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Graduate Student Mentoring and Comprehensive Exams

Pairing Students with Mentors

A successful mentoring program depends upon the quality of the mentor-student pairing. In order to maximize the probability of a successful pairing, the mentor and mentoring team selection process will be as follows:

Designation of the student's primary field of study
Students must indicate a “field of specialization” on their application for admission to the graduate program, so in most cases designation of a student's primary field will be based on self-identification. In those instances where students indicate a field of specialization that is not an identifiable field—some simply put “government and politics”—the Admissions committee will identify a primary field based on the student's statement of purpose.
Mentor selection
The Director of Graduate Studies (hereafter, DGS) will select—in consultation with the relevant field coordinator—one mentor for each incoming student from the student's primary field. Whenever possible, the DGS will accommodate (1) faculty requests to advise a specific student and (2) student requests to work with a particular faculty mentor. If at any point during the student's matriculation either the faculty member or the student wishes to end the mentoring relationship, the DGS—in consultation with the student and the relevant field coordinator—will select a replacement mentor. Given the limitations inherent in the initial selection, some turnover is to be expected.
Timeline of Activities
1. First and second years
  
  i. Each student must meet with her/his mentor at least once per semester. At the first meeting, the student and mentor are expected to discuss a program of study for the first year and, possibly, subsequent years. At subsequent meetings, the student and mentor are expected to discuss the student's current and future program of study, including the student's preparation for her comprehensive exam(s).
  
  ii. At the end of the first and second years, each mentor must file a brief report for each of the students whom s/he is mentoring. This report should indicate the student's progress and an evaluation of the student's qualification for funding for the following academic year.
  
  iii. By the end of the first year, the student—in consultation with the mentor and the DGS—will select one other faculty member who, along with the mentor, will form the student's mentoring team. This faculty member must be from either the student's primary field or the student's secondary field.
  
  iv. By the end of the second year, the student—in consultation with the mentor and the DGS—will select a third faculty member to be added to the student's mentoring team. This three-person mentoring team must include two faculty members from the student's primary field and one faculty member from the student's secondary field.
  
  v. The mentor will determine whether or not the student has satisfied the second-year paper requirement.
2. Third year
  
  i. Students are expected to complete their comprehensive exams during this year. The comprehensive exam procedure will be as follows:
  1. Students must pass (1) a written comprehensive exam in two fields and (2) an oral comprehensive exam in their primary field. Students will not be allowed to sit for an oral exam without having passed the written exam in their primary field. Students who fail any of the individual requirements more than once will not be allowed to continue in the program.
  2. Each field will develop a detailed description of the field (i.e. main themes and sub-themes and/or important books and articles) and encourage students to familiarize themselves with this field description. We encourage students to read broadly and to not rely solely on the core field seminars to prepare for the exams.
  3. Field coordinators are responsible for preparing the comprehensive exams in their respective fields. It is expected that field coordinators will solicit questions from field members and incorporate, as appropriate, questions received from faculty in the field.
  4. Each written exam will be graded by a five-person committee composed of the student’s mentoring team and two more individuals (not necessarily the same two for both field exams) chosen by the DGS in consultation with the student’s mentor.
  5. Each written exam will be taken over a two (2) day period. Exams are “open book.” Written exams will be administered twice a year (once in January and once in August). Students will receive written comments on each exam within two weeks of taking the exam. Students are expected to take both their primary and secondary field exams within six months.
  6. The written exam committee for the primary field will also serve as the oral exam committee. The oral exam must be taken within one month of the official notification that the student has passed her/his primary field written exam. All material appropriate for the written exam in a particular field is also appropriate for the oral exam in a particular field. In addition, the student’s written exam responses are appropriate subject matter for the oral exam.
  7. If 3 or more members of the written (oral) exam committee cast passing votes, the student is deemed to have passed the written (oral) exam
  ii. The student must meet with the mentoring team at least once during the second semester of the third year. At the meeting, the student and the mentoring team are expected to discuss the student’s progress on the dissertation prospectus.
  
  At the end of the third year, mentoring teams must file brief reports for each of the students they are mentoring. This report should indicate the student’s progress and an evaluation of the student’s qualification for funding for the following academic year.
3. Subsequent years
  
  i. Each student must meet with her/his mentoring team at least once during each subsequent year. At the meeting, the student and mentor are expected to discuss the student’s progress on the dissertation and the student’s preparation for the job market.
  
  ii. At the end of each year, mentoring teams must file brief reports for each of the students whom they are mentoring. This report should indicate the student’s progress and an evaluation of the student’s qualification for funding for the following academic year.


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	Graduate Student Mentoring and Comprehensive Exams Home > Graduate Program > Graduate Student Mentoring and Exam Proposal Pairing Students with Mentors A successful mentoring program depends upon the quality of the mentor-student pairing. In order to maximize the probability of a successful pairing, the mentor and mentoring team selection process will be as follows: Designation of the student's primary field of study Students must indicate a “field of specialization” on their application for admission to the graduate program, so in most cases designation of a student's primary field will be based on self-identification. In those instances where students indicate a field of specialization that is not an identifiable field—some simply put “government and politics”—the Admissions committee will identify a primary field based on the student's statement of purpose. Mentor selection The Director of Graduate Studies (hereafter, DGS) will select—in consultation with the relevant field coordinator—one mentor for each incoming student from the student's primary field. Whenever possible, the DGS will accommodate (1) faculty requests to advise a specific student and (2) student requests to work with a particular faculty mentor. If at any point during the student's matriculation either the faculty member or the student wishes to end the mentoring relationship, the DGS—in consultation with the student and the relevant field coordinator—will select a replacement mentor. Given the limitations inherent in the initial selection, some turnover is to be expected. Timeline of Activities First and second years i. Each student must meet with her/his mentor at least once per semester. At the first meeting, the student and mentor are expected to discuss a program of study for the first year and, possibly, subsequent years. At subsequent meetings, the student and mentor are expected to discuss the student's current and future program of study, including the student's preparation for her comprehensive exam(s). ii. At the end of the first and second years, each mentor must file a brief report for each of the students whom s/he is mentoring. This report should indicate the student's progress and an evaluation of the student's qualification for funding for the following academic year. iii. By the end of the first year, the student—in consultation with the mentor and the DGS—will select one other faculty member who, along with the mentor, will form the student's mentoring team. This faculty member must be from either the student's primary field or the student's secondary field. iv. By the end of the second year, the student—in consultation with the mentor and the DGS—will select a third faculty member to be added to the student's mentoring team. This three-person mentoring team must include two faculty members from the student's primary field and one faculty member from the student's secondary field. v. The mentor will determine whether or not the student has satisfied the second-year paper requirement. Third year i. Students are expected to complete their comprehensive exams during this year. The comprehensive exam procedure will be as follows: Students must pass (1) a written comprehensive exam in two fields and (2) an oral comprehensive exam in their primary field. Students will not be allowed to sit for an oral exam without having passed the written exam in their primary field. Students who fail any of the individual requirements more than once will not be allowed to continue in the program. Each field will develop a detailed description of the field (i.e. main themes and sub-themes and/or important books and articles) and encourage students to familiarize themselves with this field description. We encourage students to read broadly and to not rely solely on the core field seminars to prepare for the exams. Field coordinators are responsible for preparing the comprehensive exams in their respective fields. It is expected that field coordinators will solicit questions from field members and incorporate, as appropriate, questions received from faculty in the field. Each written exam will be graded by a five-person committee composed of the student’s mentoring team and two more individuals (not necessarily the same two for both field exams) chosen by the DGS in consultation with the student’s mentor. Each written exam will be taken over a two (2) day period. Exams are “open book.” Written exams will be administered twice a year (once in January and once in August). Students will receive written comments on each exam within two weeks of taking the exam. Students are expected to take both their primary and secondary field exams within six months. The written exam committee for the primary field will also serve as the oral exam committee. The oral exam must be taken within one month of the official notification that the student has passed her/his primary field written exam. All material appropriate for the written exam in a particular field is also appropriate for the oral exam in a particular field. In addition, the student’s written exam responses are appropriate subject matter for the oral exam. If 3 or more members of the written (oral) exam committee cast passing votes, the student is deemed to have passed the written (oral) exam ii. The student must meet with the mentoring team at least once during the second semester of the third year. At the meeting, the student and the mentoring team are expected to discuss the student’s progress on the dissertation prospectus. At the end of the third year, mentoring teams must file brief reports for each of the students they are mentoring. This report should indicate the student’s progress and an evaluation of the student’s qualification for funding for the following academic year. Subsequent years i. Each student must meet with her/his mentoring team at least once during each subsequent year. At the meeting, the student and mentor are expected to discuss the student’s progress on the dissertation and the student’s preparation for the job market. ii. At the end of each year, mentoring teams must file brief reports for each of the students whom they are mentoring. This report should indicate the student’s progress and an evaluation of the student’s qualification for funding for the following academic year.

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