Good Standing & Appeals

The following information pertains to good standing requirements and information about the appeals process.

If you have questions at any time about good standing and appeals, you may contact the Department Chair, Prof. Maura McLaughlin, or the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies and Research,  Prof. Alan Bristow.

1. Remaining in Good Standing

   To remain a graduate student in good academic standing, a student must:

   • Maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better in graduate physics courses taken at WVU, excluding PHYS 797 and including any grades obtained by repeating a graduate course.
   • Choose a Ph.D./doctoral committee and pass the candidacy exam by the end of their sixth academic semester.

   A student who is not in good standing because of a GPA < 3.0 or failure to pass the oral candidacy exam according to the above schedule will have their academic record reviewed by the Graduate Studies and Advising Committee and continuation in the Department of Physics and Astronomy Graduate Program will require the Committee’s approval. Students admitted as M.S. degree candidates are not expected to take the oral candidacy exam but must complete their studies by the end of the sixth semester in the program, while maintaining a GPA of 2.75 or better.

   Students, with guidance from their research advisor, should form their Ph.D. Committee prior to their oral candidacy exam. Students who have passed the oral candidacy exam are “doctoral candidates.” Doctoral candidates are allowed no more than five years to defend their dissertation. The clock on doctoral candidacy starts once the candidacy exam is passed.
   
   After the candidacy exam is passed and until the Ph.D. dissertation defense, annual reviews must be completed by the student and the student’s Ph.D. committee. The Ph.D. committee will evaluate the student’s progress annually before the end of March. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange each annual meeting. This process is referred to as the Annual Graduate Student Report. It is important for students and committees to be prepared for this process.

   • Before the annual evaluation meeting, the graduate student must prepare a written summary of their progress (in the format provided on the Annual Graduate Student Report page). A copy must be sent to all members of the committee.
   • During the annual evaluation meeting, the student is to give an oral presentation of research progress to date. A plan on how the student intends to graduate within five years of passing the candidacy exam must be part of the presentation. Only a quorum (two members plus the chair) of the committee is required to be present (either in-person or virtually) during the annual evaluation. The committee deliberates and, if progress is deemed to be satisfactory, the committee chair will sign the student’s report to indicate that the student is in good standing.
   • After the annual evaluation meeting, the summary is submitted to the chair of the Graduate Advising and Studies Committee.
   
   Students who are not in good standing must prepare a plan to bring their standing back into good standing during the next year and submit that to the chair of the Graduate Studies and Advising Committee. The Committee will review the student’s case and determine whether the student is allowed to continue in the program. This decision will be based on metrics such as research progress in the form of papers or presentations, or other achievements.
   
   Students who are not in good standing for two consecutive years may not continue in the Ph.D. program.

2. Appeals Process

   If a student wishes to appeal a decision that may jeopardize their good academic standing, then they should consult these guidelines and WVU’s policies. Prior to an appeal, the student should speak with the department chair or Graduate Advising and Studies Committee to clarify the process and determine whether the matter can be addressed without the need for an appeal or if an official appeal is need at either the department or university level.

   If a student wishes to appeal a decision in the department, a written appeal must be addressed to the chair of the Graduate Advising and Studies Committee. The written appeal should include the decision that is being appealed, a legitimate reason why the decision should be appealed and an account of evidence to prove the reason within 30 days of the incident that is being appealed (unless there is also a legitimate reason for a delay in the appeal, for which evidence should also be provided).

   Once the written appeal has been sent to the chair of the Graduate Advising and Studies Committee, the committee will investigate the legitimacy of the claim, the evidence and the scope of any decision or change of decision. After the investigation, the Graduate Advising and Studies Committee will recommend that the chair revise or stay the decision, with a recommendation course of action, if the decision is to be revised. Note that complex appeals may require consultation outside the department or even the university.

   An appeal should not be directed for a single or series of course absences and should be directed to the instructor of the relevant course. Series of events, such as health, leave for work or similar should be addressed to the Graduate Advising and Studies Committee in advance and therefore not considered an appeal. Programmatic decisions (including but not limited, qualifier exams, annual doctoral committee meetings and research-related decisions that affect good academic, standing) can be considered for appeal, although these could also be addressed more informally with relevant faculty.

3. Degree Regulations

   Graduate students in the WVU Department of Physics and Astronomy may refer to the Degree Regulations provided in the Academic Catalog for information about time limits, requirements, committees, theses & dissertations, and graduation.