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.

The Graduate School Approved Committee Member for Individual Student 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.

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:

1. Graduate Program Director(s)
2. College Assistant/Associate Dean(s) of Graduate Studies
3. The Graduate School

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: https://grad.msu.edu/flow

Please direct questions to approvals@grd.msu.edu.

Process Map

View a map of this process here.

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.

Please note:

The letter of agreement to serve from the new committee member must include the following statements:

1. Their understanding of their role on the committee
2. They agree to serve in this role
3. They have received and agree to follow MSU's Guidelines for Graduate Student Mentoring and Advising (link below)
4. Within the past 24 months, they have received/completed and agree to follow the information contained in MSU's Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct (RVSM) training materials (links below).

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.

• MSU's Guidelines for Graduate Student Mentoring and Advising
• MSU's RVSM Online Training for those WITH an MSU NetID
• MSU's RVSM Training Materials for those WITHOUT an MSU NetID (Note: no certificate of completion will be given for those without an MSU NetID; simply indicate agreement to uphold this policy)

After the student's Graduate Program, College, and the Graduate School have approved that the new member is eligible to serve, the student will receive an email with instructions for adding the new member to their committee in GradPlan.

Please contact the Graduate School with questions at approvals@grd.msu.edu.

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—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 below 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.

Process Map

View a map of this process here.

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. 

• Employee's name, MSU email, college, EMPLID
• Employee's new email 
• Employee's new organization/institution 
• Employee's last day at MSU 
• Graduate committee service template. For each student’s committee: 
  
  • Student's name
  • Student's email 
  • Student's last 4 of EMPL ID 
  • Student's College(s) 
  • Student's Program(s) Plan Code(s) 
  • Employee's role on committee 
  • Email(s) for student's Graduate Program Director(s) 
  • Committee composition 
  • Estimated semester of graduation 
• Email for faculty member's primary Graduate Program Director (GPD) 
• Additional comments 
• Other people to notify of the request’s status in addition to the form submitter, employee, students, GPDs, & colleges

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.

25-26 Blanket Approvals will open March 17, 2025. Requests are due by May 19, 2025.

Eligibility for Blanket Approval

• Not an MSU tenure-stream faculty member, emeritus faculty member, principal administrator, or librarian
• Current, paid MSU employee (excluding project pay)--adjunct-prefix appointments are not eligible
• Previous successful service on multiple graduate committees, at MSU or elsewhere

The blanket approval request 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 their: 

1. Primary Unit Supervisor,
2. College Assistant/Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, and
3. Graduate School.

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.

Process Map

View a map of this process here.

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.

Employee’s Information

• Name
• Email
• Last 4 digits of EMPLID (not ZPID)
• Primary college appointment
• Unit appointment(s), including percentage splits as applicable
• HR position title(s)
• Upload CV that includes recent relevant scholarship or projects and any service on other graduate committees, teaching graduate courses, or otherwise mentoring graduate students, at MSU or elsewhere. Full or abbreviated CVs are accepted.
• Upload a signed letter stating:
  • Your desired committee role (member or chair) for which programs,
  • Your relevant qualities/expertise you can contribute to students,
  • You are committed to working with students,
  • A brief description of your previous graduate committee work at MSU or elsewhere,
  • Your brief philosophy of mentoring, 
  • You have received and agree to follow MSU's Guidelines for Graduate Student Mentoring and Advising, and
  • Within the past 24 months, you have completed and agree to follow the information contained in MSU's Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct (RVSM) training.

Requested Roles and Graduate Programs

• Master’s committee member: requested programs
• Master’s committee chair (chair approval automatically provides membership): requested programs
• Doctoral committee member: requested programs
• Doctoral committee chair (chair approval automatically provides membership): requested programs

Other Information