Appendices

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• Appendix A: Graduate Staff Appointments and Minimum Salaries
• Appendix C: Conducting Remote Thesis and Dissertation Defenses
• Appendix F: Representative Guidelines for an Interdisciplinary Graduate Program 
• Appendix G: Guidelines for Graduate Student Mentoring and Advising
• Appendix H: Graduate Student Bill of Rights and Responsibilities
• Appendix I: General Proposal Format for Combined Degree Programs
• Appendix K: Example of a Course Syllabus 
• Appendix M: Guidelines for Service on Graduate Degree Committees 
• Appendix S: Request for Approval for Graduate Faculty to Pursue a Graduate Degree
• Appendix V: Policy and Guidelines for Graduate Majors
• Appendix X: Professional Master’s Program Guidelines

Appendix A: Graduate Staff Appointments and Minimum Salaries

Graduate Staff Appointment Categories:

1. Graduate Teaching Assistant

The responsibilities of the Graduate Teaching Assistant could include any tasks related to the instruction of students. Graduate Teaching Assistants may have primary responsibility for a course, a recitation section, or a laboratory section. A Graduate Teaching Assistant may serve as a tutor or provide assistance to a faculty member in instruction in a course through such tasks as grading papers, preparing hand-outs, placing materials on the Web, or assisting in clinical assignments.

Graduate Teaching Assistants are considered employees of the University and are subject to the applicable policies and procedures. They are expected to fulfill their assigned teaching duties and assist faculty and departments in their designated teaching aims and responsibilities. Graduate teaching assistants cannot be involved in any instructional activities associated with 50000- or 60000-level courses. To be involved with the instruction of graduate students requires graduate faculty status; graduate students may not hold graduate faculty status of any type.

2. Graduate Lecturer

The responsibilities of the Graduate Lecturer are similar to those of the Graduate Teaching Assistant but at a more senior level. Normally, Graduate Lecturers teach courses beyond the 10000-level. Appointment to this category is made at the discretion of the department head or in a manner consistent with the governance of a particular academic unit when the following conditions have been met: The graduate student must have passed the preliminary examination and be a doctoral candidate; the graduate student is enrolled in 69900 for research credits and has completed all coursework on the plan of study; the graduate student has been a Graduate Teaching Assistant for at least four academic sessions prior to appointment as a Graduate Lecturer. Graduate lecturer cannot be involved in any instructional activities associated with 50000- or 60000-level courses. To be involved with the instruction of graduate students requires graduate faculty status; graduate students may not hold graduate faculty status of any type. 

Graduate Lecturers are considered employees of the University and are subject to the applicable policies and procedures. They are expected to fulfill their assigned teaching duties and assist faculty and departments in their designated teaching aims and responsibilities.

3. Graduate Professional

Duties that are generally administrative and/or professional in nature are assigned to a Graduate Professional. Graduate staff in this classification typically have responsibilities that are unrelated to the instruction of students in a course. For example, a Graduate Professional may have responsibilities in Libraries, Office of the Dean of Students, Intercollegiate Athletics, ITaP, or one of the development offices. Students who are assistant coaches and graduate staff who have academic counseling responsibilities should be classified as Graduate Professionals. While this classification is often found in administrative offices, Graduate Professionals are permitted in academic areas.

Graduate Professionals are considered employees of the University and are subject to the applicable policies and procedures. They are expected to fulfill their assigned duties and assist supervisor and departments in meeting their aims and responsibilities.

Beginning Fall 2020, Graduate Professional assistantships became hourly (non-exempt) positions. This change was made to enable Purdue University to remain in compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act. Graduate Professionals will continue (Fall 2020 and thereafter) to receive the same benefits as other graduate staff, including eligibility for the graduate staff fee, graduate staff health insurance, and paid leaves. Part of the tuition and fee remission covered by the University employer, however, may be considered taxable income for Graduate Professionals.

Graduate Professionals with tax-related questions should be directed to the Tax Services team. Graduate Professionals must record any hours that are over their normal weekly number, depending upon their FTE. International students must exercise great care to make sure that they are aware of the hourly limits permitted by their visas and to not exceed them.

4. Graduate Research Assistant

A Graduate Research Assistant performs duties related to a research project or program under the guidance and direction of faculty members. Any graduate student staff member who is assigned to perform research duties should be classified in the category, regardless of the funding source, and need not work for his/her own department.

Graduate Research Assistants are considered employees of the University and are subject to the applicable policies and procedures. They are expected to fulfill their assigned research duties and assist faculty and departments in meeting their aims and responsibilities.

Students must be engaged in the type of activity for which their positions are funded (i.e. students paid from instructional funds must be doing instruction, and students paid from research funds must be doing research, etc.) Departmental general funds can support instruction, learning, discovery, engagement, or departmental research.

________________________________________

* Graduate Teaching Assistant, Graduate Research Assistant and Graduate Administrative/Professional

________________________________________

Graduate Staff Policies and Degree and Registration Requirements

(Based on Individual Campus Salary Policy)

1. To be eligible to hold a graduate staff appointment during any session, an individual must be enrolled as a graduate student in a degree or teacher license program and be registered for at least three credit hours of graduate-level course and/or research work during the entire appointment period. (Graduate staff on appointment during the summer are obligated to register for a minimum of three graduate hours during at least one of the summer modules.) When appropriate, graduate staff may register for “Examination Only” or “Degree Only.” (See Section V-I-2).

2. The chart above establishes the minimum threshold salaries for graduate staff appointments for the academic year indicated. These are minimums and not set pay rates. Colleges can set salaries above these amounts based on available budget and the work performed.

3. All appointments require that services be performed at the Capacity Utilization Level (FTE) specified.

4. Unless a graduate staff appointment of at least 0.50 FTE is held, no graduate staff appointment of less than 0.25 FTE may be made. Two 0.25 FTE staff appointments are permitted.

5. A COMBINATION OF APPOINTMENTS IS POSSIBLE. Appointments beyond 0.50 FTE, to a maximum of .75 FTE may be made with approval from your advisor, your Associate Dean of Graduate Education (if applicable) and the ISS office (if applicable). Appointments in excess of .75 FTE require approval from your advisor, your Associate Dean of Graduate Education, the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars (OGSPS) and the ISS Office (if applicable).

6. Each college will establish graduate staff salaries appropriate for their departments within the limits established by this document. Salaries of continuing appointees will be reviewed annually. Adjustments for merit and/or increased responsibilities may be made by the department head.

7. University-wide salary levels will be reviewed periodically and revised as necessary.

8. Exceptions must be approved by the Vice Provost of OGSPS.

Appendix C: Conducting Remote Thesis and Dissertation Defenses

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars (OGSPS) modified the policy
requiring thesis and dissertation defenses to be conducted in a face-to-face modality. After surveying
faculty and students in the fall of 2020 on the effectiveness and convenience of this approach, OGSPS is planning to extend this exception, possibly permanently, pending approval by the
Graduate Council. 

The guidelines can be viewed here.

Appendix F: Representative Guidelines for an Interdisciplinary Graduate Program

^{Approved by the Graduate Council 9/18/03}

Representative Guidelines for an Interdisciplinary Graduate Program

The guidelines provided here are provided as representative for an interdisciplinary graduate program that is administered by the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars (OGSPS). The objective of guidelines here is to provide structural guidelines for the administration of an IGP, while allowing flexibility for the unique needs of each program.

1. Guidelines for Establishing a New IGP: Requests to establish a new IGP should be submitted to OGSPS for consideration by the appropriate Graduate Council area committee. The proposal should outline the structure and management of the proposed program in light of the following suggested structure:
   1. Name of proposed IGP and planned date of initiation of the program.
   2. Statement of the mission of the proposed IGP, including its research and training focus and the essentiality of an interdisciplinary approach to this focus.
   3. Availability of a critical mass of faculty and facilities to address the area of focus. This should include a listing of faculty (by department) who will be involved initially in the IGP.
   4. Support and approval of all academic units that will be involved in the proposed IGP (i.e., signatures from all department heads and deans with faculty to be involved in the program).
   5. Potential for success of this IGP. Success may be measured by improved ability to attract and retain superior students and faculty, to secure funding for research and training, or to enhance the quality of education and the reputation of Purdue University. Indicate the potential number of students this program could enroll.
   6. Logistical details, including planned curriculum and needed curricular changes (new courses, etc.) and procedures for admitting and graduating students.
2. Structure and Function of the IGP: The following committees are recommended to provide administrative support and guidance.
   1. Executive Committee: Each IGP should be administered by an executive committee made up of faculty representatives from the IGP. Duties of the executive committee should be clearly delineated and may include some or all of the following:
      1. Establish by-laws for the IGP, including standing committees needed for managing the IGP.
      2. Develop and implement mechanisms for selecting and screening faculty members for membership in the IGP.
      3. Develop and implement procedures for recruitment, admissions, curriculum, student supervision, and program requirements.
   2. Liaison Committee: In an effort to establish and maintain communication among administrators involved with the IGP, formation of a liaison committee is recommended. This committee should meet annually, at a minimum.
   3. IGP Director: The director of the IGP will be selected and/or approved by the executive committee, with the approval of the liaison committee and the Vice Provost of OGSPS. The director will manage administrative matters regarding the IGP and represent the IGP to the University, funding agencies, etc.
   4. Faculty Membership: Membership of faculty in an IGP must be approved by the faculty member’s home department head and then approved by the executive committee and communicated to OGSPS. Membership will be based on criteria developed by the executive committee. All members are then eligible to participate in all activities of the IGP.

Appendix G: Guidelines for Graduate Student Mentoring and Advising

^{Graduate Council Report 17-18a
Approved by the Graduate Council 05/08/2017}

Guidelines for Graduate Student Mentoring and Advising

Preamble: Purdue University is committed to providing its graduate students with a world-class education and equipping them to become leaders in society and in the global workforce. Key to success is the relationship between the student and major professor. The advisory role of the major professor is arguably the most significant factor influencing quality of education, development of professional skills, and overall career success for Purdue graduate students. Consequently, it is imperative that graduate faculty members provide mentoring and advising concomitant with a preeminent university. The principles articulated in this document were endorsed by the Graduate Faculty via approval by the Graduate Council to help assure that every graduate student receives the best educational experience Purdue has to offer.

General Advising Guidelines

Serving as a major professor involves being supportive and engaged in promoting academic and career success for Purdue graduate students.

1. Although the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars (OGSPS) offers orientation programming for new students and departments and colleges typically also provide orientation sessions, most students are not fully aware of academic expectations, the best ways to navigate their graduate program, and the employment opportunities available to them when they graduate. Major professors should:
   1. work with their students to develop an academic plan (to include periodic milestones along the way) that will help them progress through their degree program in a timely manner and properly prepare them for success after graduation;
   2. encourage participation in professional development activities, relevant to their students’ professional goals;
   3. assist their students in assembling their advisory and examining committees; and
   4. discuss with their students long-term career objectives and provide guidance in securing summer internships (when appropriate) and permanent job placement. This assistance may include introductions to colleagues in industry, government, or at other universities, and/or referrals to resources on campus, such as the Center for Career Opportunities.
2. On occasion, major professors may have to change the nature of their advisory relationship with their student. This can occur when professors retire or move to another university, or when students change major professors. In such cases, major professors should do all that is possible to ensure that their students have a pathway to completion and assist their students during the transition.
3. Research style and organization can vary widely among faculty. Students are often not aware of what is expected and how progress is measured. Major professors should make their expectations for research and their view of what constitutes satisfactory progress clear. Furthermore, at the onset of thesis/dissertation research, students should be given a clear picture of the accomplishments expected for degree completion.
4. An important part of developing as a scholar and successfully progressing through a degree program involves receiving feedback. Major professors should provide progress reviews to their students at least annually and should be accessible so that students can receive input when needed.

Guidelines for Supervising Graduate Staff

Graduate faculty oversee research, but in many cases they also supervise graduate teaching assistants, graduate research assistants, and other graduate staff. In these cases, faculty members have additional responsibilities.

1. Faculty supervisors should be familiar with department, college, OGSPS, and university policies regarding graduate staff employment and should refer students to the appropriate sources for employment information, such as the Graduate Staff Employment Manual, department resources (if available), and the Office of Human Resources.
2. Faculty should provide graduate staff working as research, administrative, and/or teaching assistants clear expectations of the roles, responsibilities, and professional benefits that come with that employment, and the associated time commitments should be consistent with university policy. For example, students on 50 CUL and 25 CUL appointments are expected to work approximately 20 and 10 hours per week respectively.
3. A common source of stress among graduate students is the uncertainty associated with funding. Loss of funding or gaps in funding can result in student attrition. Major professors should discuss the funding situation with their students, keep the students apprised of any anticipated changes as soon as this information becomes known, and discuss contingency options in the event funding becomes unavailable. Where possible, the academic unit should ensure continuity of funding, except in cases of poor academic or work performance.
4. Faculty members, departments, and colleges should regularly review graduate student salary levels to assure that they are appropriate.

Guiding Principles

A good student-advisor relationship is an important ingredient in helping students to be productive in their research and requires establishing reasonable expectations. While it is difficult to define “reasonable expectations” in a broad sense, the following principles and practices can be helpful in achieving a positive climate for discovery in which graduate students can thrive.

1. Major professors should take care in not overburdening their graduate students: there should be realistic expectations, recognizing that students have the right to a personal and social life outside of work and time off, periodically, to rest and relax. Major professors should avoid working conditions that preclude their students from having a manageable work-life balance, as this is not in the best interest of Purdue’s graduate students.
2. The best major professors are understanding, supportive, and empowering, providing enough guidance to allow students to explore and discover without over directing or micromanaging. Students should be encouraged by their major professors to interact with their advisory and examining committees, as these committee members can provide multiple perspectives that can be beneficial. They should also encourage other types of mentoring relationships where appropriate.
3. The best major professors put their students first amid competing priorities.
4. Students should be given opportunities to attend and participate in professional development activities as these are important to prepare them for the competitive job market.
5. Projects in which faculty members involve students should be appropriate and consistent with providing a valuable educational work or research experience.

Appendix H: Graduate Student Bill of Rights and Responsibilities

^{Approved by the Graduate Council 2/27/2019}

Introduction

The Graduate Student Bill of Rights and Responsibilities is an aspirational document drafted to serve as an agreeable set of standards to shape a standardized expectation of what the Purdue graduate student experience should be. This document is not enforceable university policy, but it demonstrates a commitment of students, faculty, and administration to a set of fundamental norms to promote the most positive graduate education culture and mutual success for everyone at Purdue. It shall inform all Purdue graduate students, irrespective of their roles as students, graduate staff, or fellows, to ensure that their time at Purdue is both enjoyable and efficacious, seeking to foster graduate student engagement with the principles of academic freedom, equal opportunity, inclusion and diversity, discovery and research, teaching, learning, and shared governance.

I. Purdue Graduate Student Rights

Article 1. Equal Educational Opportunity for Graduate Students

• Graduate students have a right to be informed of the rights described in this document upon enrollment and to be free of reprisals for exercising them.
• Graduate students have the right to clear and specific written requirements for achieving an advanced degree upon admission into their graduate program including, but not limited to, course work, examinations, publication, and conference attendance. Information regarding time-to-degree, availability and administration of graduate assistant salary, and faculty placement options should also be accessible.
• Graduate students have the right to reasonable and appropriate resources to successfully fulfill their research and academic obligations, acknowledging that the dynamic nature of research and availability of resources may sometimes require adaptation to alternative research approaches.
• Graduate students have a right to respectful mentoring and advising relationships with faculty and all members of their graduate committee and to evaluation by their committee in accordance with fair procedures in matters of continuation within their program, based solely on the individual graduate student’s academic and professional performance.
• Graduate students have a right and should be encouraged to pursue academic and professional training that is relevant to their personal career path and that will make them competitive for their career goals after the completion of their program.
• Graduate students have a right to access wellness resources, including programs for mental and physical well-being, to optimize their academic achievement and their contribution to the university overall.
• Graduate students have the right to a clearly defined grievance procedure detailed within their graduate program’s manual and to seek resolution without retaliation.

Article 2. Supportive and Constructive Workplace Environment for Graduate Staff

• Graduate staff working as administrative, professional, research, and/or teaching assistants have the right to clear and specific written job descriptions, responsibilities, and benefits (such as vacation and sick leave) that come with their appointment. This notification should occur prior to the start of employment, and staff members should be immediately informed in writing of changes.
• Graduate staff members should understand the impact of their earnings on eligibility for student loans and salaries. Relevant university, college, department and/or graduate program resources, including human resources and business office staff, should be responsive to graduate student inquiries about their working conditions.
• Graduate staff have a right to structured and specific training to ensure that they can meet the expectation of their appointment.
• Graduate staff have the right to a competitive salary relative to their colleagues in comparable departments in peer institutions, standardized to cost of living for an individual who is renting housing in the Greater Lafayette area. Graduate salary levels should be evaluated on a triennial basis by colleges and departments. The process and rationale for outcomes of evaluations should be made available to the pertinent graduate staff members.
• Graduate staff have a right to an accurate written description of the availability, sources, and conditions for the continuity of financial and resource support for a graduate staff appointment, and immediate notice of any changes impacting continued support. If the conditions for employment change, contract obligations by both parties should meet all obligations. Only if the graduate staff leaves the position prior to the Graduate Staff Employment Manual minimums, should any obligation of tuition repayment beyond the graduate staff fee be executed.
• Graduate staff with a benefit eligible appointment have a right to graduate staff leave and benefits, as defined by Human Resources, and to participate in the process for assessing benefit coverages, plans, and rates.
• Graduate staff have the right to a clearly defined workplace grievance procedure detailed within their department’s graduate program manual and to seek resolution without retaliation.

Article 3. Mentoring, Advising, and Performance Feedback

• Graduate students have a right to request consultation on all aspects of their progress within their degree program. Graduate students should receive regular and constructive feedback and guidance concerning their performance on a mutually agreeable schedule from all members of their graduate committee. Requests for meetings by either party should be met in a timely fashion, and feedback should be provided in writing when requested.
• Graduate students have the right to change their major professor(s) and the right to alternative supervision; however, this right should be exercised judiciously and with respect to the investments a faculty member makes when accepting a student. In cases where the student’s major professor departs from the university after the student’s coursework has begun, the graduate student should be informed of all options available to continue studying. If a graduate program is to be discontinued, provisions shall be made for students already in the program to complete their course of study.
• Graduate students have a right to prompt notification of any concern of their major professor, graduate committee, department, or the university related to their performance that may jeopardize their continued participation in their graduate program. Graduate students have the right to receive a fair opportunity to improve performance and address deficiencies subject to a reasonable, mutually agreed upon set of guidelines and timetable.
• Graduate students have a right to question and refuse tasks that would impede progress in completing their program or that are not immediately related to their academic or professional development, unless these tasks are explicitly established within the requirements of their program or a staff appointment.
• Graduate students have a right to full confidentiality in their communication with staff, faculty, and administrators, unless superseded by Title IX, FERPA, or other state or federal law.

Article 4. Research Contribution and Authorship

Graduate students have a right to fair treatment and attribution, including authorship, for significant contribution to ideas and work performed on faculty- or university-sponsored research. The norms and standards within the respective discipline or the implication of interdisciplinary research to authorship should be explicitly explained by the primary investigator and agreed upon by all participating researchers. Individual rights and responsibilities on research projects should be discussed as early as possible and communicated throughout the duration of the project, acknowledging that the dynamic nature of research may dictate transition of responsibilities or authorship positions once a project has been started.

Article 5. Participation in Governance

• Graduate students have the right to consultation in the decision-making process of all departments and graduate programs when graduate students may be affected.
• Graduate students have the right to representation in all university committees where graduate students may be affected, with voting privileges when appropriate and without fear of retaliation for exercising this right. Selection of graduate students to serve on university committees should be made in consultation with the Purdue Graduate Student Government.

II.Purdue Graduate Student Responsibilities

Article 1. Graduate Student Engagement with the University

• Graduate students are responsible for understanding and carrying out the responsibilities that are described in this document and the implications to their time spent at the university.
• Graduate students are responsible for fostering their own success. They should be diligent in carrying out their duties in a conscientious and timely manner and do their best to ensure stability for other students, faculty, programs, and departments with whom and wherein they work.
• Graduate students are responsible for maintaining active and professional communication with their major professor. They should inform their major professor immediately of special circumstances that may preclude completion of their work. These circumstances could include, but are not limited to, the unique nature of the research, dire financial situations, civic obligations, family obligations, and religious obligations.
• Graduate students are responsible for attending class and completing all assignments in accordance with the expectations established by their instructors and the academic requirements of their graduate programs.
• Graduate students are responsible for taking the initiative in seeking information that promote their understanding of the academic requirements and the financial particulars of their graduate program and to be receptive of information and updates provided to them through multiple forms of communication, including Purdue e-mail.
• Graduate students are responsible for informing the university of changes in address, phone number, enrollment status, or any other circumstance which could affect satisfactory progress in their program or financial aid and assistantship awards.
• Graduate students are responsible for providing service to and actively participate in the governance of their program, their department, school or college, and the university community, and they should endeavor to contribute to the administration and ongoing improvement of their graduate program, the graduate student government, and the university.

Article 2. Purdue Graduate Staff Responsibilities

• Graduate staff should recognize that a graduate staff appointment represents an obligatory average weekly time commitment to duties that may be uncoupled from their academic responsibilities. They are responsible for maintaining regular and open communication with their employer, to ensure mutual understanding of the expectations of their appointment, and to perform their duties as outlined and in accordance with institutional guidelines and policies.
• Graduate staff with teaching appointments are responsible for upholding the highest level of academic integrity, professionalism, and diligence in their teaching practices.
• Graduate staff with research appointments are responsible for upholding the highest levels of research integrity, consistent with the responsible conduct of research.
• Graduate staff are responsible to understand their role and due diligence in fostering professional relationships with their advisors and university personnel.

III.Amendments to the Graduate Student Bill of Rights and Responsibilities

Any amendments to the Graduate Student Bill of Rights and Responsibilities should seek endorsement from the Purdue Graduate Student Senate, the Graduate Council, and the University Senate.

Appendix I: General Proposal Format for Combined Degree Programs

^{Approved by the Graduate Council 2/16/2006}

General Proposal Format for Combined (or Concurrent) Degree Programs

Combined degree programs are described in Section I-H-5. The proposal, prepared as described below, is submitted through the Curriculog.  

1. Proposal Content
   1. ​Proposal Summary
   2. Degrees to be Conferred
   3. Rationale and Need for the Combined Degree Program - Include a description of the impact and benefits of the proposed program and the relationships of the proposed program to the mission and scope of the campus, to already existing campus programs, and to human resource supply and demand.
   4. Objectives of the Combined Degree Program
   5. Proposed Program Structure
      1. admission requirements and process
      2. degree requirements
      3. scope, size of the program
      4. administrative structure - Include a description of the curriculum for the program, including plans of study for each of the separate programs, with specific notations of courses (numbers and titles) to be used to fulfill requirements for each program in the combined degree plan.
   6. Sustainability and Impact on the State and Region
   7. Staffing and Infrastructure - Describe the resources over and above present levels required to initiate the program (space and other physical needs, faculty and staff, fiscal needs, other).

Appendix K: Example of a Course Syllabus

Information to be Included in a Course Syllabus

Syllabus Outline
(Center for Instructional Excellence, Purdue University)

1. Instructor Information
   • Your name and title
   • Your office location, office hours, office phone number, your home phone number (if you wish to share it), and any restrictions that you would like to observe
   • Your e-mail address and fax number
   • Names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of your teaching assistants
2. Course Information
   • Course title and number
   • Number of credit hours
   • Course description
   • Course prerequisites
   • Description of students for whom the course was designed
   • Course text, related materials, bibliography
3. Goals and Objectives
   • A rationale for the course
   • Course goals
   • Specific objectives (either a comprehensive list or chapter by chapter)
   • A statement of how the course relates to students’ development toward their major and toward their career goals
4. Course Policies
   • Attendance (University Regulations Handbook, 2006-07, Part 2, Section VI.A.
   • Grading criteria -What are the penalties for turning work in late? (Include a statement describing how you plan to assess students, the criteria you will use, and how you will determine their final grade.)
     ^{Criteria
     Exams and Quizzes
     Papers and Projects
     Homework
     Laboratory Exercises
     Attendance and Class Participation
     Extra Credit Policies}
   • If this is a laboratory course. Include information about dress regulations and safety requirements for working in the laboratory, as well as policies on allowing food, drink, or electronic devices in the lab.
   • Students with disabilities. Include a statement like the following in your syllabus: “If you have a disability which requires some special accommodation, please let me know within the first two weeks of the semester to discuss the appropriateness of the instructor’s methods in this class or any other accommodation you may need.”
   • Academic Honesty/Plagiarism (University Regulations Handbook, 2006-07, Part 5, Section III.B.2).
5. Class Schedule/Course Calendar
   Assignments (Two complaints students often make is that their instructors don’t sufficiently explain exactly what they expect on assignments or why the assignments are being made.)
   • Dates for all assignments and exams
   • Holidays and special events
   • Include the following statement in the course syllabus, “In the event of a major campus emergency, course requirements, deadlines and grading percentages are subject to changes that may be necessitated by a revised semester calendar or other circumstances. Here are ways to get information about changes in this course. Blackboard Vista Web page, my e-mail address: ________@purdue.edu, and my office phone: 49-XXXX.”
6. Other Information Relevant to the Course

Examples of Course Goals

From a biology course:

1. To begin to speak more effectively in front of a group - not just feel more at ease but effectively make your case.
2. To write clearer summaries of material.
3. To develop and test your own hypotheses.

From a history course:

1. To recognize that history is not just names, dates, and places; but, more importantly, it is arguments and guesses over where a society was/is going and why. How did definitions of success and failure and vice and virtue change from 1600 to 1865? How did relationships between husband and wife; parent and child; politician and voter; manager and worker; government and citizen; etc. change and why?
2. To understand how historians use evidence and to practice using it yourself.
3. To understand the concept of alternative views.
4. To understand the difference between facts and interpretations.

From a study skills course:

1. Develop a positive attitude toward learning, your courses, and your instructors.
2. Become aware of your responsibilities as a student and learn how to deal with a university environment (including understanding university policies and procedures and how to get along with your professors).
3. Establish good study habits and time management skills so that you can work effectively and efficiently.
4. Improve your listening, note-taking, reading, and test-taking skills.

Appendix M: Guidelines for Service on Graduate Degree Committees

^{updated 9/19/2022}

Service on graduate degree committees is directly related to academic credentials and experience in research and graduate student mentoring. Graduate Faculty members at Purdue University are divided into three major classifications, “Regular” and “Special” and “RS”. To be appointed as a “Regular”, the individual must be a tenure track, clinical/professional, emeritus or research faculty member with a departmental affiliation. A “Special” appointment may be approved for an individual who does not meet the conditions required for “Regular” appointment, yet who can contribute special expertise to the work of graduate students. “RS” is intended for faculty holding regular status at the time of retirement who will not hold the status of emeritus after retirement. RS allows those faculty to continue working with their graduate students to completion.

A primary guiding principle for all requests is that they originate in the department with the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars (OGSPS) providing the highest classification requested by the department within the governing classification structure. The latter precept ensures that departments maintain control over faculty status assignments because they know who is best qualified to serve on graduate committees. It should be emphasized that the Graduate Status Policy provides the highest levels possible for a faculty member who meets the criteria. However, graduate status is not an entitlement or guarantee that the faculty will receive the level or status for which they might qualify. The decision of appropriate level of status for any faculty resides with the department and its governing faculty.

LIST OF CLASSIFICATIONS OF GRADUATE FACULTY SERVING ON GRADUATE STUDENT COMMITTEES

GRADUATE FACULTY: REGULAR APPOINTMENT

R.1      Tenure-track, clinical/professional (e.g., clinical faculty, professor of practice, or teaching faculty), emeritus faculty, or research faculty with a departmental affiliation that hold a doctoral degree with a dissertation.

R.2       Tenure-track, clinical/professional (e.g., clinical faculty, professor of practice, or teaching faculty), emeritus faculty, or research faculty with a departmental affiliation that hold a doctoral degree without a dissertation.

R.3       Tenure-track, clinical/professional (e.g., clinical faculty, professor of practice, or teaching faculty), emeritus faculty, or research faculty with a departmental affiliation that hold a master’s degree with a thesis.

R.4       Tenure-track, clinical/professional (e.g., clinical faculty, professor of practice, or teaching faculty), emeritus faculty, or research faculty with a departmental affiliation that hold a master’s degree without a thesis.

GRADUATE FACULTY: RS

RS.1      Tenure-track, clinical/professional (e.g., clinical faculty, professor of practice, or teaching faculty), or research faculty retirees with a departmental affiliation that hold a doctoral degree with a dissertation.

RS.2       Tenure-track, clinical/professional (e.g., clinical faculty, professor of practice, or teaching faculty), or research faculty retirees with a departmental affiliation that hold a doctoral degree without a dissertation.

RS.3       Tenure-track, clinical/professional (e.g., clinical faculty, professor of practice, or teaching faculty), or research faculty retirees with a departmental affiliation that hold a master’s degree with a thesis.

RS.4       Tenure-track, clinical/professional (e.g., clinical faculty, professor of practice, or teaching faculty), or research faculty reitrees with a departmental affiliation that hold a master’s degree without a thesis.

GRADUATE FACULTY: SPECIAL APPOINTMENT

S.1        University faculty members who were “Regular” members of the Graduate Faculty at Purdue University and served but who are no longer at Purdue. This status has a default term of 1-year but is renewable.

With the approval of the academic college/school dean, a department head may request approval for a former regular Graduate Faculty at Purdue University to continue to serve on graduate student committees. Approval for S1 status is typically granted for one-year, beginning with the faculty member’s date of departure. S1 status can be renewed until the faculty’s students have completed their degrees but it is assumed that the faculty are not taking on or being assigned new students.

Note that faculty who are retiring but will not hold emeritus status may serve in the RS classification above to complete their students.

S.2        Research faculty without departmental affiliation, Purdue employees (including LTL, lecturer, senior lecturer, adjunct, visiting, post-doctoral and other non-faculty staff) and non-Purdue employees that hold a doctoral degree with a dissertation.

S.3        Research faculty without departmental affiliation, Purdue employees (including LTL, lecturer, senior lecturer, adjunct, visiting, post-doctoral and other non-faculty staff) and non-Purdue employees that hold a doctoral degree without a dissertation.

S.4        Research faculty without departmental affiliation, Purdue employees (including LTL, lecturer, senior lecturer, adjunct, visiting, post-doctoral and other non-faculty staff) non-Purdue employees that hold a master’s degree with a thesis.

S.5        Research faculty without departmental affiliation, Purdue employees (including LTL, lecturer, senior lecturer, adjunct, visiting, post-doctoral and other non-faculty staff) and non-Purdue employees that hold a master’s degree without a thesis.

Service on Doctoral Committees with a Dissertation Completion Requirement

1. Required classification to be a member of a doctoral committee

R.1, R.2, R.3, RS.1, RS.2, RS.3, S.1, S.2, S.3, S.4

2. Required classification to be a doctoral committee co-chair

R.1, RS.1, S.1, S.2

3. Required classification to be a doctoral committee chair

R.1, RS.1, S.1

Service on Doctoral Committees without a Dissertation Completion Requirement

1. Required classification to be a member of a doctoral committee

R.1, R.2, R.3, RS.1, RS.2, RS.3, S.1, S.2, S.3, S.4

2. Required classification to be a doctoral committee co-chair

R.1, R.2, RS.1, RS.2, S.1, S.2, S.3

3. Required classification to be a doctoral committee chair

R.1, R.2, RS.1, RS.2, S.1

Service on Master’s Committees with a Thesis Completion Requirement

1. Required classification to be a member of a master’s committee

All certification levels may serve

2. Required classification to be a master’s committee co-chair

R.1, R.2, R.3, RS.1, RS.2, RS.3, S.1, S.2, S.3, S.4

3. Required classification to be a master’s committee chair

R.1, R.2, R.3, RS.1, RS.2, RS.3, S.1

Service on Master’s Committees without a Thesis Completion Requirement

1. Required classification to be a member of a master’s committee

All certification levels may serve

2. Required classification to be a master’s committee co-chair

All certification levels may serve

3. Required classification to be a master’s committee chair

R.1, R.2, R.3, R.4, RS.1, RS.2, RS.3, RS.4, S.1

***Guidelines for Former Purdue Graduate Faculty to Serve as Chair of Graduate Degree Committees***

With the approval of the academic college/school dean, a department head may request approval for a former regular Graduate Faculty at Purdue University to continue to serve on graduate student committees.  Approval for S1 status is typically granted for one-year, beginning with the faculty member’s date of departure. S1 status can be renewed until the faculty’s students have completed their degrees but it is assumed that the faculty are not taking on or being assigned new students

Appendix S: Request for Approval for Graduate Faculty to Pursue a Graduate Degree

The Policies and Procedures for Administering Graduate Student Programs manual states:

Section I under Graduate Faculty: “A tenure-track faculty member who has received approval of the Vice Provost of Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars (OGSPS) and the provost (via a request to the Vice Provost) to pursue a graduate degree (see Appendix S) while remaining in faculty status will be changed to an appropriate “Special Graduate Faculty Appointment” while pursuing the degree.”

Section III under Admissions: “Purdue employees who hold a Graduate Faculty appointment on a Purdue campus may take graduate courses, but may work for advanced degrees at Purdue only under certain conditions and with prior approval of the Vice Provost.” [The provost’s approval, upon a recommendation, is also required.]

A memorandum addressed to the Vice Provost, accompanied, with the following material, should be submitted electronically to the Graduate Programs Office, gradcncl@purdue.edu:

1. Curriculum vitae
2. Academic Interests:
   • research interests
   • the purpose for study for the Ph.D. degree
   • the benefit to the Department/School with explanation of how the degree will enhance work performance.
3. Possible Conflict of Interest:
   • Description of how he/she plans to remove him/herself from possible conflicts of interest. Please note that in addition to not being included on home department faculty committees and enrolling in home department graduate courses, he/she will not be permitted to serve as the major professor on graduate student committees. Any restrictions in serving on departmental or college committees pertaining to graduate student admission or dismissal, awarding of assistantships or fellowships, and graduate program policy, including academic programs, should be described.
4. Supporting Documentation:
   • Supporting documentation from the primary committee, department head, and dean in the college. [Documentation from primary committee required only if tenure-track faculty member]
   • Detailed description for plans to complete degree

Appendix V: Policy and Guidelines for Graduate Majors

^{Graduate Council Report 16a
Approved by the Graduate Council 05/12/2016
Revised to address Curriculog 05/2018}

Policy and Academic Process for Requests for Graduate Program Majors by Academic Units

Graduate Majors

Graduate education at Purdue is organized by degree programs. A degree program may have one or more associated majors. Each major is a unique set of courses designed to give the student depth in an academic field. A major designation appears on all transcripts issued after the degree is posted, but not on the diploma.

Definition of a Graduate Degree

A graduate degree is a specific program of study, approved by the Purdue University Graduate Council, Provost’s Office, the Board of Trustees, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and the Higher Learning Commission.

Definition of a Graduate Major

A degree hosts a minimum of one major and may propose additional major(s). A major is an academic field of study within an approved graduate degree requiring a defined and unique set of courses that differentiates the major from other majors that might exist within the same degree.

Definition of a Graduate Concentration

A concentration is an area of study within an approved graduate major (requiring a minimum of 9 credit hours), administratively approved by the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars (OGSPS).

Graduate majors will have the following features:

1. Specialization in an academic field of study within a graduate degree.
2. For master’s degrees seeking more than one major, each additional major must be a minimum of 60% distinct in the credit hours required for the degree and no more than 80% distinct from the existing major(s) in the degree (see table 1).
3. For doctoral degrees seeking more than one major, each additional major must have a minimum of 18 credits required for the degree.
4. A proposal below the threshold should consider a concentration proposal, and above the threshold should consider a new degree proposal.

Table 1. Number of course credits defining a graduate major

Review/Approval Process:

Proposal for a Major

Proposals are submitted to OGSPS using Curriculog.  

1. Upon receiving the proposal for a major, OGSPS concurrently conducts an administrative review. The Graduate Council conducts an academic review. 
2. The academic review begins with the Area Committee Chairs reviewing the proposal to determine if the proposal presents the need for a review by Area Committee B, that is, the need for a multidisciplinary review. If not, then the appropriate Area Committee will review the proposal.
3. The Graduate Programs Office forwards all administrative comments to the appropriate Graduate Council Area Committee for review and recommendation to the Council. The area committee chair may seek feedback from corresponding degree granting units on any campus as well as the proposer.
4. The area chair will establish time limits on responses from the proposer (typically 30-90 days). Under extenuating circumstances a longer period may be granted by the area chair.
5. In parallel, non-academic reviews are conducted by the Office of Institutional Research Assessment and Effectiveness (OIRAE), Office of Budget and Fiscal Planning, and, if required, the Associate Vice Provost and Director of Digital Education.
6. The area chair presents the proposal to the Graduate Council for consideration. The Council may elect to approve or not approve the proposal.

Subsequent Review and Action

1. The proposal follows the review and approval workflow in the Curriculog system all the way to the final approval which is the Vice Provost of OGSPS.  At this time, the proposal is forwarded to the Registrar’s Office to set up a new graduate major and associated code in the Banner System.
2. The Vice Provost reports the major approval to the Graduate Council.
3. OGSPS notifies the proposer.

Supporting Documentation Outlining the Justification for the Major

• Statement of the mission of the proposed major including, but not limited to, the need for the major, the target audience, the relationship to the degree under which the major will be listed, and the relationship to other majors in the degree
• Any existing concentrations that will be listed under the major
• Focus of the research or professional program associated with the major
• Participating faculty, including name, academic rank, and departmental affiliation
• Currently enrolled or expected number of students
• Core courses for the major and a description of how they fit into and support the degree program. List only the courses required for this major.
• Learning outcomes (e.g., unique knowledge or abilities, capacity to identify and conduct original research, ability to communicate to peer audiences, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, etc.)

Appendix X: Professional Master’s Program Guidelines

The concept of a Professional Master’s Program (PMP) at Purdue was initiated to stimulate development of new terminal master’s degree programs that are focused on advanced credentialing for working professionals. As such, these degrees have a professional, rather than academic, career focus. These programs may be delivered on campus (face-to-face) or online. Read the Professional Master’s Program Guidelines for more information.