All students in the Department of History graduate program, whether M.A. or Ph.D., will be monitored and evaluated regularly. The specific responsibilities and procedures for graduate student evaluation are discussed below.
Faculty are responsible for monitoring the graduate students enrolled in their classes, whether 400-level lecture courses or graduate seminars. If at the end of the semester a graduate student’s performance in a class is deemed unsatisfactory, the faculty member will complete a brief evaluation report, which they will submit to the Director of Graduate Studies by the end of the final examination week. The report will be included in the student’s permanent file. A student’s work will be considered unsatisfactory, if they receive a letter grade of C+ or less in one or more courses. Faculty should also notify the Director of Graduate Studies throughout the semester if they have any concerns about a graduate student or students taking their classes.
At the end of each semester, the Director of Graduate Studies will review the faculty evaluation reports. If the review reveals that a student is not performing at a satisfactory level in one or more courses, the DGS may ask the Graduate Studies Committee to review the student’s permanent file and to prescribe a course of action for correcting the deficiencies. The DGS will then communicate the recommended course of action to the student as well as to the student’s main faculty adviser. If the DGS’s review at the end of the following semester reveals that the student is still not performing at a satisfactory level in one or more courses, then the DGS in consultation with the Graduate Studies Committee will recommend that any financial support the student is receiving from the Department be revoked.
First-Year Review for Ph.D. Students:
All Ph.D. students are required to undergo a First Year Review. The First Year Review meeting will take place near the end of the second semester of the student’s program, normally in April. The student, the DGS, and the student’s examination committee (see below under “Doctoral Comprehensive Examination”) shall take part in the First Year Review Meeting. At the meeting, the student will outline their progress in the program to date, including their selection of a major field and three minor fields, the course work they have completed for each field, the coursework they have yet to complete for each field and when they plan to complete it, their projected date for taking their comprehensive examinations, and their tentative plans for dissertation research. Plans for completing any other requirements, such as the language requirement, should also be outlined. Each field adviser will be asked to provide feedback on the student’s performance and any concerns they may have about the student’s ability to complete the work and take the comprehensive examinations on schedule. If the examination committee is satisfied with the student’s performance and projected plan for completion, the student will be allowed to continue in the Ph.D. program and continue to receive financial support from the Department. If the committee finds any deficiencies in the student’s performance and/or projected plan for completion, the student will receive notice of the deficiencies and be placed on probation for their second year.
At the end of the First Year Review meeting, the DGS will write a First Year Review Report, which must be signed by the student, his/her main faculty adviser, and the DGS. A copy of the report will be given to the student, and another included in the student’s permanent file. Within two weeks of the completion of their First Year Review meeting, the student must file their Plan of Study (see above under “Program Requirements” for more information on the Plan of Study).
Students who are placed on probation will receive notice in writing of the deficiencies in their performance and/or program and, receive clear directions for correcting the deficiencies with a timeline for doing so. The notice must make it clear to the student that failure to correct the deficiencies within the specified timeline will result either in the revoking of any financial support, or dismissal from the program. The notice must be signed by the student noting that they are aware of the stipulations, and returned to the DGS. A copy of the notice will be given to the student, and another included in the student’s permanent file. Students on probation will also be required to undergo a second review. Again, the student, DGS, and the student’s examination committee shall take part in the second review. At the meeting, the student will outline their progress in the program since the previous meeting, and the course of action they have undertaken to correct the deficiencies identified by the committee in the notice. If the examination committee finds the student’s performance and corrected course of action to be satisfactory, the student will be allowed to proceed in the Ph.D. program and continue to receive financial support from the Department. If the student’s performance and corrected course of action are found to be unsatisfactory, the committee may recommend either: a) to allow the student to continue in the PhD program, but have their financial support revoked; or b) to release the student from the program altogether.
For more about these policies, see the catalog.
Time Limits:
Master’s students may continue in a program for up to eight years. Students inactive for two or more years or who exceed eight years must reapply for admission. Doctoral candidates must complete the remaining requirements after reaching candidacy in five years. To maintain candidacy, doctoral candidates must be registered a minimum of one credit hour each semester (fall and spring). For more, see the university guidelines in the catalog.
Leave of Absence:
If graduate students are in good standing and desire to step away from their academic path for one or more semesters, they may request a leave of absence. A leave of absence maintains candidacy but does not change time limits. For more on leave of absence and enrollment questions, see the university guidelines in the catalog.
Modification of Duties:
If graduate students on an assistantship need to be away from their work for more than two weeks, but are not seeking a leave of absence, they can request a modification of duties.