Content of Letters to Support Proposals for New or Changed Graduate School Academic Programs¹

Supporting Letters of Deans

Deans’ letters of support should make clear the willingness and ability of the colleges involved to provide the financial support the proposal requires and expects of them.  Deans should make clear the sources of funding and whether funding is to be start-up and/or continuing. Letters of support should also assure the availability and use of space needed (classrooms, laboratories, administrative and/or faculty offices). Deans should make clear if they or the department head or chair is supporting the DGS (through released time and/or salary augmentation), who will pay for the DGS’s assistant, and where the assistant will be housed.   Finally, deans should make clear their willingness to allow faculty time to be devoted to the aims of the proposal (including release from current teaching responsibilities, which may mean some courses will not be taught or adjuncts will need to be hired). 

Supporting Letters of Heads and Chairs

Letters of support from heads or chairs should make clear the willingness and ability of  departments involved to provide the financial support the proposal requires and expects of them.  They should make clear the sources of funding and whether funding is to be start-up and/or continuing. Letters of support should also assure the availability and use of space needed (classrooms, laboratories, administrative or faculty offices). The department head or chair should make clear whether he or she or the dean is supporting the DGS (through released time and/or salary augmentation), who will pay for the DGS’s assistant, and where the assistant will be housed.  Finally, heads and chairs should make clear their willingness to allow faculty time to be devoted to the aims of the proposal.  If faculty effort requires release from current teaching responsibilities, the letter should make clear whether the chair or head assents to the loss of courses or whether TAs or adjuncts will be hired to teach them.

Supporting Letters of Faculty

Letters of support from faculty should indicate their willingness to teach in the program and advise graduate students.  They should indicate specifically their willingness to direct capstone projects, Plan B papers, M. A. theses, and/or doctoral dissertations as well as to participate on examining committees.  They should also make clear whether they will participate in program governance, as described in the proposal. 

¹Approved by the Graduate School Executive Committee, 11/23/04.