Exterior photo of The Graduate School building.

The Graduate Council

The Graduate Council

The Graduate Council is the primary all-University advisory body responsible for the development and review of Graduate School policy and student affairs initiatives, and review of graduate curriculum.

The Provost’s Office has created a Canvas Community for Curriculum Forms and Resources. There you can find a number of resources for graduate program development, including forms for proposing new or altered graduate programs. If you are planning to submit a graduate curriculum proposal, please take a look at some of the examples available in Canvas.

About the Graduate Council

Officers

Chair: Matthew Schuler
Vice Chair: Brad van Eeden-Moorefield
Secretary: Michele Fisher

Curriculum Committee

This committee reviews all new graduate program proposals and all proposed changes in existing graduate programs which do not have as their primary focus teacher education or professional education and makes recommendations to the Graduate Council for its action.

Policy Committee

This committee reviews all questions of graduate policy and makes recommendations to the Graduate Council for its action.

Student Affairs Committee

This committee reviews issues related to student affairs and makes recommendations to the Graduate Council for its action.

Graduate Council Membership

Graduate Council Membership – AY 2024-2025

Elected Faculty Members: Two year terms (June 1 – June 30)
Graduate School Appointees and Students: One year terms (June 1 – June 30)

COLLEGE FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH

Name Program Committee Years
Amanda Baden Counseling Curriculum 2025–2027
Matt Shurts Counseling Policy 2024–2026
Brad van Eeden-Moorefield FSHD Student Affairs 2025–2027
Alternate: Meena Mahadevan Nutrition and Food Studies 2024–2026
Student: Cameron Nail / Laiba Ishtiaq Audiology AuD / Audiology AuD 2025–2026

COLLEGE OF THE ARTS

Name Program Committee Years
Aaron Helgeson Cali School of Music Curriculum 2025–2026
Marcus D. Harvey Theatre and Dance Student Affairs 2025–2027
Vacant 2023–2025
Alternate: Vacant 2024–2026
Student: TBD 2024–2025

COLLEGE FOR EDUCATION AND ENGAGED LEARNING

Name Program Committee Years
Danne Davis Teaching and Learning Student Affairs 2025–2027
Rachel Garver Educational Leadership Policy 2025–2027
Rebecca Goldstein Teaching and Learning Curriculum 2025–2027
Alternate: Suman Rath Educational Leadership 2025–2027
Student: TBD 2025–2026

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Name Program Committee Years
Vidya Atal Economics Curriculum 2025–2027
Rashmi Jain Info Mgmt & Bus Analytics Student Affairs 2025–2027
Ethne Swartz Management Policy 2024–2026
Alternate: Te Wu Management 2024–2026
Student: TBD 2025–2026

COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA

Name Program Committee Years
Yi Lou Communication and Media Policy 2025–2027
Vacant 2025–2027
Vacant 2025–2027
Alternate: Vacant 2025–2027
Student: TBD 2025–2026

COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

Name Program Committee Years
Emily Douglas Social Work & Child Advocacy Policy 2024–2026
Daniela Peterka-Benton Justice Studies Student Affairs 2025–2027
Valerie Sessa Psychology Curriculum 2025–2027
Alternate: Yasir Ibrahim Religion 2024–2026
Student: Elana Gabriel Clinical Psychology PhD Student Affairs 2025–2026

SCHOOL OF NURSING

Name Program Committee Years
Brenda Marshall Nursing Curriculum 2024–2026
Vacant 2025–2027
Vacant 2025–2027
Alternate: Vacant 2025–2027
Student: TBD 2024–2025

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

Name Program Committee Years
Eli Lee Chemistry & Biochemistry Policy 2025–2027
Hao Liu Computer Science Student Affairs 2024–2026
Matt Schuler Biology Curriculum 2025–2027
Alternate: Vaibhav Anu Computer Science 2024–2026
Student: TBD 2024–2025

THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

Name Program Committee Years
Michele Fisher Kinesiology Policy 2024–2026
Chris King Psychology Curriculum 2025–2027
Vacant 2025–2027
Student: TBD 2025–2026

Rotation for Election of Graduate Council Representatives

The number of elected faculty to Graduate Council is 24 (three per College/School). In addition to the three elected representatives, an alternate should be elected from each College/School to serve if an elective representative is unable to participate in Graduate Council activities. Smaller Colleges/Schools with fewer than 10 faculty members may choose to elect fewer than three representatives. When possible, at least one of the elected representatives from each College/School shall be a graduate program coordinator or doctoral program director.

Elections of faculty members to the Graduate Council take place during the spring semester leading into the following academic year. The election of faculty from each college is staggered so that two faculty members are elected one year, and one faculty member plus an alternate are elected in the following year. The rotation of elected faculty members for each College/School is maintained by The Graduate School.

Graduate Policy Manual

The policy development mission of The Graduate School is to provide an authoritative, accessible, and current repository for policies that impact the members of the University community across all graduate programs. These policies have broad application throughout the University to help ensure coordinated compliance with applicable laws and regulations, promote operational efficiency, and reduce institutional risk.

The Policy Committee of the Graduate Council is charged with reviewing and proposing revisions and additions to university-wide policies concerning graduate students and study. To inform its continual work, the Policy Committee welcomes any ideas or suggestions from faculty, staff, administrators, and graduate students. If you have any ideas or suggestions for matters that the Policy Committee might consider taking up, please let the Policy Committee know using the following form.