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Evaluation
The Department of Communication requires that a grade of B- or better be earned for every course used to fulfill Program Requirements for the Ph.D. degree. A grade of B or better must be earned in required courses (611, 620, 621 and 801/802), and in introductory survey classes (613, 614, 615, and 616).
The Graduate Faculty evaluates all students each Spring. Students are invited to submit a self- report about their progress and accomplishments to the Graduate Program Director, who forwards it to the advisor. Students’ advisors then submit their evaluation of the student’s progress to the Graduate Program Director. These evaluations are then reviewed by the Graduate Program Director in consultation with the Graduate Faculty at the Spring Graduate Program meeting. Students receive a designation of “In Good Standing,” “Needs Improvement,” or “Show Cause.” A second consecutive evaluation of Needs Improvement constitutes a Show Cause.
In Good Standing
A rating of “In Good Standing” is given to students who demonstrate satisfactory progress toward the completion of their degree. Students in good standing are prioritized in the process of awarding research and travel grants and fellowships in the Department. Being in good standing is typically required for Graduate School grants.
Students who have recently entered the program stay in good standing by completing their classes on time and with satisfactory grades. Once coursework is completed, students must demonstrate timely progress on milestones (comprehensive exams, prospectus, and dissertation) in order to remain in good standing. Guidelines for what constitutes timely progress appear in the Degree Timetable section of this Handbook. The dissertation writing process can vary in length depending on factors related to the type of scholarship being conducted (research method, etc.), as well as on how much time students have to devote to dissertation work. This is taken into account when evaluating student progress in completing the dissertation.
Needs Improvement
A rating of “Needs Improvement” is automatically awarded to a student under any of the following circumstances:
- the student has two or more incomplete courses on their transcript,
- the student’s GPA is below a 3.0 (cumulatively OR in a single semester)
- the student has not in a timely way formed a Plan of Study Committee, or filed a Plan of Study in the second semester.
A “Needs Improvement” will also be awarded if the graduate faculty concludes that the student is not making satisfactory and timely progress through milestones (comprehensive exams, prospectus, and dissertation writing).
In terms of TA/TO assignments, students within funding are still eligible for funding with a Needs Improvement. A Show Cause may make a student ineligible for funding. However, if they can resolve the reason for the Show Cause in time (for example, clearing Incompletes) they may be able to return In Good Standing and regain eligibility.
Students evaluated as “Needs Improvement” in the Spring have an opportunity to return to “In Good Standing” in the Fall in an evaluation at the Fall Graduate Program meeting. Students in “Needs Improvement” will be invited to submit another self-report that addresses the Spring evaluation, and the graduate faculty will decide whether the progress justifies a return to “In Good Standing.”
Show Cause
A Show Cause Hearing is automatically required for a student under any one of the following conditions:
- The student accumulates three or more incompletes in one semester.
- The student has less than a 2.7 GPA, either cumulatively or in a single semester.
- The student receives evaluations of “Needs Improvement” twice in a row. The second NI leads to an immediate evaluation of “Show Cause.”
A “Show Cause” Hearing is attended by the Graduate Studies Committee, the student, and the student’s advisor. At this hearing the student’s lack of satisfactory progress will be discussed. The outcome of the hearing is either a written agreement about what progress needs to be made on what timeline in order to stay in the program, or immediate dismissal from the program. An agreement to stay in the program requires a later date to be identified at which measurable progress will be completed. If that work is not completed, the student is dismissed from the program.
Policy on Incomplete Courses
A student may request a grade of “Incomplete” only under extenuating circumstances. Exceptions are usually granted to students for reasons such as illness, family emergencies, etc. Incomplete grades must be resolved by the end of the second semester subsequent to the course. The Graduate School policy is that Incomplete Grades are converted to an F after two semesters. Our policy follows that of the Graduate School; if the grade remains Incomplete after a year it will become an F.