Membership
The council is composed of faculty appointed by the Vice Provost for Graduate Programs to serve staggered two-year terms.
Recommendations for membership are solicited from a variety of sources, including academic deans, school faculty councils and the Executive Board of the Academic Senate. Criteria for membership include: holding a tenured appointment, being active in graduate advising, and having an active research program.
Duties
- Advises the Vice Provost for Graduate Programs, and recommends courses of action on Graduate School policies
- Serves as an important link between the academic units and The Graduate School
- Acts as the official advisory group on policies, quality standards, rules and regulations of The Graduate School
- Advocates for the needs of the graduate program and graduate students within USC
- Helps build cross-school, cross-discipline communication and collaboration
- Advocates for the University's graduate mission both internally and externally
- Provides leadership in developing strategic initiatives to improve Ph.D. education
- Participates in shaping the vision for the future of USC graduate education in a national and international context, based on the USC Strategic Plan
- Engages graduate faculty in issues relevant to quality graduate education
- Serves as advocacy consultants for students needing help in conflict resolution and/or as panel members in appeals of disputed academic evaluations that would lead to dismissal.
- Advises the Vice Provost on proposed new graduate programs
