dec. 20 COGS January 16, 2007

As the department begins to receive applications for the graduate
program, the committee has to decide how to review those applications
fairly and efficiently.  The admissions process at NU is centralized,
and the department doesn’t receive the applications until they are
complete.  It was suggested that 3 faculty members should read each
application, and that grad director Matt Hunt should read them all.
One faculty member suggested creating two review committees, each with
representatives of each of the department’s 4 specialty areas (gender,
urban, conflict, and globalization).  Applicants would be given scores
based upon the quality of their applications by each reviewer.  No
matter how good an applicant is, he or she must also be a good fit for
the department.

A German Ph.D. student has requested to come to our department to work
for 3 months as a visitor.  She has funding from her home institution.

One faculty member expressed concerns about grad students meeting
deadlines on their dissertations.  It was proposed that students and
their dissertation committee directors sign a contract specifying when
each aspect of the project will be completed.  What do you all think
about this proposal?  Do you think it will help you complete your
degree efficiently, or does it just add to the pressure you already
have on you?

One faculty member suggested that, in the future, professional seminars
could be cross-disciplinary, organized by the School of Social Science,
Urban Affairs, and Public Policy (of which, if you didn’t know yet, the
Department of Sociology and Anthropology is now a part).  Do you like
this idea, or would you like to see pro seminars tailored to the
specific needs of soc and anthro students?