Home > Ch. 2 The University of Iowa > 2.8 Advisory Bodies

2.8(4) The Graduate Council

(Amended 09/1993; 02/1999; 05/2000)
  1. Membership. The Graduate Council consists of the deans of the Graduate College as ex officio nonvoting members, 13 members elected from the graduate faculty, and 4 graduate students chosen by the Graduate Student Senate for 1-year terms.

    Faculty representation on the Graduate Council shall consist of 11 collegiate representatives and 2 at-large representatives. One collegiate representative shall be elected by the graduate faculty of each of the colleges of Business Administration, Dentistry, Education, Engineering, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health. Three collegiate representatives shall be elected by the graduate faculty of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The 2 at-large representatives shall be elected by the graduate faculty as a whole.
  2. Duties of the Council.
    1. To serve as the executive committee of the graduate faculty.
    2. To assist and advise the Dean in the conduct of College business, including preparation of agendas, calling of emergency meetings, and determination of the status of staff members where doubt exists as to their eligibility for membership in the graduate faculty.
    3. To evaluate new graduate programs and revisions in existing programs, including non-departmental and interdisciplinary programs, and to make recommendations to the graduate faculty on new programs and on such aspects of curricula as will maintain uniform and effective educational policy.
    4. To supervise the codification of current rules and regulations of the graduate faculty.
    5. To assist the Dean, upon request, in the formulation of administrative decisions or judgments.
    6. To confer with the Dean on matters of policy regarding the professional welfare of the graduate faculty.
  3. Term of Office for Faculty Members. Council members are elected to serve for a term of 3 years, and take office at the opening of the fall semester following election.
  4. Officers. The Dean of the Graduate College and the Associate Dean of the Graduate College act respectively as chair and secretary of the Council.
  5. Executive Committee. The Graduate Council selects from among its elected membership 3 members for an executive committee whose major function is to consult with the Dean of the Graduate College on procedural issues which do not require the decision of the full Council.
  6. Election Procedure.
    1. Eligibility. All members of the graduate faculty are eligible for membership on the Graduate Council, except for the President, vice presidents, and deans. Associate and assistant deans and directors who are substantially engaged in teaching and research are eligible. Members who has served for 2 or more years may not succeed themselves.
    2. Elections of Collegiate Representatives. In the spring of a year in which the term of a collegiate representative is to expire, an election will be held by the graduate faculty within that college to elect a successor. Such elections must occur at least 6 weeks prior to the election of at-large representatives as described below.
    3. Elections of At-Large Representatives. To elect at-large representatives, the Graduate Council shall appoint from the graduate faculty an ad hoc nominating committee of 5 members which shall nominate 3 candidates for any at-large vacancy. Results of elections for collegiate representatives will be taken into consideration by the nominating committee.

      Ballots bearing the names of the at-large nominees shall be distributed by the registrar to members of the graduate faculty. Each faculty member shall return their marked ballot to the registrar. The envelope, but not the ballot, shall be signed by the voter.

      The nominees receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected to regular terms. The nominees receiving the next highest votes shall, in order, fill any irregular terms resulting, for example, from leaves or resignations of an at-large representative.

      In case of a tie, a Board of Tellers composed of 3 members of the council appointed by the dean shall determine the choice by lot.
    4. Vacancies. Procedures for filling vacancies of collegiate representatives for the remainder of the term shall be established by each of the colleges. In the case of a vacancy of an at-large council representative, the Graduate Dean shall appoint the faculty member receiving the next highest vote in the last at-large election to serve the remainder of the unexpired term.
    5. Election Date. The date for the election of at-large members of the Graduate Council corresponds to the date for elections to the University Faculty Council.