GRADUATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE The Graduate Advisory Committee is composed of the head of the department (ex officio), the Graduate Coordinator, and a minimum of three additional faculty members. The committee functions include monitoring student progress, formally acknowledging various stages in the graduate career (e.g., advancement to candidacy), granting permission for certain actions (e.g., course substitution),interpreting departmental rules, hearing student appeals, and recommending certain kinds of support. The committee has the power to waive or alter departmental rules when circumstances dictate, providing that proper procedures are followed (See Petitions for Exemptions). Such modifications do not constitute precedents for other students, but instead are tailored to individual needs. STUDENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE Your advisory committee is the foundation for a successful graduate education. Thoughtful identification of committee members and regular communication with the committee provide ongoing mentoring and support, help anticipate challenges, identify opportunities, build networks, and reduce questions and stress of graduate school. The different roles that committee members may fulfill and strategies for identifying members will be topics covered in the Year 1 required seminars. The advisory committee is headed by your major advisor. A temporary advisor is assigned when you enter the program. By the end of the first semester, you will either confirm this person as the long-term advisor or identify another anthropology faculty member to fulfill this role. The composition of the advisory committee is governed by the following conditions: It will consist of at least three and no more than five members. The major advisor must be a faculty member in the Department of Anthropology. A co-major advisor must be a faculty member in the Department of Anthropology or be voted in by the Graduate Committee, following a written request submitted to the Graduate Coordinator by themajor advisor. Two members must hold a regular appointment in the Department of Anthropology. Faculty with courtesy appointments in the department, such as adjuncts, are not considered members of the department for this purpose. A maximum of one committee member may be external to the University of Georgia(unaffiliated). The external member must be approved by the Graduate Advisory Committee and the Graduate School. Please check with the Graduate Program Assistant for the most current procedure to appoint external members. Once the committee is formed, you are responsible for submitting the committee form on GradStatus for approval.
