Special Committees
Members of the Department may also be called upon to serve on the following special departmental
committees, as appropriate.
Ad Hoc Committees
From time to time, as needed, the department chairperson may appoint ad hoc committees to deal with special needs and circumstances.
Graduate Student Committee
Membership:
The graduate teaching assistants and any other graduate students will constitute the Graduate Student Committee. This committee may be called to meet by any member of the Department or by any graduate student.
Function:
The committee's function is to advise the Department on matters relating to graduate students and the graduate program. This committee will also nominate graduate student representatives to serve on other departmental committees.
Part-Time Faculty Committee
Membership:
The part-time faculty on staff during any academic term will constitute the Part-Time Faculty Committee. This committee may be called to meet by any member of the Department or by any member of the part-time faculty.
Function:
The committee's function is to advise the Department on any matters relating to the status, role, working conditions, etc., of part-time faculty in the Department. This committee will also nominate part-time faculty representatives to serve on other departmental committees.
Promotion Committee
Three tenured faculty members from at least two different ranks are elected by the department faculty. A complete description is in the section on Promotion.
Search Committee
Membership:
Three members (excluding first-year faculty) are elected by the department faculty, and the department chairperson, ex officio.
- A search committee has the responsibility of assisting the department chairperson in screening applicants for faculty positions according to criteria established by the department faculty within the framework of official university procedures and affirmative action guidelines.
- The search committee and the department chairperson narrow the field of applicants to a small number to be interviewed by telephone and/or in person.
- Throughout the screening process, the search committee and the department chairperson strive for consensus. When consensus cannot be reached, the department chairperson makes the final determination.
- After interviews, the search committee and/or department chairperson recommends a candidate to the department for hiring and the faculty votes.
- For further information regarding the screening and hiring of faculty, see the section on Hiring Procedures.
Tenure Committee
The tenure committee consists of all tenured members of the department faculty; go to the section on Tenure.
