The Cultural Studies Council is debuting in fall 2023 after a number of discussions and planning sessions in 2022-23.
Meetings for the coming year will be 3:30-5:00pm 22 September and 10 November 2023, and 19 January and 8 March 2024, followed by a retreat in the spring. The meetings will be hybrid.
While part of our work in 2023-2024 will be to flesh out practice, policies, and procedures, this a summary of the current plan for the Council:
Composition. Both co-directors, up to 3 students, 1 staff member, and at least 5 faculty affiliates, one of whom will be Chair. Members are expected to make a one year commitment and to attend all meetings.
Purpose. The Cultural Studies Council (the Council) will operate at a broad/high level, reviewing and/or approving proposals generated by program leadership, staff, students, and committees, and (particularly through the annual retreat) leading or supporting visioning and program development discussions and initiatives. It will review budget and program leadership. It will provide an avenue for communication and relationship with other units so that mutual interests can be served and activities effectively aligned.
Nomination process. There will be an annual call for faculty self-nominations; positions on the Council are open to any affiliate of the program. The Students' Collective will select the student members (suggestion of at minimum 1 MA, 1 PhD).
The Chair. Once the membership of Council has been established for a given year, a Chair will be selected. The Chair will be asked to serve a two-year term.
Decision-making. While the group will take consensus seriously as an aim, decisions will be made by majority vote.
