POS & POSC Forms Submission for Graduate Students

POS & POSC Forms Submission for Graduate Students

The BASICS of Degree Planning and POS Requirements v It is the STUDENT S responsibility to know and meet all deadlines and requirements for their degree program and to contact Program Adviser/Major Professor to discuss these matters and obtain programmatic advice v Review instructions in the English Department s Graduate Program of Study (POS) Manual http://www.engl.iastate.edu/graduate-students/resources-for-current-students-faculty/ Deadline requirements (typically in the 6 th week of the semester) http://www.engl.iastate.edu/graduate-students/resources-for-current-students-faculty/deadlines/ Ø 2 nd semester for MA program Graduate Assistants (GAs); upon completion of 9 credits toward POS requirements for non-gas Ø 4 th semester for MFA program Graduate Assistants(GAs); upon completion of 27 credits toward POS requirements if non-gas Ø 5 th semester for PhD program Graduate Assistants (GAs); upon completion of 36 credits toward POS requirements for non-gas Selecting members of your POS Committee starting with the Major Professor Completing forms for approval by entire POS Committee, DOGE, and Graduate College (see English Department graduate program Forms website http://www.engl.iastate.edu/graduatestudents/resources-for-current-students-faculty/forms) Ø Degree Planning Sheet (DPS) Ø Program of Study and Committee Form (POSC) in AccessPlus (found on Grad Student Status page) Ø Other POS documentation (if applicable)

FORM Requirements http://www.engl.iastate.edu/graduate-students/resources-for-current-students-faculty/forms v Download Degree Planning Sheet (DPS) for your degree program v Download other POS documentation forms if necessary/required. For instance: Language Requirement Form Transfer Credit Petition POS Wavier/Equivalency Petition Program specific forms (must be complete versions of approved partial petitions if applicable) Ø MFA Environmental Courses Outside English Petition Ø RPC PhD Concentration Petition Over-Age Course Memo v Review these completed forms with your Adviser/Major Professor and make any necessary changes/corrections; obtain appropriate signatures; share with POS committee members v Retain a copy of your completed DPS for yourself and for POS committee members to use in checking your online POSC Form v Submit all signed hard copy ORIGINALS to Graduate Program Staff Assistant (227 Ross Hall or 206 Ross Hall mailbox) by the appropriate deadline Registration advising holds will be applied to student records for those not meeting their deadline

Language Requirement Form

Transfer Credit Petition

Transfer Credit Basics Initial evaluation made by Program Adviser/Major Professor Student responsibilities Ø Obtain support & signature on Transfer Credit Petition from the faculty member who regularly teaches the ISU course equivalent (i.e., provide course syllabus and copy of catalog description from the outside institution). Ø Obtain support & signature from their Program Adviser/Major Professor Limits on number of transfer credits allowed by ISU Ø MS students must earn 22 credits minimum at ISU Ø MFA students must earn 22 credits minimum at ISU No CW workshops or CW electives can be transferred Lit up to 6 credits, English other than CW up to 3 credits, environmental courses outside English up to 6 credits Ø PhD students must earn 36 credits minimum, including dissertation research, at ISU but actual number determined by POS committee and DOGE Course policies Ø Must have a grade of B or higher Ø Over-age courses (more than 7 calendar years old at projected graduation) must be justified and approved Ø Courses counted toward undergraduate degree cannot be transferred (must have been earned as a graduate student at another institution)

POS Waiver/Equivalency Petition for permission to take a different or more advanced course; to document previous coursework meeting pre/co-requisites PETITION FOR PROGRAM OF STUDY (POS) WAIVER/EQUIVALENCY Department of English, Iowa State University A waiver/equivalency petition is used when your prior experience allows you the opportunity to take a different or more advanced course as an equivalent/substitute for a required course or to document previous coursework that meets pre/co-requisites. This completed petition should be submitted to the Graduate Program Staff Assistant, 227 Ross Hall, for the approval of the Director of Graduate Education before you take the course(s) listed below to avoid problems meeting degree requirements that can result in delayed graduation. Name: ID #: Student s Major: Date: Program Adviser/Major Professor: Projected graduation term: Requested Course Number, Title, & Justification No. Sem/Year ISU Course to Replace on POS POS Category=Prereq, Spec Crs, Core, Credits Taking Adv Study, Specialization, Electives, Ling, Tech/Lang, Res Meth, Seminars, etc. (and Institution if not ISU) Support & Signature of faculty member who regularly teaches ISU Engl Dept course being replaced *not required if course is outside Engl Dept Course No: Title: Institution: Justification: Course No: Title: POS Category: Support Do not support Signature Course No: Title: Institution: Justification: Course No: Title: POS Category: Support Do not support Signature Course No: Title: Institution: Justification: Course No: Title: POS Category: Date Date Support Do not support Signature Date NOTE: Additional paperwork required to accompany this petition may include an Over-age Course Memo if courses taken are/will be more than 7 calendar years old at time of projected ISU graduation term. ******************** I have reviewed this petition for Program of Study (POS) waivers/equivalencies as the student s academic Program Adviser/Major Professor. I support and request approval for the use of the above course(s) and credits in the student s program of study. Program Adviser/Major Professor (signature) Date I approve the Program Adviser/Major Professor s recommendation as noted above: Director of Graduate Education (signature) Date 8-2016

MFA Environmental Courses Outside English Petition

RPC Concentration Petition

Over-Age Course Memo for courses more than 7 calendar years old at the time of graduation

Graduate College Online POSC Form v ALSO complete by the same deadline the Graduate College online Program of Study and Committee Form (POSC Form) in your AccessPlus account The POSC Form is a vital document for graduation and represents an agreement between you and the Graduate College Ø Shows academic preparation for an advanced degree Ø Establishes POS committee Ø Documents the courses you have taken or will take for your graduate degree Click SAVE button often to avoid loosing what you have entered (at the bottom of the form); form times out every 15 minutes See the Graduate College POSC Help Page for more information (http://www.grad-college.iastate.edu/common/posc/posc-help.php)

v Current Graduate Degree information degree sought, department, and major are prepopulated according to your admission information v Modify Degree Program Select Thesis or Non-Thesis (creative component) Choose Area of Specialization from the drop down menu if appropriate for your major If double specializing (English, TESL/AL) enter 2nd specialization Ø Select English as Co-Major department (even though it s not a co-major) Ø Choose 2 nd Area of Specialization from drop down menu Add desired graduate co-major or graduate minors using the drop down menus to select correct programs Note: If double specializing and co-majoring, you must enter these into the POSC Form separately; get approval of the POSC Form with one of them and then submit a modification to the POSC Form and add the other as well as the appropriate required coursework.

Please record comments here to assist approvers with their evaluation and approval of your POSC Form How Pre/Co-Requisites are being met Details about POS waiver/equivalencies approved Any other information they would like to communicate

v Expected Completion Dates Select the appropriate projected semester of graduation from the drop down menu and enter the year v Committee member information refer to the Graduate POS Manual if you have any questions about requirements for your program (http://www.engl.iastate.edu/graduate-students/resources-for-current-students-faculty/) Click the + below the Action column heading to add lines to enter names Type last name in the Name field and then click on the arrow to select the faculty member from the list available Use drop down menu under Role to indicate each member s role on the committee (major professor or committee member) co-majors require co-major professors from each major and an additional committee member from the co-major program Check box next to the faculty member serving as your outside committee member MA=outside your major or emphasis MFA & PhD=outside the English Dept Check the box next to the faculty member (if appropriate) representing the minor you are declaring v Student Comments please enter information about how you are meeting Pre-/Co-Requisites, any details about POS waivers/equivalencies you have submitted for approval, and anything else you want your approvers to know about your POSC Form to assist them in evaluating it for their approval

9 credits maximum allowed in each of these categories

v Program of Study Entering courses Add lines for course entry by clicking on the + below the Action column heading Courses Taken as an ISU undergraduate (maximum of 9 credits) that you want to use in the POS Ø Must be verified by the Graduation Office that they were not used to meet undergraduate degree requires before they will qualify for use in your graduate program of study Ø System routes your POSC Form appropriately for that verification Courses taken as an ISU undeclared graduate student (maximum of 9 credits) that you want to use in your POS Transfer Credit coursework Ø Dept and Course fields must match your transcript and you must enter the title, credits, term, year, and grade received Ø Click on Attach Document to upload a copy of your transcript (required) Ø Click on View Transcripts to verify that your transcript uploaded successfully Ø Checkbox must be checked indicating you have uploaded your transcript before clicking Submit for Approval will route your POSC Form

Enter 599 credits in this section if doing non-thesis Creative Component project (MA programs only)

v Program of Study Entering courses (cont.) Add lines for course entry by clicking on the + below the Action column heading ISU graduate program courses taken (or to be taken) as a degree seeking student Ø Enter the Dept Code and Course No. for each course taken or that you will take the Dept Code must match ISU Catalog (spacing is critical) (Example: Women s Studies is W S, not WS) Ø Enter the number of Credits, Term using the drop down menu, and the Year taken (or to be taken) Engl 599 creative component credits are entered in this section rather than in the Research Credits section Courses already on your record which are Incompletes must be entered for a future term in which they will be resolved (if not already), no later than the expected term of graduation rather than the term taken, in order for the system to accept entry of these credits Course Title, Grades, and Expiration Year will populate themselves when you click the Save or Validate Form button at the bottom of the page

Research Credits (Engl 699) are entered for terms enrolled and that will meet at least the minimum required for your degree Ø Research credits already on your record which are Incompletes must be entered for a future term, no later than the expected term of graduation rather than the term taken, in order for the system to accept entry of these credits v Click Validate Form button the POSC system checks for errors that need to be fixed in order for your POSC Form to be accepted (error message in RED at the top of the form) v Click SUBMIT FOR APPROVAL button once you are SURE that everything has been entered correctly and successfully Your POSC Form begins to route for approval A POSC Routing Log will appear at the top of the POSC Form page Once your form is submitted and routing, you will not be able to make any changes unless someone in the routing flow Disapproves it

POSC Routing and Approval Routes to your Major Professor(s) first they should not approve it until you have also provided them with all required department paperwork (Degree Planning Sheet and other necessary POS documentation) Routes to all other committee members after Major Professor approval before it routes to the DOGE and the Graduate College review the Routing Log to find out where it is in the routing process Ø Routing progress must be checked by students you might need to contact committee members reminding them to review and route your POSC Form noting any deadlines your POSC Form must meet Ø You may be contacted by your Major Professor(s), committee members, or the Graduate Program Staff Assistant to answer questions or provide additional required paperwork to support your POSC Form submission Ø All members of the routing process will be required to Approve or Disapprove your POSC Form upon review If Disapprove is selected, the faculty member should record comments as to why so you and your major professor will know the reason for the action these comments will be included in the email you receive from the system Make corrections/changes and Submit for Approval again to route your POSC Form Ø POSC Form Approved You will receive an email from the Graduate College when your POSC Form is finished routing, complete, and approved

An approved POSC Form

POSC Form Modifications Once you have submitted your POSC Form for approval and it is in the routing process, you will not be able to make changes Changes can only be made once one of the approvers chooses Disapprove or once it has gone all the way through the system and is Approved. If something needs to be changed/corrected, contact your Major Professor and/or committee members and ask one of them to Disapprove so the system will make your POSC Form available to you again Once it is returned to you as Approved or Disapproved, you will be able to make modifications if/when necessary Ø Return to your Graduate Student Status screen in your AccessPlus account and click on My POSC Form Ø In the Student Comments section please note the changes made, additional paperwork submitted for approval, etc. that helps your committee and the DOGE to understand the changes made and reason for the changes Ø Use the drop down Action menu and select Delete for a course(s) you are changing, Add for a course(s) you are adding to replace the deleted course(s), add transfer credits, etc. Ø You do not need to worry about changing a course semester or year taken if that changes, just the course numbers of courses used to meet POS requirements that appear on your transcript Ø Save often or Validate Form to check for problems Ø Submit for Approval in order to begin routing your POSC Form again for approval

Program Audit Feature

POSC Form Audit Feature Once your POSC Form is approved by the Graduate College, return to the Graduate Student Status screen in AccessPlus Click My Program Audit button to the right of the My POSC Form button on this screen A color coded audit of your POSC will appear (see next page) Ø courses completed (green) Ø Course currently taking (blue) Ø incomplete/insufficient grade (red) Ø over-age courses (orange) Ø classes not taken during semester indicated on POSC (yellow) Ø classes not taken yet (white) This audit will help you spot anything about your POSC that needs your attention which will better prepare you to meet requirements for graduation

RESOURCES v Questions about the DPS and POS documentation required by the department can be answered by the following resources in the following order Graduate POS Manual (http://www.engl.iastate.edu/graduate-students/resources-for-current-students-faculty/) Program Adviser/Major Professor Graduate Program Staff Assistant, Teresa Smiley (tsmiley@iastate.edu; 227 Ross Hall) v Questions regarding the POSC Form system can be answered by the following resources Graduate Program Staff Assistant, Teresa Smiley (tsmiley@iastate.edu; 227 Ross Hall) Graduate College POSC Help website (http://www.grad-college.iastate.edu/common/posc/posc-help.php ) Graduate College (515-294-4531; 1137 Pearson Hall)