Administration
Graduate College and Graduate Academic Affairs Administration
1.1 Organization of the Graduate College and Graduate Academic Affairs
The Graduate College shall exercise general supervision over graduate programs within the institute including the retention of graduate students and establishment of minimum standards for admission. The Office of Graduate Academic Affairs is responsible for administration and enforcement of academic polices and procedures including the recommendation of candidates for graduate degrees to the President, and the support of graduate study where these functions are not otherwise assigned. The offices and staff of each office are listed below:
Graduate College
Dean and Vice Provost for Graduate Academic Affairs: Jamshid Mohammadi
Director of Academic Writing and Thesis Examiner: Patty Johnson-Winston
Graduate Academic Affairs
Associate Vice Provost: Holli Pryor-Harris
Academic Curricula Manager: Sarah Pariseau
Applications Architect: Madhu Pramod Adithya
Retention and Student Success Manager: Surendar Mani
Graduate Academic Specialist: Joel Hestermann
Senior Auditor and Communications Specialist: Diane Fifles
The Graduate College coordinates the programs of advanced study offered by the academic units of the university. The Dean chairs the Graduate Studies Committee, sets minimum standards for graduate students, reviews existing programs, revises academic policies, and recommends approval of new graduate programs and the implementation of new academic policies.
Mission Statement
While the different colleges, institutes, and centers of Illinois Institute of Technology have their own stated missions, the mission of the Graduate College consists of the following:
- To provide post-baccalaureate education that enhances students’ fundamental knowledge of their chosen field
- To educate and mentor graduate students to function in a global community with an appreciation of the economic, environmental, and social forces that impact professional choices
- To strengthen Illinois Institute of Technology's leadership role in higher education by focusing on the institution's core research competencies and enhancing research partnerships with industry, government laboratories, and academic research institutions
Graduate Studies Committee
The Graduate Studies Committee is a subcommittee of the University Faculty Council. Graduate Studies Committee meetings are held every month during the fall and spring semesters. The major functions of the Graduate Studies Committee are as follows:
- To participate in the development and modification of campus-wide policies and criteria about graduate programs and student performance
- To assume the major responsibility for communicating Graduate College regulations and policies to their academic units
- To advise the Graduate College about matters of concern to academic units and students and to suggest modifications in academic procedures
- To study and vote on graduate program reviews of academic units by committees appointed by the Graduate Studies Committee
The Graduate Studies Committee membership consists of one faculty representative from each academic unit that offers graduate programs.
Research
University research is supported by the Office of Research, headed by the Vice Provost for Research. The Office of Research includes the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs, the Office of Research Integrity and Compliance, and the Office of Technology Development. For more information on research at Illinois Tech, please visit research.iit.edu.
The Office of Sponsored Research and Programs provides comprehensive services for faculty and staff on the preparation, review, approval, management, non-financial reporting requirements, and close out procedures of sponsored project proposals. These services extend to providing oversight for the pre-administration of awards for grants, contracts, and other sponsored-related award instruments for federal and non-federal projects, including industry agreements. The Office of Research Integrity and Compliance is responsible for ensuring compliance for research projects involving human subjects, biosafety, and animal studies. The office also provides training for compliance in responsible conduct of research, financial conflict of interest, and laboratory safety. The Office of Technology Development promotes research faculty interactions with companies, brings intellectual property (IP) research outcomes to the marketplace for public use and benefit, and provides the ideal lab and office premises and environment for retention and success of technology-based start-ups from international and local academic institutions, particularly Illinois Tech.
External Evaluations of Graduate Programs
An external committee appointed by the Office of the Provost evaluates each academic unit offering graduate programs on a rotational basis, once in five years. This committee interviews the faculty, students, and the dean of the college after studying the relevant statistics of enrollment, research funding, publications, and graduation list. Generally, two to three academic units are evaluated each academic year and the reports from the committees are presented to the Graduate Studies Committee when concluded. Questions regarding this external review process may be addressed to the Office of the Provost.
Certificate Programs
A number of academic units offer graduate certificate programs. Students receive a certificate for completing three to four courses in a chosen concentration. If they wish to continue toward a master’s degree and if they are admitted to the degree program, these courses may be included in the 30 to 32-credit-hour master’s programs to complete the degree requirements.
Academic Progress
The Office of Graduate Academic Affairs monitors the academic progress of admitted students. Each semester, students with a GPA below 3.00 are placed on probation. It is the student’s responsibility, in consultation with their academic adviser, to provide a plan of action to achieve an improved GPA. If the GPA does not improve, the Dean of the Graduate College may dismiss them from the program. Each semester, the Office of Graduate Academic Affairs completes a graduation checklist of the students who submit an application for graduation. At the conclusion of each semester, students who have satisfactorily completed their programs of study, by published deadlines, are awarded the earned degree.
The Graduate College is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools, the Midwest Association of Graduate Schools, and the Illinois Association of Graduate Schools. The Dean of the Graduate College and the Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Academic Affairs participate in various national meetings and forums for enhancing and promoting graduate education at Illinois Institute of Technology.
The Office of Graduate Academic Affairs, headed by Associate Vice Provost Holli Pryor-Harris, tracks graduate student progress toward the completion of graduate degree requirements. The office sends welcome communications to new and continuing degree-seeking, certificate-seeking, and non-degree seeking students each semester, which summarize academic policies, procedures, and deadlines. At the conclusion of the fall and spring semesters, the office conducts academic standing reviews and mandatory probation meetings with students who fail to make requisite academic progress. Upon application for graduation, the office certifies the completion of degree requirements and confers the degree. Questions regarding the completion of academic forms, audit worksheet, semester deadlines, application for graduation, and completion of outstanding degree requirements may be addressed to the Office of Graduate Academic Affairs at gradcoll@iit.edu or 312.567.3024.
The Office of Editorial Assistance in the Graduate College is directed by the Director of Academic Writing and Thesis Examiner, Pat Johnson-Winston, Ph.D. The office evaluates the completion of the master's thesis and doctoral dissertation documents for compliance with institutional thesis standards. Dr. Johnson-Winston also conducts workshops each semester to enhance the thesis writing experience. All thesis students are required to make and keep a minimum of two examination appointments with Dr. Johnson-Winston during the thesis writing and examination period. Dr. Johnson-Winston may be reached at winston@iit.edu or 312.567.3370. A copy of the thesis manual is available on the Graduate College website (web.iit.edu/gaa/thesis). LaTeX and Microsoft Word theses templates are also available at this website.
1.2 Related Activities
The Graduate Studies Committee shall assist the Dean of the Graduate College, as the agent of the graduate faculty, to execute policies related to graduate study and associated research.
The detailed applications of general policies announced in the Graduate Bulletin shall have the approval of the Graduate Studies Committee and be implemented by the Office of Graduate Academic Affairs and enforced by the Graduate College.
The responsibility for the operation of graduate programs shall be vested in the individual academic units. The Graduate Studies Committee shall be composed of voting members from each academic unit and one member for each academic unit without a doctoral program. The Dean of the Graduate College shall serve as chairperson.
The Graduate Studies Committee shall establish subcommittees as needed and shall prepare and approve items for the agenda of the University Faculty Council and Illinois Institute of Technology faculty meetings. Agenda items to be acted upon at University Faculty Council and faculty meetings shall be reported on by the Dean of the Graduate College, the faculty members, or subcommittee of the Graduate Studies Committee responsible for the item.
