16.3. Graduate Teaching Waivers

Graduate teaching waivers may be granted to individuals who do not meet the requirements for either full or associate graduate faculty status. Teaching waivers only allow individuals to serve as the instructor of record for graduate level courses and carry none of the other privileges of graduate faculty status. Waivers may be granted to qualified individuals who are not students in the department for which the waiver is sought. Graduate teaching waivers may be granted to individuals who do not meet the requirements for either full or associate graduate faculty status. Graduate teaching waivers should be granted sparingly.  A request for a waiver should include a rationale for why the individual nominated is the best choice for teaching the particular course. Teaching waivers are most appropriate for elective courses or courses in applied/professional programs for which experiences gained by professionals will provide a valuable educational opportunity for the students. Teaching waivers should not be requested for required courses in a program, unless no other viable alternative exists. The request for teaching waivers should not be seen as a long-term solution to inadequate numbers of tenure-track faculty members. Thus departments will also be asked to explain their long-term plan to fill any deficiencies in their ability to offer courses for which a waiver is requested.

The burden of proof lies with the applying graduate program to show that the nominee holds qualifications that merit the granting of a graduate teaching waiver. A Graduate Teaching Waiver Request form must be completed with a current copy of the nominee's curriculum vitae and any other pertinent documentation attached.

Graduate teaching waivers are approved by the Graduate Council and the Dean of the Graduate College. Waivers are granted for one academic year and may be renewed twice at the discretion of the Dean of the Graduate College.