Guidelines for developing a plan for being off‐site while remaining enrolled in the program:
- Review the Rackham Graduate School Academic Policies
- The student is responsible for initiating conversations with their primary advisor or Doctoral Committee Chair* (hereafter, designated faculty advisor) well in advance of the semester(s) they anticipate being away from campus, to discuss the following:
- Progress toward candidacy. In most cases, requests for off‐site study will be considered only for those who have completed prerequisites for candidacy (coursework and preliminary exam).
- Rationale for the time away, e.g., to collect data toward the dissertation, extramural study, personal reasons, health concerns or caregiving responsibilities.
- Students planning to pursue studies at another educational institution should refer to the Rackham policy regarding Extramural Studies
- Development of a plan to assure progress toward completion of degree during off-site time. The plan should include clear benchmarks to evaluate progress, and a plan for regular (e.g., bi‐weekly) communication with the designated faculty advisor. The student/candidate should also consider whether there are additional faculty or others with whom they may need to discuss their plans (e.g., if funded on a fellowship, the fellowship director or research mentors other than their designated faculty advisor who may be affected by the plan).
- Plan for funding during the period off-site. Departmental funding may not be available for students who elect to be off site during a portion of their doctoral program. Please be sure to consult with the Doctoral Curriculum Committee Chair and Departmental Administrator as you develop your plan for funding.
- Check with GradCare to assure a clear understanding of the required paperwork to guarantee continued health care coverage during the time that you are living/working away from campus.
- Be sure to complete the GradCare Off-Site Registration Form provided under Plan Documents and Forms on the GradCare website before leaving town.
(NOTE: Discussions with the designated faculty advisor related to being off‐site may occur over several months: Students/candidates are encouraged to initiate such conversations early.)
- Once the student/ candidate and his/her designated faculty advisor have agreed upon a plan, the student/candidate is responsible for submitting the plan to the Doctoral Curriculum Committee Chair, copying the designated faculty advisor. As needed, the DCC Chair may consult with the candidate’s advisor, Departmental Administrator (e.g. when funding is concerned), Rackham, or others prior to approval of the plan.
- Once all involved parties have agreed on the plan, a signed copy will be placed in the student/candidate’s file, with copies to the student/candidate and the designated faculty member. Study away plans may be revised as needed to assure progress toward completion of degree.
NOTE: Please be sure to build time for these conversations to unfold into your timeline. While in most cases, we expect that review and approval by the DCC Chair should be completed within a few weeks, there may be circumstances in which a more extended timeline may be necessary.
* Students/candidates who have not yet identified their dissertation committee should work with their primary advisor to develop a plan. Those who are at the dissertation stage should work with their Dissertation Chair.