Graduate Council

The Graduate Council, the official governance body for graduate education at Ouachita, is responsible for reviewing all academic and administrative matters related to graduate education. Graduate curriculum proposals and academic standards issues are reviewed by the council and then submitted to the university faculty for approval. Proposals for entirely new graduate programs must also be reviewed by the Planning Committee. The Graduate Council has broad representation from the faculty, as well as key staff members who bring administrative expertise to the council’s work.

The Graduate Council's responsibilities include:

Reviewing, studying, and recommending to the faculty all graduate curricular matters.
Making recommendations to the faculty regarding standards and policies governing graduate programs.
Monitoring and approving implementation of policies, including approval of any variations from general policies requested by individual programs.
Reviewing and making recommendations on proposals to establish new or discontinue existing graduate degree programs.
Serving as the review body for all graduate-related academic appeals.

The Graduate Council consists of one tenured faculty member from each of the seven disciplinary schools; one at-large member currently serving as a program director or faculty member from an active graduate program; and the following ex-officio members with voting privileges: the Assistant to the President for Innovation; the Director of Learning and Instruction for Graduate and Online Education; and the Registrar and Director of Admissions. The Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Assistant Registrar serve ex-officio without vote. A library faculty member who serves on the Graduate and Professional Studies Advisory Committee is a liaison to the Council. The chair shall be elected from the committee’s full-time teaching faculty. The secretary shall be selected from the full Council membership.

Graduate Curriculum Change – Short Form Summary: (download)

Use the short form summary to indicate one or more minor changes to graduate level catalog entries, including:

course title changes;
non-substantive course content or description changes;
course time offering changes; or
non-substantive updates to a course or program to reflect dependencies or related changes made by another department.

Get approval from:

program director
school curriculum committee

Send approved form to Graduate Council chair and secretary.

The school's approval stands; therefore, the Graduate Council will not discuss or vote on these types of changes.

Graduate Curriculum Change – Long Form: (download)

Use the long form to indicate a substantative change to a graduate level catalog entry, including:

adding or deleting a course;
adding or deleting a minor;
adding or deleting a major;
adding or deleting a degree;
modifying course content and/or requirements; or
modifying program or degree requirements.

Get initial approval from:

program director
school curriculum committee

Send approved form to Graduate Council chair and secretary.

Graduate Council will review and vote on changes.

Graduate Academic Standards Change Form: (download)

Use this form to indicate a change to a graduate level academic policy.

Get initial approval from Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Send approved form to Graduate Council chair and secretary.

Graduate Council will review and vote on changes.

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

2020-21