Feedback, Grievances, and the CDB Anonymous Feedback Portal
The DGS and Chair of CDB are always available to receive feedback or hear grievances. If a CDB member does not feel comfortable revealing their identity to give feedback, an anonymous feedback portal is available here where suggestions or concerns can be delivered to the DGS or Chair, and they cannot be traced back to the sender.
Satisfactory Progress, Remediation, and Dismissal
The following minimum standards are expected of CDB graduate students:
- A minimum GPA of 3.0, or a B average. Students who fall below this average are placed on probation by the graduate school (see the Graduate School Catalog on Academic Probation).
- Each didactic class graded a C- or higher. According to Graduate School policy, a student will not be granted graduate credit for any course in which a grade less than C– is received. Courses not designated as eligible to be repeated for credit may be repeated for grade replacement purposes.
- Research grades of S. According to Graduate School policy, the accumulation of three (3) U grades over the course of study can lead to dismissal from the program and the Graduate School.
- Satisfactory progress as evaluated at thesis committee meetings.
- Professional conduct in his/her interactions with peers, faculty, the department, and the conduct of science.
If a student receives a research grade of U, they should immediately discuss it with their mentor and work out a plan for improvement. Mentors who assign a research grade of U are expected to discuss the problems with the student and form a remediation plan with clear expectations and to alert the DGS to the situation. The DGS and the Graduate Life Coach/GPAS staff are available to help with the remediation plan or aligning expectations.
If a student receives an Unsatisfactory evaluation at a thesis committee meeting, the chair’s report will detail the specific expectations for improvement at the next committee meeting in three months. The student should discuss these expectations with the mentor and committee chair to make sure they are clear. The student, mentor, and chair must alert the DGS to the unsatisfactory evaluation, and the DGS will attend the next committee meeting. If two consecutive meetings of the Thesis Committee are judged by a majority of committee members to be Unsatisfactory, the student’s case will be reviewed by the Graduate Education Committee for possible dismissal from the CDB Graduate Program.
If the student engages in unprofessional conduct, the DGS should be made aware. Depending on the nature of the breach and the evidence supporting it, the student may be given a warning or may be referred to the Graduate Education Committee for possible dismissal from the CDB Graduate Program.
If the student is recommended for dismissal, the student will be notified as soon as possible and the reasons for the decision will be indicated. The student is allowed to petition this decision to the Senior Associate Dean for Biomedical Research Education and Training and/or the Graduate School. If the student accepts the decision, the student and mentor may petition for the opportunity to receive a Master’s degree if the student has successfully met the criteria.