Dear Colleague:

Building Graduate Community: Expectations for Graduate Study at Virginia Tech documents our commitment to enhancing the graduate education experience at Virginia Tech. The goal of the Graduate School is to provide quality graduate education in the context of a progressive and vibrant academic community.

In the spring of 2003, graduate students initiated this project. The Graduate Student Assembly and the Student Relations Committee of the Commission on Graduate Studies & Policies undertook the difficult task of defining and agreeing on mutual expectations and accountability of what constitutes a dynamic environment for graduate education. Their collaboration not only addresses the aspirations of both students and faculty, but it also speaks directly to the expectations for program quality. It is an important document and a vital component in the transformative graduate education concept that is shaping the leading research universities of the 21st century. Building Graduate Community: Expectations for Graduate Study at Virginia Tech asserts this university's commitment to innovating a remarkable future.

Sincerely,

Karen P. DePauw, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Graduate Studies &
Dean of the Graduate School

Graduate Environment at Virginia Tech

The primary mission of graduate education at Virginia Tech is to provide a rich learning environment that attracts and retains outstanding graduate students. At Virginia Tech, graduate students work closely with eminent faculty to acquire and create the knowledge and comprehension needed to address the complex issues of today's society and tomorrow's future. Graduate education is a critical component in the development of new knowledge, current research, new ideas, and exceptional scholarship within the University. To fulfill this mission, Virginia Tech seeks to instill in each student an understanding of and capacity for scholarship, independent critical judgment, academic rigor, and intellectual honesty. It is the joint responsibility of faculty and graduate students to work together to foster these ends through relationships that encourage freedom of inquiry, demonstrate personal and professional integrity, and foster mutual respect. Building a graduate community for quality graduate education depends upon the professional and ethical conduct of both faculty and students. Each party in the graduate process - that is, the faculty, the graduate students, the graduate department or program, and the Graduate School - has particular responsibilities in ensuring the achievement of these primary goals.

Graduate Students
Graduate students in all programs are expected to gain expertise in a particular area of study and, especially in Ph.D. programs, seek to expand the knowledge of that disciplinary field by discovering and pursuing a unique topic of scholarly inquiry and research. As junior colleagues and professionals-in-training, graduate students should learn to impart disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge through appropriate forms of instruction and publication. They should learn to apply the knowledge they acquire across a wide array of disciplines (i.e., business, industrial, academic, and social problems). They have academic freedom in addition to being respected as individuals and as junior colleagues.

Faculty Members
Members of the faculty serve a variety of critical roles as model teachers and researchers as well as graduate student advisors and mentors. The faculty provide intellectual guidance and support for the scholarly and pedagogical efforts of graduate students and are responsible for the ongoing evaluation of graduate students' performance in academic, research, and scholarly activities. As mentors and advisors, faculty are responsible for assisting graduate students to discover and participate in appropriate channels of scholarly, professional, and disciplinary exchange; and for helping them to develop the professional research, teaching, and networking skills that are required for a variety of career options, both within and outside academia.

Graduate School
The Graduate School is responsible for the development, administration, and evaluation of graduate education throughout the university. The Graduate School works in partnership with the faculty, program chairs, and department heads to maintain and further the high quality of graduate education at Virginia Tech. The Graduate School is responsible for monitoring graduate students' progress toward degrees; for promoting a nurturing climate for graduate education through the sound mentoring of graduate students; for administering the graduate honor system; and for providing both financial and other mechanisms to ensure that graduate student life is not one of ongoing struggle, isolation and penury. In its efforts to ensure quality in all aspects of graduate education, the Graduate School should provide clear and appropriate avenues of redress whenever particular faculty members' or students' experiences fall short of the expectations articulated in this document.

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The following sections outline the expectations of graduate students, graduate faculty, departments and programs. In order to maintain the high quality of graduate education at Virginia Tech, it is the responsibility of the Graduate School and all members of the University to ensure that these expectations are upheld by all. In the event that these expectations are not fulfilled in a manner befitting the high standards of graduate education at this university, an appeals process that is outlined at the end of this document could be used to redress the concerns of the involved parties. This document on the expectations for graduate education at Virginia Tech should be made available to all graduate students, faculty and administrators in all colleges, departments, and administrative units.

Expectations for Graduate Students

Appropriate Academic Behavior:
Graduate students should conduct themselves in a manner befitting an academic colleague.

Honest & Ethical Behavior:
Graduate students should exercise honesty and ethical behavior in all their academic pursuits, whether these undertakings pertain to study, course work, research, extension, or teaching.

Ethical Behavior

• Graduate students should know and practice ethical behavior as outlined in the Graduate Honor System
• Graduate students should know and practice the code of ethical conduct for their academic discipline or profession.
• Graduate students are expected to uphold ethical standards while employed as a GRA on a sponsored project.

Honesty in Research & Scholarship

• Graduate students are expected to provide accurate and honest reporting of research results (see ‘Honor in Science’ as a guide to ethics and values in research)

Policies and procedures:
Graduate students should learn and act in accordance with the Graduate School's policies and procedures, specific program requirements, and standards of performance established by faculty articulated in Department Graduate Student Handbooks and their respective professional associations or organizations.

Communication with Faculty Advisors:
Graduate students should communicate regularly with faculty advisors about their progress in their graduate programs.

Establishing committees:
Graduate students should work with their academic advisor to establish all requisite committees in a timely manner.

Timeliness:
Graduate students are expected to fulfill the requirements of their programs in a timely manner.

Leaves of absence:
Graduate students should inform their faculty advisor of any leaves of absence that may be needed as well as the expected date of return to their program of study.

• Graduate students should inform their faculty advisor of their departure and expected date of return.
• Graduate students should know that readmission is not guaranteed after extended leaves of absence (over one year).
• Graduate students should understand that re-appointment on assistantship after leave of absence is contingent upon the length of leave, resources available to cover the responsibilities left unmet by the leave of absence, and the contractual agreement with granting agency for a GRA. Where possible, arrangements should be made before leave is taken.

Assistantship obligations:
Graduate assistants (GAs, GRAs and GTAs) are expected to fulfill the responsibilities and requirements of their appointment as stated in their contractual agreements with the University and the Department.

Staying Informed:
Graduate students should ask questions that will promote their understanding of the academic requirements and financial particulars of their specific graduate program.

Faculty mentors:
Graduate students are responsible for understanding their own role in the development of their relationships with their faculty mentors.

Understanding the responsibilities of others: Graduate students should demonstrate an awareness of the time constraints and other demands imposed on faculty members and program staff.
Communication: Graduate students should communicate regularly with faculty mentors and advisors, especially on matters related to research, academic progress, concerns, and problems within their graduate program.

Participation in the university community:
Graduate students should participate in the university community to the extent that each is able.

Departmental participation: Graduate students may contribute to the academic development and the social environment of the department or program in which they are pursuing the advanced degree.
University governance: Graduate students may contribute to the administration of the graduate program, student government, and/or the university.

Contributing to the university mission:
Graduate students are expected to contribute to the mission of Virginia Tech as appropriate to their ability and graduate program.

Teaching: Graduate students should provide high quality teaching to undergraduate students.
Research: Graduate students should support the scholarly activities of their faculty and fellow graduate students whenever possible.
Outreach: Graduate students should uphold the public service aspects of the university mission.

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Expectations for Faculty, Departments, and Programs

Progress Towards Degree Completion:
Graduate students can expect to obtain accurate, timely, and clearly stated information concerning academic requirements and academic evaluation as well as guidance toward establishing and maintaining an acceptable academic standing.

Information on the requirements for a degree: At the time of their acceptance the academic unit should inform graduate students of the requirements (policy memo #126) for the academic program. Prospective and current graduate students should be told about:

• Application, acceptance and attrition rates in their fields.
• "Expected time to degree" and the "average time to degree " within their program.
• The ‘plan of study’ requirements.
• The availability of courses required for their graduate studies.

Academic Progress: Graduate students can expect guidance and assistance in making timely progress towards completing their degree. The university should provide a graduate student with:

• Relevant course offerings.
• Adequate dissertation or thesis supervision (policy memo #126 ¹).
• Supervision, external to the institution if necessary, if the student’s dissertation or thesis advisor departs after the student's work has begun.
• Annual assessment of and clear communication about their progress (policy memo #229¹).
• The opportunity to timely completion of studies, if a degree program is discontinued after a graduate student has begun that program.
• The opportunity to change a faculty advisor or committee members, if necessary. The student should follow the procedure listed in the Graduate Catalog. If the graduate student is working on sponsored project research, contractual obligations must be met or resolved.

Guidance, evaluation, and feedback: graduate students can expect to receive guidance, regular evaluation, and feedback throughout their academic program (policy memo #s 1, 126¹).

• Graduate students and their faculty advisor should arrive at and maintain a mutually agreeable schedule of evaluation and feedback meetings.
• Annual evaluations (policy memo #229¹) should be factual, specific, and based on criteria that are understood by both the faculty advisor and the student.
• Written evaluations should, at a minimum, include annual progress reports, split decisions on qualifying examinations, and any unusual or additional program requirements.
• An unsatisfactory performance evaluation should be accompanied by a written statement of the rationale and reasons.
  

Privacy: The Family Education Rights Privacy Act (FERPA) guidelines mandate a student’s right to reasonable privacy and confidentiality in all communications between students, professors, and administrators.

• As a general rule faculty should not discuss a student’s performance or behavior with other students.
• Discussion among faculty of a student’s performance should be professional in nature and limited to the student’s academic performance, research performance and fitness as a graduate student.

Access to academic files: FERPA guidelines mandate that graduate students have access to their academic files.

Due Process before Dismissal: Graduate students can expect a fair opportunity to correct deficiencies in their academic performance before being dismissed. Dismissal of a graduate student from a graduate program for academic reasons should typically be based on annual progress reviews (policy #229¹).

Available funding and conditions of appointment:
Graduate students can expect to be informed of available funding sources, as well as the terms and conditions of any graduate assistant appointments (GA, GTA, GRA) (policy memo #s 126 & 14¹).
Information on available financial and resource support: Prospective and current graduate students should be informed of the requirements and qualifications necessary for academic employment, training, or financial support.

• Departmental or program of study sources of funding.
• If departmental funding is not available, departments or programs should assist the graduate student in seeking assistantships and other funding sources outside of the home department or program.
• Should a funding source be terminated through no fault of the graduate student, the department should make every reasonable effort to find alternative funding for that student.

Cognizance of the assistantship appointment: Graduate student assistants (GA, GTA, GRA) can expect to be given a written assistantship agreement. They can expect to be informed of all academic or other institutional policies affecting their role as employees.

Protection from exploitation:
Graduate students may elect to decline tasks that are not related to or are in conflict with their academic or professional development, or in excess of their contractual obligations.

• Graduate assistants (GAs, GRAs & GTAs) should not be expected to work on assigned projects, on average over the course of a semester, in excess of the hours for which they are being paid (for details on definitions of graduate assistantships in terms of ‘hours’ of effort, see Policy memo # 129¹).
• Graduate students should understand that work on their thesis or dissertation is in addition to the work on their assistantship tasks for which they are paid
• Graduate students should not be scheduled for or expected to fulfill teaching, research, service, or professional development responsibilities that are in conflict with the graduate student’s required academic activities.
• Graduate students can refuse any non-professional activities (outside their terms of appointment) for their advisor or anyone else (e.g., lawn mowing, baby sitting etc.).

Recognition and protection of intellectual property:
Graduate students can expect recognition and protection of their intellectual property rights.

• Graduate students should know and follow the Virginia Tech Intellectual Property polices (Presidential Policy Memo # 121¹)
• Faculty and graduate students should agree as early as possible upon authorship positions commensurate with levels of contributions to the work.
• Graduate student participation in supervised research should be recognized.
• Standards of attribution and acknowledgment in collaborative settings should be followed.
• Graduate students should have co-authorship on publications and patents (refer to Intellectual Property policy) where they have made significant contributions to the ideas, research or write-up of the manuscript.
• Graduate students should receive "first authorship" for publications if derived primarily from the independent creative research and writing of the student. Departmental guidelines should be developed in keeping with those of pertinent professional associations (e.g., APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct).

Participation in academic governance:
Graduate students may participate in institutional governance at the program, department, college, graduate school, and university levels. Departments or graduate programs should incorporate student representatives in decision-making processes whenever appropriate.

Professional training and personal professional development:
Graduate students may pursue professional training programs, seminars, and courses that will enhance their professional and personal growth and development.

• Graduate assistants expect to receive appropriate training. This should include training and supervision in teaching skills, reasonable office space, and a safe working environment.
• Graduate students should be taught the norms and traditions of their discipline.
• Graduate students should be informed of professional opportunities.
• Departments are encouraged to support the professional development of graduate students by funding research expenses and conference travel.
• Graduate students may pursue personal professional training at their own expense.

Benefits:
Graduate students should have access to relevant and pertinent benefits and services.

• Full time graduate students should have access to a University approved/sponsored health insurance plan.
• Graduate assistants should receive some subsidy towards health insurance coverage.

Leaves of absence:
Leaves of absence for personal, family, or health reasons may be taken as long as the graduate student follows Graduate School guidelines. Graduate students are expected to discuss the timing and duration of the leave, along with responsibilities associated with their appointment (if supported on a GRA, GTA, or GA) with their advisor and/or supervisor prior to taking a leave of absence.

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Appeals Process

Virginia Tech is committed to maintaining a social and academic environment conducive to the educational mission of the institution. While it is hoped that each student's experiences will be positive, difficulties can and do occasionally arise. If concerns or problems arise, it is imperative for graduate students to know what options exist for resolving the issue. A graduate student must try to resolve the problem with their Graduate Advisor, Graduate Program Director, and Department Head. If the problem cannot be resolved at the Dept/Program level, a graduate student should consult the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School. At the discretion of the Graduate Dean, academic matters and some combinations of conduct and academic matters may be referred to the Graduate Appeals Committee (GAC). The GAC will investigate the complaint with due respect to the rights of graduate student and faculty, including the conduct of confidential interviews, the rights of all parties to review and address allegations, and rights to a fair hearing. The Graduate Student Appeals Committee will make a recommendation to the Dean of the Graduate School, which will be acted upon by the Dean of the Graduate School in consultation with the Provost. For complete details on this procedure, please consult the ‘Graduate Appeals Process’ outlined in the Graduate Catalog.

1 More details on VT President's Policy memos.

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   Letter of Introduction    from Dr. Karen    Depauw

   Overview   

   For Graduate Students

   For Faculty,    Departments,
   and Programs

   Appeals Process

   President's Policy    Memos