Council Mission

In accordance with the action of the general faculty (June 1949), the Graduate Council acts as the faculty of the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars (OGSPS). The Graduate Council is responsible for all academic policies related to postbaccalaureate study and degree programs, particularly those policies that involve admission to the OGSPS; standards of work; courses and programs of study; foreign language requirements; registration requirements; and all other requirements for advanced degrees.

The membership of the Graduate Council consists of a minimum of 25 appointed voting members, four ex officio voting members, and the administrative staff of the dean of the OGSPS, the associate vice president for research, and the president of the Purdue Graduate Student Government (as ex officio nonvoting members). The 25 appointed voting members of the council are named by the president of the University, normally to serve terms of three years, generally with eight new members being appointed each year. There is one voting member and one ex officio nonvoting member from the PNW-Calumet, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, and PNW-North Central campuses. No person who has served on the council as a voting member may be renamed to the council until at least one year has elapsed following his or her preceding three year term.

The ex officio voting members are: 1) the dean of the OGSPS, 2) the executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, 3) the dean of libraries, and 4) the university registrar.

The Graduate Council is divided into five area committees, and each council member is assigned to one of these committees. A sixth committee is a special committee to be composed, as appropriate, to review certain documents. Up to three faculty members, in addition to the voting members of the council, are added to each area committee to provide appropriate balance by discipline and/or subject matter expertise. The additional faculty members are appointed annually by the dean of the OGSPS and can serve for up to three consecutive years.