After a decade as Director of the Graduate Program for Cultural Studies (CSLT), Ron Zboray has decided not to run for another term. The program’s Executive Committee is soliciting nominations from CLST’s current affiliate faculty members to serve as Director for a three-year term to begin on 1 September 2023.
The Directorship entails an annual $5,000 administrative add-on and is open only to tenure-stream or tenured faculty in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences (DSAS). Nominees should have experience in departmental graduate program management or graduate advising, and in cultural studies or other interdisciplinary formations.
Nominations or self-nominations will be reviewed by the Executive Committee which will place before the affiliate faculty members an electronic ballot of not more than two candidates for election. The selected nominees will be asked to prepare a brief statement of the qualifications and vision for the program, to be circulated with the ballot. The Executive Committee will review the election results and make an appointment recommendation to DSAS’s Associate Dean for Faculty.
Annual activities of the Director have included:
- Planning and participating in a meet-and-greet recruitment event for new students.
- Overseeing annual elections for Departmental Liaisons and for Fellowship Committee members, and for those two bodies’ respective representatives to the Executive Committee.
- Meeting with Liaisons to introduce the program and their duties in it.
- Appointing three additional members to the Executive Committee.
- Soliciting course crosslisting requests from faculty across Pitt’s schools.
- Working with the Executive Committee to devise the schedule of crosslists to assure a diversity of offerings and a balance between the four course categories.
- Forming and running a monthly dissertation writer’s colloquium, and conducting a year-end “lightning round” for project presentations to faculty and students.
- Maintaining CLST’s website to keep the membership and students informed of CLST policies, deadlines, activities, and events.
- Reviewing co-sponsorship requests for funding.
- Representing program administration in the CLST/GSWS Graduate Student Organization, Humanities Council, and DSAS forums for interdisciplinary programs.
- Holding advising appointments with enrolled graduate students.
- Approving students’ applications for enrollment and certifying students for graduation.
- Administering CLST Fellowship and working with the Fellowship Committee to award it.
- Running the CLST Fellowship Workshop for prospective applicants.
- Hosting the Fellowship Showcase for the most recent fellowship awardees to present their work to faculty and students.
- Selecting the Common Seminar theme, instructor, and invited speakers.
- Distributing year-end funds in consultation with the Executive Committee for Small Summer Research Grants for student.
- Managing the budget and writing reports to DSAS.
Send nominations (or self-nominations) by 15 March 2023 to Allison Thompson (allisonthompson@pitt.edu).