Committees
Department Governance and Committees:
The Department of Speech Communication is organized under a Head, appointed by the Board of Trustees in accordance with the University Statutes. The Department also has an Associate Head and a Director of Graduate Studies, both of whom are appointed by the Head with the advice of the Advisory Committee.
The Standing Committees of the Department are listed below (link to bylaws PDF):
- Advisory Committee: The Advisory Committee advises the Head on major policy matters including the operating budget and long-range planning, appointments of departmental officers and committee members as prescribed in these Bylaws, and other matters on which the Head may seek the committee’s advice. The Advisory Committee consists of four members elected from among the tenured faculty whose major appointment is in the Department of Speech Communication
- The Personnel Committee: The Personnel Committee advises the Head regarding matters of personnel including promotions, appointments, and merit increases in salary. The Personnel Committee consists of all associate professors and professors whose major appointment is in the Department of Speech Communication.
- Committee on Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid: The Committee on Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid considers applications for admission to graduate study in the department and for financial aid and makes recommendations on those matters to the Head. The committee consists of three or four faculty members appointed by the Head with the advice of the Advisory Committee. The Director of Graduate Study serves as a member of the committee, ex officio, and as chair.
- Graduate Policy Committee: The Graduate Policy Committee is responsible for the broad range of policy and procedures related to graduate study in the department, including: supervision and periodic review of graduate courses and curricula; standards and procedures for graduate admissions and financial aid; standards and procedures for comprehensive and preliminary examinations, and for theses and dissertations; and annual review of the progress of all graduate students in the department. The committee consists of all faculty members who hold an appointment to the Graduate College Faculty, and one graduate student member and one alternate elected by the Speech Communication Graduate Student Association.
- Awards Committee: The Awards Committee is responsible for administering the department’s program of awards for undergraduate and graduate students, including: soliciting nominations, selecting recipients, and arranging for the presentation of the awards. The committee is also responsible for identifying awards on campus and in professional organizations for which our students, staff, and faculty might qualify and for soliciting and/or developing nominations for these awards. The committee consists of four members of the teaching staff appointed by the Head, at least three of whom must be members of the faculty.
- Committee on Alleged Capricious Grading: The Committee on Alleged Capricious Grading is responsible for considering cases of alleged capricious grading, as defined by, and in accordance with the rules of the Urbana-Champaign Senate. The committee consists of two faculty members elected from among the ranks of professor and associate professor, two faculty members elected from among other ranks, and one graduate teaching assistant elected by the Speech Communication Graduate Student Association.