The administration of the
Department is the responsibility of the Chair, the Vice Chair for
Administration and Undergraduate Studies, and the Vice Chair for Graduate
Studies.
Officers 2007-2008
Chair: John Lowengrub
Vice Chair for Administration
and Undergraduate Studies: Jack Xin
Vice Chair for Graduate
Studies: Michael Cranston
Faculty Committees
Committees govern most of the affairs
of the department. Committee Chairs must keep the Chair, Vice Chairs, and other
interested parties informed about matters under consideration. Matters of
importance to the Department must be submitted to the regular faculty for
approval. All committee meetings and their agendas will be announced via
electronic mail and Departmental Home Page.
Colloquium Committee
This committee will select a few
distinguished mathematicians to visit and present lectures on broad areas of
mathematics. The committee may also solicit a few internal survey talks for the
colloquium program. This committee is responsible for locating speakers,
operating within budget allocation, arranging for honoraria (assuring that
foreign speakers have appropriate documentation), assuring that appropriate
travel and living arrangements are made for speakers, and assuring that the
lectures are properly advertised.
Computing Committee
Advises the department on matters
concerning research and instructional computer needs and usage. Coordinates the
usage of departmental computing resources for all research and instructional
purposes. Formulates departmental policy on the use and operation of all
departmental computers.
Lecturer Committee
Recruits and evaluates lecturers.
Library Committee
Responsible for the improvement
of the Departments library facilities. This committee will act as a liaison to
the campus library committees. Orders books and journals and monitors
library. Hears faculty complaints
and responds to them.
Recruitment Committee
Recommends candidates for regular
positions to the faculty for approval. In late spring this committee makes
recommendations for hiring priorities for regular faculty for the coming year.
VAP Selection Committee
Screens applicants for the
Visiting Assistant Professor program.
Distinguished Visitor Committee
Identifies and invites speakers to give lectures within
established criteria of audience level.
Public Relations Committee
Edits the annual Department newspaper, tracks alumni,
postdocs, etc. Deals with various
PR duties and fund raising.
Web Development Committee
Redesigns and modifies Math Department website to
increase functionality and better disseminate information.
TA Training Committee
Advises TAs on teaching matters.
Compiles teaching evaluations for use by the Graduate Studies Committee. In coordination with the IRC, runs a
program of orientation and instruction for new teaching assistants and fellows
at the beginning of fall quarter.
It assists new TAs in developing good teaching techniques and to become
experienced in their roles as teachers.
Undergraduate Advisor
Advises undergraduates. Listens
to recommendations or problems from undergraduates. Certifies compliance with
degree requirements for majors and minors. Must be available and knowledgeable
about all aspects of the undergraduate program: requirements, courses, testing,
fellowships, etc. Oversees catalog changes and updating. Serves as the
Departmental liaison with the School of Physical Sciences. This advisor serves as faculty
representative for SPOP and welcome week advising.
Undergraduate Studies
Committee
Advises the Department on matters
of undergraduate program policy. The committee plans new courses and revises
existing ones. Reviews requirements and generates catalog material on
undergraduate courses and majors. This committee oversees courses and programs
for undergraduate math majors. Oversees curriculum development at the
undergraduate level. Hears appeals
from students on policy matters. This committee maintains liaison with School
and University Curriculum Committees.
This committee is also charged
with developing and implementing strategies for the recruitment and retention
of students majoring in mathematics at UCI. Such strategies could include innovations in teaching
techniques, in curricula utilizing computing facilities, as well as general
public relation efforts.
The committee is also charged to
develop and implement an Honors Program for the Department of Mathematics, and
reviews honors theses. This committee will decide admittance to this program,
requirements for graduation with honors, and who shall receive the various
prizes awarded to outstanding undergraduates in mathematics.
Graduate Admission and
Advisory Committee
This committee reviews
the dossiers of all applicants for graduate studies. Its advises the Vice Chair
for Graduate Studies on admission to the various degree programs and on
financial support (fellowships and teaching assistantships) for continuing
graduate students.
Members of this committee provide
general professional advice and assist new graduate students in planning their
degree program (until the student acquires a formal Ph.D. advisor). All new
graduate students are given appointments with members of this committee in the
week prior to the beginning of fall classes.
Graduate Studies Committee
This committee has responsibility
over all policy matters relating to the graduate program of the Department,
including review of graduate proposals initiated by other committees. The
committee oversees Departmental requirements for graduate degrees, with
revision of graduate courses and catalog descriptions, and with questions of
standards and procedures. The committee recommends graduate courses and seminar
teaching assignments to the Chair and oversees the administration of the
written Masters and Ph.D. qualifying examinations. The committee hears appeals
from graduate students and may recommend that students be advanced from one
degree program to another or be terminated in their graduate studies in
mathematics. This committee reviews the suitability of financial support for
continuing graduate students.
The Department is currently
understaffed. Thus we are required to hire many short-term visitors. During the
preceding winter quarter, the Chair and Vice Chair will determine the number of
such visitors. The Chair will review research/teaching applicants for these
positions and will make recommendations.
Priority will be given to young Ph.D.s and to applicants that will
closely work with a regular faculty member (sponsor).
It is the responsibility of the sponsor to oversee the
teaching of these visitors to educate them about our teaching, grading,
evaluation, and other procedural policies. In the event that the visitor is unavailable after the
quarter has ended, the sponsor is also responsible for any duties related to
the course given by the visitor, such as grade changes.
It is the responsibility of the sponsor to arrange for
suitable housing, transportation, etc. that will make for a successful
research/teaching visit.
There are departmental funds for two kinds of short-term
visitors: Colloquium speakers, who should be outstanding
mathematicians, brought here to deliver talks of wide general interest, and research
visitors, who may be invited to deliver talks in one of the specialized
research and graduate seminars.
The Distinguished Visitor Program invites
mathematicians renowned in their fields to visit the Department for a one-week
period during the academic year.
The visitor is expected to give 3 lectures during this period of visit. The first lecture should appeal to a
general graduate student in mathematics, the second lecture should be at the
level of an advanced graduate student, and the third may appeal to experts in
the subject.