Texas A&M University Graduate Catalog

• Academic Calendar
• Board of Regents
  & System Adminstrative
  Officers
• TAMU Administrative
  Officers
• Office of
  Graduate Studies
• General Information
• Degree Information
• Admission
• Registration & Academic Status
• Tuition, Fees &
  Other Financial Information
• Housing
• Orientation
• Resources for Students
• Texas A&M University at Galveston
• Course Descriptions
• School of
  Rural Public Health
• Faculty
• Appendices

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 or Chair of the Interdisciplinary Faculty at 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 a graduate student 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, Department Heads, or Chair of the Interdisciplinary Faculty, 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, or Chair of the Interdisciplinary Faculty, 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.