The Graduate Council
About the Graduate Council
The Graduate Council was formed to enable a cadre of faculty with significant experience
and achievement in graduate education to assist in the review and implementation of
campus graduate studies issues. Working with the Director of the Graduate School,
the Graduate Council serves to assess and implement initiatives that foster successful
graduate education involving faculty and students.
In addition to serving as an advisory body, the members of the Graduate Council make
recommendations on policies for the Graduate School and serve as the final arbiter
for student-related appeals.
Members of the Graduate Council are appointed for three-year terms by the Provost
and Vice President for Academic Affairs in consultation with the Director of the Graduate
School and the deans of the academic colleges. The appointment of college representatives
is made on a staggered basis to maintain continuity of experience.
The Graduate Council meets at a minimum once per month to hear student appeals and
approve membership for candidacy for Graduate Faculty positions.
Student Appeals
How do I make an appeal to the Graduate Council?
A graduate student who is denied admission, readmission, or further continuance in
the Graduate School, or a graduate degree program, may appeal the decision to the
Graduate Council. The following supportive information must be provided by the student
when preparing an appeal:
- Letter of Appeal to the Graduate Council that builds a case for consideration, or
reason for exception. Include your current email address and campus-wide ID (CWID)
in all correspondence.
- Three signed letters of support on official letterhead (if applicable) from those
who can attest to the student’s scholarly ability and potential. It is mandatory for
one of these letters of support, or a document attesting support, to be from the desired
graduate program when appealing a re-admission or continuance decision. Letters of support are not accepted from students. These should be sent directly to the graduate school by the person providing the letter
of support to espinoza@ulm.edu.
- Supporting documentation and any other evidence that enhances a student’s appeal.
All appeals should be submitted to:
Graduate Council
University of Louisiana at Monroe
Sandel Hall Room 243
700 University Avenue
Monroe, LA 71209
All student appeals are submitted to the Graduate School and processed through a series
of committees within the program (s) and college prior to being heard by the Graduate
Council. The Graduate School will supply a complete appeal packet to the program/college
through the graduate coordinator that may include official transcripts, GRE/GMAT scores,
a signed degree plan, and any other support documentation relevant to the student’s
appeal. The completed appeal must be on the Graduate Council Agenda one week prior (7 days)
to the meeting date. This should be taken into consideration when preparing appeal documents.
*Note for Students who successfully appeal for continuance:
Those students will be granted “good standing” status and will not need to appeal
each semester, even if their GPA remains below 3.0, as long as they are making academic
progress in completing their graduate degree. If a student earns a grade of “D” or
“F”, however, the student must submit another appeal for continuance.
Graduate Faculty Recommendations
If a graduate faculty appointment request is being made, a Graduate Faculty Recommendation Form should be used. Each completed form should be accompanied by a letter of nomination
from the appropriate program or school director as well as a copy of the nominee's
curriculum vitae. Requests for Adjunct Staff Listing in the University Catalog do not have to be approved through Graduate Council. Academic Affairs has created
a step-by-step list for preparing both documents with the routing for each, which
can be found here. Please note that anyone who is not a full-time employee of ULM must have Adjunct
Faculty status in order to be an Associate or Clinical Member of the Graduate Faculty.
Meeting Dates of the Graduate Council for 2023-2024 Academic Year:
Any items for consideration at the Graduate Council meeting are due to the Graduate
School seven (7) days prior to the scheduled Graduate Council meeting date.
Fall
Tuesday, August 16
Thursday, September 15
Thursday, October 20
Thursday, November 17
Wednesday, December 7
Spring
Tuesday, January 10
Thursday, February 16
Thursday, March 16
Thursday, April 20
Wednesday May 10
Summer
Thursday, June 22
Thursday, July 20
Wednesday, August 16
Members of the Graduate Council:
Members of the Graduate Council for 22/23:
College of Arts, Education, and Sciences
Dr. Stacie Austin
Dr. Adaobi Duru
Dr. Chris Gissendanner, Chair
Dr. Carlton Kilpatrick
College of Business and Social Sciences
Dr. Burton Ashworth
Dr. Susie Cox
Dr. Rick Stevens
Dr. Dr. Jun Yu
College of Health Sciences
Dr. Wendy Bailes
Dr. Jessica Dolecheck
Dr. Martha Goodman
Dr. Jennifer Whited
College of Pharmacy
Dr. Kevin Baer
Dr. Karen Briski
Dr. Keith Jackson
Dr. Seetharama Jois
2022 Faculty Senate:
Dr. Sushma Krishnamurthy, Dean of Graduate School (ex-officio)
Graduate School
