Every graduate program must have a Graduate Program Director (GPD), appointed by the unit dean after consultation with the department head and program faculty. It is possible that a single individual serves as GPD for multiple programs simultaneously.
GPDs are appointed to three-year terms; appointments may be renewed in three-year increments provided evaluations are positive.
A tenured graduate faculty member in an appropriate field is eligible to serve as GPD.
Deans or their designated representatives may, with the approval of the Dean of Graduate Education, assign the role of GPD to an individual who is not otherwise eligible under this standard.
Units may develop additional criteria consistent with this policy.
Each Unit must have a set of publicly available written statements regarding the position of Graduate Program Director, which will include:
- a description of any additional unit-specific responsibilities and the GPD’s reporting lines;
- the standards for selection, appointment, reappointment, and evaluation of the GPD, including seeking input from the Graduate School;
- the process for selecting the GPD and approving the appointment, including effective involvement of program faculty;
- the process for removing a GPD, including consultation with the Graduate School and program faculty where appropriate.
All programs not housed within a single unit must specify in the program's Memorandum of Understanding which dean will appoint the Graduate Program Director and what process will be used to nominate program faculty for the position.
