Graduate Student Evaluation
Graduate students will be evaluated annually. A subcommittee comprised of the DOGE and two faculty members from the Graduate Program Committee will be responsible for evaluating graduate student progress.
Graduate students will be asked to submit a term report after completion of each term (Fall, Spring, and Summer Session). Reports are to be signed by the major professor and submitted to the graduate program secretary by the date indicated on the form. Failure to turn in the report will result in a hold on all your academic and financial activities. See Appendix A 6 for Semester Report Form.
The annual review of graduate students will be completed by the end of May. Each student will receive a letter from the committee that summarizes the results of the review and the student's progress during the preceding year. A copy of the letter will be sent to the student's major professor and a copy placed in the student's file. The committee will report the results of all students' reviews to the Department Chair and make recommendations for sanctions where appropriate. The student would be notified of the procedures.
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Vacation & Sick Leave:
During each academic year, students will be allowed two weeks vacation plus University holidays with approval from the major professor. Time off must be discussed with your major professor. University holidays for 2007/2008 are listed at http://www.iastate.edu/~registrar/calendar/. These dates change each year. The university holidays are Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and the day after, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day and July Fourth Other days must be taken as vacation.
Students need to submit a signed (by student and major professor) vacation card to either 220 MacKay or 2312 FSB prior to their vacation. Note that because RAs are considered a half-time (50%) position, one week of vacation is equivalent to 20 hours of work. It is the student's responsibility to notify their major professor when sick and fill out the sick leave card. Failure to notify the major professor of absences could lead to leave without pay or termination.
Procedure for Changing Major Professors
If there are difficulties between the major professor and the student, the conflict(s) can be taken to the Ombuds Office http://www.iastate.edu/~ombuds/ to aid resolution in an impartial manner. The Ombuds process is confidential and focused on conflict resolution before things escalate into grievances. Changing major professors is not encouraged, but there are situations where you find it necessary to switch major professors to complete your program. You should first discuss this matter with your present major professor, second with your POS committee (if one has been appointed) and third the FST DOGE and department chair. Any research work and/or intellectual properties generated by the graduate student prior to changing the major professor must be acknowledged in future publications or presentations Because your RA is paid by your major professor, the decision to change includes termination of your current RA. In order to continue, you will need to find a major professor who is able to support you on a RA. You will need to talk with potential major professors. Identification of a new major professor with RA funding must be accomplished within 5 months (or one semester). Once you have terminated your relationship with the major professor you are leaving, you will not have research assistantship support. During the period you are trying to identify a new major professor, the FST DOGE will serve as a temporary advisor. You will need to communicate regularly on your progress to the DOGE. When a new major professor and you have agreed to work together, you and the major professor must notify the FST DOGE and FSHN chair. If you are unable to find a major professor within 5 months, you may be subject to the Dismissal Policy (1.b.)
Dismissal Criteria and Procedures
Continuing registration as a graduate student at Iowa State University is contingent on maintaining good standing in a graduate major. FSHN expects that its students will complete their degrees in a satisfactory and timely manner. However, there are several situations that may require severing the relationship between FSHN and a student.
- Dismissal Criteria - A student may be dismissed, that is, removed from their degree program and not permitted to register as a FST student, for the following reasons:
- Failure to progress satisfactorily in his/her degree program
This may be evidenced by a lack of research progress, a lack of aptitude for food science, or a failure to maintain a satisfactory academic standing, as defined by the Iowa State University Graduate College Handbook and in core Food Science and Technology requirements.
- Lack of a major professor
Because graduate degrees in FST at Iowa State are centered about a mentored research project, it is impossible to complete a degree without a research mentor [major professor]. To maintain good standing and earn a degree in FST, a student must have a FST faculty member serving as his or her major professor.
A student admitted to FST on a departmental RA has up to 5 months from the date of entry into the program to find a faculty member willing to serve as his or her major professor (unless otherwise designated at the time of admission). If the student desires, the FSHN Chair will help the student search for a major professor; however, final responsibility for finding a major professor rests with the student.
Occasionally, a faculty member who has previously agreed to serve as a major professor becomes unable to serve. Faculty desiring to terminate their service as major professor must do so by notifying the student and the FSHN Chair and FST DOGE in writing. A student who has lost his or her major professor has up to five months after the date the FSHN Chair is notified to identify another FST faculty member willing to serve. The FSHN Chair and FST DOGE will help the student search for a new major professor, if the student desires.
- Academic dishonesty
The proper conduct of science requires the highest standards of personal integrity. Because of this, dishonesty in the classroom or in the conduct of research is considered a serious offense by FSHN and by the University. Students accused of academic dishonesty will be dealt with according to the procedures outlined in the University Catalog and the Faculty Handbook. Possible punishments can include dismissal from the program and expulsion from the University, depending on the severity of the offense.
- Dismissal Procedures
A student's POS committee, or if the student has no POS committee, the student's major professor, temporary advisor, Graduate Education Committee or FST DOGE can recommend the dismissal of a student for any of the reasons listed above. Recommendations for dismissal are made to and are acted upon by the FSHN Chair.
Procedures for dismissal are as described in the Iowa State University Graduate College Handbook. Before a dismissal is decided, the FSHN Chair must give the student a written justification for why dismissal is being considered. The FSHN Chair must also discuss the situation with the student, as well as his or her POS committee, major professor, temporary advisor, and/or Graduate Education Committee, in an attempt to find a satisfactory resolution. This discussion constitutes the “informal conference” as described in the Graduate College Handbook. If a satisfactory resolution can not be reached and the FSHN Chair decides to dismiss the student, either party may bring the issue to the attention of the Associate Dean of the Graduate College for a decision. The student may appeal the decision of the Associate Dean, as described in the Graduate College Handbook.
Your major professor will officially notify the office personnel of the dismissal and your assistantship payment will be stopped on the official day of dismissal. Also, students should officially withdraw from the university unless they transfer to another department.
- Responsibilities of FSHN and the major professor
It is the responsibility of the FST program to counsel students who are having academic difficulties, to help students search for an acceptable major professor, or if students are unable to overcome these difficulties, to help the students identify and apply to other appropriate degree programs. It is the responsibility of the major professor and his/her department to seek funds for a student's assistantship and for the conduct of research. Where necessary, graduate students need to be informed and/or updated if the major professor foresees assistantship funding problems.
- Relationship between Status in FSHN and Termination of Financial Support
Although students in FST are normally supported on graduate assistantships, this is not a requirement for continued participation in FST. Students not on assistantship will continue to have regular status in the major so long as they remain in good standing and are registered.
However, because assistantship support at Iowa State requires that a student be a member of a graduate program, dismissal from FST requires that assistantship support be terminated, unless the student is able to transfer to another graduate program at ISU that the RA support can go through.
Students with any doubt about their assistantship status should discuss their situation with their major professor, the FSHN Chair, the FST DOGE and/or the department or program providing their assistantship support. For further information on termination of assistantship appointments, see the Graduate College Handbook.
- Appeal Process
The University has established appeal processes for student grievances. These vary depending on the nature of the grievance, and are described in the Graduate Handbook. Generally, these procedures begin with the DOGE or the department Chair. It is usually best for all parties if a satisfactory resolution can be reached without initiating a formal appeal process. The Associate Dean of the Graduate College is available to informally consult with students and faculty.
Suggested FST Timelines:
| First Semester |
Rotate through 2-3 laboratories if on Department RA
Decide on research problem with major professor
Select POS committee members and file form
Non-native English speakers take SPEAK/TEACH test TA requirement
Enroll in FSHN 580 |
| Second Semester |
Design POS and have POS committee meeting
Enroll in a seminar-training course or experience (FSHN 581) |
| Third Semester |
Research is progressing
Teaching duties for next academic year identified and instructor consulted |
| Fourth Semester |
| |
MS |
Coursework nearing completion and research progressing
Abstracts for scientific meeting prepared |
| |
PdD |
Same as MS
Plans for preliminary examinations made |
| Fifth Semester |
|
| |
MS |
Coursework complete and research almost complete
TA assignment completed |
| |
PdD |
Same as MS
Preliminary examination usually taken |
| Sixth Semester |
|
| |
MS |
Final examination and seminar scheduled |
| |
PdD |
Research progressing |
Seventh and subsequent semesters |
|
| |
PdD |
Final defense and seminar scheduled
Abstracts prepared for scientific meetings |
The Graduate College Handbook provides a handy flowchart on the inside front and back covers of the handbook. All pertinent examinations and required forms are available at the Graduate College website. Please consult these forms at the appropriate time in your graduate career.
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Section 5
