeting the above requirements may serve on the committee, but do not have voting privileges.

The chairperson of any department offering a graduate degree may act in any capacity open to a graduate faculty member and has certain administrative responsibilities pertaining to the graduate program. The chairperson is responsible for reviewing applications of prospective graduate students and making recommendations as to acceptance and status of applicants; acting as the advisor (or for designating one) for each student's first registration period; and nominating qualified faculty members for appointment to the graduate faculty. The departmental chairperson also provides direction and coordination in supporting departmental faculty members in the development of research projects and in the appropriate utilization of facilities.

The advisory committee may be appointed during the student's first term but no later than the term in which 15 credits of course work are to be completed. The student, in consultation with the departmental chairperson, will determine a minimum of three (3) (four [4] in the doctoral program in Education; five [5] in the doctoral programs in Engineering and Environmental Sciences) suitable graduate faculty members who are willing to serve as voting members of the committee. Members shall represent each of the areas in which the student expects to study, with two (2) members having background in the major area. Each area in which the student presents as many as six (6) credits should be represented by one (1) member. At least one (1) member of the advisory committee should have adequate background and research interests in the area in which the student has proposed a research objective. After selection of the committee and the student's determination that the committee members are available to serve, the selection is submitted to the dean of the college and the Director of Graduate Studies for approval and appointment.

Changes to the advisory committee must be requested by the student and approved by the departmental chairperson, the dean of the college, and the Associate Dean of the College of Graduate Studies, with the latter making the subsequent appointments to complete the committee. Except in unusual circumstances such as extended campus leave, change of teaching fields, or inappropriate advisement loads, a faculty member enjoys the prerogative of accepting or relinquishing an appointment on a student's advisory committee.

The organization and appointment of advisory committees to supervise graduate study for the doctorate shall be the same, generally, as in a master's program, except that the advisory committee shall consist of at least five (5) members of the Graduate Faculty. Changes in a doctoral advisory committee also require the approval of the departmental chairperson, the dean of the college, as well as the Associate Dean of the College of Graduate Studies.

A faculty member may not direct independent study/research courses taken by a student who is a relative of the faculty member and may not be a member of a relative's graduate advisory committee. For the purposes of this policy, “relative” means a parent, foster parent, parent-in- law, child, spouse, brother, foster brother, sister, foster sister, grandparent, grandchild, son-in-law, brother-in-law, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, or other family member who resides in the same household.

Non-university professionals may become voting members of graduate committees as consultants.  These consultants must have earned a doctorate or equivalent terminal degree in an appropriate discipline and completed all procedures necessary to be appointed at the Adjunct level of the graduate faculty. Only one (1) such member may serve on an individual student's committee, and this member may not serve as academic or research advisor.  Consultants not meeting the above requirements may serve on the committee but do not have voting privileges. 

Each member of a graduate student's advisory committee is expected (1) to review the student's proposed plan of study and to approve it or make recommendations to improve it; (2) to consider the student's application for candidacy including both the proposed plan of study and the research proposal and, with other members of the committee, to approve, approve with change, or disapprove the program; (3) to review the student's thesis (if one is required) prior to the comprehensive examination; and (4) to assist in the conduct of an examination to insure that the student has at least a satisfactory knowledge of the subject matter covered in the program of study and that the thesis (when required) is of suitable caliber and presents a valid investigation properly completed. The minimum required majority for all actions of the advisory committee at the master's and specialist levels is three (3) positive votes, or three-fourths of the committee members eligible to vote. At the doctoral level, four-fifths is required as the minimum for programs in Engineering and Environmental Sciences; a unanimous vote is required for the program in Exceptional Learning.

The chairperson of an advisory committee assists the student in the selection of a course of study and works with the student in choosing a suitable thesis topic. The chairperson is expected to furnish appropriate assistance and encouragement when excessive difficulties arise in the investigation of the problem. At the request of the student, the chairperson schedules the comprehensive examination and is responsible for its administration and conduct, as well as the reporting of the examination results to the Associate Dean of the College of Graduate Studies. The chairperson is responsible for assisting the student in ensuring the thesis is error-free in regards to format, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and content thereby meeting the standards of excellence expected by the advisory committee, department, and the Graduate College. Only grades of SP and NP shall be used to indicate a student's progress in thesis or dissertation credit.