The organization of the department is essentially committee-based. The committees and coordinators that affect graduate students most directly are described below.
The Executive Committee consists of tenured faculty only. It votes on tenure and promotion cases and makes hiring recommendations, among other duties. The departmental committee is larger, including assistant professors and others. It makes decisions regarding curriculum, departmental policies, and programs. The Management Team consists of the Department Chair and the three Associate Chairs (for Graduate Studies, for Undergraduate Studies, and Director of Composition). The team meets regularly to oversee the operations of the department.
This committee is made up of the coordinators of the six graduate concentrations, the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies, the Department Chair, the Director of Composition, three elected faculty members, and two elected graduate student members. The GPC:
TA Selection Subcommittee members: Director of Composition, Associate Chair for Graduate Studies, six plan coordinators, one graduate student representative
Graduate Fellowship Subcommittee members: Associate Chair for Graduate Studies, Department Chair, three elected faculty members serving on GPC, one graduate student representative
NOTE: Each concentration (Graduate Plan of Study) has an Advisory Committee. Several have a graduate student representative on the committee.
