Directors of Graduate Studies Handbook

The role of the director of graduate studies (“DGS”) is to oversee all aspects of graduate work within a program, and to manage the relationship between the program and the Graduate College. The director of graduate studies is responsible to the unit executive officer (department head, chairperson, or dean) and to the Dean of the Graduate College with regard to graduate affairs.

In each department or unit housing a graduate program, a director of graduate studies and an alternate director will be appointed annually by the Dean of the Graduate College upon the recommendation of the unit’s executive officer. The director and alternate director must be members of the graduate faculty. Letters requesting recommendations for the appointment of the directors of graduate studies will be sent to the unit executive officers late in the spring for the subsequent year.

The alternate director shall act for the director when the latter is unavailable, and one or the other must be available on campus during the summer months. In programs involving several units, the chairperson of the coordinating committee appointed by the Dean of the Graduate College serves as director of graduate studies for that program. The director of graduate studies and the alternate shall be members of the Graduate Committee of the unit.

The director of graduate studies, working with the unit executive officer and the Graduate College, oversees and directs the work of the graduate office for the program, with specific responsibilities as follows:

1. To review the academic progress of all students at least annually. To inform the student in writing as to progress and performance, and to communicate with the Graduate College on dismissals for violation of program rules.
2. To organize and coordinate the recruitment of graduate students, and to ensure that appropriate informational material is available.
3. To ensure prompt review of all applications for admission and financial award (fellowships, assistantships, tuition and fee waivers) by appropriate faculty groups. To keep applicants informed of the status of his/her application. To ensure that special efforts are made to attract the most promising applicants.
4. To advise the department head/chair on the appointment of an advisor for each graduate student, preferably prior to the student’s first enrollment but certainly within the student’s first term of residence. To assist new graduate students in arranging a program of study and ensure that the student receives continuing advice and counsel from the appropriate faculty group.
5. To monitor, with the major advisors, the academic progress of all students in the program. To communicate with the Graduate College concerning students on academic probation or limited standing, and concerning recommendations to change a student’s status (e.g., limited to full standing). To maintain student records within the program.
6. To publicize and implement program requirements with regard to the timing and conduct of both program examinations and examinations required by the Graduate College. The DGS should be consulted on appointments to preliminary examination committees and thesis defense committees. Effort should be made to see that the preliminary examination is taken within a reasonable time after the beginning of study.
7. To maintain a list of faculty advisors and of preliminary examination and thesis committees for each student.
8. To inform all students and their advisors of the policies, rules, and procedures of the Graduate College, particularly as they may be expanded from those published in the Graduate Catalog.
9. To ensure that all student petitions to the Graduate College include adequate academic or reasonable personal explanations for each request, that the views of the student’s advisor are included, and that they are accompanied by necessary supporting documents.
10. Whenever possible, to conduct exit interviews with all students who withdraw from the University to determine the reasons for withdrawal.
11. To maintain up-to-date records of employment of degree recipients.
12. To maintain program records which contain all the information required for IBHE and Graduate College program reviews.

The role of the DGS is important for many reasons, including maintaining institutional memory and consistent programmatic records. Programmatic processes and graduate student annual review documentation should be maintained in an organized format that can pass from DGS to DGS.

Directors of graduate studies each have access to a Graduate College-managed Box folder, which contains important information and materials from past or upcoming DGS meetings. If you are a current DGS and cannot access the Box folder, please visit the Graduate College contact page, fill out the Contact form, and select “Data/Access Request” to gain access.

Box is also utilized for graduation checklist review each semester (Fall, Spring, Summer). Directors of graduate studies and each graduate program’s support staff are given access to the Box folder and notified each semester to review checklists for upcoming graduates from their program(s). Below are some helpful resources for how to access and utilize Box for checklist review:

• Box is a modern online file sharing and cloud content management service used to store, share and collaborate real-time on documents/files and is preferred due to enterprise security (including FERPA protected data).
  • Works on PCS, Macs, mobile and tablet devices
  • Receive and set email notifications when files are viewed, updated or downloaded.
• Access at: https://uofi.box.com/
  • Issues with Login/access? Please see UIC Tech Solutions Knowledge Base article.
• Helpful quick use guide offered by BOX.
• Primarily used by the Grad College for sharing graduation checklists, forms and petitions between the Grad College and programs and iThenticate report forms shared by students submitting theses:
  • See “Grad College Guide on How to Create and Share a Folder” in Box for graduation checklists.

The Graduate College supports the recruitment and retention efforts of our diverse graduate student population. Visit our Recruitment page for more information.

Fellowships are an important tool in recruitment and retention of graduate students. The Graduate College oversees nominations and awarding of the Access Fellowship, University Fellowship, and Pipeline to an Inclusive Faculty Fellowship. All awards adhere to the Council of Graduate Schools’ April 15 Resolution.

The Graduate College hosts an annual New Graduate Student Orientation each Fall semester. The Graduate College also supports the Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence‘s annual New Teaching Assistant Orientation. Upcoming dates for both annual orientations are listed on our website.

Most colleges offer department or program-specific orientations. Please take care to plan your orientations so your new students are able to both the New Graduate Student Orientation and the New Teaching Assistant Orientation, if applicable.

The following links provide useful resources for advising current graduate students. This list is not exhaustive and we will do our best to add new links as new resources become available.

Tutorium in Intensive English

International Teaching Assistant Program (“ITAP”)

Graduate College courses

Internal and External Funding

Data Dashboards (in Tableau)
Note: These dashboards analyze key metrics, including time-to-degree, attrition rates, and enrollments. Access is restricted due to privacy considerations.

Teaching

Writing support: contact our Graduate Writing Specialist, Lindsay Marshall

Career and Professional Development

Emotional, Mental & Physical Health

UIC Cultural Centers

The following links and information are specific to processes utilized during the process of advising graduate students:

Human Resources

Process for Waivers

Annual assessments for doctoral students

Academic Grievances

UIC Registrar’s Academic Administrative Calendar

Graduate College Academic Dates and Deadlines

Graduate College Academic Support Resources

Exams, thesis and dissertation committees, and defenses

Academic Standing Review for Continuation or Dismissal, Probation Rules

Using Banner: review this helpful informal guide to Banner screens for student information. Note: not everyone has access to all screens, so this is a generalized guide.

Using Data: utilizing data dashboards (in Tableau) to analyze time-to-degree, attrition, enrollments, etc.

In some departments, the director of graduate studies may be responsible for reviewing and revising existing graduate programs, creating new programs, or phasing out programs. The Graduate College Executive Committee reviews all proposals relevant to graduate study at UIC. However, the process first begins with the UIC Academic Programs Office. Click here for more information about how to submit a proposal for revision, creation, or closure of a graduate academic program.

The Graduate Faculty is comprised of UIC faculty and other individuals who are granted membership by the Dean. membership categories and responsibilities are outlined in the Graduate College Bylaws. Membership is conditional and subject to approval by the Dean and the Graduate College Executive Committee. As DGS, you may be called upon to nominate faculty to the Graduate Faculty. The nomination process and the nomination form may be found on our website.

Full members of the Graduate Faculty are eligible to be elected or appointed to the Graduate College standing committees, including the Executive Committee, Awards Committee, and Diversity Awards Committee. Nominations are collected prior to the annual election, which is held annually after the Spring DGS and Graduate Faculty meeting for the following academic year. Only full members of the Graduate Faculty are eligible for nomination and to vote in the election, per the Graduate College Bylaws.

The Graduate College recently created a process to investigate the allegations and respond accordingly in situations where a graduate faculty member is alleged to have failed in their responsibilities as outlined in the Graduate College Bylaws. The full process is available on the Graduate Faculty website.

This section is forthcoming.

UIC graduate students conduct cutting-edge research on ecologically sustainable farming techniques in southern Mexico, Ming dynasty porcelain kiln production in Fujian Province, and vascular neurogenic niche in stroke victims; they teach foundational courses in the humanities and laboratory sciences; and they help to run some of our academic units – to enumerate a few examples. In short, they are vital to the success of our university and of our society.

The Graduate College currently offers approximately 250 scholarships, fellowships, and awards each year, including to the three students’ projects above. Your expertise, mentorship, career counseling, or financial investment would allow us to sustain and grow our initiatives, which attempt to reach all of UIC’s approximately 8,000 master’s and doctoral students.

Reach out to the dean and/or Sheila O’Donnell, Executive Director of Development, (sheilao2@uic.edu), to brainstorm about how to collaborate to help graduate students.

Graduate College alumni who would like to give back by volunteering for a career panel,  mentoring current students, hosting interns, or speaking about professional development are encouraged to contact Theresa Christenson-Caballero, the Graduate College’s Director of Career and Professional Development (tchris1@uic.edu).

Click here to visit the Graduate College Staff Directory to find assistance with your questions.