First and Second Year Annual Reviews

First and Second Year Annual Review Form 

Summary Instructions For Annual Reviews During Coursework (Adapted from the Blue Book Section C)

In the second semester of both coursework years, each doctoral student is required to write a 1-2 page self-assessment narrative. The narrative should discuss the student’s own perception of their academic progress in the context of courses taken, developing intellectual interests, relevant professional development, and plans for the next steps of the program. Guiding questions that may be used to write this assessment narrative include (but are not limited to) the following:

1. Comment on your progress through the program. Are there areas where you are especially pleased with your progress or are there any aspects of your progress about which you might be concerned?

2. What are your career goals? How have your goals evolved since you entered the program and/or since your last annual review (if applicable)? What aspects of your work in the past year most contributed to your future goals?

3. What do you consider your most significant achievement this past year, and why? Have you experienced any academic difficulties this year? If so, offer a reflection on them. What steps are you taking to avoid such difficulties in the future?

4. Offer a brief reflection on the department. How is the department helping to meet your academic and career objectives? Comment on all aspects that apply: academic, administrative, etc.

After writing this self-assessment narrative, the student (in consultation with the advisor) should then choose a second faculty member to participate in the annual review. While this second faculty member is ordinarily from the student’s field of study, in cases where a student’s work has strong interdisciplinary dimensions, it may be appropriate to invite the second faculty member from a different field of study. The student then schedules a meeting (approximately one hour) with the two faculty members. This meeting should take place by the end of spring semester.

This process is carried out twice for each doctoral student—that is, once a year during the time that the student is in coursework. For the annual review meeting in the second year, the student may use the same second faculty member. Alternatively—and in consultation with the advisor—the student may invite a different faculty member to serve in this capacity. A change in the second faculty member may be made for intellectual or administrative reasons (i.e., nonavailability of a faculty member on leave).

Any problems should be reported to the Chair and the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies.

Please note that the department anticipates use of the designation “Unsatisfactory” only in extremely rare cases where a student is experiencing serious difficulty making progress. In such cases, a follow-up meeting should be scheduled with the student, the advisor, and the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies.

Students: Please forward the self-assessment narrative to the advisor and the second faculty member at least one week in advance of the scheduled meeting.

Students and Faculty: Please use the Annual Review Meeting Form and return the completed forms to the departmental secretary in the department office. Forms are available directly in the office and also on the department’s website.