Environmental Science Rules and Regulations

The Steering Council Announces Rules and Regulations for Academic Year 2006-2007

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Rules Affecting All Students:

1.    The director of Environmental Science Graduate Program signs as Department Head

2.    All students should have as prerequisites a fundamental knowledge of chemistry, biology and math. A student can show proficiency in the above prerequisites through their undergraduate degree, taking CLEP exams, or experience. Alternatively a program can be specified to remedy deficiencies.

3.    GRE scores are required of all incoming students.  Faculty are looking for scores around 50% but no value has been set.

4.    BIOL 3034 – Ecology or its equivalent is a requirement.  All students must complete a course that includes the principles and fundamentals of ecology.  Curriculum Committee determines the courses acceptability.  It can be a graduate course but has to have the principles and fundamentals of ecology. 

5.     ENVR 5303 is required and should be taken during the 1^st year.

6.    ENVR 6011 Survey of Environmental Research - required of all doctoral students but will be good for masters students. 

     ENVR 6022 - Interdisciplinary Research Proposal Preparation - required of all doctoral students but can be taken by masters students also. 

     ENVR 6031 Interdisciplinary Research Report Preparation - required of all doctoral students but can be taken by masters students also. 

7.    Students must take one course in research if an MS student and 2 courses (skill, research) if PhD.

8.    All options, Thesis, Report or Creative Component, must be 36 hours in length. The Thesis option will consist of 30 hours of course work and 6 hours of Thesis. The Report option will consist of 34 hours of course work and 2 hours of Thesis and the Creative Component option will consist of 36 hours of courses. The Creative Component must be attached to an appropriate course and follow all guidelines.

9.    Students must turn in a final product such as Dissertation, Thesis, Report or Creative Component to the Program Coordinator in a hard copy form and electronic form such as (PDF).

10.  All options, Thesis, Report or Creative Component, must have an oral or written presentation for the proposal.

11.  All options, Thesis, Report or Creative Component, must have an oral defense of the final product.

12.  MS committees must consist of 3 faculty members and must have at least two departments represented.

13.  Doctoral Advisory Committee will consist of 4 faculty members made up of 2 departments and 2 graduate faculty groups.

14.  Both written and oral tests will be given for comprehensive exams.

15.  Long distant students will be required to have at least 60 days (may be discontinuous) of contact with advisor during tenure.  The student should be here for their qualifying exams (at least oral) and their dissertation defense. 

16.  Student Committee Structure and Function

a. Identification of the Committee Chair

The Committee on Admission and Retention supports the current requirement that a student will not be admitted to the program without a written agreement that a graduate faculty member will serve as the Chair of the student’s committee.

b. Preliminary Selection of Committee Members

The student must work with the Chair to recruit additional members to the committee.  Members should be recruited by the end of the second semester of enrollment to ensure that it is sufficiently interdisciplinary and to help the student make sufficient progress early.  The Chair will forward these names to the Director.  Upon receipt, the Director will review the list to confirm their identity as graduate faculty members and send a letter to the Chair (copies to other committee members) acknowledging that these persons have been identified as committee members.  The student and Chair may elect to replace these members as they wish and forward these changes to the Director.

c. Formal Appointment of Committee Members

The Chair formally nominates other members by submitting a signed plan of study to the Director.  The Director appoints members by signing the plan of study based on these nominations and, if necessary, further discussions with the Chair.  Approval of the appointments occurs upon the signature of the Graduate Dean.  Members must be nominated, appointed, and approved by the deadlines specified by the Graduate College (before the student registers in their 17^th credit hour for MS or 28^th hour for PhD).  The Graduate College places holds on course enrollment for those students who fail to submit plans of study on time.  Neither the Program Director nor Program Coordinator will intervene to lift a hold until the student has submitted a complete plan of study that meets Program and Graduate College requirements. 

d. Roles of the Committee Chair and Research Advisor

The Chair is head of the committee and monitors the student’s progress through the program.  The Chair is responsible for helping the student recruit other members of the committee, developing and revising the plan of study, scheduling and structuring the qualifying exam (doctoral students only), conducting annual reviews of student progress, and scheduling committee meetings.  The Research Advisor monitors the student’s research, including preparing and defending internship proposals and report defenses (for students enrolled in the environmental management specialization), preparing and defending thesis/dissertation proposals, and defending theses/dissertations.  Usually these two roles are assumed by the same person, though they need not be.  Motion passed with a friendly amendment. 

e. Roles of the Other Committee Members

All members (including preliminary members, if applicable) should be involved in the review of a student’s progress through the program, including annual progress reviews, review and approval of the plan of study, conduct of the qualifying exam (doctoral students only), review and comment on internship or research proposal, review of research progress, and conduct of internship or thesis/dissertation defense.  The outside member, who must belong to a faculty group other than that of the Chair, helps to promote the interdisciplinary nature of the student’s plan of study and ensure the fairness and integrity of the student’s progress toward the degree. Note:  means that everyone must meet at least once per year. 

17.  Student Committee Changes

      a.   Student Petitions to Substitute Formally Appointed Committee Members

A student cannot unilaterally dismiss a member of his or her committee once the committee has been formally appointed by the Program Director and approved by the Graduate Dean on the student’s plan of study.

If a student wishes to replace the Chair, the student must petition the Program Director in writing and provide reasons for his or her request.  After meeting with the student, the Program Director will discuss the situation with the Chair.  If the Chair agrees to resign, the rule below regarding Chair resignation applies.  If the Chair refuses to resign, then the matter shall be referred to the Committee on Admission and Retention.  Both the student and Chair will be encouraged to appear separately at an interview with the Committee.  Either the student or Chair can be requested by the Committee to return to the interview for additional discussion.  The Committee will forward a recommendation on whether the Chair should be retained to the Program Director who will make a final decision. 

If a student wishes to replace any other member, the student must petition the Chair in writing and provide reasons for his or her request.  After meeting with the student, the Chair will discuss the situation with the committee member.  If the member agrees to resign, then the rules below relating to advisor resignation and other member resignation apply.  If the member refuses to resign, then the matter shall be referred to the Program Director.  The Program Director will decide whether the member should be removed. 

b. Stepping Down of the Committee Chair

The Chair must notify the Program Director if he or she wishes to discontinue serving as Committee Chair; a written justification is encouraged.  Upon receipt of the notice, the Program Director assumes the role of the Chair until a new chair is recruited.  The Program Director will work with the student and the remaining committee members to identify a new Chair by the end of the next full semester.  If a new Chair is successfully recruited, a revised plan of study must be submitted to the Program Director by the new Chair.  If a new Chair is not recruited by the end of the next full semester, the student’s case will be referred to the Committee on Admission and Retention for its review (see rule # 4 below for this procedure).

c. Stepping Down of the Research Advisor (if not the Chair)

The Research Advisor must notify the Chair if he or she wishes to discontinue serving in this position; a written justification is encouraged.  Upon receipt of the notice, the Chair assumes the role of Research Advisor.  The Chair, after consultation with the student, may seek to recruit another committee member to assume this role.  If a new Research Advisor is successfully recruited, a revised plan of study must be submitted to the Program Director.

d.  Stepping Down of a Committee Member Other than the Chair or Research Advisor

The committee member must notify the Chair if he or she wishes to withdraw from a student’s committee.  If the number of committee members thus falls below four for doctoral students or three for masters students, the Chair must work with the student and the remaining committee members to recruit another graduate faculty member to serve on the committee.  The Chair must then forward the nomination of the new committee member to the Program Director for appointment along with a revised plan of study. 

18.  Annual Review

The Program Coordinator will mail annual evaluation forms to all student committee Chairs near the end of each Spring semester.  Chairs must consult with other committee members (if they have been identified) and the student to review progress during the previous academic year (summer through spring).  (Ideally, the consultation is conducted in a meeting with the student and committee, but alternative formats are acceptable.)  After the consultation, the Chair must complete the Annual Student Progress Review Form and return it to the Program Coordinator by the deadline indicated on the form.  The completed form will be reviewed by the Program Director to assess student progress and steps planned to ensure successful and timely completion of degree requirements.  If the student’s committee believes that the student cannot successfully complete degree requirements on time, the case will be referred to the Committee on Admission and Retention for its review.  The Committee will review the annual report and the student’s file and invite the student and Chair to present their views.  The Committee will then forward its recommendation on whether the student should be allowed to continue in the program to the Program Director.  The Program Director will make the final decision.

19. Transfer students must submit a letter along with their goal statement as to why they are transferring and the head from the previous department may be contacted for clarification of the transfer.

20.  All students are required to have an exit interview with the Director. 

        a.  Exit interview topics will include: 

            1.  Compliance with program requirements

            2.  Program concerns and complaints

            3.  Suggestions for program improvement

            4.  Career plans

            5.  Importance of joining our alumni association

            6. Contact information

21.  EM internship rule change

All EM students must complete an internship (240 hours for MS and 480 hours for PhD)   However, if a student can demonstrate to his or her committee that substantial and relevant previous professional experience is equivalent to the internship (substantial and relevant), then the internship can be replaced.  The replacement will include taking the internship course (ENVR 5510 or 6516) for the required amount of hours and completing a report for the student’s advisory committee and defending this report.