Annual Graduate Student Reviews: Issues to Consider

1. What particular goals and expectations does your program have in place by which to measure adequate student degree progress for the masters (Plan A and Plan B) and doctorate degrees?

Things to consider may include, but are not restricted to:

• GPA;
• # of incompletes;
• Filing of milestone paperwork (e.g., degree program form); and
• Completing milestones (e.g., core coursework, preliminary writtens/orals, research design, data collection/analysis).

2. What is the timetable for the reviews?

Things to consider:

• Time of year
• Frequency

3. What information will serve as the basis for the review?

• Things to consider include, but are not restricted to:
• Graduate School requirements;
• Goals/expectations as outlined in the graduate program handbook;
• Student transcript(s); and
• Milestone forms.

4. Who participates in the review with the student?

• The adviser and the DGS; and/or
• A graduate-program specific committee assigned to the task

5. Who will be responsible for collection/distribution of relevant information prior to the review?

• The student;
• The adviser;
• The DGS; and/or
• The DGS assistant

6. When must the relevant information be provided to each participant prior to the review?

7. How is the review outcome determined?

Things to consider:

• What the basis is for the decision (e.g., what constitutes adequate degree progress); and
• What the decision-making process is (e.g., a vote of the committee)

8. Who is responsible for communicating (in writing) the review outcome to the student (with copies to other participants)? The DGS? The Committee chair?

Things to consider:

• Students should receive their written evaluation no more than one week following the review;
• Students who do not meet the general Graduate School degree requirements and/or the established goals/expectations of the graduate program should be provided with clear, written instructions on
  • The conditions that must be met to remain in good standing as a graduate student in the program;
  • The (reasonable) timeframe for meeting those conditions;
  • The protocol/procedures that will be used to determine whether the conditions have been met (e.g., a follow-up meeting of the review participants will be held); and
  • The outcome that will result should the requirements/conditions not be met.

9. Where within the graduate program will the student evaluations be maintained?

Spring 2003