Students are expected to make satisfactory academic progress during their time as a PhD student in the program in order to remain in good academic standing. Should an assessment of insufficient progress be made following the procedure outlined below, students may be placed on academic probation.
- Course requirements. The statistics PhD program QR requirements are outlined at https://lsa.umich.edu/stats/phd-students/phd-program.html. If a student has not satisfied requirements 1-3 with the required grade average by the end of their third semester in the program, probation is initiated automatically. The probation period is one semester, and the student will work with the PhD program director to create a plan focused on completing the requirements as well as a Master’s degree. If the requirements are still not met at the end of the fourth semester, the Department’s Executive Committee (ExCo) will review the case and either extend probation for one more semester if there are extreme extenuating circumstances, or recommend dismissal, which has to be approved by the entire faculty vote.
- Failure to demonstrate satisfactory progress in meeting the PhD program milestones other than course requirements. If the student’s academic advisor and/or the PhD Program director determine the student is not making satisfactory progress towards meeting other PhD milestones outlined on the program website, they may initiate a request to place a student on departmental academic probation. This is separate from the automatic GPA-based probation imposed by Rackham, and is not tied to the GPA.
A probation request will be reviewed by the Department’s Executive Committee (ExCo). Once ExCo makes a recommendation and the Department Chair approves the request, the Director of the PhD Program will notify the student in writing and convene a meeting with the student, their academic advisor, and/or other relevant faculty members. The purpose of the meeting will be to set forth the conditions and the timeline for meeting them which will be required for the student to return to good academic standing. A written summary will be sent to the student and the advisor, who must sign it and return copies to the PhD program director. The probationary period will typically be timed to expire at either the current or the following semester’s end, depending on the conditions and circumstances. Initial probation status does not affect the student’s funding.
If the student has not fulfilled the conditions of their probation by the agreed upon date, the Director of the PhD program will convene a meeting with the advisor and the ExCo including the Department Chair. They will jointly decide whether to grant an extension to the probation period, and if so, set new conditions and a new deadline. If an extension is recommended, a separate decision will be made at the same meeting whether to continue funding support through the extended probation period. If an extension is not recommended, dismissal from the program is initiated, and the student will follow Rackham’s procedures for discontinuation and possible later reinstatement.
- As always, it is the responsibility of the student to communicate to the Director of the PhD Program and their academic advisor any circumstances, personal or otherwise, that may prevent the student from either meeting the milestones to remain in good standing or meeting the conditions set forth to return to good standing.
- Should a student wish to appeal a probation or dismissal decision, they should present a written petition to the Director of the PhD Program, who will share it with a faculty committee led by the Department Chair for review. The committee will be comprised of the Department Chair, the PhD Program Director, and another senior faculty member to be appointed by the Chair. In the event the Department Chair or the PhD program director is the student’s advisor, a substitute faculty member will be appointed to the committee. If the committee upholds the decision and the student wishes to appeal beyond the department, they should consult with Rackham’s Resolution Officer.
Relevant Rackham Information: Coming Soon!
Revised 11.26.2019
