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Classical Archaeology: Advising and Reviews

Classical Archaeology MA Requirements | Classical Archaeology PhD Requirements | Appeals Procedures

Advising and Program Coordination

Advisory Committee. Upon admission to the M.A. or (if the M.A. is earned elsewhere) the Ph.D. program, the student in consultation with the Graduate Advisor for Classical Archaeology will form a provisional Advisory Committee. This committee shall be composed of the faculty of Classical Archaeology, with the possible addition of others with suitable expertise drawn from Classics, AHMA, and History of Art. This provisional Advisory Committee may be reconstituted at the time of the third-semester review. The student's Advisory Committee will set the exams in modern languages and the Ph.D. general written exams; the Advisory Committee will also participate in the advancement to Ph.D. and other reviews, and offer general guidance and encouragement in the program. At a minimum, it will meet once every academic year.

Personal Advisor. Each student will have a Personal Advisor; this person should be chosen by the student by the end of the first semester of study. The purpose of the Personal Advisor is to provide support and advice about studies, development of research interests, and other aspects of life in the program. The student should meet with the P.A. at least once a semester to talk about relevant issues and problems. Upon the request of the student, a personal advisor may be changed.

Graduate Advisor for Classical Archaeology. The Graduate Advisor works with the student to form an Advisory Committee; changes in this Committee may be made upon the mutual consent of the student and the Advisor. Once in the fall (for spring semester) and once in the spring (for fall semester) the student will meet with the Graduate Advisor for Classical Archaeology to settle upon a class schedule. The access code (AC) for registration via Tele-BEARS is given to the student at this meeting.

1. Students working toward the M.A.

(The M.A. requirements in coursework should normally be fulfilled by the end of the second year.)

A. Mid-year review: After the conclusion of the first semester and before the end of the second week of the student's second semester, the Graduate Advisor for Classical Archaeology will review each student's grades and course evaluations submitted by instructors; the Advisor will prepare a brief statement of evaluation to be communicated to the student in writing. The statement should indicate whether the student's performance has been exceptionally good, fully adequate, or deficient; if deficient, specifics should be given and suggestions made for improvement.

B. Third-semester review: The student's progress in the first full year of study will be evaluated by the Graduate Advisor for Classical Archaeology and the student's Advisory Committee not later than the seventh week of the student's third semester. The review will again be based on grades and course evaluations and will include an interview with the student; the Personal Advisor will attend the interview. A statement of evaluation will be communicated to the student in writing after the interview. At the time of this review, the student may choose to reconstitute the Advisory Committee, with the consultation of the Graduate Advisor for Classical Archaeology.

C. Subsequent reviews: Upon completion of all requirements for the M.A., the student may be again reviewed: this review will normally take place near the end of the fourth semester. The Graduate Advisor for Classical Archaeology and the student's Advisory Committee will evaluate grades and course evaluations and take into consideration the quality of the comprehensive examinations and will again interview the student, with the Personal Advisor in attendance. If the student has already met with these faculty earlier in the same semester, these faculty may waive the interview if they have already indicated in the earlier meeting that no problems are foreseen in the student's progress through the program. At this time the committee will consider in particular the suitability of the student's continuing toward the Ph.D. and in cases of doubt will specify the student's deficiencies and set a timetable for rectification and further review and, if appropriate, recommend probation to the Dean.

Students who take more than four semesters to complete the M.A. continue to be subject to annual review by the Graduate Advisor for Classical Archaeology and the student's Advisory Committee until the completion of the M.A and to a post-M.A. review.

2. Students in the Ph.D. program.

A. Prior to Advancement to Candidacy every Ph.D. student, both those advanced from the M.A. program and those admitted with an M.A. from another institution, will have a formal review meeting every year (generally every second semester) until Advancement to Candidacy with the Graduate Advisor for Classical Archaeology and the student's Advisory Committee, for the purpose of discussing the student's overall progress in the program and giving guidance on the student's pursuit of his/her interests and long-term career; the student's Personal Advisor may also attend these reviews. Minutes of the reviews will be taken and, after being agreed upon by all those present at the meeting, kept as part of the permanent record in the student's file and a copy given to the student.

B. After Advancement to Candidacy, the dissertation committee of at least three members will be formed, and may be the same as the Advisory Committee (with the proviso that the dissertation committee must have an outside member who is a member of the Academic Senate). The dissertation committee has the authority and responsibility to review the student's progress and to advise him/her of its satisfaction. The committee may set reasonable deadlines for the student to demonstrate adequate written progress in completing the dissertation: if deadlines are not met, the committee may instruct the Graduate Advisor for Classical Archaeology to recommend to the Dean of the Graduate Division that the student be placed on probation. A reasonable deadline in regard to jeopardy for probation is a period of not less than one academic year. (Students in probationary status may not hold an academic appointment, nor receive a graduate fellowship, nor be eligible to receive an advanced degree.)

The Graduate Division mandates annual review of the progress of students advanced to candidacy. A "Report on Progress" form is to be filled out by each student once per year (during Spring Semester), submitted to the dissertation chair, who will discuss the report with at least one other member of the dissertation committee and record their comments. If possible, the reporting members of the committee should meet in person with the student. The form is retained in the student's file, and at the end of each Spring Semester the Graduate Advisor for Classical Archaeology reports the result of all such reviews to the Graduate Division.

In any case, if the dissertation is not completed within four years of advancement to candidacy, the student's candidacy may be lapsed by the Dean of the Graduate Division (though in special circumstances the dissertation committee, through the Graduate Advisor for Classical Archaeology may recommend to the Dean continuance of a student whose candidacy has passed four years). A candidate whose candidacy has lapsed may be reinstated upon recommendation of the Graduate Advisor for Classical Archaeology only if a complete draft of the dissertation has been submitted and judged by the committee to be acceptable with no more than minor revisions, and if the Graduate Advisor for Classical Archaeology has advised the Dean that the qualifying examination was not taken so long ago as to be invalid. Failure to achieve reinstatement of candidacy within a reasonable period of time after lapsing may result in the student's candidacy for the degree being terminated. Unless otherwise specified in the Graduate Division's formal notice of lapsing, termination will normally take place at the end of the regular academic term in effect two years after the date of notification.

Classical Archaeology MA Requirements | Classical Archaeology PhD Requirements | Appeals Procedures