Duties of the Committee on Graduate Training and the Director of Graduate studies are independent but may have some overlap. Duties of the Committee on Graduate Training include maintenance of the department’s master schedule of courses, processing of applications for new graduate courses as outlined in the college guidelines, approval of graduate candidates for admission to the graduate degree program, the option to waive certain requirements for admission to the program in special circumstances, recommendations for change in the By Laws for degree training as appropriate, supervise collection of annual reporting by graduate students and assist in the process of applications for new graduate courses outlined in the college guidelines. Any changes to the by-laws are recommended by the Committee on Graduate Training but must be approved by a simple majority vote of the Departmental Graduate Faculty. The Director of Graduate Studies is charged with the primary responsibility for maintaining the overall academic integrity of the graduate degree program. The Director of Graduate Studies also serves a role in promoting the educational and career success of individual graduate students. Duties of the Director of Graduate Studies include reporting to and communication with the University of Missouri Graduate School, providing appropriate signatures on required forms for admission, advancement, and graduation from the degree program, and cooperation with the Committee on Graduate Training and Department Chair in achieving the goals of the graduate training program.