Graduate Committee Role
The SNR Graduate Committee is comprised of seven faculty members, six of which must have their graduate faculty home in SNR. The seventh member may have a courtesy, adjunct, or partial appointment in SNR. Committee members shall be elected for staggered three-year terms and may serve two consecutive terms. The SNR Graduate Student Association (SNR GSA) elects a representative who serves on the Graduate Committee in matters of policy and procedures but is not involved in screening prospective students or in deliberations involving an individual student.
The major duties of the Graduate Committee include:
- Evaluating the academic qualifications of applicants for admission into the Natural Resource Sciences degree programs.
- Establishing that applicants meet any departmental requirements that are over and above those set forth by the Graduate College.
- Approving the program of study for Masters students and the supervisory committee for PhD students.
- Monitoring the progress and academic performance of students at the request of the faculty adviser; recommending to faculty advisers necessary changes in graduate student status.
- Taking corrective action when unsatisfactory progress is evident.
- Awarding graduate teaching assistantships.
- Making recommendations pertaining to curricular changes in graduate courses.
- Suggesting and modifying graduate degree programs and areas of specialization.
- Establishing a minimum passing grade for the comprehensive exam and a procedure in the event of a failing grade on a question or the exam; and maintaining quality and uniformity of the examining procedure.
- Approving the oral exam procedure.
- Be available for graduate students who have concerns or issues they cannot resolve with their adviser(s) or committee.
- Assist in finding an adviser for a graduate student when the adviser leaves UNL and is unable to supervise the student through his program.
- Modifying, as needed, the SNR website regarding SNR graduate student policies and procedures.
For additional information on the SNR Graduate Committee, including committee members, visit https://snr.unl.edu/employeeinfo/people/committee/graduate.aspx.