Mentoring is essential for graduate student development, and committee members are key mentors. A student's committee should support the many dimensions of their academic, career, and professional development. The Graduate School recognizes that fixed term faculty, academic specialists, support staff, and colleagues from outside MSU can bring valuable, diverse expertise to student committees.
An individual approval allows a qualified person to serve on or chair a graduate committee for an individual student.
As members of the "regular faculty" (MSU Bylaws 1.1.1.1, GSRR 8, and Faculty Handbook §II), MSU tenure-stream faculty, the principal administrator of each major administrative unit, and librarians are eligible to sit on and chair graduate committees. People beyond these categories must receive Graduate School approval to be eligible to join graduate committees.
MSU emeritus faculty are an exception: they can be approved by the school or department chair and do not need Graduate School approval. For more information, see Academic Programs policies for master’s committees and doctoral committees.
An individual approval allows a qualified person to serve on or chair a graduate committee for an individual student.
This form should be submitted by a graduate program administrator (e.g., program director, academic program coordinator, or coordinator) before the new member assumes committee duties. You must submit one form for each committee member outside the regular faculty.
The student's graduate program administrator is responsible for providing the new committee member with the following materials before uploading the agreement letter:
Of special note: As volunteers, non-MSU committee members are responsible RVSM reporters, as detailed in the training documents.
Upon submission, the form submitter and the student will receive a copy of the form responses and the form will automatically route in this order:
The form submitter, the student, and any other individuals the submitter lists at the end of the form will receive an email with every change in status. The student's advisor/chairperson will also receive notification of the final decision.
Upon final approval, the Graduate School will add the new member to the eligible committee members database and notify the student, who must then add the new member to their committee in GradPlan.
Campus Solutions will send an email to the new committee member explaining how to create a guest account, if needed, and how to log into Campus Solutions.
You can find the Power Automate approvals you've received here.
Please direct questions to approvals@grd.msu.edu.
The following information will be required in order to complete the Graduate School Approved Committee Member for Individual Student form. Please gather this information beforehand to prepare to complete the request.
Requests for former employees or employees who will be leaving MSU within 3 months to sit on and/or chair graduate committees.
As members of the "regular faculty" (MSU Bylaws 1.1.1.1, GSRR 8, and Faculty Handbook §II), the following are able to sit on and chair graduate committees:
People beyond these categories—including employees who leave MSU--must receive Graduate School approval to be eligible to join or remain on graduate committees. MSU emeritum-status faculty are an exception: they can be approved by the school or department chair and do not need Graduate School approval. For more information, see Academic Programs policies for master’s committees and doctoral committees.
When an MSU employee (faculty or staff) leaves MSU, they must request approval from the employee’s primary program, college, and the Graduate School to remain on their students’ graduate committees as chairperson or member.
If they are the chairperson, they may want to identify a co-chair who is at MSU and currently serving on the committee. The departing employee must get approval even if they had “individual” approval while at MSU (e.g. if they were academic staff), and even if they were “regular” faculty, unless they are now emeritum (see Policy above).
This is not a blanket approval. This is a ‘batch’ of individual approvals.
The procedure mapped above may be used if the employee has left or will be leaving MSU within 3 months of the day the form is submitted.
This procedure may be used for any mix of roles that the employee fills on the committees (chairperson and/or member). Alternatively, you may use the “individual” procedure, above, one for each student. Please use the “individual” review and approval procedure if the employee left MSU more than 3 months ago.
All information for every student must be correct in the batch approval before any of the students will be processed.
You can find the Power Automate approvals you've received here: https://grad.msu.edu/flow
Please direct questions to approvals@grd.msu.edu.
The following information will be required to complete the Request for Recent MSU Employee to Remain on their Graduate Students’ Committees form. Please gather this information before you start completing the form.
Unlike approval for an individual student, a blanket approval allows an employee to serve on committees for any student in specific graduate programs.
As members of the "regular faculty" (MSU Bylaws 1.1.1.1, GSRR 8, and Faculty Handbook §II), MSU tenure-stream faculty, the principal administrator of each major administrative unit, and librarians are eligible to sit on and chair graduate committees. People beyond these categories must receive special approval to join graduate committees.
MSU emeritus faculty are an exception: they can be approved by the school or department chair and do not need Graduate School approval. For more information, see Academic Programs policies for master’s committees and doctoral committees.
A blanket approval allows a qualified individual to sit on or chair master's or doctoral committees within specific graduate program(s) for the next 5 years. After 5 years, approved individuals will be eligible for renewal. MSU can revoke this approval at any time, and the approval will end if the individual leaves MSU.
Eligibility for Blanket Approval
This form should be submitted by the employee seeking approval for committees in their unit after discussing the expectations of chairing and/or sitting on graduate committees with their primary unit supervisor.
Upon submission, the submitter will receive a copy of the responses and the request will be automatically routed to:
Upon final approval, the Graduate School will add the new member to the eligible committee members database and notify units by August.
Please direct questions to approvals@grd.msu.edu.
The following information will be required to complete the Blanket Approval for Graduate School Approved Committee Members request form. Please gather this information to prepare to complete the request.