Coordinators of Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Students: Responsibilities, Election, and Evaluation Policy (revised 2022, no longer in effect in teach-out mode of the program)

This document provides details regarding the coordinator position for the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. programs. In addition to the responsibilities described in this document, coordinators must also meet discipline-specific criteria and policies, and national accrediting body requirements, as applicable. The responsibilities outlined in this document must be met by all disciplines and must be completed thoroughly and in a timely manner to ensure program success. If a faculty member is responsible for the duties listed below, they may receive compensation from their department in the form of a stipend, reduced teaching load, or reduction in other service responsibilities. In some disciplines, the duties described herein might be delegated among various people (e.g., directors, advisors, administrative assistants, etc.), but the coordinator maintains responsibility for overseeing the satisfactory completion of all delegated duties. Coordinator responsibilities require significant time/effort and coordinators will be compensated $1,000, from the School of Graduate Studies or the Office of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program, for each full year (12 months) of service (payable at the end of the fiscal year). If a mid-year change occurs, the stipend will be pro-rated based on time invested.

The following is a description of the responsibilities expected of each coordinator.

Recruitment/Marketing

• Be actively involved in on- and off-campus recruitment and marketing initiatives.
• Encourage others in the program (faculty and students) to participate in recruitment.
• Follow up with prospective students who request information.
• Return phone calls/emails from prospective students in a timely manner, with accurate information and a pleasant demeanor.
• Be available to meet with students who visit campus.
• Ensure that all information regarding the program and application process is accurate on departmental and university websites, brochures, etc.

Admissions

• Communicate with applicants in a timely manner, with accurate information and a pleasant demeanor, regarding application questions, deadlines, and status.
• Identify students with "incomplete" applications and encourage those students to complete their applications.
• Facilitate admission decisions, in communication with primary and secondary discipline faculty when applicable, and inform all appropriate parties in a timely manner.
• Update the School of Graduate Studies and/or Office of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program and other appropriate parties regarding changes in the program (e.g., application deadlines, changes in personeel, substitute personnel during absences, etc.).
• Coordinate graduate assistantships, approved by the academic unit, if applicable.

Advisement

• Maintain operation of critical functions, including communication with students and prospective students, during the summer and other intercession periods.

New Students

• Ensure that an initial primary and secondary advisor, if appropriate, is assigned to each student as soon as possible, and that the student, advisor, and Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program Office and/or School of Graduate Studies are notified of this.
• Aid in course selection until advisors have been identified.
• Inform students about applicable orientations (e.g., Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Orientation) and other campus-wide and departmental orientations.
• Promote appropriate student organizations for students, including the Graduate Student Council.

Active Students

• Monitor progress of students each semester for classes, research, and assistantship performance (as applicable); contact and assist those who seem to be struggling.
• Serve as the liaison and contact person between the School of Graduate Studies and/or the Office of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program and students/advisors, especially regarding completion and submission of required paperwork, throughout the duration of the program.
• Inform students/adivosrs about required training/approvals (as appropriate).
• Promote student participation in Graduate Student Council sponsored events (e.g., Lunch and Learn, Community of Scholars, Three-Minute Thesis, etc.), and other campus and community events relevant to their education.
• Inform students/advisors of UMKC grants available for research funding and travel assistance for presentation of results.

Inactive Students

• Ensure all graduate students are continuously enrolled in all spring and fall semesters unless they have an approved leave of absence from the School of Graduate Studies.
• Coordinators should check in with advisors regarding any change in plan of study, enrollment, or continuation in the program.

Completing Students

• Remind students/advisors to submit all forms and exit surveys required for graduation.
• Track the final activities (public defense, uploading the dissertation) to assure thes are completed prior to the graduation deadline.

Course Catalog and Rotation Schedule

• Monitor course offerings and rotations in consultation with the dissertation committee chair and other units among primary and secondary disciplines so progress toward degree completion can be satisfactorily attained. Help disseminate this information to students and advisors.
• Coordinate with appropriate personnel to ensure curricular changes are done expeditiously and accurately.
• Annually review/update program information in catalog and on program websites.

Additional Duties

• Serve on the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Executive Committee.
• Be in regular communication with the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Director and Executive Committee regarding any proposed changes at the departmental level.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of primary and secondary discipline requirements, and keep in close communication with applicable secondary discipline Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Coordinators and/or doctoral program chairpersons.
• Make decisions regarding the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program with input and collaboration from primary and secondary discipline, School of Graduate Studies, and university constituents.
• Assist with compiling information for annual reports, program assessment, program reviews, and accreditation documents (if applicable).
• Maintain records of all enrolled Interdisciplinary Ph.D. students and alumni in the discipline in order to calculate success measures (such as graduation rates and time-to-degree values), to examine why students are not completing the degree, and to keep in contact with graduates. A template will be provided.

Election Process and Term Length

• The call for nominations to fill expiring terms of office will originate from the School of Graduate Studies. The School of Graduate Studies will request nominations by sending written notification (no later than March 1) to the Dean, Chair, and Doctoral Faculty in the applicable disciplines where a term is scheduled to expire.
• Peer- or self-nominations should be submitted to the primary discipline chair by April 1 of an upcoming re-election or vacancy year. Nominated persons should meet the following criteria:
  • .75 benefits eligible
  • Meet HLC credentialing standards
  • Tenured
  • In good standing (with departmental verification)
  • Doctoral faculty status
  • Deviation from the above criteria must be approved by the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Director and/or Dean of the School of Graduate Studies.
• The School of Graduate Studies will coordinate with the specific discipline to oversee the election. The department chair, or in the case the chair is up for election, a designee from the department, will administer an anonymous election and notify the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Director and/or Dean of the School of Graduate Studies of election results no later than May 1. Faculty members from the primary discipline should approve their choice by simple majority. In the event of a tie vote, the winner shall be determined by the toss of a fair coin.
• The School of Graduate Studies shall inform by letter those persons elected.
• Term lenth is 3 years (36 months), from July 1 through June 30.
• The term limite is two terms (2 x 3 years). Any coordinator who has exceeded the term limit when this policy is implemented cannot serve another term, effective immediately. A coordinator who has served two consecutive terms may be nominated again after a one-term (3 year) interim. Any deviation from the term limit policy must be approved by the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Director and/or Dean of the School of Graduate Studies.
• It is expected that the outgoing coordinator train the incoming coordinator and support the new coordinator during the transition process. It is imperative that student matriculation is not affected by the transition.
• If a vacancy occurs mid-term, a similar, though expedited, election process should be followed.
• The stipend ($1,000) will be included in the final paycheck in June. If a mid-year change occurs, the stipend will be pro-rated based on time invested.

Evaluation Measures

• Interdisciplinary Ph.D. coordinators primarily report to the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Director of the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, but must also maintain the expectations of their department head, dean, and other administrators. Evaluative measures may include the following:
  • Regular attendance at all required meetings
  • Feedback on student and faculty evaluations
  • Successfully fulfilling and/or delegating responsibilities as outlined in this document and adhering to the Standard of Faculty Conduct CRR 330:110
  • Complete and submit an annual coordinator report to the School of Graduate Studies
• If a coordinator disagrees with any action related to this administrative policy, they may appeal to the appropriate governing body (Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Executive Committee and/or Graduate Council).
• Evaluative measures will review the entierety of the above policy.

Bylaws of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Executive Committee

Implemented July 1, 2018

Committee no longer active

Article I. Name and Object

• Section 1: This name of this committee shall be the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Executive Committee of the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
• Section 2: The regulations, policies, and procedures of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Executive Committee shall conform to all the collected rules and regulations of the University of Missouri System as approved by the Board of Curators.
• Section 3: The University of Missouri-Kansas City offers the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. degree and is dedicated to providing education of the highest academic quality. Monitoring of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program's quality rests with the Doctoral Faculty of UMKC under the guidance of the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Director of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program. The Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Executive Committee shall speak for the UMKC Doctoral Faculty on issues related to the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program and shall consult the Graduate Council about areas where the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program relates to other graduate programs. This committee shall formulate and implement policies that govern the granting of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. degree at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Specifically, the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Executive Committee shall:
  • Monitor and review goals of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program and recommend major changes in goals, policies, and procedures to the Doctoral Faculty for final approval.
  • Monitor the quality of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program and its implementation by means of periodic reviews based on reports from existing bodies, councils, committees, and external reviewers.
  • Recommend to the Graduate Council and Research Board, policies and criteria concerning internal funding of research, research-related travel, and all other matters related to research and the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program.
  • Review other policy matters as required.

Article II. Membership

• Section 1: The Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Executive Committee shall consist of all Interdisciplinary Ph.D. coordinators from each primary discipline.
  • The call for nominations to fill expiring terms of office will originate from the School of Graduate Studies. The School of Graduate Studies will request nominations by sending written notification (no later than March 1) to the Dean, Chair, and Doctoral Faculty in the applicable disciplines where a term is scheduled to expire.
  • Nominated persons should meet the following criteria:
    • .75 benefits eligible
    • Meet HLC credentialing standards
    • Tenured
    • In good standing (with departmental verification)
    • Doctoral faculty status
    • Deviation from the above criteria must be approved by the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Director and/or Dean of the School of Graduate Studies.
  • The School of Graduate Studies will coordinate with the specific discipline to oversee the election. Nominations are to be submitted to the primary discipline department chair by April 1. The department chair, or in the case the chair is up for election, a designee from thedepartment, will administer an anonymous election and notify the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Director and/or Dean of the School of Graduate Studies of election results no later than May 1. Faculty members from the primary discipline should approve their nomination by simple majority. In the event of a tie vote, the winner shall be determined by the  toss of a fair coin.
  • The Chancellor shall inform by letter those persons elected.
  • Term length is 3 years (36 months), from July 1 through June 30.
  • The term limit is two terms (2 x 3 years). A coordinator who has served two consecutive terms may be nominated again after a one-term (3 year) interim. Any deviation from the term limit policy must be approved by the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Director and/or Dean of the School of Graduate Studies.
  • It is expected that the outgoing coordinator train the incoming coordinator and suppor the new coordinator during the transition process. It is imperative that student matriculation is not affected by the transition.
  • Coordinators will adhere to the policies and procedures outlines in the Coordinators Policy.
  • If a vacancy occurs mid-term, a similar, though expedited, election process should be followed.
  • The stipend ($1,000) will be included in the final paycheck in June. If a mid-year change occurs, the stipend will be pro-rated based on time invested.
• Section 2: The Director of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program shall serve as the Chairperson of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Executive Committee and shall be a non-voting member of this committee.

Article III. Meetings

• Section 1: Regular Meetings
  • The Director of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program shall be the presiding officer. In the Director's absence, the designee of the Director shall preside.
  • A regular meeting of this committee shall be held at least once each quarter of the academic year.
  • A regular meeting shall be called by the Chair. The date shall be fixed by the Chair and announced at least two weeks prior to the scheduled meeting. The announcement shall include time and location of the meeting.
  • The director of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program shall be responsible for assembling the agenda for regular meetings. Items may be placed on the agenda by the Director, and by any member of this body. Any five members of the Doctoral Faculty may petition the Director to have an item placed on the agenda. Items shall be submitted at least three weeks prior to the meeting. The agenda shall be forwarded to the committee members at least one week prior to the meeting.
  • A quorum of this committee shall consist of thirteen voting members.
• Section 2: Special Meetings
  • Special meetings may be called by the Director of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program, the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Executive Committee, or by petition of eight members of the Doctoral Faculty. The meeting must take place within fourteen days of the date of the call. A quorum shall consist of thirteen voting members.
  • The business of a special meeting shall be limited to items on the agenda.
• Section 3: The Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Executive Committee shall hold meetings as required with the Graduate Council to examine any conflicts between the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program and non-Interdisciplinary Ph.D. programs and try to reconcile such conflicts. If such conflicts cannot be resolved, the Graduate Council and the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Executive Committee shall make policy recommendations to the Director of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program, and to the Provost/Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
• Section 4: The current edition of Robert's Rules of Order may govern all meetings of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Executive Committee.
• Section 5: Copies of the minutes of all meetings of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Executive Committee shall be supplied, in a timely fashion, to each member of the UMKC Doctoral Faculty, the Provost/Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, the Chancellor, and Academic Deans.

Article IV. Amendments

• Section 1: Amendments to these Bylaws may be proposed by the Director of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program, the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Executive Committee, or by petition of twenty percent of the members of the UMKC Doctoral Faculty by March 1 of each academic year.
• Section 2: Proposed amendments to these Bylaws shall serve atuomatically as a call for a special meeting of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Executive Committee. The meeting must take place within fourteen days of the receipt of the proposed amendment(s).
• Section 3: The Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Executive Committee Membership shall be furnished with written notice of the meeting and a copy of the proposed amendment(s) at least one week prior to the meeting.
• Section 4: The business of a special meeting called to consider proposed amendment(s) shall be limited to discussion of these amendments. The only motion in order would be one to poll the Doctoral Faculty by ballot. A poll by ballot shall include a statement of the matter at issue as approved by the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Executive Committee. No action shall be official until it has been approved by ballot.
• Section 5: Approval shall require a two-thirds majority of the returned ballots.