Graduate Faculty

The Department of Geology, School of Earth and Environment, College of Math and Science, Rowan University will have a graduate faculty to serve at both the M.S. and Ph.D. level as either instructors of graduate courses, members of thesis or dissertation committees, primary advisors to students, and/or as members of the examination committee. All serving members do so without additional compensation for their service with such activities being part of their overall service to the department’s mission. As with the main mission of the Department of Geology, we also serve as academic stewards of the Jean and Ric Edelman Fossil Park through educating the next generation of researchers in collaboration with the park and its resources.

Membership of the Graduate Faculty in Geology

Categories of Membership

Full Membership: The graduate faculty in Geology will be inclusive of all tenured (active of inactive), tenure-track, and lecturers serving on the full-time faculty of the department who have a Ph.D. Faculty may choose to be active in the graduate programs at any level (e.g., primary advisor, member of the examination committee only, etc.) of the program at their discretion or by request of the program director or Chair/Head of the department.

Associate Membership: There are two types of possible associate members of the Graduate Faculty in the Department of Geology: (i) Members of the Department of Geology full-time faculty who do not have a Ph.D. or equivalent, thus their research experience is assumed different than those with such a degree. However, upon petition to the Department Chair/Head such members can be made a full member of the graduate faculty upon 2/3 vote of the full-time faculty within geology, (ii) Members of the faculty of other departments within Rowan University or other institutions, including industry, to which an official agreement between the Department of Geology (or Rowan University in general, e.g., MOA) for cooperative relationship exist and have they have a Ph.D. or equivalent. Only Rowan University full-time faculty who are elected associate members may be the Chair of a Ph.D. committee, in addition to those who are full members of the graduate faculty. 

Affiliated Membership: An Affiliate Member of the graduate faculty of the Department of Geology are those who are not tenure-track or in some way full-time members of the faculty of Rowan University. These include but not limited to adjunct professors, ¾ faculty, industry folk where there is no formal agreement between Rowan University and their place of employment, or external readers who wish to join the graduate faculty of the Department of Geology. Such a status permits membership on a Ph.D. student or candidate’s thesis or dissertation committee, but no other roles.

Joining the Graduate Faculty 

All Full Members of the Graduate Faculty will automatically be added upon joining the faculty of the Department of Geology and having a Ph.D.  

Associate and Affiliated Members must be nominated by a Full Member of the Graduate Faculty and receive 2/3 vote of the entire Department of Geology faculty to be accepted. The faculty member making the nomination must do so through a written medium and include all relevant information including, but not limited to, a CV, publication list, other relevant data.  Upon election, the Chair of the department must send a letter within two weeks of the election informing the candidate that they were elected and welcoming them into the graduate faculty.

Removal from the graduate faculty

Any member of the Graduate Faculty may be removed as a participating member by petition of at least ¾ of the Graduate Faculty to the director of the program or Chair/Head of the department through a written (e-mail) letter detailing the request to remove. All University policies and guidelines must be followed, and members of the graduate faculty are required to always abide by these. A graduate faculty member may also be removed by petition of the Dean of the School of Earth and Environment to the Department of Geology with agreement by at least 50% of the full-time faculty in the department or following other established pathways for such issues as defined by Graduate School policy and procedures guidelines.

Communication

It is the responsibility of the Chair/Head of the department (or their designee) to communicate to the graduate faculty. The graduate faculty of the department will have one formal meeting per semester with the agenda to be established by the Chair/Head of the department, in consultation with the director of the programs if they exist.