DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

Mission Statement

The English Graduate Student Organization (EGSO) will:

Goal I: Promote the academic and professional concerns of graduate students within the Northwestern University English Department.

Strategies:

A. Address the academic concerns of graduate students such as:

1. Course offerings within certain areas of academic interest
2. Examination preparation and procedures

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B. Address the professional concerns of graduate students such as:

1. Quarterly Faculty and graduate student-led workshops and classes pertaining to:
2. Teaching
3. Conferences
4. Publishing
5. Funding
6. Job placement
7. Career development and training opportunities
8. Graduate student colloquia
9. Networking
10. Orientation activities
11. First Year Cohort Buddy Mentor Program
12. T.A. Mentoring Program

Goal II: Establish effective communication among English Department graduate students and between English Department graduate students and faculty, especially as pertains to departmental policy.

Strategies:

A. Establish effective communication among graduate students by:

1. Having regular meetings of EGSO to address graduate student concerns
2. Maintaining an EGSO web site
3. Creating and maintaining electronic forums on pertinent issues
4. Organizing community social events

B. Establish effective communication between graduate students and faculty by:

1. Presenting graduate student concerns to the Director of Graduate Study and the

Departmental Chair twice annually.

1. Providing graduate student representation on the Graduate Policy Committee
2. Enabling graduate students to take part in department decisions such as:
3. Hiring
4. Graduate recruitment
5. Other faculty/graduate concerns
6. Keeping graduate students informed about decisions and opportunities made

available by the department

Goal III: Facilitate communication with Northwestern University at large and with similar organizations at other universities

Strategies:

A. Create a unified English Department graduate student voice, enabling input and discussion of University-wide and Graduate School policies and procedures that affect graduate students