Graduate Faculty Nomination

Graduate Faculty Nomination and Approval to Teach Qualifications

Overview

This Bellisario College-specific document was developed in response to updates that the Graduate Council approved as part of its 2022 review and update of GCAC-101. See GCAC-101 policy and procedures for more information on being nominated for graduate faculty status and approval to teach graduate level courses.

The Graduate Faculty Nomination Evaluation Committee (GFNEC) for each college/school is charged with soliciting input, creating, and approving membership qualifications for Category P and R (defined below) that interpret the Graduate Council policy GCAC- 101 for Graduate Faculty Nominations and Approval to Teach to meet the specific needs of disciplines within the Bellisario College in accordance with GCAC-101. Additional input was solicited from graduate program heads and approved by College leadership before being submitted to the ad hoc Graduate Council committee charged with reviewing and recommending approval by the Graduate Council.

These guidelines will be reviewed and updated every four years by the GFNEC in consultation with graduate program leadership and then submitted to Graduate Council Committee on Academic Standards and the Dean of the J Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School for approval as stated in Graduate Council policy GCAC- 101.

Procedure

Full-time faculty members at Penn State who wish to fully participate in graduate education at Penn State may be appointed to membership in the Graduate Faculty of the Fox Graduate School when nominated by a graduate program provided they meet the Graduate Faculty membership qualifications as described in Graduate Council policy (see GCAC-101 Graduate Faculty Membership) and interpreted in this document. The following approvals are required:

Nominations to the Graduate Faculty are initiated by the graduate program head to which the faculty member will contribute (e.g., MPS program, Master of Arts program, or doctoral program). The graduate program head uses the Fox Graduate School nominating form appropriate to Category of P or R as outlined below.
... Approval indicates the faculty member is expected to be fully engaged in the graduate program’s teaching, advising, and committee work.
... The graduate program head must include documentation for their recommendation.

The faculty member’s department head reviews and approves the nomination.
... Approval indicates that the faculty member has the disciplinary expertise to serve in the program.

If the faculty member is non-tenure-line, the Bellisario College Graduate Faculty Nomination Evaluation Committee (GFNEC) reviews and approves the request.
... The Bellisario College GFNEC must include documentation for its decisions.
... Approval indicates the Bellisario College GFNEC has determined the nomination is consistent with the college’s Graduate Faculty standards for graduate research or professional education.

The Dean of the Bellisario College (or designee—often the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Research) approves the request.
... Approval indicates the Bellisario College supports participation of the faculty member in graduate education offerings.

Because qualifications, privileges, and expectations differ for faculty members participating in professional degree programs and research degree programs, the Fox Graduate School tracks participation internally through two Categories:

Category P for faculty members who will participate in professional degree programs (MPS).

Expected Duties: Academic advising of professional graduate degree students; teaching 800- level graduate courses; supervising the culminating experience in a professional master’s program. Tenure-Line Category P members of the Graduate Faculty may also teach 500-level courses. Perform other academic duties as may be authorized by the Dean of the Fox Graduate School.
Minimum Qualifications: A Tenure-Line or full-time Non-Tenure-Line appointment; a master’s degree; and professional experience relevant to the professional master’s degree program field.
... In rare and extraordinary cases, nominations for Category P membership may be considered for full-time faculty members at the rank of Professor of Practice who do not hold a graduate degree, but for whom there is clear evidence of a) exceptional experience and outstanding achievement at a national or international level; b) sustained excellence and recognized leadership in their professional field; and c) effective teaching ability are evident. Such individuals would be limited to teaching graduate professional (800-level) courses.

Category R for faculty members who will participate in research degree programs (M.A. or Ph.D.).

Expected Duties: Academic advising of graduate students; teaching graduate (500-, 600- and 800-level) courses; supervising research master’s (M.A.) research; supervising research doctorate (Ph.D.) dissertation research; serving on research doctorate/masters committees; chairing research doctorate/master’s committees. Perform other academic duties as may be authorized by the dean of the Fox Graduate School.
Minimum Qualifications: 1) A Tenure-Line appointment and a doctoral degree, record of scholarly achievement, and an active program of research/scholarly activity, appropriate to the field; or 3) a full-time Non-Tenure-Line appointment, a doctoral degree, a record of scholarly achievement and an active program of research/scholarly activity, appropriate to the field.

NOTE: Whether a faculty member is nominated to Category P or R is based on the graduate program in which the faculty members will participate. Thus, for example, tenure-line and non-tenure-line faculty members who will be participating solely in a professional degree program are nominated to Category P. Depending on their participation in multiple programs, faculty members could be listed in more than one Category.

NOTE: Graduate Faculty Categories are for internal tracking purposes only; the category in which a faculty member participates is not publicly displayed.

Once an individual is approved for one or more categories of membership to participate in the graduate program that initially nominated them, they may subsequently be added to the Graduate Faculty of another graduate program in those same categories with the approval of the Graduate Faculty of the respective program, as represented by a request by the head of that program to the Fox Graduate School. This may be accomplished by an email from the program head to the Fox Graduate School’s Records Manager.

Tenure-line Faculty Member Nominations

Graduate Professional Education - Category P Membership

Approval of the nomination of a faculty member with a tenure-line appointment for membership in Category P of the Graduate Faculty of the Graduate School is pro forma, with review to assure that a) information submitted is complete for inclusion in the Graduate Faculty database; b) the correct form has been submitted for the correct category of membership; and c) the individual’s appointment at Penn State has begun (faculty members cannot be appointed to the Graduate Faculty prior to their start date at the University).

Graduate Research Education - Category R Membership

Approval of the nomination of a faculty member holding a Ph.D. with a tenure-line appointment for membership in Category R of the Graduate Faculty of the Graduate School is pro forma, with review to assure that a) information submitted is complete for inclusion in the Graduate Faculty database; b) the correct form has been submitted for the correct category of membership; and c) the individual’s appointment at Penn State has begun (faculty members cannot be appointed to the Graduate Faculty prior to their start date at the University).

Non-Tenure-line Faculty Member Nominations

Graduate Professional Education - Category P Membership

Nominations for membership in Category P of the Graduate Faculty of the Graduate School for individuals not on a tenure-line appointment are reviewed for the following criteria as defined in policy GCAC-101 Graduate Faculty Membership:

A full-time faculty appointment;
A master’s degree;
Recent or ongoing professional experience relevant to the professional master’s degree program field.
... Alternatively, ongoing scholarly activity (see Category R membership, below) in the professional master’s degree program field will qualify an individual for Category P membership.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE RELEVANT TO THE PROFESSIONAL DEGREE PROGRAM FIELD AS DEFINED BY THE BELLISARIO COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATIONS

The expectation of recent or ongoing professional experience relevant to the professional master’s degree program field derives from the fact that professional graduate degree programs prepare students for expert practice in the chosen field. Accordingly, with the recognition that fields evolve quickly, and with a goal of preparing our students to practice their chosen profession at a high level based on the education we provide, faculty members who will be fully engaged in professional degree programs should be intimately familiar with the current state of practice in the field. With the recognition that professional practice evolves quickly we generally expect professional experience to be within the last 3-5 years; individual graduate programs may have higher standards.

Illustrative examples of professional experience follow.

NOTE: The specific examples presented below are NOT intended to be exhaustive.

Employment including self-employment
Licensure or Certification
Formal consulting activities
Presentations at professional workshops or meetings
Serving on professional advisory committees
Presentations at professional workshops5
Participation in professional and industry networks/societies
Demonstration of mentoring and professional development of others
Corporate training experience

An expectation of professional degree programs is that they incorporate new practices derived from new discoveries in their field of study; thus, individuals with ongoing scholarly work in the field can appropriately be approved to Category P membership. Such membership is particularly important when the scholarly work in the field is significantly in advance of the professional activities in the field such that there would not be professionals available or able to teach at the leading edge of the professional discipline.

Graduate Research Education - Category R Membership

Nominations for membership in Category R of the Graduate Faculty of the Graduate School for individuals not on a tenure-line appointment are reviewed for the following criteria as defined in policy GCAC-101 Graduate Faculty Membership:

A full-time faculty appointment;
A doctoral degree;
A record of scholarly achievement, and an active program of research/scholarly activity, appropriate to the field.

A RECORD OF SCHOLARLY ACHIEVEMENT APPROPRIATE TO THE RESEARCH DEGREE FIELD AS DEFINED BY THE BELLISARIO COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATIONS

Below are illustrative examples of scholarly achievement.

NOTE: None of the specific examples in the lists presented below are intended to be exhaustive.

Scholarly written works
... Books and book chapters
... Peer-reviewed journal articles

Scholarly activities
... Invited talks
... Presentations at academic meetings
... Presenting in academic workshops
... Serving on advisory committees or research centers
... Formal consulting activities

Professional activities
... Organizing academic meetings
... Participating in funding review panels
... Leadership positions in professional organizations6

Additional activities that take primary research (generation of new knowledge) and translate it for use by, and benefit of, a lay audience may be considered as part of the scholarly activities of the nominee, but not as sole evidence. Examples include writing industry articles or developing teaching materials based on scholarly research.

AN ACTIVE PROGRAM OF RESEARCH/SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY

Assessment for membership in the Graduate Faculty is not formulaic; each nominee’s accomplishments are considered holistically. Faculty members with ongoing journal publications or very recent books, combined with other ongoing regular scholarly and professional activities, would be well-qualified for membership in Category R of the Graduate Faculty.

Bellisario College Continuing Approval to Teach Qualifications

Initial Approval to Teach (1 year)

Faculty members who are not members of the Graduate Faculty and adjunct faculty may be granted approval for up to one calendar year (3 consecutive semesters) to teach specific graduate courses when approved by the graduate program head of the program offering the course, provided the individual meets the Graduate Council criteria as defined in GCAC-101.

Continuing Approval to Teach (up to 4 years)

After the initial year of teaching, the program head may request up to four years of Continuing Approval to Teach by submitting the Recommendation for Continuing Approval to Teach 500- or 800-Level Courses Form accompanied by:

curriculum vitae;
the most recent formal evaluation for each course for which approval is being sought;
a peer evaluation of the graduate course taught during the initial year; and
an indication of support from the faculty member’s department head

Requests for continuing Approval to Teach will be reviewed and approved by the Bellisario College GFNEC based on the qualifications described below and in accordance with Graduate Council policy GCAC-101 Graduate Faculty Membership. Once approved by the Bellisario, the request for Continuing Approval to Teach will be forwarded to the Dean of the Bellisario College (or designee) for review, evaluation, and approval or denial. Individuals with continuing Approval to Teach are then subject to Performance Evaluations every four years which requires formal student and peer evaluations. Process and procedure documentation are outlined in GCAC-101.7

500-Level Research Education Courses

To maintain standards across all 500-level courses, approval to teach 500-level courses requires a doctoral degree, a record of scholarly achievement, and an active program of research/scholarly activity, appropriate to the field.

A RECORD OF SCHOLARLY ACHIEVEMENT APPROPRIATE TO THE RESEARCH DEGREE FIELD

The requirement for an active program of scholarly research is based on the fundamental value proposition for graduate-level research education at a research-intensive University:

Students should be taught by individuals at the forefront of creating new knowledge, ensuring that students are exposed to not only the latest knowledge in the field, but the latest intellectual approaches as well.

800-Level Professional Education Courses

To maintain standards across all 800-level courses, approval to teach 800-level courses requires a master’s degree, and professional experience relevant to the professional degree program field.

A RECORD OF SCHOLARLY ACHIEVEMENT APPROPRIATE TO THE RESEARCH DEGREE FIELD

The requirement for professional experience relevant to the professional degree program field is an extension of the fundamental value proposition for graduate level education at a research-intensive University:

Students should be taught by individuals who are expert practitioners at the forefront of their professions, ensuring that students are exposed to not only the latest practices in the field, but the latest intellectual approaches as well.

Accordingly, with the recognition that fields evolve quickly, and with a goal of preparing our students to practice their chosen profession at a high level based on the education we provide, individuals recommended to teach 800-level professional education courses should be familiar with the current state of practice in the field.

In recognition of the short-term commitment typically represented by a request for approval to teach, the College and Graduate School provides some additional flexibility in considering evidence of “professional experience relevant to the professional degree program field.” With the recognition that professional practice evolves quickly, we generally expect one or more indicators of professional experience to be within the last four years; individual graduate programs may have higher standards.