| The Department of French and Francophone Studies The French and Francophone Studies Graduate Student Organization (FFGO) The French Graduate Student Organization was formed to facilitate communication among the graduate students and between the graduate students and the faculty. It is the responsibility of the elected officers of the FFGO to convene regular graduate student meetings and to be in direct contact with the Department Head to voice student issues and concerns. One faculty member is designated as the liaison person to the FFGO. He or she is invited to attend the FFGO meetings with the exception of any meetings that have been declared closed by the FFGO officers. The FFGO elects two representatives who are invited to attend open faculty meetings and whose responsibility it is to communicate faculty and student concerns to the respective groups. They may not attend faculty meetings that have been declared closed by the Department Head due to agenda items that are deemed to be of a confidential nature. The representatives have one vote in votes taken at open meetings. Students may not serve on Examination Committees, the Tenure and Promotion Committee, or any other committee that deals with personnel or individual student issues. Students normally serve on standing or ad hoc committees dealing with curricular changes, departmental lecture activities, and policies or procedures of direct concern to them. Students are invited to participate in discussions about hiring new faculty members. They are asked to absent themselves when a formal vote is taken, and they do not vote on faculty appointments. The Department Head and faculty members informally solicit suggestions and advice from the graduate students on a variety of issues. These comments are greatly valued and help to promote the collegial atmosphere of the Department. Issues and concerns raised at FFGO meetings should be communicated to the Department Head, who has the final decision on how a matter might best be handled. The FFGO may request that a particular issue be put on a faculty meeting or committee meeting agenda for discussion. Previous: Departmental Activities | Next: Computer Equipment |
Heather McCoy hjm10@psu.edu |
Bénédicte Monicat bxm6@psu.edu |
Barbara E. Bullock beb2@psu.edu |