Charge and bylaws of the NAU UGC

The University Graduate Committee is charged by the NAU Faculty Senate to establish and maintain standards, policies, best practices, and procedures ensuring University graduate curricula and policies pertaining to graduate education comply with the stated mission and goals of Northern Arizona University.

How UGC accomplishes its charge:

• Articulating standards for graduate study across disciplines, ensuring the general expectations and performance of graduate students are appropriate to graduate-level academic programs and certificates.
• Establishing and maintaining standards and policies for graduate education in such matters as, but not limited to: academic standing, satisfactory academic progress, admission to graduate study, admission to doctoral candidacy, thesis and dissertation defense requirements, regulation governing transfer credits, and graduate assistantships.
• Providing meaningful feedback on newly proposed graduate degree and certificate plans, including the Academic Planning Framework in relation to NAU’s current programs, and providing feedback on these proposals to the academic College and the Northern Arizona University Provost.
• Evaluating and recommending approval or disapproval, to the Provost, of courses or plans that exist to serve the overall academic mission of graduate education across colleges.
• Reviewing sections of an NAU graduate program’s Academic Program Review or External Accreditation reports that pertain to the graduate curriculum by using the Degree Program Expectations (DPE), and other curricular materials, to provide recommendations to the academic units for consideration in their Action Plan.
• Making recommendations to an academic unit’s Dean, the Provost, and NAU’s Curriculum and Assessment Coordinating Committee, regarding an academic unit’s achievement of DPE as documented in their periodic self-study.
• Representing the NAU Vice Provost of the Office of Graduate & Professional Studies at dissertation defenses.
• Reporting annually to the Northern Arizona University Faculty Senate regarding actions taken to fulfill their charge and strategic efforts for the coming year.

UGC Bylaws

UGC bylaws were created to establish and maintain standards, policies, and procedures of the UGC to ensure University graduate programs, policies, and practices align with national benchmarks and practices, as well as enhance and achieve the stated mission and goals of Northern Arizona University.