UB - University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

Departmental Committees

The Department has several committees. Important questions may be voted on by the faculty as a whole or by the students.

• The Personnel Committee consists of all tenured faculty, with the Chair of the Department serving as committee chairperson. It votes on hiring, tenure, and promotion of faculty. All Departmental personnel decisions, including new appointments, tenure, and promotion, are made by this committee. The committee's decisions are passed on to the appropriate higher authority.
• The Executive Committee consists of the Chair of the Department, the Assistant Chair of the Department, the Assistant to the Chair of the Department, the Director of Graduate Studies, the Director of Undergraduate Studies, the Director of Laboratories, the Chair of the Facilities Committee, the immediate past Chair of the Department, and the Office Manager/Secretary to the Chair of the Department. It coordinates the administrative activities of the Department.
• The Graduate Affairs Committee consists of the Director of Graduate Studies (as chair), other faculty members (appointed by the Chairman of the Department), and graduate students (elected by the CSEGSA). The chairman of this committee supervises all graduate student programs and advisement, including monitoring degree progress, appointing doctoral committees, and promulgating policies about RA, TA, and GA duties. This committee establishes graduate degree and admissions requirements, graduate course offerings and content, and other related matters. It also reviews graduate applications and decides whom to admit.
• The Undergraduate Affairs Committee consists of the Director of Undergraduate Studies (as chair), other faculty members (appointed by the Chairman of the Department), and undergraduate students (elected by the Computer Science Undergraduate Student Association). The Director of Undergraduate Studies supervises all undergraduate students' programs and advisement, including monitoring degree progress and disseminating information about undergraduate study. The committee supervises undergraduate degree and admissions requirements and undergraduate course offerings and content. It also reviews undergraduate applications and decides whom to admit.
• The Facilities Committee consists of the chair of the committee, the Director of Information Technology, all full-time technical-support staff, interested faculty members, one graduate student, and one undergraduate student. This committee organizes and supervises all departmental laboratories and personnel working in them. It also determines the policy on operating these laboratories and makes recommendations about facilities and services outside the Department. It serves as a liaison between the Department and the office of Computing and Information Technology.
• The Library Committee consists of one faculty member, two graduate students, and a departmental secretary. The Library Committee makes recommendations on library holdings and policy in computer science in all university libraries. The committee also maintains the Department's holdings.
• The Colloquium Committee, consisting of one faculty member and two graduate students, schedules colloquia for the Department. The committee draws up speakers' schedules and makes arrangements, including social activities.
• The Recruiting Committee, consisting of faculty members and graduate students, evaluates candidates for faculty positions in the Department, when the Department has been authorized to recruit for such positions.
• The Publications Committee, consisting of the Assistant to the Chair and two faculty members, oversees departmental publications such as the Research Review and the departmental newsletter.
• The Internship Committee manages the undergraduate internship program.
• The Teaching Quality Committee evaluates teaching effectiveness of faculty members of the department.
• The Social Committee manages the departmental social functions.

From time to time, various other committees might be named by the Chair of the Department.