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Graduate Council

AGENDA AND MATERIALS

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Overview

The governing body of The Graduate School is the Graduate Council, which operates in accordance with its Bylaws.  The membership of the Graduate Council shall be specified in the Graduate Council Bylaws. A majority of the voting members of the Graduate Council shall constitute a quorum.
 
2.1A  Functions
 
The functions of Graduate Council shall be:
 
1.  To formulate educational policy for all graduate work in doctoral programs at the Graduate School and in other graduate programs of The Graduate School, to set standards of admission and academic performance, and curriculum and degree requirements.
 
2.  To approve programs and curricula leading to the doctoral degree and to approve other graduate programs of The Graduate School and the curricula of these programs.
 
3. To recommend to the CUNY Board of Trustees the granting of honorary and graduate degrees to qualified candidates. This function shall be exercised exclusively by the faculty members of the Council.
 
4. To consider any other academic matters of The Graduate School and to make recommendations to the CUNY Board of Trustees.
 
5. To receive, consider, approve, and forward, as appropriate, reports and recommendations of the Council's standing committees.
 
6.  To review, and act on revisions to the Governance document of The Graduate School of the Graduate School and University Center, and to the Bylaws of Graduate Council of the Graduate School of the Graduate School and University Center.
 
2.1B  Chair
 
1.  The President of The Graduate Center shall be Chair of Graduate Council and shall preside over its meetings. In the absence of the President, the Chair of the Executive Committee of the Council shall preside.

2.  The Chair of the Executive Committee of Graduate Council shall preside over the meetings of the Executive Committee. The Chair shall serve for a two-year term and shall be elected by the voting members of the Council from among the faculty representatives of the Council at its final spring meeting during years when elections are scheduled.
 
The Graduate School and University Center
The Graduate Council
2019-20

 

(Nonvoting Members)

President

Robin L. Garrell

Provost and Senior Vice President 

Steve Everett

Interim Associate Provost for Academic Affairs

Monica Varsanyi

Dean for the Sciences

Josh Brumberg

Vice President for Student Affairs

Matthew Schoengood

Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration

Brian Peterson

Executive Chief Librarian

Maura Smale

For more information, review the:

Graduate Council Policy and Procedure

MEETINGS OF THE GRADUATE COUNCIL 2023–2024

  • October 25, 2023, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • December 13, 2023, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • March 13, 2024, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • May 8, 2024, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The meetings will be held in the Proshansky Auditorium.

Graduate Council Committees

(Bylaws of the Graduate Council, Section 2.3D)

The Executive Committee of the Council shall be composed of the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary of the Council, Chair of the Committee on Curriculum and Degree Requirements, Chair of the Committee on Structure, Chair of the Doctoral Faculty Policy Committee, one Co-Chair of the Doctoral and Graduate Students' Council, a Faculty Senator elected by and from among the Graduate Center Senators elected to the University Faculty Senate, a Student Senator elected by and from among the Graduate Center Senators to the University Student Senate, and the Provost (nonvoting) or the Provost's designee.

The Executive Committee of Graduate Council shall be responsible for formulating the agenda and bringing resolutions, issues, and actions to Council for its consideration.

2023-2024 Members

  • Chair – Professor Peter Eckersall (Theatre and Performance)
  • Vice Chair – Professor Merih Uctum (Economics)
  • Secretary – Professor Maura Smale (Library)
  • Chair of Committee on Curriculum and Degree Requirements – Professor Alyson Cole (Political Science)
  • Chair of Committee on Structure – Professor Julia Wrigley (Sociology)
  • Chair of the Doctoral Faculty Policy Committee – Professor Jonathan Peters (Economics, Earth and Environmental Sciences)
  • Faculty Senator, University Faculty Senate (ex officio) – TBA
  • Co-Chair of the Doctoral and Graduate Students’ Council – Christopher Campbell, (Comparative Literature)
  • Student Senator, University Student Senate – Eric Barenboim (LAILaC)
  • Provost Steve Everett (ex officio)

(Bylaws of the Graduate Council, Section 3.2A)

Reviews on a continuing basis the structure and operation of the Graduate Council Bylaws and the governance of each of the degree and other Graduate Center educational programs.

Considers the organization of the University for work leading to the doctoral degree and degrees granted in other graduate programs of The Graduate Center.

Considers any appeals submitted by faculty and/or doctoral students regarding any program's policy, practice, and procedures where such appeals pertain to the program's governance or its operation.

Reviews on a continuing basis doctoral student participation in governance.

2023-2024 Members

  • Professor Norman Carey (Music)
  • Professor Christos Giannikos (Economics)
  • Professor Roxanne Shirazi (Library)
  • Professor Julia Wrigley (Sociology) – Chair
  • Amy Hammersmith (Comparative Literature)
  • Jonathan Hanon (Computer Science)
  • Stefano Morello (English)
  • Provost Steve Everett (ex officio)

Bylaws of the Graduate Council

Considers general educational policy concerning curriculum and the review and reevaluation of graduate programs of The Graduate Center.

Makes recommendations to Graduate Council concerning Graduate Center courses, programs, and curricula leading to a graduate degree or certificate. This responsibility includes recommendations about the addition and withdrawal of programs and courses and changes in titles, descriptions, and prerequisites for courses.

Reviews standards and requirements for doctoral degrees to be granted by the University and for degrees granted by the University in nondoctoral graduate programs of The Graduate Center.

Recommends standards of admission to the graduate programs of The Graduate Center.

Recommends standards of retention and matriculation for the graduate degree programs of The Graduate Center.

Recommends standards for defining "full-time students" and "residence," and for the granting of leaves of absence to students, as well as for setting maximum periods for the earning of the doctoral degree and for degrees granted in other graduate programs of The Graduate Center.

Designates curricular items on the Graduate Council agenda as major or minor items.

Considers appeals submitted by faculty and doctoral students regarding any program's policy, practice, and procedures where such appeals pertain to the program's curriculum and academic policy.

2023-2024 Members

  • Professor Alyson Cole (Political Science) – Chair
  • Professor Duncan Faherty (English)
  • Professor Hillary Miller (Theatre and Performance)
  • Professor Carlos Riobó (LAILaC)
  • Professor Domna Stanton (French)
  • Christopher Campbell (Comparative Literature)
  • Eddie Pesante-Gonzalez (Anthropology)
  • Parisa Osmanovic (Sociology)
  • Interim Associate Provost Monica Varsanyi (ex officio)
  • Senior Registrar Vincent De Luca (ex officio)

(Bylaws of the Graduate Council, Section 3.2C)

Recommends policy affecting research undertaken under the aegis of The Graduate Center or involving the commitment of its resources for such research.

2023-2024 Members

  • Professor Elvis Bakaitis (Library)
  • Professor Sunil Bhaskaran (Earth and Environmental Sciences)
  • Professor Erec Koch (French)
  • Professor Tony Ro (Psychology) – Chair
  • Carly Batist (Anthropology)
  • Ashwin Kumar (International Migration Studies)
  • Daniel Okpattah (Biochemistry)
  • Dean Joshua Brumberg (ex officio)
  • Director of Sponsored Research Huyuni Suratt (ex officio)
  • Director of the HRPP Rebecca Banchik (ex officio)

(Bylaws of the Graduate Council, Section 3.2D)

Solicits nominations from the faculty and students of The Graduate School for faculty and student candidates for the committees of Graduate Council, to prepare a slate of faculty and student candidates from these nominations, and to prepare a list of alternates to fill such vacancies as may arise on these committees.

Supervises the counting of ballots in committee elections.

2023-2024 Members

  • Professor Herman Bennett (History)
  • Professor Richard Churchill (Mathematics)
  • Professor Rachel Corkle (French)
  • Professor Bettina Lerner (Comparative Literature)
  • Eric Barenboim (LAILaC)
  • Jonathan Hanon (Computer Science) – Chair
  • Gayle Maslow (Urban Education)
  • Brieanna Scolaro (Social Welfare)

(Bylaws of the Graduate Council, Section 3.2E)

Considers and makes recommendations on such matters as student employment, housing, food services, health services, recreational facilities, and other similar services.

Reviews and recommends policy and standards concerning financial aid to doctoral students.

Reviews and recommends policy for registration and payment of tuition and fees.

2023-2024 Members

  • Professor Seungho Baek (Economics)
  • Professor Elvis Bakaitis (Library)
  • Professor Maxime Blanchard (French)
  • Professor Giancarlo Lombardi (Comparative Literature)
  • Adam Kocurek (History)
  • Ariel Leutheusser (Comparative Literature) – Chair
  • Silvia Rivera Alfaro (LAILaC)
  • VP of Student Affairs Matthew Schoengood (ex officio)

(Bylaws of the Graduate Council, Section 3.2F)

Considers and makes recommendations to the Office of the Provost concerning student academic appeals that proceed beyond the level of the degree program, including appeals of grades and termination as outlined in the Graduate Center Student Handbook.

Membership consists of nine members of the doctoral faculty: three each from the sciences and engineering, social sciences, and humanities. Terms of service on the committee are three years staggered.

2023-2024 Members

Humanities

  • Professor Martin Burke (History)
  • Professor Duncan Faherty (English)
  • Professor Carlos Riobó (LAILaC)

Social Sciences

  • Professor Lynn Chancer (Sociology)
  • Professor John Torpey (Sociology)
  • TBA

Sciences

  • Professor Kieren Howard (Earth and Environmental Sciences)
  • Professor Robert Nolan (Chemistry)
  • Professor Valerie Shafer (Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences)

(Bylaws of the Graduate Council, Section 3.2G)

Recommends policies for developing library resources for instruction and research.

Recommends policy for operating the Library.

2023-2024 Members

  • Professor Seungho Baek (Economics)
  • Professor Martin Burke (History)
  • Professor Lynn Chancer (Sociology)
  • Professor Christos Giannikos (Economics) – Chair
  • Tysean Bucknor (Linguistics)
  • Amour Castillo (Psychology)
  • Eddie Pesante-Gonzalez (Anthropology)
  • Executive Chief Librarian Maura Smale (ex officio)

(Bylaws of the Graduate Council, Section 3.2H)

Considers recommendations from The Graduate Center community related to information technology.

Reviews the policies and practices of the Office of Information Technology.

Communicates these recommendations to the administrative officer responsible for information technology.

Recommends policies related to information technology.

2023-2024 Members

  • Professor Matt Gold (Data Analysis and Visualization; Digital Humanities) – Chair
  • Professor Michael Mandiberg (Interactive Technology and Pedagogy)
  • Professor Anne Valk (History)
  • Professor Steve Zweibel (Library)
  • Jonathan Hanon (Computer Science)
  • Silvia Rivera Alfaro (LAILaC)
  • Ian Williams (Social Welfare)
  • Executive Chief Librarian Maura Smale (ex officio)
  • Interim AVP for IT and CIO Jeff Barnes (ex officio)

(Bylaws of the Graduate Council, Section 3.2I)

2023-2024 Members

  • Professor Michelle Fine (Psychology)
  • Professor Christos Giannikos (Economics)
  • Professor Louise Lennihan (Anthropology)
  • Professor Giancarlo Lombardi (Comparative Literature)
  • Professor Joan Lucariello (Educational Psychology)
  • Professor Jeff Maskovsky (Anthropology)
  • Professor Merih Uctum (Economics)
  • Professor James Wilson (Theatre and Performance)
  • Lisa Rhody (Deputy Director, Graduate Center Digital Initiatives)
  • Luke Waltzer (Director, Teaching and Learning Center)
  • Christopher Campbell (Comparative Literature)
  • Jonathan Hanon (Computer Science)
  • Brie Scolaro (Social Welfare)
  • Zico Abhi Dey (Digital Humanities)
  • President Robin Garrell (ex officio)
  • Provost Steve Everett (ex officio)
  • Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration Brian Peterson (ex officio)
  • Senior Advisor to the President for Diversity and Inclusion Martin Ruck (ex officio)
  • Executive Chief Librarian Maura Smale (ex officio)
  • Chair of the HEO Screening Committee Jenny Furlong
  • Co-Chair of the DGSC (ex officio) – Samuel O'Hana Grainger (English)