GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
INSTITUTE GRADUATE COMMITTEE PROCEDURES
A. Meetings of the Institute Graduate Committee
The Secretary of the Graduate Committee (the Registrar) normally schedules three meetings each
semester, two for petitions and one reserved exclusively for considering degree candidates in the
current term. The dates of scheduled petition meetings are usually published well in advance in
the Official School Calendar at the Registrar's website. The Chair of the Committee may schedule
additional meetings during the term at his or her discretion. Departments should contact either
the Chair or the Secretary of the Committee (the Registrar) for additional meeting dates.
B. Steps for New Degree or Certificate Program Approval
1. The Board of Regents' processes for requesting new degree programs (two-phased process) and certificate programs can be found in the BOR Academic Affairs Handbook, Section 2.03.02, at http://www.usg.edu/academics/handbook/section2/2.03/2.03.02.phtml.
Master's degree programs should take between 30 and 36 semester credit hours. Programs requiring more than 36 hours will require an exception from the Board of Regents, and the proposal should include justification for such an exception (e.g. required for program accreditation).
2. A proposal must be approved in writing by the faculty of the academic department, the college dean (all participating academic departments and their respective deans if multidisciplinary), and the Provost before it is brought to the Institute Graduate Committee. A cover letter should accompany the proposal package summarizing all actions requested, with spaces provided for the required approval signatures.
Any new courses to be proposed as part of a new academic program should be submitted on the Georgia Tech "Application for Approval of New Graduate Course" form available from the Registrar's web site. Only courses that have a permanent number and title should be listed among the required courses.
3. The proposing unit asks the Chair of the Graduate Committee for consideration of the proposal at the next meeting of the Graduate Committee. The Chair determines the date, time, and location of the meeting at which the proposal will be considered and communicates that information to interested parties.
4. Independently, an electronic copy of the complete proposal package must be received by the Office of the Registrar at least two weeks before the meeting at which the proposal will be considered. The package must include copies of all materials, including the cover memo (with or without signatures), either as attachments or via a url. Materials will be distributed electronically to IGC members, Deans, Chairs, and Grad Coordinators; the two weeks are required to give them sufficient opportunity to review the materials.
5. Proposing units should send the complete original package with original signatures to the Office of the Registrar, Administration Building first floor, MC 0315, at least a week before the meeting at which the proposal will be considered. They should also send 6 paper copies of the complete proposal package to the Office of the Registrar so that they are received at least a day before the meeting at which the proposal will be considered.
6. The Graduate Committee will consider the proposal, either approving it, returning it for recommended changes, or denying it. It is strongly recommended that a School/College representative be present at the meeting to answer any questions that may arise.
7. The action of the Graduate Committee will be noted in the minutes of that meeting. The minutes will be submitted for approval at the next Graduate Committee meeting.
8. After Graduate Committee approval of the minutes of the meeting at which the proposal was considered, the Chair of the Grad Committee reports any Action Items to the Secretary of the Academic Senate, along with the web addresses for any materials relevant to the Action Items. The Secretary of the Academic Senate is responsible for notifying Senate members of any upcoming Action Items. The Chair or Secretary of the Graduate Committee must also provide the Secretary of the Academic Senate with Graduate Committee minutes that have been approved since the last Senate meeting.
9. At their next meeting, the Academic Senate hears the recommendations of the Graduate Committee and votes on new programs. The Academic Senate generally meets once per term. Tentative meeting dates for both the Grad Committee and the Academic Senate are generally available in the "Official School Calendar" at the Registrar's web site.
10. If approved, the Secretary of the Senate forwards the program to the Office of the Provost.
11. The Office of the President (or its designee) forwards proposals for new degree programs to the Chancellor's Office of the Board of Regents. The BOR normally meets monthly except in summer.
12. The proposal is considered by the BOR at a future meeting (usually but not always the next monthly meeting).
13. Once approved, the BOR notifies the Office of the President that the Institute may now offer the new program.
14. Once notified by the Office of the President, the Office of the Registrar creates codes and curricular rules for the new major/degree.
15. Students may be admitted to or change from an existing major into the new major once the Registrar
establishes the new codes and curricular rules.
C. New Courses and Curriculum Changes
1. In general, new courses and curriculum changes are initiated by a school or college. The
School or College prepares a cover memo addressed to the Graduate Committee chair, summarizing the
requested changes. The memo should be signed by the appropriate School representative(s), College
Dean(s), and the Provost, and accompanied by the required documentation.
2. After these approvals have been obtained, the school or college asks the Chair of the Institute
Graduate Committee for consideration at the next IGC meeting and simultaneously distributes the
materials via the Office of the Registrar, as described in items B 4 & 5, above (an electronic
copy of all documents, via url or attachments, for distribution to school chairs, graduate
coordinators and academic deans, at least 2 weeks before the meeting; AND the signed originals at
least a week in advance AND 6 complete paper copies of the whole package for the IGC before the
meeting at which the course/curriculum proposal is to be considered). Comments from School Chairs,
College Deans, Graduate Coordinators and Graduate Committee members about proposed changes should
be sent directly to the Graduate Committee Chair.
3. The course changes or curriculum changes are discussed and action taken at the next Graduate
Committee meeting. The Graduate Committee notifies the school of this meeting date so that a
faculty member from the school/college can be present to answer any questions regarding the new
course or curriculum change. It is strongly recommended that a representative attend.
4. Following approval by the Graduate Committee, the new course or curriculum change must be
approved by the Academic Senate.
5. Required Documentation: A special form,"Application for Approval of New Graduate
Course", is required for this purpose and is available from the Registrar's web site.
Only courses that have a permanent number and title should be listed as required courses.
Any back-up materials, including the course outline, should be attached. If a course is to be
cross-listed with another school, course numbers for both should be x7xx, where 7 identifies the
course as being cross-listed. The last two digits must be "50" or greater. Only a memo
is required to delete a course, but a statement concerning the potential effect on curricula of
other schools should be given if it is a required course for other majors. Curriculum Changes:
Only a memo is required to identify and explain the proposed changes in degree requirements.
II. INFORMATION FOR THE INSTITUTE GRADUATE COMMITTEE
A. The Charge of the Graduate Committee
The Graduate Committee is a standing committee of the faculty of the Institute. The charge of
the Graduate Committee is given in section 5.6.8 of the "Georgia Institute of Technology
Faculty Handbook ". The Faculty Handbook can be found at http://www.academic.gatech.edu/handbook/.
B. Meetings of the Institute Graduate Committee
The dates of the two meetings to consider petitions and the one to consider degree candidates
are published well in advance so that students know when petitions are due. These meetings should
not be moved earlier than the scheduled date. The Chair of the Committee may schedule additional
meetings during the term at his or her discretion.
C. New Committee Members
Elections take place every spring for terms to begin the following fall semester. The chair and
vice chair are elected (or re-elected) at the first meeting of the fall semester. If a member
resigns from the committee before the end of his or her term, the IGC Chair will report the
resignation to the Secretary of the Faculty. The Secretary of the Faculty will ask the Executive
Board to appoint a new member to replace him or her. Frequently, the Executive Committee appoints
the person who ran against the resignee in the last election.
D. Action by e-mail
Except under extraordinary circumstances as determined by the chair, matters should not be
considered nor voted upon electronically, as it deprives the Committee of the opportunity to have
dialogue with each other regarding the proposal. If an action is taken via e-mail between
meetings, however, it is the responsibility of the Chair to see that the Secretary records the
vote in the minutes of the last meeting.
[Procedures revised 3-14-06 ]
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