Washington State University, School of the Environment

Graduate Program Bylaws

Administrative Home: College of Arts and Sciences and College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences/School of the Environment

[Last Revised: 11/24/2025]

I. Introduction

A. Purpose Statement

The mission of the School of the Environment (SoE) M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Geology and in Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences is to prepare students for advanced careers in science, education, and management of Earth’s environment, natural resources, and biodiversity. The programs will produce critical and creative thinkers capable of addressing complex physical, ecological, and environmental problems.

These bylaws provide a structured framework for the governance and operation of the graduate program, ensuring consistency with the Graduate School Policies and Procedures and promoting a high-quality educational experience for students and faculty. Additionally, these bylaws provide flexibility to adapt to evolving academic standards and industry practices, ensuring the program remains innovative and responsive to the needs of its stakeholders.

B. Regular Review Cycle

The bylaws will be reviewed biennially by the Graduate Studies Committee to incorporate necessary updates based on changes in university policies, faculty input, and program needs. The committee will solicit feedback from faculty and students to ensure all voices are heard during the review process. Proposed amendments must be forwarded to the SoE Graduate Studies Committee and Program Director. After discussion, amendments shall be forwarded to the SoE Graduate Faculty electronically at least 1 week prior to the faculty meeting at which the amendments will be discussed. After discussion, a minimum 1-week period will follow the Graduate Faculty meeting prior to vote. Votes on amendments may occur at a Graduate Faculty meeting or electronically. Amendments to the SoE Program Bylaws require a positive vote from the majority of voting eligible SoE Graduate Faculty.

C. Document Structure (Unified vs. Separate Bylaws)

Graduate Program bylaws in SoE are maintained separately from other documents outlining school policies and procedures.

II. Objectives

A. List of Graduate Degrees Offered

The program offers the following graduate degrees:

Master of Science (M.S.) in Geology,
M.S. in Environmental and Natural Resource Science,
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Geology, and
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences.

B. Campus Authorization and Degree Extension Process

All degrees are currently offered through the Pullman campus and the M.S. in Environmental and Natural Resource Science has been extended to the Vancouver campus (students on the Vancouver campus can follow Pullman degree guidelines or slightly different degree requirements offered only through the Vancouver program that provides additional flexibility). However, program faculty may be located at any campus, research, or extension site. Any extension of the degree to additional campuses requires a formal request through the college dean and approval via the Faculty Senate process.

III. Statement of SOE Values For the Graduate Program

The School of the Environment (SoE) has a commitment to provide broad access to graduate education and to conduct scholarly activities and outreach that benefits state and local communities, and society as a whole. We believe in reducing barriers for students to access higher education, including graduate-level training, and providing educational opportunities that result in an informed and publicly engaged workforce. These principles contribute to our mission to advance our understanding of our planet as well as the species and communities that inhabit it, and to find solutions to the environmental challenges we face. This commitment is expressed through our research, teaching, service and outreach activities through the School.

A. Goals and Objectives

The School of the Environment has made progress in growing our graduate community, yet we acknowledge that concerted efforts are needed to broaden access to environmental education and training and develop a culture that supports all students and faculty.

Recruitment and Retention: We work towards retaining graduate students and faculty in SoE by developing a culture that supports everyone, emphasizes fair treatment, and ensures all individuals in SoE feel valued in their contribution to the School. We commit to recruitment and hiring processes that are fair and cast a wide-net to enhance our reach and attract the best available students and faculty.
Value-added Curriculum: Our curriculum and teaching practices provide our students with an interdisciplinary education on local and global earth and environmental science challenges by developing broad and varied skill sets and experiences and highlighting the work of scholars from a range of backgrounds and geographies.
Increase Opportunities: We commit to providing access to resources, mentorship, and support networks and actively identifying and addressing barriers to participation.

B. Initiatives

Training and Development: The SoE supports and encourages graduate students and faculty to participate in trainings and workshops to enhance their teaching and research skills, as well as to help develop a culture of belonging in the School. We will also offer SoE-centered workshops and discussions on topics that emerge from the “Survey of SoE Students’ Sense of Belonging” administered by the School to all SoE students on an annual basis.
Support Systems: We will encourage graduate students to engage in peer mentoring and to form interest groups (such as the SoE Graduate Student Association) to develop a culture of support and engagement in the School. We encourage SoE faculty to keep an open door for their graduate students to discuss issues of concern and as a way students and faculty to foster community and belonging. The SoE also supports faculty in using best practices in graduate student mentoring, which includes a formal document provided to all faculty.

C. Monitoring and Accountability

Assessment and Feedback: The SoE administers an annual survey to SoE undergraduate and graduate students to hear about their experiences in the School, and to seek feedback about the ways to improve their experience and sense of belonging. We use the results of these annual surveys to improve existing efforts and to develop new approaches to building an accessible and welcoming environment for all members of the SoE community.
Reporting Mechanisms: The SoE is developing clear reporting channels for incidents of discrimination or other complaints, with prompt and confidential resolution processes.

IV. Membership Criteria for Graduate Program Faculty

A. Faculty Categories

Graduate program faculty includes tenure-track, career-track, adjunct/adjoint, and affiliate faculty who meet specific qualifications outlined in these bylaws and Graduate School Policies and Procedures. Here is a list of current graduate faculty.

B. Roles and Responsibilities

Graduate program faculty are responsible for developing the graduate curriculum, advising students, and participating in research activities that align with program goals. Graduate faculty within SoE are expected to have a Ph.D. (or equivalent) in a field related to Earth, Environmental and Natural Resources. In addition, they must have demonstrated disciplinary expertise in mentoring and teaching graduate students in this field, and relevant professional accomplishments. SoE Graduate Faculty must be actively involved in research related to SoE as evidenced by recent external grant or contract support, related peer-reviewed publications, graduate student mentoring, or other relevant professional accomplishments within the past five years.

Roles vary by position as Faculty, Associate Faculty, and Auxiliary Faculty of the Graduate School (Table 1)

Tenure Track Faculty in SoE: All Tenure Track Faculty (pre-tenured and tenured) from SoE are automatically approved as Faculty of the Graduate School and as Graduate Faculty in SoE. They are entitled to act as chair, co-chair, and member of graduate student advisory committees, teach graduate courses, serve as associate director for graduate studies (hereafter ‘associate director’), and serve on all SoE Program committees. Tenure track faculty are eligible to vote on Graduate program matters.
Career Track Faculty in SoE: Career Track SoE faculty with a research or scholarly appointment are automatically nominated by the Director for Associate Graduate Faculty, which is renewed every 5 years by nomination. Associate Graduate Faculty are automatically approved as SoE Graduate Faculty and entitled to act as chair, co-chair, and member of graduate student advisory committees, teach graduate courses, serve as associate director, and serve on all SoE Program committees. They are eligible to vote on Graduate program matters. Career Track SoE faculty with teaching or service appointments only may be nominated as Associate Graduate Faculty and approved as SoE Graduate Faculty on a case-by-case basis. They may serve as a member of a student advisory committee, and as chair/co-chair/voting member of SoE graduate faculty on a case by case basis. They may not serve as AD nor on the Graduate Studies committee.
Emeritus Faculty in SoE: SoE Graduate Faculty who enter Emeritus status retain their status as Graduate Faculty at WSU automatically. They may complete their current terms as chairs of graduate student advisory committees but may not act as chair on new student advisory committees, unless approved by the Director. They may not serve as AD and are no longer voting eligible after their last student has completed.
Tenure Track Faculty at WSU outside of SoE: Tenure Track Faculty outside of SoE are automatically approved for Graduate Faculty status and may serve as co-chair or member of a SoE graduate committees. To serve as an SoE committee chair or member of Graduate Studies Committee, they must be nominated and approved as an affiliate faculty by voting members of the SoE graduate faculty and the Director. They may not serve as Associate Director nor are they voting eligible.
Adjoint Tenure Track Faculty in SoE: Tenure-track faculty external to WSU, including USDA-ARS and PNNL researchers, must first be officially approved as adjoint faculty at WSU by the SoE Director. They then may be granted status as Auxiliary Graduate Faculty at WSU with nomination from the Director and approval by voting eligible SoE Graduate Faculty. Auxiliary Graduate Faculty status must be renewed every 3 years by nomination from the Director. They are entitled to act as co-chair or member of graduate student advisory committees and teach graduate courses. They may not serve as associate director of SoE nor on SoE Program committees. They are not voting eligible.
Adjunct Faculty in SoE: Professionals external to WSU, or research associates at WSU on short-term appointment, must first be officially approved as adjunct faculty at WSU by the SoE Director. They then may be granted status as Auxiliary Graduate Faculty at WSU with nomination from the Director and approval by voting eligible SoE Graduate Faculty. Auxiliary Graduate Faculty status must be renewed every 3 years by nomination from the Director. They are entitled to act as a member of graduate student advisory committees and teach graduate courses. They may serve as co-chair of a graduate committee, or on SoE Program committees upon approval by the SoE Director. They may not serve as associate director of SoE. They are not voting eligible.

Table 1: Roles and Responsibilities of Graduate Program Faculty in SoE

Professional status	Faculty of Graduate School Status	SoE program status	Student advisory committee Chair	Student advisory committee co-Chair	Student advisory committee member	SoE AD Grad Studies	SoE Grad studies committee member	Voting eligible
WSU tenure-track in SoE	Graduate faculty (automatic)	Automatic	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Career-track in SoE (research or scholarly appt)	Associate graduate faculty (nominated by SoE Director, renewed every 5 years)	Automatic if Associate graduate faculty	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Career-track in SoE (teaching or service only)	Associate graduate faculty (nominated by SoE Director, renewed every 5 years)	*Needs nomination & approval by director on case by case basis	*Needs nomination & approval by director on case by case basis	*Needs nomination & approval by director on case by case basis	Yes	No	No	*Needs nomination & approval by director on case by case basis
Emeritus in SoE	Graduate faculty (automatic)	Automatic (*but needs approval by director for chair & committee roles)	* (after students started before retirement complete-no new graduate students, unless approved by Director)	Yes	Yes	No	* (after students started before retirement complete-no new graduate students, unless approved by Director)	No (after last sole advised student has completed)
WSU Tenure-Track with affiliate status in SoE	Graduate faculty (automatic)	*Needs nomination & approval by SoE voting members & director	* Needs nomination & approval by SoE voting members & director	Yes	Yes	No	Yes (if approved by Grad Faculty and Director)	No
WSU Tenure-Track not affiliate	Graduate faculty (automatic)	*? Does not count as SoE program faculty on committee	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Adjoint tenure-track in SOE	Auxiliary graduate faculty (nominated by SoE director, renewed every 3 years)	Needs nomination & approval by SoE voting members & director	No (grad school does not allow)	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Adjunct in SoE	Auxiliary graduate faculty (nominated by SoE director, renewed every 3 years)	Needs nomination & approval by SoE voting members & director	No (grad school does not allow)	Yes *(SoE director approves)	Yes	No	Yes *(SoE director approves)	No
Not WSU	None	Needs justification on program of study, does not count as WSU or SOE on committee	No (grad school does not allow)	No (grad school does not allow)	Yes	No	No	No

C. Appointment and Removal Procedures

D. Faculty Qualifications and WAC Compliance

Description: Ensure all faculty members have terminal degrees aligned with Washington Administrative Code (250-61-100.2.a-e) requirements.

All faculty members on advisory committees must hold a degree comparable to the level of degree sought by the student relevant to the student’s field of study, complying with Washington Administrative Code (250-61-100.2.a-e) requirements.

Table 2: Faculty Qualifications for Advisory Committees

Committee Member	WSU	SoE Graduate Faculty	Tenure-Track	Has minimum degree sought (MS or PhD)
1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2	Yes	Yes	Yes (PhD only)	Yes
3	Yes	No	No	Yes
Optional 4+	No	*If >3 on a committee, at least 50% must be SoE Graduate Faculty	No	Yes (and is approved by SoE AD Graduate Studies)

E. Exceptions Approval Process

Description: Outline the process for seeking exceptions to faculty qualifications, approved on a case-by-case basis.

Exception requests should include a detailed rationale, evidence of the faculty member’s contributions to the field, and how their unique expertise benefits the student’s educational experience. All exceptions must be approved by the Vice Provost for Graduate and Professional Education.

V. MISSING SECTION

VI. Faculty Teaching and Directing Independent Research

A. Doctoral Faculty Requirements

Description: Specify the qualifications and experience required for faculty teaching at the doctoral level.

Faculty teaching doctoral courses must have an earned doctorate in a related field and demonstrate significant experience in directing independent research as defined in Washington Administrative Code (250-61-100.2.a-e).

B. Master’s Faculty Requirements

Description: Define the qualifications for faculty teaching master’s level courses, with distinctions between research and professional programs.

Faculty teaching in master’s programs must hold a master’s degree or higher from an accredited institution, with documented achievements in their field as defined in Washington Administrative Code (250-61-100.2.a-e).

VII. Graduate Program Voting Rights and Decision-Making

A. Voting Eligibility and Procedures

Description: Define which faculty members are eligible to vote on program matters and outline the procedures for voting.

Voting rights on Graduate program matters are extended to all tenure-track and career-track faculty with scholarly appointment within the program. Voting procedures will follow a simple majority rule, with options for electronic voting when necessary.

B. Quorum Definition

Description: Establish quorum requirements based on the size of the graduate faculty.

A quorum for program decisions is defined as 60% of the eligible voting faculty members. A minimum quorum must be achieved for any vote to proceed. For business meetings of the Graduate Studies Committee, a quorum shall be defined as a minimum of 50 percent of the committee membership. In the event of a tie vote in a meeting of the SoE Graduate Faculty, the Director of SoE will decide the outcome of the vote. For tie votes that occur within the Graduate Studies Committee, the Committee Chair will decide the outcome of the vote

VIII. Committee Structure

A. Standing Graduate Committees

Description: Provide definitions and responsibilities for all standing committees, including their composition and meeting frequency.

The standing committee for the graduate program in SoE is the Graduate Studies Committee. This committee will meet at least monthly during the academic year to address relevant program matters. The Graduate Studies Committee oversees all aspects of the Graduate Program, including admissions, curriculum, and assessment, although the committee can delegate this authority to additional committees. The committee structure will include the Associate Director for Graduate Studies as Chair or co-chair. The SoE Graduate Faculty members may nominate individuals for committee membership and members will be designated by the Director of SoE. The Graduate Studies Committee shall be composed of 4 to 6 members from the SoE Graduate Faculty, and 1 graduate student member (See VIII.C).

The Graduate Studies Committee shall assist and advise the Director and Associate Director in the following areas:

Review, develop and update long-range goals for SoE graduate programs and plans for their attainment.
Provide feedback and advice on new ideas, changes, etc. in academic or administrative issues.
Provide guidance on administration of the SoE graduate program.
Assist with SoE Program assessment process.
Work with the associate director to develop and maintain recruiting materials as required.
Coordinate all recruitment efforts with the SoE Graduate Faculty.
Organize annual recruiting events.
Reviewing all student applications and, in conjunction with the associate director and appropriate SoE Graduate Faculty, recommend the acceptance or rejection of applicants in a timely manner.
Make recommendations to the director of SoE regarding the financial support of graduate students for their first year.
Coordinate all activities related to review and revision of the SoE graduate curriculum including regular (at least annual) review of the SoE graduate curriculum.
Make recommendations to SoE Graduate Faculty.

B. Committee of the Whole

Description: Define the responsibilities of the committee of the whole, chaired by the graduate program director.

The committee of the whole, comprising all graduate program faculty, will convene once a year to review program performance metrics and strategize improvements and as called for by the Associate Director for Graduate Studies. All attempts will be made to provide a written agenda two days in advance.

C. Student Representation on Committees

A graduate student representative will be nominated and selected by the graduate student body to serve as a non-voting member pf the Graduate Studies Committee to help shape program policies and ensure graduate student voices are heard. The graduate student representative may be recused when sensitive information is being discussed.

IX. Program Assessment

Description: Define the program’s commitment to ongoing assessment and continuous improvement, including methods for evaluating program effectiveness and student outcomes.

The graduate program will conduct annual assessments to evaluate program effectiveness, student learning outcomes, and alignment with university and disciplinary standards. Assessment results will be used to inform program improvements and strategic planning.

A. SoE Graduate Program Objectives:

To provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills to develop creative solutions to scientific problems.
To enable students to advance the body of knowledge in Earth, environment, and natural resource sciences through research/scholarship in their academic field(s).
To prepare students for successful careers in Earth, environment, and natural resource sciences in government, academia, industry, and non-profit organizations.

B. Student Learning Outcomes and program objectives:

Upon completion of the SoE Ph.D. and M.S. programs in Geology and in Environmental and Natural Sciences, students will be able to:

Apply knowledge and expertise in core disciplinary areas
Master and apply field, laboratory and data analysis and theoretical skills to collect, summarize and interpret research data
Communicate effectively with relevant audiences (e.g., students, stakeholders, peers) and to present and publish work in their disciplinary field.
Frame scientific questions and to write grant proposals
Obtain positions in related fields in government, academia, industry, and non-profit organizations

C. Methods of Assessment

See Table 3 for direct and indirect assessment data and goals for each learning outcome and when they will be collected. Goals indicate expectations for our graduate program.

D. Timeframe for Collecting and Analyzing Data

Table 3: Data Collection Timetable

Student Learning Outcome	Data (Direct/Indirect Measures)	Source of Data	When to Collect	Goals
Outcome 1: Apply knowledge and expertise in core disciplinary areas	Course grades/GPA; Preliminary exam (Ph.D. only); Thesis/dissertation defense; Research credits (SOE 700/800)	Registrar’s records; Prelim/defense records; Student annual reviews	Annually	Mean 3.5 GPA; >90% success rate in preliminary exams, defense and satisfactory research credits
Outcome 2: Master and apply field, laboratory and data analysis and theoretical skills to collect, summarize and interpret research data	Course grades/GPA; Research progress; Thesis/dissertation defense; Research credits (SOE 700/800)	Registrar’s records; Defense records; Student annual reviews	Annually	Mean 3.5 GPA; >90% success rate in defense and satisfactory research credits
Outcome 3: Communicate effectively with relevant audiences (e.g., students, stakeholders, peers) and to present and publish work in their disciplinary field.	Student presentations; Student publications; Thesis/dissertation	Registrar’s records; Defense records; Student annual reviews	Annually	Mean 3.5 GPA; >90% success rate in defense and satisfactory research credits
Outcome 4: Frame scientific questions and to write grant proposals (PhD only)	Student presentations; Student publications; Thesis/dissertation	Student CV; Student annual reviews; Exit surveys; Defense records; Advisor records; Article databases	Annually	2 presentations/ PhD student/program; 1 presentation/MS student/program; 75% of students have publications within 3 years of graduation
Outcome 5: Obtain positions in related fields in government, academia, industry, and non-profit organizations	Student proposals	Student CV; Student annual reviews; Advisor records	Annually	1 submitted proposal/PhD student/program

E. Use of Assessment Data

The graduate faculty in the M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Geology and in Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences have established the Graduate Studies committee to assist in the administration and assessment of the program. The Graduate Studies Committee will assess and share the results to determine if courses and research facilities meet the needs of students in the program. Student handbooks will be updated to reflect changes in program policies and requirements.

X. Administration

A. Graduate Program Director Responsibilities

Description: Outline the key responsibilities of the graduate program director in providing leadership and managing the program.

Administration of the SoE Graduate Program and its activities is vested in the director of SoE with advice from the associate directors. The Associate Director will serve as the graduate program director, and leads the development and implementation of program policies, represents the program to university administrators, and calls graduate faculty meetings.

Specific duties of the associate director include:

Serve on SoE leadership team
Provide overall academic leadership for SoE graduate program.
Develop and implement policies for SoE graduate program
Represent the interests of SoE to the campus and University administrators.
Call and preside at meetings of the Graduate Studies Committee.
Call and preside at meetings of the SoE Graduate Faculty.
Be responsible for coordinating all SoE administrative matters within the Graduate School.
Submit graduate course or curriculum change or approval forms.
Submit SoE graduate program revised Bylaws and assessment plans.
Be responsible for the accuracy of all publications related to SoE graduate programs including web pages and catalog copy.
Coordinate SoE graduate course teaching assignment and Teaching Assistantships with Director and Associate Director for Undergraduate Studies.
Supervise the activities of the SoE Academic Coordinator as they relate to the program.
Coordinate the annual performance review of each graduate student in the program.
Submit an updated list of SoE Graduate Faculty to the Dean of the Graduate School for approval by August 1 each year
Coordinate SoE Graduate Program assessment annually and submit an assessment report to the deans.
Coordinate with graduate program directors and coordinators across campuses.
Support graduate students and address graduate student concerns.

B. Graduate Program Coordinator Role

Description: Define the coordinator’s role, especially when the director is also the department chair.

The Associate Director for Graduate Studies will also serve as the faculty Graduate Program Coordinator, assisting the director with administrative tasks related to the graduate program as described in section XA above.

C. Role Definitions for Program Administration

Description: Detail the roles and duties of all administrative positions within the program.

Beyond the roles of the Director and Associate Director described above, the SoE Graduate Program is served by staff members to ensure smooth program operations.

Business Services Manager:

administering graduate appointments and payroll,
ensuring SoE compliance with ASE requirements

Academic Administrative Assistant with “graduate program support:

Serve as liaison with the WSU Graduate School.
Assist the AD with annual reviews, 700/800 agreements, external committee members, faculty of the grad school, etc.
Assist with admissions, coordinate graduate program required forms and processes
Handle student inquiries/course requests, manage course enrollment students online.
Gather, prepare, and submit information and statistics for all reports ,awards, surveys, reviews, proposals, and accreditation processes for university reporting.
Maintain and update SOE graduate student handbook, the graduate portion of the SoE website and social medias.
Coordinate the appointment of adjunct/adjoint faculty for graduate committees.
Serve as member of graduate studies committee.
Coordinate graduate student events.

D. Director Appointment Process

Description: Explain the process for appointing or electing the graduate program director.

The Associate Director for Graduate Studies must be a tenure-track faculty or a career-track faculty with at least 25% research appointment. The Associate Director will be appointed by the Director of SoE with input from the SoE Graduate Faculty. Final approval of the associate director resides with the dean of the CAHNRS and CAS and the dean of the Graduate School. The associate director shall serve a term of three (3) years and is eligible for reappointment to continue in this position in accordance within the terms of the initial appointment and with final approval of the deans. The associate director may be removed from office by a majority vote of voting eligible SoE Graduate Faculty and with the approval of the deans.

XI. Conflict Resolution

Description: Outline procedures for addressing and resolving conflicts within the graduate program, including disputes, between faculty, between faculty and students, or among students.

Students or Faculty with complaints, concerns, or conflicts related to the graduate program should schedule a meeting with the SoE Director or Associate Director for Graduate Studies, who will discuss options for resolution. These meetings will be kept confidential to the extent allowed by WSU policy.

XII. Bylaw Amendments and Review

Description: Describe the procedure for proposing and approving amendments to the bylaws.

Amendments to the bylaws require a quorum and majority vote from the graduate program faculty. Proposed amendments must be submitted in writing at least one month prior to voting.