Office of Graduate Studies

Graduate Faculty

General Description of Graduate Faculty

The Graduate Faculty is composed of Members, Associate Members, Adjunct Members and Special Appointments. Members and Associate Members are selected from qualified individuals of the academic staff of the University, from the staff of other parts of the University, from The Texas A&M University System, and from affiliated research organizations (such as USDA) located in College Station, Texas.

Nomination for membership on the Graduate Faculty is always initiated by the head of the appropriate academic department of Texas A&M University in College Station and is processed as discussed in the following sections.

Appointment to membership on the Graduate Faculty, although considered an honor, serves functional purposes and must be earned. Appointment to membership is not for the purpose of conferring recognition upon an individual, but is designed to assure competence in the directing and counseling of graduate students and in the teaching of graduate courses. Such competence is, in part, a function of experience and knowledge of operational procedure; it is also characterized by ability and motivation.

Membership on the Graduate Faculty is maintained only by participating in the graduate program by teaching, by directing or administering graduate work, by doing research and publication, or by other direct and substantial contributions to the graduate programs of the University, such as by service on a Graduate Instruction Committee or by administrative assignments in graduate education. The Graduate Council expects that all Deans and Department Heads will regularly review the Graduate Faculty under their direction and will recommend withdrawal of the appointments of any members who no longer merit membership on the Graduate Faculty on the basis of their lack of contribution to graduate education. The Department Head shall notify any faculty member who is non-voluntarily removed from the roles of the Graduate Faculty, and the faculty member has the right to appeal his or her removal through the PPM 2.3.2.6 (Faculty Grievance Procedures).

A graduate student at Texas A&M University may not be a member of the Graduate Faculty. Membership on the Graduate Faculty of any faculty or staff member of Texas A&M University or The Texas A&M University System and affiliated research organizations is forfeited upon a faculty or staff member's admission to a graduate program at Texas A&M University. The four categories of membership are: (1) Member; (2) Associate Member; (3) Adjunct Member; and (4) Special Appointment.

Members

Eligibility. Tenure track and tenured faculty members of Texas A&M University are eligible to participate as Members of the Graduate Faculty under criteria and guidelines as established by each college, school or department on the College Station campus. Appointment of an individual as a Member is accomplished by a letter of nomination from the head of a department on the College Station campus to the Dean of Graduate Studies. In some cases, additional approval is required by the Dean or the Graduate Instruction Committee of the individual's college or school.

A non-tenure-track individual employed by Texas A&M University, TAES, TAEX, TEES, TEEX or TTI with professorial rank is eligible to participate as a Member of the Graduate Faculty. A person holding the title of Lecturer or Senior Lecturer may not normally be considered for Member status on the Graduate Faculty. Exceptions to this will be acceptable only if the person concerned has an unusual or unique contribution to make to the graduate program of Texas A&M University and approval is granted by the department, college, school and Office of Graduate Studies. A non-tenure-track individual is nominated by the head of the appropriate academic department in College Station who must present evidence that (a) the nominee (1) has taught a graduate class, or (2) has actively served on a graduate student's advisory committee, or (3) has held a definite administrative assignment in the graduate program of a university; and that (b) the nominee has published a scholarly work as primary author (or, in the case of a professional discipline, has exhibited appropriate evidence of professional accomplishment). Recognized scholars and authorities whose merits are clearly established need not be measured by standard criteria. Appointment of these individuals is accomplished by use of the Personal Record Form, initiated by the head of the academic department in College Station, through the College Graduate Instruction Committee and the college or school Dean to the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Privileges. A Member of the Graduate Faculty, located at College Station, may teach graduate courses and serve as member, co-chair or chair of a graduate student's Advisory Committee. Members located at the Texas A&M University Galveston Campus, the TAMU Temple Campus or TAMU's Institute of Biosciences and Technology-Houston may teach graduate courses and serve as a member, co-chair or chair of a graduate student's Advisory Committee.

Other Members of the Graduate Faculty located off-campus may teach graduate courses and serve as a member or co-chair (but not chair), with a Member as the other co-chair, of a graduate student's Advisory Committee.

Associate Members

Eligibility. Any faculty member (including Instructors and Lecturers, if permitted by the department or college's policy) or professional staff employed by Texas A&M University, TAES, TAEX, TEES, TEEX or TTI who holds the highest earned degree common to that person's discipline may be granted Associate Member status on the Graduate Faculty of Texas A&M University provided that the individual's appointment as an Associate Member of the Graduate Faculty will be beneficial to the department's graduate program. In addition, employees of federal and state agencies located in the College Station area are eligible for Associate Member status. It is expected that a nominee for Associate Member status has published a scholarly work as primary author (or, in the case of a professional discipline, has exhibited appropriate evidence of professional accomplishment). Recognized scholars and authorities whose merits are clearly established need not be measured by standard criteria.

Appointment to Associate Member status is accomplished by use of the Personal Record Form, initiated by the head of the academic department at College Station through the College Graduate Instruction Committee and the college or school Dean to the Dean of Graduate Studies. A non-tenure-track individual is nominated by the head of the appropriate academic department at College Station who must present evidence that (a) the nominee (1) has taught a graduate class, or (2) has actively served on a graduate student's advisory committee, or (3) has held a definite administrative assignment in the graduate program of a university; and that (b) the nominee has published a scholarly work as primary author (or, in the case of a professional discipline, has exhibited appropriate evidence of professional accomplishment). Recognized scholars and authorities whose merits are clearly established need not be measured by standard criteria. Appointment of these individuals is accomplished by use of the Personal Record Form, initiated by the head of the academic department at College Station through the College Graduate Instruction Committee and the college or school Dean to the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Privileges. An Associate Member of the Graduate Faculty of Texas A&M University may teach graduate courses and serve as member or co-chair (but not as chair) with a Member as the other co-chair of a graduate student's Advisory Committee.

Adjunct Members

Eligibility. Recognized scholars who do not hold a permanent appointment to the faculty (including visiting and adjunct academic appointments) of this University, but who otherwise meet the basic requirements for the status of Member of the Graduate Faculty, as described previously, may be eligible for appointment to Adjunct Member status. In addition, individuals not located in College Station and not employed by Texas A&M University may be considered for Adjunct Member status on the Graduate Faculty provided they are employed by another agency of the Texas A&M University System or are qualified staff of federal or state agencies. Such nominations should be made in those cases in which there is an apparent need, and justification can be presented by the head of an academic department in College Station.

A non-tenure-track individual is nominated by the head of the appropriate academic department in College Station who must present evidence that (a) the nominee (1) has taught a graduate class, or (2) has actively served on a graduate student's advisory committee, or (3) has held a definite administrative assignment in the graduate program of a university; and that (b) the nominee has published a scholarly work as primary author (or, in the case of a professional discipline, has exhibited appropriate evidence of professional accomplishment). Recognized scholars and authorities whose merits are clearly established need not be measured by standard criteria. Appointment of these individuals is accomplished by use of the Personal Record Form on the website ogs.tamu.edu/OGS/faculty.htm, initiated by the head of the academic department at College Station through the College Graduate Instruction Committee and the college or school Dean to the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Privileges. An Adjunct Member of the Graduate Faculty may teach graduate courses and serve as a member or co-chair (but not chair) with a Member as the other co-chair of a graduate student's Advisory Committee.

Special Appointment

There may be times when the head of an academic department in College Station wishes to have qualified individuals teach a graduate course or serve on a student's Advisory Committee without being permanently on the Graduate Faculty as either a Member, Associate Member or Adjunct Member. In addition, qualified individuals from other universities, government or industry may be appointed in special cases to teach a graduate course or to serve on a student's Advisory Committee.

These appointments are accomplished by use of the Personal Record Form on the website ogs.tamu.edu/OGS/faculty.htm initiated by the head of the academic department in College Station through the College Graduate Instruction Committee and college or school Dean to the Dean of Graduate Studies with the individual's résumé attached. The department head should indicate if the Special Appointment status is to be limited to the one specified committee, to one specified teaching assignment, or to a fixed length of time (e.g., for one or two years).

A qualified individual from another university, government or industry who holds Special Appointment status to the graduate faculty and who serves on a Graduate Advisory Committee is not counted toward the minimum number of graduate faculty necessary to form the committee.

Procedural Guidelines

  1. Research staff who are on the Graduate Faculty of Texas A&M University and who hold payroll titles equivalent to the "Scientist" titles will be assigned by the Dean of Graduate Studies, for the purpose of listing in the Graduate Catalog, the equivalent "Scientist" title. (Example: A person holding the payroll title of "Associate Research Engineer" will be assigned the title of "Associate Research Scientist.")
  2. Extension Service personnel on the Graduate Faculty of Texas A&M University will be identified in the Graduate Catalog by the title "Extension Specialist."
  3. USDA personnel on the Graduate Faculty of Texas A&M University will be identified in the Graduate Catalog by the title "USDA Scientist."
  4. Individuals in the Member, Associate Member and Adjunct Member categories will be listed in the Graduate Faculty section of the Graduate Catalog.
  5. Only names of individuals in the Member category of the Graduate Faculty will be listed under the respective departmental headings in the Graduate Catalog.