UMN Graduate Education

Governance

Throughout graduate studies, students will work with three main entities at the University. There may be others depending on individual circumstances, but all students deal with the Graduate School, the GSSP office and the One Stop Office. This section provides a brief description of each. In addition, a brief description is provided below for the ISSS office since we have international students in our program.

• The Graduate School: The Graduate School sets policies and rules that affect all graduate students at the University. They are the final authority in handling major disputes and/or interpretations of policy involving doctoral students.

• The GSSP Office: The Graduate Student Services & Progress (GSSP) office is the final stop for many of the milestone forms described in the step by step jouirney. The GSSP office maintains the official Graduate School milestone database used by the University to determine student progress and degree conferral. Many of the online forms on the Graduate School’s website are administered by the GSSP office. The GSSP office also performs checks of student records prior to key milestone steps and generates key exam forms not available to students online. GSSP offices are located at 333 Robert H Bruininks Hall, 222 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455. They can be contacted by email at [email protected] or by phone at 612-625-3490 (fax: 612-626-1754). See their website at www.grad.umn.edu/current-students/gssp.

• OneStop student Services: this office provides assistance to all University students dealing with issues across the University regardless of degree or program. One Stop provides services to students online, by email, on the phone, and in person. They can provide expert advice on questions or concerns about registration, financial aid, student accounts, billing, payments, and veterans’ benefits. More information on One Stop can be found at http://onestop.umn.edu.

• International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) office: The ISSS office provides many services to the University’s international student community. ISSS works with students and scholars holding F, J, H, and O visas with issues that can affect their visa status. ISSS also provides counseling to international students and scholars about academic, personal, and family matters, as well as issues of cross-cultural adjustment and professional integration upon returning home. For international students, many processes and special registration options involve the ISSS office (i.e., requesting reduced course load, maintaining legal visa and employment status, traveling outside the United States). More information about ISSS and its many services can be found at http://www.isss.umn.edu.

There are many rules and policies at the University of Minnesota. At the macro level, there are three main ones to be aware of at all times as a doctoral student.

Rule #1: The Continuous Enrollment Rule

All graduate students must register every fall and spring semester (summer registration is not mandatory) in order to maintain active student status. Failure to register by the last day of the “Add” period in a given fall/spring semester will result in automatic discontinuation/removal from the program. In such a scenario, the student would have to reapply for readmission into the program. Please be aware that readmission is never guaranteed. This rule applies to all PhD students; it does not matter if a student has completed all required coursework or if they have completed all thesis credits and/or even defended their dissertation, students must register for (see special registration options) every fall and spring semester to remain an active student until they have been cleared for degree conferral. Special registration options may provide acceptable exceptions to this rule. Students who do not immediately communicate with the DGS that they plan to rectify their active status when they are discontinued by the Graduate School will be sent a letter from the SoN indicating they are no longer a student in the PhD program.

Rule #2: Maintaining Good Milestone Progress

All students are expected to consistently make good progress throughout their program. The Graduate School requires an annual student review. Thus, each spring the SoN reviews the program progress of all students. This review process is viewed as a way of supporting our students in their professional development and in their progression and completion of the benchmarks towards their degree. This annual review assures that any progress problems are identified early so that students receive timely guidance. Individual programs and/or faculty advisors may also conduct reviews of student progress.

All students will receive an annual letter regarding their review. They will either be notified that they are “in good standing” or that they are not making sufficient progress. Information regarding requirements for remaining "in good standing" are detailed in the Annual Student Progress Review section of the handbook. If progress is found to be deficient, the letter will describe deficiencies and the student will be afforded an opportunity to demonstrate improvement. The DGS and advisor will identify a timeline by which deficiencies must be remedied, and a written agreement as to what will be considered demonstrated improvement will be made. Students are responsible for contacting their advisors to develop plans for making satisfactory progress by the deadlines.

Rule #3: The 8-Year Time Limit

Regardless of whether a student is attending the PhD program on a full- or part-time basis, all requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed and the degree awarded within eight years after admission and enrollment in the graduate program. Up to two 1-year extensions may be granted for extenuating circumstances, determined by the School of Nursing Graduate Admissions & Progression Committee. Students admitted prior to January 1, 2013 are exempt from this time limit requirement, but are encouraged to do their best to complete their degree in a timely manner.