Graduate Council policy requires that all doctoral students
be evaluated every Spring. A satisfactory evaluation on file in OGS
is necessary for future support to be approved. The following are exempt
from Spring evaluations:
1) A student advancing to Doctoral candidacy during Winter
or Spring of that academic year.
2) A student on an approved leave of absence during Spring
of that academic year. In this instance an evaluation must be submitted
by the end of the first quarter of return to continue support.
Students are advised to work with their advisor and graduate
coordinator for the timely submission of their evaluation so that future
student support is not jeopardized.
The student signature is required on every evaluation.
Student signature does not indicate agreement with the evaluation and
student comments are encouraged. Each student should receive a copy of
his/her evaluation.
Each student in doctoral candidacy is to receive an annual
substantive progress review. At least three members of the student's
doctoral committee are to participate in the review. The review should
cover the student's progress to date, recommend the modifications to
the dissertation's scope or methodology, timetable for completion, and
recommendation for support in the following year.
The doctoral committee chair shall write up the results of
the review and discuss them with the student. All members of the doctoral
committee participating in the review, the student, and department chair
are to sign the progress review. It is expected that an evaluation will
include a face-to-face meeting between the faculty member(s) and the
student, and also that the student will feel free to make comments on
the evaluation.
It is important to note that Spring/Annual evaluations
affect not only future support but are required before any exception
can be requested of the Graduate Council, and, if there are academic
difficulties, will be relied upon heavily in the Dean's action. In
many instances, they are the only narrative documentation of a
student's progress, other than the transcript.