XII. Annual Evaluations

Annual evaluation ordinarily is the joint responsibility of the Graduate Representative and the assigned faculty adviser or the chair of the student's doctoral committee. An evaluation should include a brief review of the student's work to date, with particular attention to the period since the last report, describing the student's progress toward the degree, pointing out any areas in which improvement is recommended or required, and establishing academic objectives for the following period.

The results of annual reviews are committed to writing and signed by the supervisor and another faculty member. This is to ensure evaluation and consent by more than one individual faculty member, who may also be a principal source of financial and other support. Before a doctoral student has advanced to candidacy, the second signer may be the Graduate Representative; after advancement, a second thesis committee member must also sign. The annual evaluations are distributed to the student and kept in the student's file in the department office. They form the basis for decisions about continued financial support, academic probation and/or dismissal, extensions of financial aid beyond normative time, and other matters.