P. Faculty and Graduate Student Eligibility to Teach Graduate Courses

• Non-Ladder Faculty
• Graduate Students

Non-Ladder Faculty

Teaching graduate courses is a privilege reserved for ladder faculty and granted only to non-ladder faculty and others by exception. Exceptions are granted by the Chair of Graduate Council based on the merits of each case presented by the academic department involved.

The review process described here applies to any non-ladder faculty member nominated to teach a course numbered 200 or higher, regardless of the content of the course and without regard to whether the graduate course is to be taught concurrently as an undergraduate course. This policy applies to all graduate courses in the College of Letters and Science, College of Engineering, Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, and the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management.

Council reviews the following academic appointment titles when a request is made for approval to teach graduate courses:

• Lecturer titles (except when Lecturers with Security of Employment [SOE])
• Adjunct faculty of any rank
• Visiting faculty (other than UC faculty) of any rank
• Researchers

Requests for exceptions involving non-ladder faculty require:

1. Completion of the form titled Request for the Approval of Graduate Instruction.
2. A current curriculum vitae for the nominee.
3. A memo of justification from the department chair that explains the department's need and the merits of the nominee's credentials to teach the course(s) in question.
4. The appointment letter sent to the department's control point (e.g., the dean of the college or executive vice chancellor).
5. Course evaluations in cases where the nominee has previously taught at UC Santa Barbara and renewal of teaching privileges is being sought.

In the memo of justification for the request, the department chair should address each of the following:

• The staffing context in which the request is being made.
• The teaching, research, and publication strengths of the nominee relative to the course in question.
• The prior experience of the nominee in teaching graduate students and undergraduates.
• Any professional background and experience the nominee may have as a practitioner that may be relevant to the course in question.

The period of approval granted by the Chair of Graduate Council is dependent on the merits and individual's qualifications presented in each case. Requests involving the first-time appointment of a lecturer who has not previously been approved for graduate instruction will normally be approved for one year only, unless the person's credentials are outstanding.

The Graduate Council usually requires that non-ladder faculty nominated to teach a graduate course hold a terminal degree-e.g., a Ph.D., Ed.D., or M.F.A.-appropriate to the course(s) in question. The Graduate Council feels it is important that someone who is to be entrusted to teach graduate students actually have experienced the rigors of conducting extensive research, have published the results of that research, and finished the dissertation or other work required for a terminal degree. Only in rare cases will persons who lack a terminal degree in the relevant discipline-e.g., a Ph.D., Ed.D., or M.F.A.-be allowed to teach graduate courses.

Departments are asked to submit non-ladder faculty requests as far in advance of the quarter of proposed appointment as possible, and allow at least four weeks for review. An absolute minimum of seven days before the beginning of a quarter is required. Last-minute requests may not be approved unless the department shows acceptable cause why the appointment request could not be made on time.

Questions concerning this policy may be directed to the Academic Senate Office, Girvetz Hall 1233, (805) 893-2885 or to the Graduate Division, Cheadle Hall 3117, (805) 893-2277.

Graduate Students

It should be emphasized that the Graduate Council is in principle opposed to graduate students' teaching other graduate students, and all requests will be rigorously evaluated. The core concept of this policy is that students should not evaluate their peers. At times, however, the Graduate Council receives requests from departments to allow graduate students to teach graduate courses. These requests will be granted after the most stringent examination, which will be conducted under the following guidelines:

1. No request will be approved if a ladder faculty member is available to teach the course.
2. No request will be approved if visiting faculty members who have been approved to teach graduate courses are available to teach the course.
3. No graduate student in a graduate student teaching title may teach or grade other graduate students whose degree qualifications are the equivalent to her or his own-i.e., a student with a master's degree who is enrolled in a doctoral program cannot teach or grade other students in that program, nor teach or grade doctoral students in other programs.
4. Occasionally, a graduate student who is enrolled in a master's or doctoral program may teach an upper division undergraduate course in which graduate students are enrolled. If these graduate students have the equivalent or higher degree qualifications than the teacher, or if these graduate students are in the same graduate program as the teacher, responsibility for grading these students must be assigned to a member of the department ladder faculty.

Repeat requests from the same department or school to have graduate students teach graduate courses will lead the Council to examine whether the graduate program in question is viable or not.

*  NOTE : Graduate students are not to be appointed to Unit 18 titles.