The English Graduate Organization at Syracuse:

EGO is a University-recognized student organization that represents English graduate students in the administrative processes in the department. Every graduate student in the English department is automatically a member of EGO, and can begin contributing right away. EGO maintains standing positions in the English Department Assembly and positions in the committees that determine both graduate and undergraduate curriculum. EGO representatives are democratically elected, with full voting powers in all standing committees and hiring committees.

In terms of professionalization, EGO offers an introduction to the kind of "extra-curricular" service work that the profession requires--working in committees, engaging yourself in
department policy, etc. These are practices that will develop your relationships with faculty outside of a classroom setting.

EGO also have a position in the university-wide Graduate Student Organization, which allows the body to apply for funding for independent projects. In the past, EGO has published a journal, hosted colloquia, and organized a Speaker Series bringing internationally recognized scholars to the University--all events that were planned, overseen, and executed by graduate students.

Additionally, EGO manages and operates Negotiations, a monthly graduate reading series, which helps students to transform their work from seminar papers to publishable or presentable scholarship. An extraordinarily high percentage of work that comes out of Negotiations goes on to be published or presented at national conferences--it has been a very successful professional development tool.

Finally, EGO is also valuable as a social support system for students in the department. This is evidenced in anything from an intramural soccer squad, a weekly pub trivia team, or regular social events.

You can visit the EGO website here, or keep tabs on the EGO blog.