Supplemental Materials
Agenda for Progress Report Oral Exam
Please note that the following agenda is provided to promote consistency in the conditions across exams and committees, and to provide students with a clear picture of what to expect during their exam.
Students are reminded that they should bring a copy of the written proposal to the exam. In general, it is advisable to allot a 2–2.5 hour block of time for the exam and feedback discussion.
Student gives a formal presentation of their progress report as a refresher of the poster session.
(up to 30 minutes)
This presentation, based on the earlier poster presentation, is intended to give the student the chance to highlight his/her progress and to remind the committee of his/her main research accomplishments and plans. Poster panels may be used as slides or transparencies.
Faculty members may interrupt periodically with questions.
Please note that the student should not be asked to leave the room at the beginning for a discussion of the students’ performance in lab since the progress report is designed to address that question directly.
Committee members ask the student questions.
(approximately 60–90 minutes)
Questions may be directed to literature background, fundamentals from undergraduate course work, experimental design of project(s), progress to date, interpretation of results, and future plans. The committee chair may act as moderator for the exam to ensure appropriate breadth and depth of coverage in questioning.
Note that the research advisor is a participating member of the committee for the purposes of this exam. However, he/she should refrain from asking questions until other committee members have substantially completed their questioning on a given topic.
The student is excused from the room while the committee meets to determine the exam outcome.
In the case that a student fails or receives a conditional pass, the committee should determine what the student must do to pass the exam and should set a firm deadline.
The student may receive a pass, conditional pass, or fail. It is essential that a conditional pass or fail is accompanied by written expectations for what the students needs to do to pass and when it needs to be done. In general, failing the exam would mean that the student is on probation.
The committee chair should invite the student back into the room and report the outcome, some brief feedback, and, if needed, more must be done to pass.
(5–10 minutes)
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The committee chair is responsible for providing written feedback, on both strengths and weaknesses, for the student and for the student’s file to be returned to Valerie Bridge within 1–2 days.
(10–15 minutes)
If the student has further work to do to pass, details regarding this work and the deadline must be provided in writing.