Duke University Graduate Faculty
The Graduate School consists of approximately 1,000 members of the graduate faculty, the training and research programs that they offer, and a small central staff to administer school-wide policies.
Normal prerequisites for admission to the graduate faculty include possession of the Ph.D. degree, tenure track appointment in the University, and research activity appropriate for one engaged in scholarly training. Academic units (departments and programs) may set additional requirements if they choose or, in special and exceptional cases, request that the Dean waive one of these prerequisites.
Departments and programs authorized to offer graduate degrees are responsible for nominating those members of their staffs who will teach graduate courses and direct student theses and dissertations. Nominations for full membership in the graduate faculty are forwarded to the Associate Dean, who has been delegated responsibility for all such appointments. Although academic units in the Graduate School, including those offering graduate certificates but not degrees, may request that other members of their staffs be approved by the Associate Dean for temporary and limited service in their graduate programs, e.g., teaching graduate courses or serving on student committees, such individuals are not designated as full members of the graduate faculty. Only full members of the graduate faculty are allowed to direct student theses and dissertations.
Academic units are also responsible for reviewing the effectiveness of their graduate faculty and are expected to recommend removal from the graduate faculty of any of their staff who fail to maintain an appropriate level of scholarship or other essential participation in their graduate programs.
Decisions on admission to the graduate faculty must be voted on by all graduate faculty members of the department or program. This vote may, under preapproved arrangements with the Graduate School, be the same vote as that recommending an external faculty member be invited to join the Duke department or program. Nominations subsequently forwarded to the Associate Dean must include: a). an official request from the Director of Graduate Studies and the Department Chair; b) notificiation of the number of votes cast by members of the graduate faculty in the academic unit and c) a current curriculum vitae. The Dean reserves the right of effective review of each request and has the obligation to submit to the Executive Committee any nomination deemed to be questionable.