Graduate Faculty

The Graduate Faculty at Texas A&M University consists of the President, the Provost and Executive Vice President, the Associate Provosts, the Deans of all subject-matter colleges, selected Directors, and properly qualified academic groups.

Effective faculty recruitment at Texas A&M University is critical to the success of the university in meeting its responsibilities in teaching, research, service, and other missions.

The Office of the Vice President for Faculty Affairs assumes responsibility for verifying the teaching qualifications for faculty. Colleges, schools, and departments oversee hiring of graduate assistants who serve as instructors-of-record for undergraduate courses.

The guidelines for all instructional faculty, including graduate teaching assistants, who are instructors-of-record for graduate and undergraduate courses at Texas A&M University and its two branch campuses – Texas A&M University at Galveston and Texas A&M University at Qatar – are available on the Vice President for Faculty Affairs website.

Requirements for Graduate Teaching Faculty

Some faculty members are automatically inducted into the Graduate Teaching Faculty if they meet certain credentialing requirements.

According to SACS-COC guidelines, faculty teaching graduate and post-baccalaureate course work should have an earned doctorate or terminal degree in the teaching discipline or a related discipline. Other factors that may be considered include,

• a master's degree or at least 18 semester credit hours of graduate-level coursework in the same or closely related field;
• professional licensure or certification in a related field or profession; and/or
• significant professional, research, or teaching experience in the same or closely related field.

In addition to meeting the credentialing requirements for teaching graduate courses, faculty teaching research courses such as 691 and other designated courses must also be members of the Graduate Committee Faculty.

Appointment to membership in the Graduate Committee Faculty, although considered an honor, is designed to assure competence in the directing and advising of graduate students. Such competence is, in part, a function of experience and knowledge of operational procedures; it is also characterized by ability and motivation.

See the Graduate Committee Faculty Guidelines on the Graduate Committee Faculty Nomination Portal

NOMINATION TO GRADUATE COMMITTEE FACULTY

Nomination for membership in the Graduate Committee Faculty is always initiated by the head of the appropriate academic department, intercollegiate faculty, or dean (under special circumstances) at Texas A&M University.

Appointees to the Graduate Committee Faculty participate in the graduate degree programs of the University by serving on graduate student advisory committees. Members of the Graduate Committee Faculty are selected from qualified individuals among the following groups:

• Tenured or Tenure-track Faculty (TTF) of Texas A&M University;
• Academic Professional Track (APT) faculty of Texas A&M University, Texas A&M System agencies, affiliated research organizations, and affiliated hospitals and clinical organizations;
• Professional Staff (PS) of Texas A&M University, Texas A&M System agencies, affiliated research organizations, and affiliated hospitals and clinical organizations; and
• Faculty and Professional Staff (OtherFPS) employed by other universities, institutions, and organizations.

Graduate Committee Faculty nominations are submitted through the Graduate Committee Faculty website. The form must be completed in its entirety and with the appropriate documents uploaded (a current curriculum vitae and – in certain circumstances – a letter of support, initiated by a department head, chair of interdisciplinary degree program, or dean providing evidence that the nominee meets the qualifications for the desired role). The nominations will progress through a workflow system to receive the approvals of the department head or chair of intercollegiate faculty, Chair of the Graduate Instruction Committee, and Graduate Operations Committee Dean.

Only those who are designated in their academic unit’s Authorized Signers Form will be given access to enter nominations in the Graduate Committee Faculty system. For questions regarding access to the Graduate Committee Faculty site, please contact the Administrative Coordinator at GradCom@tamu.edu or 979-845-3631.

Regulations

• A member of the Graduate Committee Faculty may not serve in the Graduate Committee Faculty of an academic program in which the member is pursuing a graduate degree or certificate.
• Individuals who have not been appointed to the Graduate Committee Faculty may not serve on student advisory committees unless special approval is granted by the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School.
• Select faculty may be approved to serve as co-chair on a doctoral or a master’s advisory committee in any degree granting unit, including those in disciplines not related to the degree held by the faculty, by its department head or chair of intercollegiate faculty.

MAINTENANCE OF COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

Membership in the Graduate Committee Faculty is maintained only by participating in graduate programs, directing or administering graduate work, doing research and publishing, or by other direct and substantial contributions to the graduate programs of the university – such as through service on a Graduate Instruction Committee or with administrative assignments in graduate education.

Removal of Graduate Committee Faculty Members

The Graduate and Professional Council expects that all Deans, Department Heads, and Chairs of Intercollegiate Faculty will regularly review the Graduate Committee Faculty under their direction and recommend withdrawal of the appointments of any members who no longer merit membership in the Graduate Committee Faculty due to a lack of contribution to graduate education or a voluntary and approved leave of absence or other separation from the university. Faculty who fall in the latter category may continue serve on the student’s advisory committee without a co-chair for up to one year, after which the student must secure a current member of the Graduate Committee Faculty to serve as co- chair. Extensions beyond the one-year period can be granted with additional approval by the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School.

The Department Head or Chair of intercollegiate faculty shall notify any faculty member who is non-voluntarily removed from the roles of the Graduate Committee Faculty, and the faculty member has the right to appeal his/her removal through University Rule 12.99.99.M0.01 (Faculty Grievances Procedures).

Nominations

You can access the Graduate Committee Faculty Nomination form by logging into http://gradcom.tamu.edu, where you will complete the form in its entirety, upload the appropriate documents, and submit the nomination for approval through the workflow. Under the “Nominations” tab you will be able to see any request that you personally submit. Here you will also be able to see when the form is approved and print a copy of the approved nomination request.

Eligibility for Nomination

• To be nominated, faculty must be assigned a University Identification Number (UIN).
• Complete this form and submit it to Identity Management to request a UIN.
• Contact Identity Management at identity@tamu.edu or 979.862.4300 for questions.

Graduate Faculty Searchable Database

Students can use the Graduate Faculty Database to find faculty to serve on thesis, dissertation or record of study committees.

CONTACT US

Only authorized individuals can access to the Graduate Committee Faculty Nomination system. If you need access or have questions, or if any other issues arise, please contact gradcom@tamu.edu.