University of Maryland Graduate School

The University of Maryland, Baltimore is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market St. Philadelphia, PA 19104

The letter of appeal should include (a) the basis for the appeal; (b) a summary of discussions, if any, between the student and representatives of the student's program such as the student's mentor and the student's Graduate Program Director (GPD); and (c) outcome or remedy proposed by the student. The letter may include additional relevant evidence or information.

The Dean of the Graduate School will inform the GPD of the appeal by transmitting the student's letter of appeal within 5 working days of receipt of the appeal.

Grounds. The following are grounds for appeal. 1) Incorrect calculation of grade point average; 2) Misapplication of standards for academic performance and satisfactory progress by the Graduate Program of the Graduate School; 3) Differential application of standards for academic performance and satisfactory progress for the student appealing compared to other similar students; or 4) Circumstances which had not been known which might be relevant to the dismissal.

Disposition. The Dean of the Graduate School may: 1) act on the appeal; 2) appoint a designee to collect additional information for the Dean of the Graduate School; or 3) constitute a three-person ad hoc review committee from the Graduate Council Grievance Committee (GCGC). The purpose of the ad hoc Committee is to provide an opinion and recommendation to the Dean of the Graduate School regarding the appeal.

The Dean of the Graduate School will inform the student and the GPD in writing of the method of disposition of the appeal. If a Dean's Designee is appointed, the student and the GPD will be informed of the name and contact information for the Dean's Designee. If a GCGC ad hoc committee is constituted, the approved guidelines will be followed.

The Dean of the Graduate School's decision with respect to a student's appeal shall be final. The student and the GPD will be informed in writing of the Dean's decision.

(Approved and adopted by the Graduate Council, Oct. 19, 1995; revised Nov. 25, 2003; revised May 31, 2005; revised January 2008)

A. Purpose

These guidelines describe how allegations of arbitrary or capricious grading are handled in course work in the University of Maryland Baltimore Graduate School. Arbitrary or capricious means (a) the assignment of a course grade to a student on some basis other than performance in the course, (b) the assignment of a course grade to a student by unreasonable application of standards different from the standards that were applied to other students in that course, or (c) the assignment of a course grade by a substantial and unreasonable departure from the instructor's initially articulated standards.

These procedures apply only to grades assigned in course work. Qualifying and comprehensive examinations and defense of theses or dissertations during the progression toward the master's or doctor's degree are to be handled under the Academic Progression* policy.

B. Procedure

1. If a student alleges that a grade has been given in an arbitrary or capricious manner, the student must first discuss the situation with the faculty member responsible for the course within 10 business days of receiving the grade. The student should also contact the department chair or graduate program director if the issue is not resolved within 20 business days of receiving the grade.
2. If a student remains dissatisfied after the discussions required by paragraph 1, the student may file an allegation of arbitrary and capricious grading with the Dean of the Graduate School. Allegations should be made in writing in the form of a letter to the Dean of the Graduate School within 30 calendar days of the student’s receipt of the grade. An allegation should include (a) the course, program, and semester in which the grade was awarded; (b) the basis for the allegation; (c) the date the student was advised of the grade challenged; and (d) a summary and the dates of any conversations held pursuant to these procedures.
3. Upon receiving an allegation, the Graduate School Dean’s designee shall forward a copy of it to the faculty member who assigned the grade in question and to the chair or graduate program director.
4. The Dean of the Graduate School or designee shall review each allegation of arbitrary and capricious grading and shall dismiss the allegation if (a) the student has submitted the same, or substantially the same, complaint through any other formal grievance procedure; (b) the allegation does not allege actions which would constitute arbitrary and capricious grading as defined in these procedural guidelines; (c) the allegation was not filed with the Dean of the Graduate School within 30 calendar days of the student's notice of the grade; or (d) the student has not conferred with the instructor and either the graduate program director or department chair of the program offering the course prior to filing the allegation. The Dean of the Graduate School or designee shall notify the student, the faculty member, and the chair or graduate program director in writing within one week of receiving the allegation of the disposition of the allegation.
5. If an allegation is not dismissed, the faculty member involved will have two weeks from receipt of the allegation to submit a written response to the Dean of the Graduate School.
6. The Dean of the Graduate School or designee shall submit the allegation of the student and the response of the faculty member to a Grade Hearing Committee (GHC) consisting of three members (two faculty and one student) appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School. The GHC may decide to hear statements from the student and the faculty member or it may deliberate on the basis of written materials. GHC review may be waived with the consent of the student and the faculty member, in which case the Dean of the Graduate School or designee will review the matter and make a determination. If the matter is considered by the GHC, following deliberations, the committee will give its recommendations in writing to the Dean of the Graduate School or designee. If the GHC finds arbitrary or capricious grading did occur, its report should include recommendations for action, specifying who they recommend be responsible for those remedy actions.
7. The Dean of the Graduate School or designee will receive the GHC recommendation and make a decision. The decision will be will forwarded in writing to the student, the faculty member, and the program director within two weeks of receiving the GHC recommendation or within two weeks of the waiver of GHC review.

C. Appeals

1. The student, the faculty member, or the program director may appeal to the Dean of the Graduate School for reconsideration of the decision by submitting an appeal in writing to the Dean of the Graduate School in writing within 10 days of receipt of a decision.
2. The Dean of the Graduate School's decision with respect to an appeal shall be final. The Dean will endeavor to make a decision on the appeal within 10 days after its receipt. The Dean’s decision will be communicated in writing to the student, the faculty member, and the program director.

(Approved by the Graduate Council, Jan. 18, 1995; revised by a University of Maryland Baltimore committee, February 1995; approved in revised form by the Graduate Council, April 20, 1995; revised July 2003.)
*Policies, guidelines, and standards related to academic progression are outlined in the Academic Standards and Degree Requirements section of the catalog.

between a graduate student and his or her adviser or graduate program that (a) cannot be successfully resolved at the program level, (b) are serious enough in nature to jeopardize the student's ability to complete his or her training, and (c) do not relate to issues that fall under other policies.* The GSOC will consist of three experienced faculty members appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School for a period of two years.**

Rationale: It is recognized that disagreements between students and their advisers occur during training. In most cases, such problems can and should be worked out by the student, the adviser, and the program, possibly with the assistance of the student's dissertation committee. If this is not possible, however, the situation should be brought to the attention of the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee, who will, in turn, inform the GSOC. The GSOC will then assist the student, adviser, and program to develop a strategy to resolve the situation. The GSOC will provide all parties an opportunity for full consideration of their positions and ensure that all relevant Graduate School rules and guidelines are followed.

Procedures:

1. The student must first inform the director of his or her graduate program that a serious problem exists. It is the director's responsibility to review the situation and to attempt to resolve it according to the rules and guidelines of the program and any Graduate School rules or guidelines that are applicable.
2. In the event that the adviser is also the program director, the program should select another faculty member or form a committee of faculty members from within the program to mediate the problem.
3. If efforts at the program level fail to resolve the situation, or if the program fails to act, the student may then contact the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee. The student should present the problem to the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee in writing, describing the situation in detail, and outlining what was done at the program level to attempt to resolve it.
4. The Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee will provide the student's information to the GSOC. The GSOC will request information, also to be submitted in writing, from the program director, stating the program's position and describing the efforts that were made to resolve the situation. The adviser may also provide input at this time, but such input must be submitted through the program director.
5. The GSOC will review all relevant material provided by the student and program director. The GSOC may request additional information and meet with the parties who are involved. Upon completion of its review, the GSOC will make recommendations for resolution of the situation in writing to the student, the adviser, the program, and the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee.
6. The final decision as to the appropriate resolution of all cases will rest with the Dean of the Graduate School.
7. If a GSOC member has been involved in a matter before it reaches the GSOC, the member will not participate in the deliberations. The Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee will name one alternate member to the GSOC for the matter.

*Note, for example, that instances of alleged arbitrary and capricious grading, sexual harassment, student academic misconduct, and other misconduct are dealt with under other Graduate School policies or university policies.

**Initially, the three faculty members will be appointed to staggered terms, as follows: one to a term of one year and two to a term of two years. This will provide for overlapping terms in subsequent years.

This document sets out the basic University of Maryland Graduate School, Baltimore policy and procedures for dealing with the various forms of student academic misconduct primarily in course work. Such misconduct involves significant breaches of integrity which may take numerous forms such as, but not limited to, those listed below:

• Fabrication: The intentional and unauthorized generation or altering of data, information, citation, or result in an academic exercise.
• Falsification: The intentional and unauthorized altering of any information, citation, or result in an academic exercise.
• Plagiarism: The intentional or knowing representation of the words, ideas, or work of others as one's own in an academic exercise. The appropriation of the language, ideas, or thoughts of another and representation of them as one's own original work.
• Cheating: The intentional or attempted use of unauthorized material in an academic exercise.
• Improprieties of Authorship: Improper assignment of credit or misrepresentation of material as original without proper referencing of the original authors.
• Facilitating Academic Dishonesty: The intentional or knowing assistance or attempted assistance of another student to commit an act of academic misconduct.

Student misconduct in research and scholarly work falls under the purview of the University of Maryland Baltimore County document, "Policy and Procedures Concerning Misconduct in Scientific Work," or the University of Maryland Baltimore document, "Policy and Procedures Concerning Misconduct in Scholarly Work."

All graduate students of the UMGSB are subject to the standards of academic integrity required by the UMGSB and standards of academic integrity specific to a graduate program approved by the Graduate School. For example, the Masters in Science Nursing programs have additional standards. Students are also subject to the possible penalties for academic misconduct described in this document. Students must also observe any additional standards announced by faculty members for particular courses.

Each faculty member is responsible for maintaining academic integrity in his or her courses and has the authority, using proper procedures and reasonable judgment, to determine whether a student has engaged in academic misconduct. The faculty member must decide whether the misconduct involves a less-serious infraction susceptible to resolution by informal methods or a more-serious infraction requiring severe and stigmatizing penalty, such as suspension or expulsion. Once the faculty member has made an initial determination of academic misconduct, he or she shall initiate the process explained below. The faculty member should make initial determination of academic misconduct within two weeks of the infraction, if possible, and the entire process should be completed within 90 days, if feasible.

I. Less-Serious Infractions

Examples of infractions that can be considered less serious are:

• minor instances of plagiarism or cheating on examinations or papers required for a course
• minor fabrication or falsification of data for a laboratory report for a course
• facilitating academic dishonesty by students in an academic exercise

After identifying academic misconduct and providing written notification and obtaining written authorization from the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee, the faculty member has authority to resolve less serious cases of academic misconduct by means of informal methods such as warning, counseling, additional assignments, or grading. A typical penalty that has been exacted has been to assign a zero grade for the exercise and to compute the course grade including the zero grade for the exercise. The student may be reprimanded by the instructors, and the Graduate School can send letters of reprimand with the threat of dismissal should there be further occurrence. Such informal methods shall not be considered to be severe or stigmatizing. Confidential records of authorized informal actions shall be kept by the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee for use of the Graduate Council Grievance Committee*. The GCGC may release only general statistical summaries of such information and may not release identifying information.

Having made an initial determination of academic misconduct involving a less serious infraction and having consulted the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee for authorization, the faculty member shall observe certain rights of the student: the faculty member shall notify the student in writing within five days, if feasible, of the initial determination of academic misconduct and shall provide the student an opportunity within five days of notification to give explanation. Should the student fail to offer an explanation within the time frame, seek an extension for a good faith reason, or make a written request to the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee for a full hearing before the GCGC, the informal action shall become final.

The faculty member's informal action shall be final and conclusive and not subject to appeal within the University System of Maryland on grounds related to academic misconduct.

II. More-Serious Infractions

Infractions that can be considered as more serious include:

• major instances of plagiarism or cheating on examinations or papers for a course
• fabrication or falsification of data for publication, thesis, or dissertation
• a pattern of, or repeated occurrences of, less-serious infractions

Having made a final determination of more-serious academic misconduct, the faculty member shall notify the student in writing within five days, if feasible. The student shall have an opportunity within 10 days to respond and give an explanation to the faculty member before the determination of more serious academic misconduct can be made final by the faculty member.

After making an initial determination of an instance of more-serious academic misconduct requiring severe and stigmatizing penalty, the faculty member shall within five days send a letter to the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee. The faculty member's letter shall describe the academic misconduct and recommending suspension, probation, expulsion, or other action commensurate with the seriousness and circumstances of the misconduct. The faculty member shall send a copy of the letter to the student, to the graduate program director, and to the department chair. The Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee will notify the registrar, if appropriate, to prevent the student from dropping the course, thereby evading a penalty. The letter to the student shall include a copy of this policy. The faculty member shall also make reasonable efforts to preserve any evidence that might be needed by the GCGC in the event of an appeal by the student.

III. Appeals and Hearings

When the faculty member has filed with the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee a letter establishing academic misconduct requiring severe or stigmatizing penalty, the student shall have the right to a hearing before the GCGC. The student must file a written request for a hearing with the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee within 10 days of notification. When a student requests a hearing in a case involving severe or stigmatizing penalty, the UMGSB administration shall provide facilities and personnel requested by the chair of the GCGC for the purpose of providing due process. If the faculty member recommends suspension or expulsion, the GCGC shall (unless the student waives the right to a hearing) automatically conduct a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence of misconduct, or history of misconduct, to justify suspension or expulsion.

Upon its notification of a hearing request, the Dean of the Graduate School will appoint a three-person committee from among members of the GCGC. The GCGC should conduct an investigation, gather evidence, and interview witnesses to determine the facts. The investigation shall include a statement from the faculty member, describing the situation and action, a statement from the student including reason for the hearing request, and all statements by witnesses. The Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee shall circulate the statements to GCGC members, noting that confidential items must be kept in a secure location. The GCGC shall also obtain any additional information requested by the faculty member, the student, or the committee members. If requested by the chair of the GCGC, the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee shall provide the GCGC the record of academic misconduct of any student requesting a hearing. The GCGC should, if necessary, hold a pre-hearing meeting of committee members to discuss the investigation. Copies of all items of evidence should be sent to the faculty member and the student or, if the evidence cannot be copied, the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee should arrange for the evidence to be inspected by these parties at a convenient time.

The GCGC shall then schedule a hearing, conducted by the chair of the GCGC, allowing sufficient time, including continuations if necessary, for the committee to be satisfied that further inquiry would turn up no new material. If feasible, the hearing should be scheduled within 30 days of the GCGC's notice of a hearing request. At least three members of the GCGC must attend a hearing to form a quorum. Hearings will be held in closed session and will be tape recorded. Accidental erasure of the tapes, failure of the recording equipment, or poor quality of the recording will not be grounds for appeal. The faculty member and the student shall attend the hearing. Witnesses may be present at the hearing only during their own testimonies except with the permission of both the student and the chair of the GCGC. Legal counsel for the student or the university may be present at the hearing in an advisory role. Legal counsel shall not function as an advocate. The student shall have the right to state his or her case, to offer explanations and interpretations of each item of evidence and testimony, and to ask questions of the faculty member and witnesses. The faculty member may offer interpretations of the evidence and testimony and ask questions as necessary. Each committee member may ask questions. The proceedings of the hearing are to be confidential and are not to be discussed outside the hearing.

Those members of the GCGC who were present throughout the hearing shall discuss the case in closed session as soon as possible after the conclusion of the hearing. They then vote whether to uphold the faculty member's initial determination of academic misconduct. When a faculty member's recommendation of suspension or expulsion is involved, the GCGC also votes whether to uphold the recommendation. No votes in absentia shall be counted.

The GCGC shall send its findings and recommendations in writing to the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee within 10 days of the hearing, if possible. (A dissenting opinion may be submitted and filed by any GCGC member.) The Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee will act upon the recommendations of the report and notify the student, the faculty member, and other necessary parties of the results of the determination. If the GCGC determines that the faculty member acted improperly or mistakenly in his or her initial determination of more serious academic misconduct, it may recommend that the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee expunge the notice of academic misconduct or attach a letter of explanation to the notice. The GCGC may, in its report to the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee, include other penalties. While the GCGC may not impose grade alterations based on the content of the student's work, it has the authority to uphold the grade sanctions recommended by the faculty member if the student is found to have engaged in academic misconduct. The Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee's notification letter shall direct the student to the Dean of the Graduate School should he or she want to appeal the decision. The GCGC shall also send the Dean of the Graduate School the various documents and records used as evidence in the case.

The student has the right to appeal to the Dean of the Graduate School. The appeal must be in writing and must be filed within 10 days of receiving the GCGC report. The Dean will review the GCGC report and may uphold the decision, reverse the decision, modify the decision or penalties, or refer the case back to the GCGC. In any case, the decision of the Dean of the Graduate School is final.

The Dean of the Graduate School shall maintain a confidential file of academic misconduct communications which shall constitute the student's record of academic conduct. The Dean of the Graduate School may place appropriate notations on the student's transcript and provide the academic misconduct record of any student to outside institutions making inquiry appropriate under the federal Buckley Amendment laws.

*The GCGC is composed of three graduate faculty members from each campus, University of Maryland Baltimore and University of Maryland Baltimore County. GCGC members may be members of the Graduate Council and are appointed by the respective deans of the Graduate School to a term of two years. The initial appointment of one year for two members assures continuity of membership on the committee. Monthly meeting times will be set for the GCGC and any grievances that are filed will be heard at these times. Additional meeting times may be scheduled as needed. When a grievance is filed, all parties of the grievance and the members of the GCGC will be asked if there would be a conflict of interest with members of the committee or with any party filing the grievance. The Dean of the Graduate School will select three members of the GCGC who have no conflict of interest with any party affected by the grievance to serve on a panel to hear the case. Two members of the panel will be from the campus of the person filing the grievance. A panel may be augmented by two Graduate Student Association members of the Graduate Council (or other selected students) for the deliberation of academic misconduct grievances. The GCGC panel will serve as an informal fact-finding body, taking written statements from all participants and interviewing witnesses. The investigation may take the form of a hearing in which statements from all participants may be reviewed and the participants questioned. Legal counsel may be present at the hearing in an advisory role, but shall not function as an advocate. Every consideration will be taken to insure the confidentiality of witnesses. The GCGC panel will deliberate in closed session and make its recommendations to the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee. Original documents of the proceedings and records of the hearing will also be submitted to the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee.

(Approved and adopted by the Graduate Council, September 1993; revised July 23, 1998; revised Nov. 25, 2002.)

Satisfactory academic performance and progress within the UMB certificate programs is a responsibility shared by the Graduate School, the certificate program, and students. Certificate programs with additional criteria and requirements approved by the Graduate School are covered under this policy. Students should review all graduate program handbooks and standards.

Satisfactory performance and progress is demonstrated by adherence to the following Graduate School standards:

• Graduate students must maintain a minimum, cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Further, two or more grades of C or lower denote unsatisfactory progress in a certificate program and subject the student to academic dismissal regardless of cumulative GPA.
• All courses must be taken for letter grade; courses taken as pass/fail (P/F) or audit (AU) may not be counted toward the certificate.
• The course of study undertaken for a postbaccalaureate certificate must be ascertained from an approved program consisting of at least 12 graduate-level credit hours.
• Students must communicate with faculty, staff and students in ways that are professional, respectful and civil, and which foster collaboration.
• All requirements for the certificate must be completed within three years after admission. Periods of nonregistration (“stopping out” or approved leaves of absence) are included within this three-year period.
• All credits for a certificate must be completed at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
• Students are expected to meet the highest standards of integrity; cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, or abetting the academic dishonesty of another will result in sanction and may lead to academic dismissal.

These guidelines are applicable to all UMB graduate students regardless of instructional delivery mode (i.e., traditional, online, or hybrid).

Failure to satisfy the Graduate School’s standards of satisfactory academic performance and progress — or nonadherence to program-specific policies and requirements — subjects a student to possible academic probation and/or dismissal.

Stackable Certificates (Dual Enrollment)

Stackable certificates can be earned while enrolled in a primary degree curriculum.  The current Post-baccalaureate (PBC) Master's (MS) stackable student enrollment and graduate degree conferral must follow federal regulations.

• MS students may NOT earn a certificate without completing the MS degree requirements.
• Dually enrolled students will receive both a certificate and Master's degrees AFTER the completion of all certificate and MS degree requirements. 
• Students wishing to earn a certificate while completing a Master's degree will need to be admitted to the certificate program beginning in their first semester (PBC and MS)

the graduate programs, and students. This policy specifies the elements of satisfactory academic performance and progress for students in UMB programs required by the Graduate School. MS programs with additional criteria and requirements approved by the Graduate School are covered under this policy. Students should review all graduate program handbooks and standards.

Failure to satisfy the Graduate School's standards of satisfactory academic performance and progress subjects a student to possible academic dismissal, as does non-adherence to program-specific policies and requirements.

Elements of Satisfactory Academic Performance and Progress: Satisfactory performance and progress is demonstrated by adherence to the following Graduate School standards.

• All graduate students must maintain a minimum, cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. The Graduate School Office of Enrollment Affairs (GSOEA) reviews students' academic performances each semester and session. Failure to maintain the minimum GPA requirement may result in academic dismissal.
• Once admitted to a graduate program, each student has the obligation to continue a course of study and must register every semester in the academic year (fall and spring semesters) unless on an approved Leave of Absence (LOA). Failure to comply with the requirement to register every semester will be taken as evidence that the student has terminated his or her program and admission status in the Graduate School.
• Any student admitted provisionally will be granted full graduate status when the provisions have been satisfied. Provisionally admitted students who fail to meet the terms of their admission may be dismissed.
• The entire course of study undertaken for the MS degree must form a unified, coherent program approved by the student's advisor and the Graduate School.
• Students must communicate with faculty, staff and students in ways that are professional, respectful and civil, and which foster collaboration.
• Students must satisfactorily complete course work and the required curriculum in a timely fashion. All requirements for the MS degree must be completed within five years after admission. The period of an approved Leave of Absence is included within the five year time period.
• Students must adhere to the appropriate thesis or non-thesis guidelines outlined by the Graduate School and the program.
• Students in a MS program with clinical or experimental requirements are expected to meet the requirements, standards, and expectations of those experiences.
• Students are expected to meet the highest standards of integrity; the success of the entire academic enterprise depends on their doing so. Cheating, plagarism, fabrication, or abetting the academic dishonesty of another will result in sanction and may lead to academic dismissal.

 
Procedure: If a student fails to meet Graduate School standards of satisfactory academic performance and progress, the student shall be given written notice of dismissal by the GSOEA. The notice will include the reason for the dismissal. A copy of the notice will be provided to the student's Graduate Program Director (GPD). Notice of dismissal will be mailed to the student's current address of record as noted on file with the UMB Registrar. Notice is deemed received by the student within 10 calendar days from the date of the notice. Each student is expected to notify the Graduate School and the graduate program of changes in address and check for correspondence at his or her address of record in a timely fashion.

Effective July 1, 2005

 of the University of Maryland Baltimore Graduate School (UMBGS), the Doctoral Programs, and graduate students. This policy specifies the elements of satisfactory academic performance and progress for students in UMBGS DMSc program.

UMBGS Standards

• After admission to the DMSc program, each student must continue a course of study and must register fall and spring semesters unless on an approved leave of Absence. Failure to comply with the requirement to register every semester will be taken as evidence that the student has terminated his or her program and admission status in the Graduate School.
• Students accepted provisionally will have provisional admission status removed only after all provisions have been satisfied and the student has fulfilled all other UMBGS and Doctoral Program requirements for non-provisional admission.
• Graduate students must maintain a minimum, cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Students must establish and maintain a professional relationship with faculty advisor and clinical preceptors. The advisor must hold Associate or Regular membership in the Graduate Faculty with the appropriate knowledge and expertise to serve as an advisor.
• Students must communicate with faculty, staff and students in ways that are professional, respectful and civil, and which foster collaboration.
• Students must demonstrate advanced knowledge and skills relevant to Physician Assistant practice and leadership and the ability to conduct independent research by developing, presenting, and defending an original research project on a topic approved by the Doctoral Program. Evidence of completion of this requirement is submission of the research product to the Doctoral Program
• All degree requirements, including the final examination of the dissertation, must be completed within six years of admission to the Doctoral Program.
• Students are expected to meet the highest standards of academic integrity. Plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, cheating, and other acts of academic dishonesty, or abetting the academic dishonesty of another will result in sanctions and may lead to academic dismissal.

Doctoral Program Standards

Students must meet all Doctoral Program requirements for satisfactory academic performance and progress as well as UMGBS requirements. Students are advised to be familiar with all handbooks, requirements, and standards of their Doctoral Program.

• Doctoral Programs may have requirements that are in addition to the UMBGS standards listed above. Examples of additional Graduate Program requirements are clinical rotations, journal clubs, presentation of papers/abstracts, and publication(s).
• Doctoral Programs may have more stringent standards than the UMBGS. Examples of more stringent standards are higher than 3.0 minimum GPA required by the UMBGS, advancement to candidacy within four years instead of five, and program completion within seven instead of nine years.

The student is expected to meet the most stringent standard for each requirement, whether it is a standard of the UMGBS or the Doctoral Program. Failure to meet any of the UMGBS and Doctoral Program standards of academic performance and progress subjects a student to automatic academic probation and the possibility of dismissal.

Placement on Academic Probation or Dismissal

If a student does not meet the UMBGS and the Doctoral Program’s standards of satisfactory academic performance or progress, then the student will automatically be placed on probation or dismissed. Written notice of this action will be provided by the Graduate School Office of Enrollment Affairs, including the reason for the action. A copy of the notice will be provided to the student’s Doctoral Program Director. Notice will be mailed to the student’s current address of record as noted on file with the UMB Registrar. Notice is deemed received by the student within 10 calendar days from the date of the notice. Each student is expected to notify the Registrar, UMBGS and the Doctoral Program of changes in address and check for correspondence at his or her address of record in a timely fashion.

For information on UMBGS policy and procedures for appeal of probation or academic dismissal see the policy here.

Effective July 1, 2023

of the University of Maryland Baltimore Graduate School (UMBGS), the Doctoral Programs, and graduate students. This policy specifies the elements of satisfactory academic performance and progress for students in UMBGS PhD programs.

UMBGS Standards

• After admission to a doctoral program, each student must continue a course of study and must register fall and spring semesters unless on an approved leave of Absence. Failure to comply with the requirement to register every semester will be taken as evidence that the student has terminated his or her program and admission status in the Graduate School.
• Students accepted provisionally will have provisional admission status removed only after all provisions have been satisfied and the student has fulfilled all other UMBGS and Doctoral Program requirements for non-provisional admission. This determination will be made by the Graduate Program Director and the UMBGS Academic Coordinator.
• Graduate students must maintain a minimum, cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• UMBGS does not impose a uniform protocol for preliminary, qualifying, or comprehensive examinations. Admission to candidacy occurs after fulfilling Doctoral Program requirements.
• Students must communicate with faculty, staff and students in ways that are professional, respectful and civil, and which foster collaboration.
• Students must establish and maintain a professional relationship with a faculty research advisor. The advisor must hold Regular membership in the Graduate Faculty with the appropriate knowledge and expertise to serve as research advisor.
• Students must demonstrate the ability to conduct independent research by developing, presenting, and defending an original dissertation on a topic approved by the Doctoral Program. Evidence of completion of this requirement is submission of the committee approved dissertation to the Graduate School.
• UMBGS requires that students take and pass a doctoral examination of the dissertation comprised of an open presentation and a formal examination. The formal examination can only be attempted twice. A failure on the second attempt means the PhD degree is forfeited.
• Students must be admitted to candidacy within five academic years of first term of enrollment in the Doctoral Program and at least two full sequential semesters or sessions (spring, summer, or fall) before graduation. All degree requirements, including the final examination of the dissertation, must be completed within four years of admission to candidacy and no more than nine years after admission into the Doctoral Program.
• Students are expected to meet the highest standards of academic integrity. Plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, cheating, and other acts of academic dishonesty, or abetting the academic dishonesty of another will result in sanctions and may lead to academic dismissal.

Doctoral Program Standards

Students must meet all Doctoral Program requirements for satisfactory academic performance and progress as well as UMGBS requirements. Students are advised to be familiar with all handbooks, requirements, and standards of their Doctoral Program.

• Doctoral Programs may have requirements that are in addition to the UMBGS standards listed above. Examples of additional Graduate Program requirements are laboratory rotations, journal clubs, presentation of papers/abstracts, and publication(s).
• Doctoral Programs may have more stringent standards than the UMBGS. Examples of more stringent standards are higher than 3.0 minimum GPA required by the UMBGS, advancement to candidacy within four years instead of five, and program completion within seven instead of nine years.

The student is expected to meet the most stringent standard for each requirement, whether it is a standard of the UMGBS or the Doctoral Program. Failure to meet any of the UMGBS and Doctoral Program standards of academic performance and progress subjects a student to automatic academic probation and the possibility of dismissal.

Placement on Academic Probation or Dismissal

If a student does not meet the UMBGS and the Doctoral Program’s standards of satisfactory academic performance or progress, then the student will automatically be placed on probation or dismissed. Written notice of this action will be provided by the Graduate School Office of Enrollment Affairs, including the reason for the action. A copy of the notice will be provided to the student’s Doctoral Program Director. Notice will be mailed to the student’s current address of record as noted on file with the UMB Registrar. Notice is deemed received by the student within 10 calendar days from the date of the notice. Each student is expected to notify the Registrar, UMBGS and the Doctoral Program of changes in address and check for correspondence at his or her address of record in a timely fashion.

For information on UMBGS policy and procedures for appeal of probation or academic dismissal see the policy here.

Effective March 31, 2006

I. INTRODUCTION

This University of Maryland Graduate School (“Graduate School”) Policy for Faculty Appointment and Promotion (“Policy”) sets out Graduate School expectations of its faculty in the areas of teaching, scholarship and service. The Policy also provides guidelines for individual professional development and specifies a format for the dossier of a candidate seeking appointment or promotion. All Graduate School faculty appointments are non-tenure track appointments under term appointment agreements for compensated or volunteer positions.

The Graduate School is an academic unit of the University of Maryland Baltimore (“UMB”). This Policy is intended to conform to and supplement the UMB Policy II-1.00(A) UMB Policy on Appointment, Rank and Tenure of Faculty (“UMB Policy”), USM Policy II-1.00 University System Policy on Appointment, Rank, and Tenure of Faculty (“USM Policy”), and other applicable USM and UMB faculty policies.

Academic excellence is an expectation of the Graduate School and its faculty. The Dean of the Graduate School (“Dean”) is accountable and responsible for the recruitment and development of Graduate School faculty. The Graduate School is committed to ensuring that Graduate School faculty members are appropriately counseled regarding eligibility for renewal of appointment and/or promotion. The Graduate School will make decisions regarding appointments, renewals and promotions based on the quality of faculty teaching, scholarship, or service and on applicable USM, UMB and Graduate School policies.

The Appointments and Promotions Committee (“APC”) of the Graduate School is responsible for evaluating candidates for appointment and promotion to the ranks of full-time Graduate School Assistant Professor, Graduate School Associate Professor and Graduate School Professor, and making recommendations to Graduate School officials, as set out in this Policy. The APC follows the guidelines set out in the USM Policy and the UMB Policy as relevant to the Graduate School faculty appointments. Faculty appointments, renewals, and promotions not within the responsibilities of the APC are the responsibility of the Dean, who may consult the APC Chair but is under no obligation to do so. The Dean may appoint volunteer faculty to any rank without prior consultation with the APC.

II. INFORMATION ABOUT THE APC

The APC is composed of five full time faculty members approved by Dean or his/her designee. Appointees to the APC must have an established history in graduate education and teaching graduate students in online, hybrid learning environments. APC members should represent the range of faculty disciplines in the Graduate School. APC members must have an appointment to the rank of Graduate School Associate Professor or Graduate School Professor. Faculty members will be selected to serve on the APC by the Dean for staggered terms of two years, renewable for up to six years.

The Dean will appoint the initial Chair of the APC. Subsequently the Chair will be elected by the APC from its membership annually in June or as soon thereafter as practical.

III. FACULTY TRANSITION PROCESS

Upon approval and implementation of this policy Graduate School faculty ranks will include Graduate School Assistant Professor, Graduate School Associate Professor, and Graduate School Professor. Prior to July 1, 2019, the Graduate School appointed primary faculty only to the ranks of Lecturer and Senior Lecturer. With the introduction of this policy, the Dean of the Graduate School has the authority to establish a process for reevaluating all current Graduate School primary faculty appointments and, when appropriate, modifying appointment ranks to reflect new Graduate School ranks approved with this policy. This process will expire upon the reevaluation of all current Graduate School primary faculty appointed to the Graduate School. As such, future Graduate School policies for faculty appointment and promotion will not require a faculty transition process.

IV. APPOINTMENT, EVALUATION AND PROMOTION

The APC reviews all full-time appointments and promotions to the ranks of Graduate School Assistant Professor, Graduate School Associate Professor and Graduate School Professor based on the criteria of faculty teaching, scholarship, and service. Seniority is not a criterion. (Voluntary appointments are not subject to APC review.) Decisions concerning faculty appointments in the Graduate School are based on demonstrated accomplishment and potential for future development, achievement, and contribution to the Graduate School. The Graduate School does not have a tenure track and does not award tenure.

A. Professorial Ranks and Titles

Graduate School Assistant Professor, Graduate School Associate Professor and Graduate School Professor are the Graduate School’s professorial ranks. These appointments may be full-time or part-time appointments.

B. Other Instructional Faculty

Adjunct Assistant Professor, Adjunct Associate Professor and Adjunct Professor appointments generally are utilized for faculty with primary employment outside of UMB. This primary employment may be at other USM institutions or institutions outside USM. The usual role of adjunct faculty is in the area of teaching. Adjunct appointments must follow USM and UMB policies relating to adjunct faculty. The APC does not review these appointments.

Visiting Assistant Professor, Visiting Associate Professor and Visiting Professor are short-term appointments for faculty not otherwise employed by UMB. Visiting faculty appointments are ordinarily for one semester or one academic year. The APC does not review these appointments.

Assistant Instructor appointments are for faculty that contribute to teaching but who is not required to consistently make contributions to either scholarship or service. The APC does not review these appointments.

Lecturer are appointments for faculty members who contribute to teaching but who are not required to consistently make contributions to either scholarship or service. The APC does not review these appointments.

Senior Lecturer are appointments for faculty members who contribute to teaching with sustained excellence and expertise in an area of specialization but who are not required to consistently make contributions to either scholarship or service. The APC does not review these appointments.

C. Affiliate Faculty & The Role of Graduate Council

Affiliate faculty are faculty members with primary appointments at other UMB schools. Affiliate appointments are non-tenure track appointments in the Graduate School for UMB faculty who develop and teach graduate level courses, advise graduate students, serve on doctoral and master’s thesis committees or provide other support to the Graduate School. The Dean may appoint Affiliate Faculty to the Graduate School Affiliate rank that is the same as the rank held in the primary appointment of another UMB school. Written approval by the Dean of the UMB school in which the faculty member holds a primary appointment is required.

APC review and approval is not required for Affiliate Faculty status. Affiliate faculty status indicates Graduate School membership. Graduate School membership is a status separate from a faculty appointment that is granted only upon recommendation of the Graduate Council and with approval of the Dean, through an application for membership process. The Graduate Council must approve all faculty for membership as a prerequisite to service on a doctoral dissertation committee.

D. Volunteer Faculty

The Dean may designate faculty titles to be used for volunteer faculty who are not compensated by the Graduate School but agree to undertake teaching, mentoring and/or supervising Graduate School students. One of the following titles is preferred:

Clinical Instructor

Clinical Assistant Professor

Clinical Associate Professor

Clinical Professor

The Dean has discretion to approve other ranks available under this policy for use in association with a volunteer faculty appointment when circumstances are appropriate.

E. Qualifications for Appointment and Promotion

Graduate School faculty positions are offered at the following ranks in accordance with the specified criteria. The relative weight of criteria will be determined by the mission of the Graduate School.

Assistant Instructor

Has at least a Baccalaureate degree in the field in which the faculty member will be teaching primarily, or in a related field.

Clinical Instructor (used only for volunteer faculty)

Has at least a Baccalaureate degree in the field in which the faculty member will be teaching primarily, or in a related field.

Lecturer

Has a terminal or Master’s degree in the field or in a related field, or equivalent professional experience in the field or in a related field. Primary focus is teaching.

Senior Lecturer

In addition to having the qualifications of a Lecturer, a Senior Lecturer ordinarily has an exemplary teaching record over the course of at least six years.

Clinical Assistant Professor

A volunteer faculty member appointed who must be licensed in an appropriate discipline (i.e. physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner) in Maryland or another state where students will interact with the volunteer faculty member for purposes of curricular professional practice education.

Clinical Associate Professor

In addition to the qualifications required of a Clinical Assistant Professor, the appointee should ordinarily have had extensive successful experience in clinical or professional practice and professional practice education.

Clinical Professor

In addition to the qualifications required of a Clinical Associate Professor, the

appointee shall have demonstrated a degree of excellence in clinical or professional practice and professional practice education sufficient to establish an outstanding reputation among colleagues. The appointee shall also have demonstrated extraordinary competence and leadership.

Graduate School Assistant Professor

Candidates for the appointment or promotion to the rank of Graduate School Assistant Professor should have:

• A terminal degree (normally a Doctoral degree, but in some fields a Master’s degree) appropriate for the field in which the faculty member will be teaching primarily, or a Master’s degree appropriate for the field in which the faculty member will teach as well as teaching experience at the college level in the field or a related field.
• Excellence in teaching with demonstrated initiatives in improving their teaching skills, teaching materials, and in curriculum development (evidence that course work is well-organized; that assignments are clear and varied according to the nature of the course content; that effective modes of presentation are commonly employed; that course objectives, learning outcomes, and methods of assessment are clearly addressed on syllabi; that existing courses have been revised and/or new courses have been developed and that a commitment to the goals and objectives of the Graduate School is evident).
• A commitment to service responsibilities within the Graduate School and/or related civic organizations and successful collaboration with others in the Graduate School and/or University.
• Potential in scholarly activities and the pursuit of new knowledge.

Graduate School Associate Professor

In addition to having the qualifications of Graduate School Assistant Professor, candidates for the appointment or promotion to rank Graduate School Associate Professor must have:

• Continued excellence in teaching (evidence of substantial course development in the candidate’s area of expertise, effective work with students individually and in groups, commitment to outcomes-based learning and assessment, establishment of interprofessional teaching and educational collaborations, significant mentoring of students leading to demonstrable changes in academic performance, and outstanding expertise in one or more aspects of teaching and/or educational scholarship).
• Scholarship at a level of excellence that is recognized in the field.
• Leadership in the Graduate School, the University, and/or related civic or professional organizations that demonstrates collaboration across the University, including a body of work that reflects relevant and effective service to the institution, the community, and the profession.
• Evidence of scholarly activities and the pursuit of new knowledge (presentation of scholarly papers or seminars to peers, publications of published peer reviewed articles, pedagogical articles, computer programs, textbooks or

textbook chapters).

• Commitment to support colleagues and students to greater achievement and ideally mentorship to students and junior faculty colleagues.
• Extraordinary accomplishment in teaching (ongoing evidence of substantial contribution to teaching in the candidate’s area of expertise).
• Scholarship at a level of excellence that is recognized in the field.
• Continuing evidence of leadership in the Graduate School, the University, and/or related civic or professional organizations, demonstrating collaboration across the University, and ongoing effective services to the institution, community, and the profession.

Graduate School Professor

In addition to having the qualifications of Graduate School Associate Professor, candidates for the appointment or promotion to rank Graduate School Professor should have:

• Extraordinary accomplishment in teaching (ongoing evidence of substantial contribution to teaching in the candidate’s area of expertise).
• Scholarship at a level of excellence that is recognized in the field.
• Continuing evidence of leadership in the Graduate School, the University, and/or related civic or professional organizations, demonstrating collaboration across the University, and ongoing effective services to the institution, community, and the profession.

V. TERMS OF APPOINTMENT AND REAPPOINTMENT

A. All Graduate School faculty are given annual or semester appointments not to extend beyond the fiscal year unless stipulated in the letter of appointment. Appointments terminate at the end of the appointment period, unless reappointed is made in accordance with this Policy.

B. Appointments at the full-time rank of Graduate School Assistant Professor may be made for initial and reappointment terms of one to three years. Appointments at the ranks of full-time Graduate School Associate Professor and full-time Graduate School Professor may be made for initial and reappointment terms of one to four years. If reappointment terms are not specified, reappointment will be for one year.

C. Graduate School faculty with full-time appointments to the ranks of Graduate School Assistant Professor, Graduate School Associate Professor and Graduate School Professor of not less than one academic year will: (a) receive at least three months’ notice of nonrenewal of appointment if the faculty member has completed at least one year as a full-time Graduate School faculty appointee, and (b) will receive at least six months’ notice of nonrenewal of appointment if the faculty member has been a full-time Graduate School faculty appointee for seven years or more. There is no notice requirement for nonrenewal of volunteer faculty.

D. Graduate School faculty with part-time appointments will receive notice of nonrenewal of appointment no less than 30 days before the end of the appointment period.

E. If notice of nonrenewal is provided late, the period of employment will be extended by the amount of time necessary to provide the full notice period; for example, if notice is provided two weeks into the notice period, employment will be extended two weeks beyond the end of the contract term. A faculty member who does not receive written notice of nonrenewal or renewal by the date for nonrenewal notices may petition the Dean for a prompt decision.

F. If nonrenewal of a faculty appointment is associated with discontinuance of the program in which the appointment was made or because of the lack of appropriations or other funds with which to support the faculty program, the Graduate School will provide 30-days notice to the faculty member.

G. Faculty members generally have 12-month appointments unless specified otherwise in the faculty appointment letter.

VI. APPOINTMENT AND PROMOTION REVIEW

A. Appointments

1. Faculty Recruitments and Search Requirements

A search process is required for the following:

(1) Recruitment and hiring of a candidate to fill a full-time faculty position in the Graduate School at the rank of Graduate School Assistant Professor, Graduate School Associate Professor or Graduate School Professor;

(2) A change in a current faculty member’s appointment from part-time to full-time status at the rank of Graduate School Assistant Professor, Graduate School Associate Professor or Graduate School Professor, unless the facultymember’s initial employment followed a search procedure that satisfied the faculty search requirements of UMB under its affirmative action plan.

The Graduate School seeks to make faculty opportunities readily known in order to identify highly qualified prospective faculty. The Graduate School is committed to the concept and practice of equal opportunity and affirmative action in the recruitment and selection of its faculty. The Dean, with approval from the President or the Provost, may initiate alternative search structures, only if the alternate search structure is consistent with campus affirmative action requirements. The requirements, scope and advertising for a specific search will vary depending upon the appointment being filled, the anticipated difficulty of identifying strong candidates, the time available for recruitment and evaluation of candidates, the availability of strong internal candidates, and UMB’s diversity record in similar faculty ranks in the Graduate School. For all faculty recruitments, the Graduate School will follow the faculty search guidelines and procedures

established by the Human Resource Services Diversity/EEO/AA Office.

Search committees will be comprised of faculty of the Graduate School and/or faculty representing one or more of the other UMB schools. Search committees are appointed by the Dean. The committees are charged with finding the best candidate through a search process that is consistent with UMB affirmative action requirements and generates a diverse pool of candidates. Each search committee (in consultation with the Dean or the Vice Dean) will:

a. Develop and implement a recruitment plan in accordance with UMB affirmative action plan requirements and procedures (including establishing the proposed faculty rank for recruitment),

b. Evaluate applicants’ suitability for the position,

c. Solicit letters of evaluation from evaluators for semifinal candidates selected by the search committee.

d. Compile dossiers on semifinal candidates identified by the search committee.

Letters of Evaluation. The evaluators should be established educators of a rank equal to or above that being proposed for the candidate. Consideration also should be given to prominence and institutional affiliation of the recommended evaluators, as well as their ability to provide a thorough and thoughtful evaluation of the candidate’s qualification and experience.

Evaluators should be asked to provide a letter of evaluation covering the following aspects of a candidate:

a. Excellence in teaching and service. Candidates for the rank of full-time Graduate School Professor should also be assessed in scholarship

b. Particularly impressive aspects of the candidate’s record

c. The candidate’s knowledge of the discipline and pedagogical research theory as it applies to the candidate’s teaching area

d. The candidate’s potential contribution to the mission of the Graduate School

The purpose of these letters is to provide an assessment of the candidate’s potential to succeed at the Graduate School and the candidate’s qualities and competencies in teaching and service. Candidates for the rank of full-time Graduate School Professor should also be assessed in scholarship. Letters of evaluation collected by the search committee will be included in the dossier used by the APC.

The search committee will identify a choice of the best qualified candidate, recommend one candidate for the position in a report containing an evaluation of the search results, the recommended candidate and the committee’s action, vote and any other recommendations. After the search committee delivers i

recommendation to the Dean, the Dean will assemble and submit the recommendation and dossier to the APC. Dossier elements are described below. A favorable decision by the APC is required for a full-time appointment or promotion to full-time faculty position in the Graduate School.

For full-time faculty position in the Graduate School at the rank of Graduate School Assistant Professor, Graduate School Associate Professor or Graduate School Professor, the APC reviews the search committee evaluation report and dossier of the recommended candidate and reports its recommendation to the Dean. If the APC recommendation is positive, based on the candidate’s proposed faculty rank, the dossier, search committee and APC report, and the Affirmative Action Faculty Appointment Report are forwarded to the final decision-maker. The decision-makers are as follows:

Full-time appointments and promotions to the ranks of Graduate School Associate Professor and Graduate School Professor are made by the President upon recommendation of the APC and the Dean.

Full-time appointments to the rank of Graduate School Assistant Professor are made by the Provost upon recommendation of the APC and the Dean. In the event the Provost has a conflict of interest, the appointment is made by the President.

Any appointment below the rank of Graduate School Assistant Professor (e.g., Senior Lecturer, Lecturer, and Clinical Instructor) and any part-time, adjunct, secondary, affiliate and volunteer appointment is made by the Dean upon recommendation of the Vice Dean. The Vice Dean’s recommendation will be in the form of a letter to the Dean with appropriate documentation included. The Dean will confer with the Vice Dean and may also confer with the Chair of the APC, if the Dean desires.

Letter of Appointment. After receiving approval from the final decision-maker, it is the Dean’s responsibility to prepare an appropriate appointment letter to the candidate and obtain the signature of the final decision-maker and a copy of the letter countersigned by the faculty member indicating acceptance. Appointment letters must be in the form approved for use by the Graduate School and compliant with USM and UMB policy. A letter of appointment is required for every full-time, part-time and volunteer appointment, regardless of rank.

2. New Appointment Dossier: Elements and Evaluation

Graduate School Assistant Professor, Graduate School Associate Professor and Graduate School Professor Full-time Appointments. The Dean receives the search committee’s report and recommendation. The Dean or Vice Dean is responsible for submitting the selected candidate’s new appointment dossier to the APC Committee. The new appointment dossier for the APC includes:

a. The candidate’s CV. The CV should also be signed, dated, and certified by the candidate to be complete and accurate;

b. Letter from the search committee addressing the following:

i. The candidate’s proposed duties and responsibilities;

ii. The basis for the recommendation, e.g., excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service;

iii. Particularly impressive aspects of the candidate’s record;

iv. The candidate’s potential contribution to the School’s mission;

v. Summary of supporting evidence for proposed rank from the outside letters of evaluation;

c. At least 3 letters of evaluation requested and received by the search committee; and

d. Other appropriate materials that the candidate has provided.

3. All Other Faculty Appointments.

Search procedures, dossiers, and the review and final decision-making process for faculty appointments to ranks other than full time Graduate School Assistant Professor, Graduate School Associate Professor and Graduate School Professor may be tailored to the nature of the rank and appointment. E.g., volunteer appointments must include only a letter of recommendation to the Dean and a current CV in the required format. Additional search, evaluation, selection and approval requirements for initial appointment to ranks other than full time Graduate School Assistant Professor, Graduate School Associate Professor and Graduate School Professor may be established, subject to review and approval by the Provost and UMB Human Resource Services Diversity/EEO/AA Office.

B. Promotions

1. Promotion Dossier: Elements and Evaluation

Each faculty member must develop and maintain a dossier during the course of Graduate School employment. A faculty member’s dossier will be used to monitor the faculty member’s performance in the areas of teaching, scholarship and service, and to assess potential for reappointment and/or promotion. This is not required for volunteer faculty. To assist in the evaluation process for promotion, the Vice Dean or designee will submit faculty dossiers electronically as a portfolio. Dossiers may differ in content depending on the nature of the promotion being sought. Contents of the dossier should be arranged in the following order, with materials in each category of information provided in reverse chronological order (most recent first):

a. Title Page

b. Letter from Dean (see below)

c. Letters of evaluation from evaluators

d. Candidate’s Statement

e. Updated Curriculum Vitae. The CV should also be signed, dated, and certified by the candidate to be complete and accurate

f. Scholarship Portfolio

g. Teaching Portfolio

h. Service Portfolio

i. Student Evaluations

2. Dean’sLetter for Promotion

For a promotion subject to final authority of the President or Provost (full-time Graduate School Assistant Professor, Graduate School Associate Professor, Graduate School Professor) the Dean’s Letter is meant to highlight the material in the dossier by focusing on key aspects of the candidate’s dossier and placing them in context as much as possible, including factual information as well as an explanation of the recommendation. For promotions to ranks which are subject to the final authority of the Dean, the Vice Dean or designee is responsible for preparing this letter. The letter should include the following (although not in an enumerated format):

a. Name of person being recommended

b. Identification of the action being recommended

c. Official start date of current appointment and effective date of proposed action

d. Description of duties during the period under review (including the percent time/effort for each area)

e. Identification of the areas on which the recommendation is based: teaching, scholarship and service

f. Summary of key elements of the teaching portfolio, such as evaluations, improvements and professional development

g. Review of the candidate’s student evaluations

h. Explanation of the importance and relative impact of the candidate’s scholarship

i. Discussion of the service record and an assessment of the value of the service, including an explanation of the role of service to the school, university, profession or community. The importance of service varies from unit to unit.

j. Description of particularly impressive aspects of the candidate

k. Identification of honors, awards, or recognition

l. Contribution to the Graduate School’s mission

m. Citation of national or international reputation

n. Comments on interpersonal skills, organization membership, etc.

3. Evaluations for Promotion

For promotions to the ranks of full-time Graduate School Assistant Professor, Graduate School Associate Professor or Graduate School Professor, letters of evaluation are required. The evaluators should be distinguished educators and hold a rank equal to or above that being proposed. Consideration also should be given to prominence and institutional affiliation of recommended evaluators, as well as their ability to provide a thorough and thoughtful evaluation of the candidate.

Evaluation letters should provide judgments on the following aspects of the candidate:

a. Excellence in teaching and service. Candidates for promotion to the rank of full-time Graduate School Professor should also be assessed in scholarship

b. Particularly impressive aspects of the candidate’s record

c. The candidate’s knowledge of the discipline and pedagogical research theory as it applies to the candidate’s teaching area

d. The candidate’s contribution to the mission of the Graduate School

All letters of evaluation that are received will be made an official part of the APC package and will be part of the evaluation process of the candidate.

4. Timeline for Consideration of Candidates for Promotion

Promotions ordinarily are effective July 1 of each year. Faculty should meet with the Dean or Vice Dean in advance to evaluate their potential for promotion. For all candidates seeking promotion, a completed review and decision is ordinarily made by the final decision-maker no later than June 30 of the appropriate year. Dossiers for promotions that require approval of the President or the Provost or designee must be submitted to the Office of the Provost no later than May 1 to be considered for promotions effective on July 1 of that year. The timeline below should be followed in the year in which a promotion is requested, in order to allow the final decision-maker to act on requested promotions in a timely manner.

The procedure and schedule for promotion is as follows. APC review is required only for promotions to the rank of full-time Graduate School Assistant Professor, Graduate School Associate Professor and Graduate School Professor:

a. In September, the Vice Dean or designee initiates the review and compiles the electronic dossier.

b. If the APC Chair finds the dossier to be complete, the APC chair advises the Vice Dean or designee, who scans the dossier and provides one electronic copy to the APC Chair by November 15. By December 1, the APC Chair provides an electronic copy to outside evaluators, the other members of the APC, and the Dean. The electronic copy must be provided to the APC Chair by November 15.

c. After the dossier is accepted by the APC Chair, new material cannot be added, subject to one exception: the status of papers/grants pending when the dossier was prepared and identified as pending in the Dean’s

letter as submitted with the dossier, may be updated.

d. In December, the APC Chair requests letters of support for the candidate from outside evaluators. Letters are due at the end of the calendar year.

e. The APC meets in January to review dossiers involving candidates for promotion. Recommendations should be made by March 1.

f. If the APC recommendation is negative, a letter is sent to the Dean and Vice Dean. If the APC recommendation is positive, it is communicated to the Dean by March 15.

g. If the Dean’s decision is adverse to the APC recommendation, the Dean will communicate that decision to the APC. If the Dean agrees with the APC, by May 1, the Dean will submit the recommendation to the President or the Provost or designee, or, if the Dean has appointment and promotion authority for the candidate, notify the candidate faculty member of the Dean’s decision.

h. The decision of the President or the Provost or designee will be communicated to the Dean, who, within one week will notify the candidate faculty member of the decision of the President, Provost or designee.

C. APC Review Procedures

APC members voting on any recommendations must be at or above the rank that the candidate is pursuing for appointment or promotion. APC members must recuse themselves from any discussion and votes in which they have a conflict of interest or a perceived conflict of interest. The members of the APC will be identified to the candidate, who may ask that any member be replaced due to conflict of interest. The Dean will decide whether a candidate has presented enough evidence of a conflict of interest to warrant replacing a member of the APC.

To protect the confidentiality of the candidates and the reviewers and encourage open dialogue in the meetings of the APC, the meetings and discussions of the APC and the dossier materials, particularly letters of evaluation, are to be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by Maryland law.

After full APC discussion, each member shall vote by closed ballot recommending for or against the action under consideration. A positive recommendation by the APC requires the affirmative votes of a majority of the eligible voting members in attendance. The results of the closed ballot will be announced to the APC by its Chair, who will give the distribution of the vote. A record of the vote (number of positive and negative votes only) will be kept by the APC Chair and reported to the Dean of the Graduate School.

After the APC deliberates, the APC Chair will submit a report to the Dean advising of the APC’s recommendation.

D. All Other Faculty Promotions

Promotion procedures, dossiers, and the review and final decision-making process for faculty promotions to ranks other than full time Graduate School Assistant Professor,

Graduate School Associate Professor and Graduate School Professor may be tailored to the nature of the rank and appointment. E.g., promotions of faculty to part-time and volunteer positions must include only a letter of recommendation to the Dean and a current CV in the required format. Additional search, evaluation, selection and approval requirements for promotion to ranks other than full time Graduate School Assistant Professor, Graduate School Associate Professor and Graduate School Professor may be established subject to review and approval by the Provost and UMB Human Resource Services Diversity/EEO/AA Office.

VII. APPEALS PROCEDURE

There is no appeal from a decision not to reappoint a faculty member to the faculty.

A faculty member whose consideration for promotion is denied may appeal only on the following grounds: failure to follow stated policy, unlawful discrimination, information that was in the candidate’s APC dossier but not considered; or arbitrary and capricious action. The request for appeal must be made in writing to the Dean no later than 30 calendar days after the faculty member has been notified about the decision. The appeal may be decided by the Dean on consideration of the appeal and the APC dossier, or the Dean may appoint the Vice Dean or a senior faculty member or request that a compliance officer of UMB investigate the allegations of the appeal and make a report to the Dean. A recommendation to the Dean will normally be made no later than 40 business days after receipt of the appeal by the Dean, when feasible. The report will be provided to the appellant, who will have two weeks to respond in writing, and may request an appointment to discuss the appeal with the Dean. The Dean will make the final decision of UMB in regard to the appeal. If the appeal involves a denial by the Dean, an appeal should be filed with the Office of the President. The decision of the President is final.

this notice is given to students to advise them that the following information about a student is directory information subject to disclosure by the University upon request: name; address telephone listing; date and place of birth; photograph; major field of study; dates of attendance; degrees and awards received; and most recent previous educational institution attended. The directory information concerning a student may be disclosed even in the absence of consent unless the student files written notice informing the University not to disclose any or all of the categories within three weeks of the first day of the semester in which the student begins each school year. Notice not to disclose may be filed with the student's school Office of Student Affairs.

The complete Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) policy may be found at http://cf.umaryland.edu/umpolicies/usmpolicyInfo.cfm?polid=107

View the 2022 - 2023 Graduate Catalog here

View the 2021 - 2022 Graduate Catalog here

View the 2020 - 2021 Graduate Catalog here

View the 2019 - 2020 Graduate Catalog here..

In the summer session of 2020, UMB schools will deliver didactic curriculum on-line.  This innovative method of delivering didactic instruction responds to the COVID 19 pandemic and decisions made to maintain social distancing in the interest of the personal safety of all involved in the education of UMB students.

In the academic year 2020-2021, UMB expects it will return to some classroom and on-campus didactic instruction, consistent with safety standards, local and regional health conditions, and guidance of public authorities.  The ability to offer courses on campus may be delayed or intermittent.  UMB may supplement on-campus instruction with online and virtual learning opportunities. 

Selected labs, research assignments, experiential learning activities and Performance Based Assessments (PBAs) must be done in-person and will be scheduled (or rescheduled) as permitted by circumstances and UMB policies.  Most clinical experiential rotations scheduled for the summer 2020 are postponed until fall 2020 when UMB will work in consultation with affiliates to determine the best ways for students to engage in academic work at affiliates’ facilities after appropriate safety precautions are identified and implemented.

For on-line learning, UMB will reformat the curriculum materials and teaching techniques as necessary to assure that coursework continues to meet the high standards set by UMB and to assure that all learning outcomes are achieved in accordance with accreditation standards and expectations.