Rights and Responsibilities of the Graduate Students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis

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• Student Complaint Procedures
• Faculty Responsibilities (Arts and Sciences)

Document Date: April 14, 1995.

N. B. This document represents a significant revision of a document under the same title that was approved by the Graduate Student Senate on August 31, 1994.

The Graduate Student Senate believes the guiding principles outlined in the following rights and responsibilities are central to the nature and purpose of the Graduate School and its Programs. The intent of this statement is to ensure that a graduate student shall be trained in the highest academic and professional standards in accordance with the goals and purposes of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The document has the following structure:

Section I describes the nature and purpose of The Graduate School and its Programs as outlined in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Bulletin.

Section II identifies the general rights of graduate students; this is a list of basic rights and is not meant to be comprehensive.

Section III keys faculty responsibilities as outlined in the Faculty Responsibilities Statement to the basic rights listed in Section II and suggest courses of action graduate students might consider to facilitate their own professional and academic development.

Section I

The Graduate School and Its Programs

Nature and Purpose

--Washington University Graduate Student Bulletin, 1994-96, p. 9

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is in essence, a collection of individual advanced students and individual faculty members engaged in collaborative exploration of the horizons of human understanding in a wide array of disciplinary and interdisciplinary areas.

From the point of view of a prospective student, the primary purpose of attending graduate school may be to attain high professional competence in some general or particular area of learning, thus to prepare for a lifetime career in that area. This is a reasonable and laudable goal. By the completion of a program of advanced study one should be able to lay claim to being a well-trained philosopher, clinical psychologist, economist, biologist, or the like. But, to the extent that graduate education has been successful, much more is accomplished that the development of professional skills; one's entire relationship to learning is changed in a permanent and rewarding way. Having tasted the unique flavor of discovery, having developed insights in a particular area of investigation no one else ever had-and perhaps having experienced the thrill of sharing those insights or having them put to a practical test-one is seldom satisfied again with being a passive learner of the knowledge and wisdom of others. In an ear when the well-trained cannot all be assured of lifelong employment that directly utilizes their specialized training, and an era when the major challenges before society, undergo rapid, continuous and somewhat unpredictable change, development of the generalized analytical and creative skills required for original scholarship, research, and problem solving becomes at least as important in one's career preparation as mastery of a particular body of knowledge.

The array of facilities and administrative and instructional arrangements that together constitute the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences all have as their purpose creating the physical and intellectual environment in which inquiry, intellectual growth and discovery can and do occur, and in which the results of original inquiry are regularly subjected to the test of reason and evidence. Among the critical components the University can and does provide to those ends are a small and select graduate student body (so that highly individualized interactions with faculty are facilitated), faculty members dedicated to personal scholarship and the expansion of knowledge, richly stocked libraries, well-equipped laboratories, accessible computer facilities, and all the other accoutrements necessary for scholarly effort that is both rooted in an historical context and in step with the modern world. In all these regards Washington University compares favorably to the finest graduate institutions in the world. But the key ingredient of a successful graduate career each student must bring with him or her is a zest for the pursuit and expansion of understanding. Increasingly, motivation to engage in creative, independent scholarship is the prime determinant of success in graduate school and thereafter.

Section II

1. Graduate students have the right to be educated as to the traditions and procedures of their discipline.
   
   
2. Graduate students have the right to be informed in writing of the specific requirements for achieving an advanced degree.
   
   
3. Graduate students have the right to an accurate description of financial support and an indication of the likelihood that they will receive it.
   
   
4. Graduate students have the right to receive regularly a formal, written evaluation of their progress and to be informed of the criteria upon which such evaluations are based.
   
   
5. Graduate students have the right to reasonable confidentiality in their communications with faculty.
   
   
6. Graduate students have the right to appropriate recognition when they contribute significantly to research and publications.
   
   
7. Graduate students have the right to be included in appropriate decision-making processes in their department, their program, or at the university level.
   
   
8. Graduate students have the right not to be involved in situations that entail conflicts of interest.
   
   

Section III

1. Graduate students have the right to be educated as to the traditions and procedures of their discipline.
   
   Faculty
   Faculty members (acting individually, through departments, or through school-wide organizations) have a responsibility to educate graduate students as to the traditions and procedures of their academic disciplines. In particular, they should be prepared to advise graduate students of opportunities for professional development, and to provide access to the intellectual resources of the department or program.
   ("Faculty Responsibilities" as listed in the College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Course Listings).
   
   Graduate Student
   Graduate students will find it to their advantage to take an active role in their academic and professional development. there are many educational and professional opportunities offered through the departments, the university and the professional community. Ask your advisor and other professors, as well as other graduate students about 1) departmental, local and national conferences and colloquia in your field; 2) venues of publication; 3) your disciplines' funding sources for research; and 4) in general, professors' and students' experiences in the field. In addition, graduate students should consider familiarizing themselves with the Academic Integrity Policy for Graduate Students and the University Judicial Code.
   
   
2. Graduate students have the right to be informed in writing of the specific requirements for achieving an advanced degree.
   
   Faculty
   Faculty members (acting individually, or through their departments or schools) have a responsibility to inform students of the specific requirements for achieving degrees. In particular, they should publish degree requirements, inform students of any changes in degree requirements, and establish standards for awarding credit for course work, field work or independent study. Information as to average time to degree and attrition rates for particular graduate departments and programs should be made available where possible. ("Faculty Responsibilities" as listed in the College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Course Listings).
   
   Graduate Students
   Graduate students will find useful departments' written explanations of requirements for achieving advanced degrees. As a graduate students, you might consider informing yourself of the requirements for the degree you are pursuing and reviewing these requirements periodically. You could inquire about the average time to degree, and you might consider brainstorming a timeline for your coursework, language requirements, and dissertation writing, etc. You should be aware of your department standards for credit, inform yourself of how this credit is awarded and what is considered adequate performance in terms of a letter grade. You should periodically review your progress toward the degree with your advisor. It might also be helpful to ask about causes of student attrition in your department so you can avoid those difficulties.
   
   
3. Graduate students have the right to an accurate description of financial support and an indication of the likelihood that they will receive it.
   
   Faculty
   Faculty members (acting individually, or through their departments or schools) have a responsibility to provide graduate students with an accurate description of financial support (including eligibility requirements and assigned duties) and an indication of the likelihood that they will receive it.
   ("Faculty Responsibilities" as listed in the College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Course Listings).
   
   Graduate Students
   Graduate students must plan ahead to insure adequate financial support for their years of graduate study. You will want to discuss your funding for the next academic year with your advisor; try to do this during the fall semester. Funding is limited and your receipt of funds is not guaranteed. Consult your Advisor and ask other graduate students about departmental policies relevant to your situation. See the Associate Dean of the Graduate School in South Brookings for information on external funding sources. To receive external funding, you must plan at least one year ahead.
   
   
4. Graduate students have the right to receive regularly a formal, written evaluation of their progress and to be informed of the criteria upon which such evaluations are based.
   
   Faculty
   Faculty members (acting individually or through advisory committees) have a responsibility to provide graduate students with a formal, written evaluation of their progress and the criteria upon which evaluations are based. ("Faculty Responsibilities" as listed in the College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Course Listings).
   
   Graduate Students
   To maintain lines of communication, graduate students will want to provide their advisors with the materials necessary to the evaluation process (writing samples, statements of work in progress, information about outside grants, publications and conferences). You will find it helpful to be available to your advisor for both formal and informal evaluations. You should inform yourself of the department criteria for grading and expected rate of progress to degree as well as how you may remediate any deficiencies in your academic performance. If you are planning on postponing or abandoning graduate work, you should inform your advisor as early as possible of that decision.
   
   
5. Graduate students have the right to reasonable confidentiality in their communications with faculty.
   
   Faculty
   Faculty members (acting individually, and through departments and schools) have a responsibility to ensure reasonable confidentiality in their communications with and about students (as specified by University policy, local and Federal law). ("Faculty Responsibilities" as listed in the College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Course Listings).
   
   Graduate Students
   Graduate students have many opportunities (some public, some private) to engage in discussions with faculty. You should realize that communications-conversations, letters, email, etc.-are not privileged. That is, they are not legally protected. Consider carefully what personal and professional information you communicate to your advisor and other faculty members. Communication can be open and honest without being compromising.
   
   
6. Graduate students have the right to appropriate recognition when they contribute significantly to research and publications.
   
   Faculty
   Faculty members have a responsibility to appropriately acknowledge significant student contributions to research and publications. ("Faculty Responsibilities" as listed in the College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Course Listings).
   
   Graduate Students
   The graduate student will want to ensure that all persons who contributed to the research project receive adequate recognition. You may want to discuss with your advisor the issue of recognition for your work at the outset of your involvement in the research.
   
   
7. Graduate students have the right to be included in appropriate decision-making processes in their department, their program, or at the university level.
   
   Faculty
   Faculty members (acting through departments, programs, schools and the university) have a responsibility to explain, and include students in, appropriate decision-making processes. ("Faculty Responsibilities" as listed in the College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Course Listings).
   
   Graduate Students
   Graduate students have many opportunities to work with faculty and administration on committees that make decisions about the academic community at Washington University. As it states in the Bulletin: "The presence of graduate students on the [Graduate] Council as coequals with faculty is symbolic of the active role graduate students are expected to play, in partnership with the faculty, in their scholarly development" (Washington University Graduate Student Bulletin, 1994-96, p. 11). Many departments include graduate student representatives at regular faculty meetings, on search committees, and on department graduate program committees. You might consider volunteering for any of these positions, or you might consider serving as the representative to the Graduate Students Senate, the Graduate Council or any of the university-wide committees, e.g., the Library board, the Athletic Advisory Board, the Board of Trustees, etc. Speak with your department chairperson or the Associate Dean of the Graduate School in South Brookings to learn about governance opportunities. You will find these experiences extremely informative and educational. Taking advantage of these opportunities will provide you with the best understanding of the administrative operation of an academic program.
   
   
8. Graduate students have the right not to be involved in situations that entail conflicts of interest.
   
   Faculty
   Faculty members (acting individually, or through departments or schools) have a responsibility to excuse without prejudice students from participation in situations that entail or appear to entail conflict of interest (as specified by University policy).
   ("Faculty Responsibilities" as listed in the College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Course Listings).
   
   Graduate Students
   In order to avoid any sort of conflict of interest, be it commercial, social, religious or ethical, it is vitally important for the graduate students to be candid at the outset of the research project, course, committee work, etc., about his or her reservations. You may want to review the scope and intentions of the project before you commit to it. In the vent of a conflict of interest arising during the project, you may want to review the difficulty with your advisor or with the person concerned.
   
   Students with complaints regarding academic matters should initially seek resolution from their departments. Complaints which are unresolved at the departmental level may be addressed to the Dean of the Graduate School. A complaint on the grounds of alleged sexual discrimination may...be made to the Title IX Grievance Committee.
   (Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Bulletin 1992-94, p. 27)