Ramapo College sets admissions criteria in keeping with its vision and mission.

Graduate Admissions 

Applications for graduate admission are received and prepared for review by the staff in the Office of Graduate and Adult Admissions. All applications that are received with an application fee or approved waiver will be reviewed and action will be taken. Applications that are received by the established deadlines and completed will be forwarded to the specific program’s graduate program director for review. The criteria used to determine a completed graduate application will vary from program to program. All programs will require a minimum of an official transcript that verifies the completion of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution and at least one letter of recommendation. All applications that are received by the application deadline and are reviewed by a graduate program director will receive a decision letter (acceptance, denial, wait list) by an office-established deadline. Any applications that remain incomplete will receive a denial letter by an office-established deadline and will be coded as IW (institutional withdrawal).

All applications will be reviewed completely and holistically by a graduate program director. Evaluative criteria will be set by each program’s graduate program director with the approval of the dean of the school that houses the program. To be admitted to a Ramapo College graduate program, an applicant usually presents a minimum GPA of 3.0 on all completed baccalaureate degrees. In the event that an applicant presents a GPA under a 3.0 but, to the dedicated graduate program director’s satisfaction, demonstrates exceptional promise and/or preparation in the field of study, the graduate program director will consult with, and seek written concurrence from, the program’s school dean to admit the student.

Graduate Admissions (Non-Degree)

Applications for graduate non-degree admission are processed by the staff in the Office of Admissions. All applications that are received for non-degree status are considered actionable. Students will self-disclose that they have successfully completed a baccalaureate degree at an accredited institution and graduated in good standing academically and socially at their graduating institution and will agree to all stipulations outlined on the non-degree application. Each applicant will then be reviewed by the appropriate graduate program director and a decision letter (acceptance, denial) will be sent.

Ramapo College accepts credits from all accredited colleges and universities in the United States of America in accordance with the procedures, laws and/or standards of the College, the state, and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Ramapo College may accept credits from international institutions after an evaluation of coursework has been completed by a recognized evaluation service.

If a syllabus indicates that a graduate course taken elsewhere is equivalent to one given in a program at Ramapo College, application for transfer credits may be submitted. The criteria for acceptance are different for each graduate program; therefore, students must discuss transfer of credits with their graduate program director. Only two (2) graduate courses, not to exceed eight (8) credits (including GLEX) may be considered for transfer into a Ramapo College graduate program provided the courses are from another accredited institution of higher education. Students who transfer from a non-degree program to a degree program must fulfill the degree requirements in place at the time of matriculation into the degree program.

Graduate students can also earn credit for Graduate Prior Learning Experience (GLEX). (Please see the GLEX policy for details on GLEX credits.)

Ramapo College will grant academic credit through assessment of prior learning at the graduate level.

PROCEDURES FOR GRADUATE PRIOR LEARNING EXPERIENCE (GLEX)

Graduate students at Ramapo College of New Jersey may receive credit for graduate-level knowledge that they have gained outside the traditional academic setting through work, training, community service or other accomplishments. (Not all graduate programs accept GLEX. Please review individual program requirements.) The process of graduate prior learning experience assessment involves the development of a portfolio and an interview that confirms that the learning the student has achieved through his/her life experience is relevant to the program’s learning goals.

GLEX REQUIREMENTS

When a graduate student applies to Ramapo College, he/she is made aware of the opportunity to apply for GLEX. GLEX requirements include:

• Prior learning experience may be substituted for up to two (2) courses (not to exceed 8 credits) in the graduate program.
• GLEX credit is considered transfer credit; therefore, the combination of transfer credit and GLEX credit may not exceed two (2) courses or eight (8) credits.
• A student must successfully complete (2) courses at Ramapo College before GLEX will be posted to the student’s transcript.
• Since GLEX credits are considered 600-level, they must be completed before registering for 700-level courses.
• The program director or designee reviews and evaluates applications for prior learning credit and recommends the number of credits to be awarded. The dean makes the final approval.
• GLEX credit may be granted for equivalent coursework offered at Ramapo College.
• When the experience does not compare to a Ramapo course but falls within the purview of the evaluator’s expertise, credit may be granted as an elective. This type of prior learning credit is recorded on the transcript as GLEX 699 with the course name “Graduate Life Experience.”
• GLEX credits are awarded without a grade, so they are not calculated with the student’s GPA.
• Before the GLEX portfolio is submitted to the program director or faculty member for review, the student must pay the associated costs.
• All GLEX documentation, including the portfolio and interview notes, is kept in the student’s permanent record.

CRITERIA FOR GRADUATE PRIOR LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Criteria for acceptance of prior learning experiences include:

• The experience must be relevant to the program’s learning goals.
• The experience must be comparable to graduate-level coursework.
• The experience must have taken place after the awarding of the bachelor’s degree and before enrollment in the graduate program.
• The student must document and apply for credit for the learning experience.

GLEX PROCESS

Below outlines the process by which a GLEX review begins and culminates with the awarding of credit:

Application for approval

A GLEX proposal is presented to the director with the following items:

• A current resume.
• Documentation supporting the student’s claim to prior learning (i.e., job descriptions and samples of work).
• A narrative explaining in detail the correlation of prior learning experience to a specific course

Initial Assessment

If the program director considers the proposal to be viable, the student is invited to interview with the director. The program director, or assigned faculty member, meets with the student to review the initial documentation and to discuss strengths and weakness of the proposal. The student and the program director, or faculty member, come to a clear understanding of the criteria that will be used to assess the specific area of expertise. They determine how the student can best demonstrate in a portfolio the kinds of knowledge, competencies and skills he/she has acquired in prior experience. A timeline is developed for completion of the portfolio. An agreement of expectations is developed and signed by the program director, or faculty member, the student, and the dean, whose office requests that the assessment fee be posted to the student’s account.

Submission and Review

The student submits the portfolio for review by the agreed deadline. The program director, or faculty member, conducts an interview with the student. The program director, or faculty member, then completes the form and either approves or disapproves the student’s GLEX portfolio. If approved, the dean’s office requests that the Office of the Registrar post the awarded credits to the student’s transcript. The dean’s office forwards all portfolios approved for credit to the Office of the Registrar for inclusion in the student’s official academic file. If a portfolio is not approved for credit or if re-submission is requested, the dean’s office returns the portfolio to the student.

GLEX portfolio fee structure

Students who submit a GLEX portfolio must pay an assessment fee. This fee must be paid prior to the portfolio assessment and is non-refundable regardless of the outcome of the portfolio assessment. The fee is based on the number of credits requested in the portfolio. The current per-credit fee is posted on the College’s website along with the current tuition and other fees.

Graduate students (matriculated and non-matriculated) must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 to remain in good academic standing.

1. Academic standing is calculated at the end of each cohort term or fall or spring semester commencing with the completion of the first term in which the student has earned a minimum of 6 program credits. Only degree-required graduate courses taken at Ramapo College will be used in the GPA calculation. Courses transferred from other colleges count only as credits earned; accompanying grades are NOT calculated toward the grade-point average at Ramapo. If the student has a minimum cumulative program GPA of 3.0, the student is in good standing. If the student has a cumulative program GPA below 3.0, the student is placed on probation.
2. At the completion of the next cohort term or fall or spring semester of enrollment, the probationary student is subject to the following conditions:
   • If the student has a minimum cumulative program GPA of 3.0, the student is in good standing after probation.
   • If the student’s cumulative program GPA is below 3.0 but has at least a 3.0 term or semester GPA, the student is placed on continued probation.
   • If the student’s cumulative program GPA is below 3.0 and has a term or semester GPA below 3.0, the student will be dismissed with the right to appeal.
3. At the completion of the next cohort term or fall or spring semester of enrollment, a student on continued probation is subject to the following conditions:
   • If the student has a cumulative program GPA of at least 3.0, the student is in good standing after probation.
   • If the student has a cumulative program GPA below 3.0, regardless of the term or semester GPA, the student will be dismissed with the right to appeal.
4. Students in good standing after probation who fall below a cumulative program GPA of 3.0 for a second time are automatically dismissed from the program with the right to appeal.

Students placed on Academic Probation may not appeal their standing. A student must be in Good Standing in order to enroll in Thesis or final project courses.

Procedures for Determining Academic Standing

At the close of each cohort term and fall or spring semester, once final grades have been posted, the Registrar’s Office generates Academic Standing and provides the report to the program directors. The program directors review records of all graduate students enrolled in their respective programs at the College. Any student whose academic performance has fallen below the College’s established standards (above) is advised of the deficiency in writing, via Ramapo College e-mail, by the program director, copied to the dean, the chair of Graduate Council and the registrar. Only degree-required graduate courses taken at Ramapo College will be used in the GPA calculation. Graduate students are responsible for checking their Ramapo College e-mail accounts frequently.

Procedures for Appealing Dismissal

A student who has been dismissed has the right to appeal and will be so notified of that right and the deadline by which to appeal in the notification letter from the program director. The appeal deadline will be set three calendar days after notification from the program director. A student who wishes to appeal must submit an appeal letter electronically to the chair of the Graduate Council that details reasons why they fell into academic difficulty and the strategies that they will employ to raise their GPA in the future. The student may request supporting letters from graduate faculty and/or their respective program director and/or dean. Supporting letters on official letterhead should be sent via Ramapo College email to the chair of the Graduate Council by the specified deadline. A student who does not appeal by the deadline is viewed as accepting their dismissal.

The chair of the Graduate Council will call a meeting (physical or virtual) of the five school deans to hear the appeal. The chair of the Graduate Council will also attend the meeting in an ex-officio, non-voting capacity. After considering the student’s appeal and supporting documentation as well as information from the program director, the deans will take one of two actions:

• To uphold the student’s dismissal from their graduate program;
• To reinstate the student on continued probation. At the end of the student’s probationary term or semester, they must regain at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA or will be dismissed with the right to appeal.

The chair of the Graduate Council will notify the student of the outcome via Ramapo College e-mail, copied to the program director, the dean and the registrar.

The decision of the Deans is final.

In order to qualify for a Ramapo College Graduate Degree, a student must meet the following graduation requirements:

• Attain “matriculation” status.
• Complete all degree requirements with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. All students are responsible for all requirements in effect at the time of matriculation. Students may choose to follow the requirements in a later catalog but must notify the Office of the Registrar in writing of any changes prior to filling for graduation.
• Complete at least 75% of the required credits at Ramapo College.
• Submit a completed and signed graduation application to the Graduation Office by the posted deadline corresponding with the graduation semester and submit a non-refundable graduation fee. The graduation application must include a detailed degree evaluation and be signed by the program director and the dean to ensure that all requirements have been met or will be met.

The Graduation Office will process all graduation applications for a given cycle and notify applicants of their status (missing requirements, etc.). The Graduation Office will prepare a list of candidates for graduation each cycle. The registrar will forward the list to the president for approval and presentation to the Academic and Student Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees. The list shall include language indicating that the students listed are candidates for graduation and that degrees will be conferred following the successful completion of all degree requirements and final certification by the Office of the Registrar.

Graduate students must make satisfactory academic progress annually and complete their programs within five years.

• ‘Satisfactory academic progress’ (i.e., the completion of a specified number of credits per year) is determined by each individual program and stated on the program website. These terms must be met unless a Leave of Absence has been granted.
• Individual programs may specify a minimum acceptable grade for a course which serves as a prerequisite for another course.
• Graduate students who wish to appeal the time limit by which a graduate program must be completed must do so in writing to the program director, who will make a recommendation to the dean. The dean makes the final decision and will communicate the decision to the registrar.
• While Ramapo College requires degree completion within a specified period of time, the federal government may define ‘satisfactory academic progress’ differently for the purposes of awarding financial aid. Thus, graduate students receiving federal aid should consult with the Office of Financial Aid.

In issuing final grades, course instructors adhere to the established grading systems at the graduate levels.

Course work is evaluated using the following grading scale:

IP  In-Progress*

This grade is assigned in Thesis courses such as Thesis Research, when course requirements are not completed at the end of the term. In-Progress (IP) grades must be resolved within two (2) additional semesters (spring/fall) after the initial term when the IP was issued. IP grades not resolved after three (3) consecutive semesters (including the initial term) will be converted to a “U” or an “F” grade, depending on the individual program’s standards. Students must register for a Thesis Continuation course (0 credits, 2 billing hours). Thesis continuation is not graded.

• If the student’s Thesis remains unfinished at the end of the third (3rd) semester under IP status (i.e., the initial term when the IP was issued plus two additional terms), the student must consult with both the Thesis advisor and the program director. This consultation must take place no later than the day that grades are due for that semester. At that consultation, one of the following actions will be taken: The student is dismissed from the respective program with a final grade of “U” or “F” (depending on the individual program’s standards) for the Thesis course. The student has a right to appeal the decision, as indicated below. If a student does not appeal the decision within 5 business days of this consultation, the program director will process the dismissal.
• The student appeals in writing to the program director within 5 business days of the consultation for an extension of one additional semester (for a total of three semesters beyond the initial semester) to complete the original Thesis. At the end of this extension, if granted, the student will receive a final grade of “U” or “F” (depending on the individual program’s standards) and will be permanently dismissed from the program if the Thesis is still not completed.
• The student appeals in writing to the program director within 5 business days of the consultation for permission to enroll in a new Thesis course. If the appeal is granted, the student accepts a “U” or an “F” (depending on the individual program’s standards) for the original Thesis course and is permitted one semester only to complete the second Thesis course. If the student fails to complete the Thesis under two distinct Thesis courses, the student will be dismissed from the respective program.

In both cases of appeal, an unfavorable decision by a program director is final; a favorable decision must receive final approval from the dean. The program director will monitor a student’s progress and will ensure that the student does not exceed the time limits described above.

*As of Fall 2012, IP grades can only be assigned to: EDTC 710, EDTC 750, EDTC 751, LIBS 710, LIBS 711, SUST 710, SUST 720. The Continuation courses are EDTC 711, LIBS 712, SUST 721.

I   Incomplete          No credit awarded

Given in extenuating circumstances (for instance, reasons of illness or other emergency) when approved by the instructor and when requested by a student who has satisfactorily completed at least two-thirds of course requirements prior to the end of a term. The default deadline for completion of coursework is posted on the Academic Calendar for each semester (typically February 26 for fall incompletes and October 15 for spring and summer incompletes, or the next business day); however, the instructor may set an earlier deadline at the time the incomplete grade is requested. When the work is completed prior to the completion deadline, the instructor completes a ‘Grade Adjustment Request’ form; the new assigned grade replaces the I. If work is not satisfactorily completed by the completion deadline, the grade is changed to F. A student may not graduate with an I grade outstanding.

U             No credit awarded

A “U” grade may be assigned to a Thesis course when an In-Progress (IP) grade is not resolved within two (2) semesters (spring/fall) after the initial term when the IP was issued (see “IP – In Progress” section above). A “U” grade is NOT factored into the student’s cumulative GPA.

W   Withdrawn       No credit awarded

Given in exceptional circumstances, with permission of the instructor, for withdrawal from a course. The withdrawal form should be submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the withdrawal deadline posted on the semester’s Academic Calendar.

Cessation of class attendance or notification to the instructor is NOT considered an official withdrawal. Unless students officially withdraw from a course through the Registrar’s Office, they are still registered for the course and will receive a grade of “F” even though classes were not attended.

Students should also refer to the ‘Leave of Absence’, ‘Medical Leave of Absence’ and ‘Withdrawal from Ramapo College’ policies in the College Catalog.

RF grading
RF grading is not applicable to graduate level courses.

Ramapo College provides a curriculum that is current and that meets the needs and interests of our students. To that end, courses will periodically be deleted from the Ramapo College Catalog.

Graduate students in good academic standing may enroll for up to the maximum course load per semester or cohort term as defined by the individual graduate program.

Each graduate program director will recommend to the dean of the school that houses the program the maximum number of credits per semester or cohort term. The dean will communicate that decision to the registrar.

1. Permission to exceed the course load limit must be secured from the graduate program director, who will communicate the information to the registrar.
2. Graduate students on academic probation should discuss their course loads with their graduate program directors prior to registration.
3. Graduate students with student loans should discuss their course loads with the Office of Financial Aid prior to registration.
4. Non-degree students may only take up to two courses. To take additional courses, students must be admitted to a program.

One (1) course of up to six (6) credits of independent study work may be applied towards graduation requirements, with the permission of the program director. Only students in good academic standing may enroll for independent studies.

Ramapo College recognizes a students’ right to file an appeal of an academic nature. Student appeals of an academic nature fall into two general categories: grade appeals and other appeals of an academic nature.

GRADE APPEALS

Course instructors establish course requirements and performance standards. Instructors’ evaluation of students’ academic performance is a professional judgment based on the requirements set forth in the course syllabus and is expressed through the submission of final course grades to the registrar at the close of each semester. Under some limited circumstances, a student may appeal a grade.

Circumstances for which students might appeal grades

Grade appeals will be considered only if a student can provide documentation supporting their case. Circumstances that might justify a grade appeal include (but are not limited to): computational error; factual information not in evidence at the time the grade was posted (for example, an assignment that the student can document was submitted, but was not graded by the course instructor and therefore not factored into the final grade); or an alleged violation of College Policy. Appeals that will not be considered include, but are not limited to, those based on a student’s perceived need for a higher grade (for instance, in order to raise his/her GPA, or to enable the course to transfer to another institution) and those based on grades that were penalized (for example, 0 on an assignment) because the student was found responsible for violating the Academic Integrity Policy.

Procedure

If circumstances such as those described above can be documented, the graduate student may appeal a grade by taking the following steps:

• No later than 20 calendar days after the posting of grades, a student must bring their appeal to the attention of the faculty member, in writing, by email or certified letter. Supporting documentation must be provided. Both parties should make good faith efforts to share viewpoints and mediate differences of opinion.
• If it is mutually agreed that a grade adjustment is warranted, the faculty member forwards a Change of Grade Request, including explanatory reasons and all supporting documentation, to the dean of the academic unit that sponsored the course. Upon the dean’s approval, the Change of Grade Request is forwarded to the registrar.

If a student and faculty member cannot reach an agreement and a student wishes to further pursue a grade appeal, the student must present a written appeal (by email or certified letter), including pertinent course materials or coursework, to the director of the graduate program that sponsored the course in question, within 20 calendar days of the final determination conference between the student and faculty member.

The director will confer with the student and faculty member, jointly or independently, as they see fit, review pertinent documents and course materials, and confer with other faculty or administrative staff members as appropriate. The director’s decision is a recommendation to the dean for final approval. In cases where there are multiple deans associated with a graduate program, the director’s recommendation will be submitted to the dean of the unit that sponsors the courses first, and then the dean who supervises the program.

If the director renders an opinion which does not support the student’s grade appeal, the student may petition for a review by the dean who supervises the program. The petition would be initiated by the submission of a written statement by the student that explains their position and includes any evidence the student has that contradicts the director’s decision or contains information that had heretofore been unavailable. The Dean’s Office will reject any request that does not offer clear evidence that the program director made a factual mistake, violated school policy or otherwise acted outside the purview of the director of the program.

The dean will consider only those grade appeals which have previously received full deliberative discussion at the faculty and program director level.

After conferring with the student, program director, and faculty member and reviewing the pertinent documentation, the dean may take one of the two following actions:

(a) approve or decline the student’s grade appeal; or

(b) request that the Graduate Council review the appeal and render a recommendation to the dean who, in turn, will advise the student, the professor, and the program director of his/her final decision.

In both step (a) and (b), the decision of the dean is final.

OTHER APPEALS OF AN ACADEMIC NATURE

Course instructors exercise the right of academic freedom. In addition, they have responsibility for managing their classrooms. If, after considering those faculty prerogatives and reviewing relevant policies, students still wish to make appeals of an academic nature (other than grade appeals), they must follow this procedure:

Procedure

Preferably, as soon as a student believes that they have cause to make an appeal, but no later than 20 calendar days after the last day of the semester in which the course is scheduled, the student may meet with the course instructor or, if the student prefers and makes a compelling case for doing so, with the dean of the school in which the course is offered.

1. 1. If the student meets with the instructor, both student and instructor should make good faith efforts to share viewpoints and discuss differences of opinion. If the student and the instructor are unable to reach a mutually acceptable resolution, the student may appeal to the dean of the school in which the course is offered within 20 calendar days after the conference between the student and the instructor. If that dean is different from the dean of the instructor’s primary convening group, the dean of the school in which the course is offered may consult with the dean of the instructor, depending on the nature of the appeal. The dean(s) may also confer with the student, the instructor, the graduate program director (if applicable) and/or other appropriate College personnel jointly or independently to reach a resolution. The decision of the dean of the school in which the course is offered is final.
   2. If the student prefers to meet with the dean of the school in which the course is offered first, the dean may decide, depending on the nature of the concern, either to offer the student strategies for communicating directly with the instructor or to accept the appeal without prior consideration by the instructor. If the dean accepts the appeal immediately, the dean of the school in which the course is offered will consult with the instructor in addition to the student and, depending on the nature of the appeal, may consult with the dean of the instructor, and/or other appropriate College personnel jointly or independently to reach a resolution. The decision of the dean of the school in which the course is offered is final.

In order to be awarded a master’s degree from Ramapo College of New Jersey, a student must complete at least 75% of the required credits at Ramapo College of New Jersey.

Students should confer with the appropriate program director regarding the minimum number of credits that they must take at Ramapo College to meet the residency requirement, as programs vary in the number of credits required for graduation. All master’s degree programs require at least 30 credits, but most require more than this.

Students should also confer with the appropriate program director regarding the ability to transfer previously earned graduate credits into specific programs, as not all programs allow for transfer credit.

The program director will verify that students have met the graduate residency requirement. The Graduation Office of Ramapo College will confirm this information and notify students who have applied for graduation as well as their program director and dean of any deficiency.

A Ramapo College undergraduate student who wishes to take a Ramapo College graduate course must be a matriculated undergraduate student in good standing, must receive positive endorsement from their academic advisor and must receive permission from the director of the graduate program that sponsors the course that they wish to take. Granted that permission, the student will be considered a non-matriculated student in the graduate program but will pay undergraduate tuition and fees for the graduate course. The student may take a maximum of two graduate courses (i.e., a maximum of 8 credits) during their undergraduate career.

The graduate course appears on both the graduate transcript and the undergraduate transcript with the same subject code, number, title, number of credits and grade. In addition, the course requires graduate-level work.

As part of the undergraduate transcript, the course counts in the student’s undergraduate semester and cumulative GPAs, overall and (if applicable) major GPAs, and total number of credits attempted and earned. The course also affects the student’s undergraduate academic standing, applies towards undergraduate degree requirements (e.g., the required number of credits to graduate) and may satisfy specific course requirements in the major or the minor.

If the student graduates with the undergraduate degree and later matriculates in a Ramapo College graduate program, the student may also use those graduate courses, if applicable, to satisfy graduate degree requirements. In other words, the graduate courses may double-count in both the undergraduate and the graduate degree programs.

The faculty of the College will help students who miss class for religious observance to meet their academic obligations.

A student who plans to miss one or more class sessions for religious observance, whether the religious holiday is recognized by the state of New Jersey or not, must notify the course instructor as soon as possible but no later than prior to the date of the religious holiday or the 50% refund date of the term in which the student is enrolled in the course (whichever comes first). The course instructor will assist the student in making up any work missed while absent for religious observance but will not penalize the student for the absence.

Graduates and Candidates for Graduation are permitted to participate in Commencement.

Ramapo College of New Jersey holds one undergraduate and one graduate Commencement Ceremony per calendar year, each occurring at the end of the spring semester. January graduates and June and August graduation candidates of that calendar year are eligible to process in the appropriate spring Commencement Ceremony.

Refer to College Catalog
[https://www.ramapo.edu/catalog-2017-2018/academic-policies/]

Refer to College Catalog
[https://www.ramapo.edu/catalog-2017-2018/academic-policies/]

Refer to Ramapo College’s Immunization Requirements website:
https://www.ramapo.edu/health/immunization-info/

Refer to Ramapo College’s Office of Specialized Services (OSS) website:
https://www.ramapo.edu/oss/

Refer to Ramapo College’s Student Life Handbook. Handbook can be found on the Student Life website:
https://www.ramapo.edu/students/

Ramapo College Graduate Council
The Graduate Council shall (1) recommend standards and regulations affecting Graduate curricula and work leading to a graduate degree and (2) institute standards and regulations as delegated by the faculty. The Graduate Council shall serve and act on behalf of the faculty and students in the Graduate Programs. Members of the Graduate Council include the deans of the schools and of the library, the vice provost for curriculum and assessment, the vice president for enrollment management and student affairs, the registrar, graduate program directors, the associate director of adult and graduate admissions, and representatives from ARC and the Faculty Assembly. The Graduate Council shall meet monthly during the academic year. Special meetings can be arranged.

The Graduate Council shall perform the following duties:

• Review and recommend minimum standards for graduate student admission.
• Review and recommend basic requirements for graduate degrees.
• Review and recommend new and revised graduate degree programs.
• Recommend policy on financial support for graduate students.
• Develop strategies for increasing financial support for graduate students and graduate programs.
• Hear appeals of academic dismissal and time limits. A subcommittee may be convened to hear these appeals.

Graduate Directors Committee
The Graduate Council Directors Committee will be composed of the graduate program directors. The committee members shall appoint one of its members as the committee chair. The charge of this committee is to (1) review and recommend graduate course proposals for submission to ARC, and (2) review and discuss other academic (e.g. curricular and assessment) and programmatic issues for submission to the Graduate Council.

Parliamentary Procedure
Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the conduct of all meetings.