Graduate Faculty Status at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) signifies a faculty member’s qualification to contribute to graduate education. This status reflects the expertise and dedication required to uphold the high standards of FGCU's graduate programs. To ensure these standards are met, clear guidelines and specific university and college policies and procedures for obtaining Graduate Faculty Status have been established. These resources help faculty navigate the process and ensure that programs adhere to both internal expectations and accrediting standards.
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Membership Types
Toggle More InfoMembership Status Functions Qualifications Member - Eligible to teach 5000-, 6000-, and 7000-level.
- Eligible to serve as the committee chair, co-chair, or member for doctoral dissertations, master's theses, or other graduate-level projects or exams.
- Faculty appointment and rank: full-time faculty appointment at Associate or Professor rank.
- Education: terminal degree in the field or in a closely related discipline from an accredited institution.
- Scholarly/creative activities: evidence of sustained research activities or other appropriate scholarly/creative activities as defined by the Academic Unit.
- Teaching: evidence of effectiveness in graduate-level.
- Professional Service: a track record of service contributions to the department, Academic Unit, university, and/or professional organizations related to one’s academic discipline.
Associate Member - Eligible to teach 5000-, 6000-, and 7000-level.
- Eligible to serve as a committee co-chair, not the chair, or member for doctoral.
- Eligible to serve as the committee chair, co-chair, or a member for master's theses, and or other graduate-level projects or exams.
- Faculty appointment and rank: full-time faculty appointment at the Assistant Professor rank or higher.
- Education: terminal degree granted by a graduate program in a closely related discipline from an accredited institution.
- Scholarly/creative activities: evidence of having made significant progress toward the development of perpetual, professional, independent research activities or other appropriate scholarly/creative activities as defined by the Academic Unit.
- Teaching: evidence of effectiveness in teaching at the college or university.
- Professional Service: a track record of service contributions at the department, Academic Unit, university, and/or professional organizations related to one’s academic discipline.
- In special circumstances, an Academic Unit may recommend an Instructor III with a terminal degree to the Associate Member status based on the criteria set forth by the Academic Unit.
Adjunct Member
- Eligible to teach 5000- and 6000-level.
- Compatible with one’s highest graduate degree, an Adjunct Member may serve as a committee member, but not the committee chair or co-chair, for doctoral dissertations, master's theses, or other graduate projects or exams.
- Appointment in one of the following categories: visiting faculty employed on a full-time basis, faculty whose primary appointment is outside the Academic Unit of appointment, faculty employed on a part-time basis, lecturers and instructors, other qualified professionals with expertise in a scholarly discipline or professional field.
- Education: terminal degree granted by a graduate program in a field or in a closely related discipline from an accredited institution.
- Teaching: university-level teaching experience in the discipline or in a closely related field, and/or extensive and sustained professional experience in a closely related field.
Courtesy Member
- Not eligible to teach 5000-level courses and above at this graduate faculty.
- Compatible with one’s highest graduate degree of holding a degree at or above the level of the project to which the member is approved to serve, a Courtesy Member may serve as the third or fourth committee member, but not direct or serve as the committee chair or co-chair for doctoral dissertations, master's theses, or other graduate-level projects or exams.
- Appointment in one of the following categories: retired/resigned faculty, other qualified professionals with expertise in a scholarly discipline or professional field relative to the thesis, project, dissertation, or exam on which this member is approved to serve.
- Education: terminal degree granted by a graduate program in the field or in a closely related discipline from an accredited institution, or extensive and sustained experience in a closely related field relative to the thesis, project, dissertation, project, or exam to which this member is approved to serve.
- Scholarly/creative activities: research expertise and sustained experience mentoring graduate students or others in their professional field.
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Policies & Bylaws
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Regular Procedure & Membership Application
Toggle More InfoWhen & How To Apply
During regular semesters, the CAS Graduate Affairs Committee (GAC) will notify CAS faculty about the opening of the application cycle for credentialing as a member of the CAS Graduate Faculty. The deadline for submitting application materials will typically be a specific date in January, as determined by the GAC each year. Applicants should complete the online form below and submit the required documents before the stated deadline.
Required Documents
Each person applying for credentialing as a member of the Graduate Faculty or applying for reappointment as a member of the Graduate Faculty should submit the following materials electronically to the chair of the CAS Graduate Affairs Committee before the stated spring deadline:
- Brief cover letter requesting credentialing or reappointment as graduate faculty; Letter should include the level of status requested (Member, Associate Member, Adjunct Member or Courtesy Member); Ranked faculty are only eligible for Member or Associate Member status.
- Updated curriculum vitae formatted according to the template provided here (DOCX, PDF); Most important sections are highlighted.
- As outlined in Article III of the CAS Bylaws individuals applying for CAS Graduate Faculty as Members must show evidence of widely disseminated, peer-reviewed scholarship within the last five years. Associate Members must show evidence of scholarly activity as defined in Appendix IV of the PECAP in the last five years or an extended history of widely disseminated peer-reviewed scholarship. Those applying for membership as Adjunct Members must have a demonstrated history of productive scholarship or special expertise or experience. This evidence may be included in the cover letter or C.V. so long as it is clearly identifiable.
- Applications from those who do not have full-time permanent appointments as FGCU ranked faculty need to include a brief letter from the department chair/director or program leader/coordinator indicating their support, and how the applicant’s expertise would support current and/or future graduate program(s) in the College of Arts and Sciences.
- Applications for Member should include evidence of effectiveness in graduate-level teaching, and evidence of perpetual, independent research activities or other appropriate scholarly/creative activities. Again, this evidence may be included in the cover letter or C.V.
Review Process
The GAC Chair will disseminate all applications to members of the GAC. The GAC will carefully review and discuss each application and decide what action is to be taken, including what level of credentialing is to be recommended. Prior to March 1st the GAC will submit a written recommendation for Graduate Faculty appointment/reappointment or nonappointment/reappointment to the Dean of CAS.
The Dean/Associate Dean will submit a written recommendation for approved applicants, to the Associate Provost, Academic Programs and Curriculum Development, and Director of Graduate Programs for review and final approval. Upon final approval, the Dean/Associate Dean will notify the faculty member of his or her graduate status. CAS will maintain a current record of graduate faculty member appointments and shares this list with the Office of Graduate Studies annually.
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Expedited Procedure & Membership Application
Toggle More InfoWhen & How To Apply
The expedited process is used to grant Graduate Faculty Status for time-sensitive requests. This process allows for quicker approval when there is an urgent need, such as when a faculty member is scheduled to teach a graduate class in the current or upcoming semester or when their participation is crucial to a graduate committee, exam, or project.For the expedited procedure, in addition to the documents required in the regular process, a support letter from the department chair (or program leader) is needed. This letter should explain the need for an expedited appointment and how the applicant’s expertise would support current and/or future graduate program needs within the department or college.
The expedited process will only grant Provisional Memberships, which last until the end of the current academic year. All provisional members are required to reapply for regular membership in the next regular cycle.
Review Process
Once the documents are received, the GAC Chair can make a recommendation regarding a provisional Graduate Faculty appointment or seek feedback from other GAC members. If the GAC Chair is unavailable, the Dean of CAS can make a provisional recommendation. Provisional status is only valid until the next scheduled review for standard graduate faculty member status. At that time, the provisional graduate faculty member should apply for Graduate Faculty Status.
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Graduate Faculty Members
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CAS Graduate Affairs Committee
Toggle More InfoFor any questions, please contact your department representative or the GAC Committee Chair.
Department Representation Faculty Member Term Expires Biological Sciences Christina Anaya (Chair) 2025 Bower School of Music & the Arts No seat sought, no graduate program NA Chemistry & Physics VACANT Communication & Philosophy No seat sought, no graduate program NA Justice Studies Brion Severs 2025 Language & Literature Masami Sugimori 2026 Mathematics Galen Papkov 2025 Poli Sci, Public Admin, & History Robert Lee 2025 Psychology No seat sought, no graduate program NA Rep. from the Dean's office Menaka Navaratna and Rebecca Totaro (ex-officio)
