Each Graduate Faculty member is authorized to perform specific graduate activities within a particular academic unit. The head of each unit and the academic dean responsible for it nominate faculty members for these activities, subject to review and approval by the Graduate Council. An academic unit is the administrative unit responsible for directing and managing a graduate major or minor field of study. An academic unit may be an academic department, school, or college, or composite of these. The chief administrative officer of the academic unit is responsible for managing the graduate programs in that unit and is responsible to the Dean of the Graduate School for all graduate work performed by the unit.
Academic units have a major role in the success of graduate education.
Within the general rules of the Graduate School, the academic units establish and teach courses, maintain a Graduate Faculty to teach and supervise research, establish their own admission standards and specific degree requirements, make graduate student appointments, and provide advice and supervision for their graduate students.