Student Services
Our primary interactions on the student support services level are with the Graduate Center – at the beginning of the process, i.e. admissions, and then at degree completion, i.e. receipt of the culminating product, i.e. project or thesis. Along the way, our students interact with the Center re: exceptions to the WPE, Advancement to Candidacy, and the seven year deadline.
We have good relations with the Graduate Center and appreciate the significant workload and responsibilities of that staff. We have in recent years experienced significant delays in the receipt of GWARs which has in some cases compromised our ability to make timely admissions decisions. Our departmental staff and chair have continued to work with the Center to address this problem, uncertain whether it is a resource issue or a workload process issue.
We have discussed as a faculty the need for a clearer support system to assist graduate students with their writing. We attempt to gauge writing ability during the admissions process and we provide ongoing feedback, assistance and guidance during the coursework phase of the program. However occasionally we have students who need more intensive assistance with their writing. The support programs for undergraduate students are not really appropriate. The Graduate Associate Dean might consider a means of providing the writing support services. These services would undoubtedly have an impact on thesis/project completion.
