A full-time doctoral program is unlike other academic programs in both rigor and time consumption. Doctoral students are expected to immerse themselves in their chosen disciplines, not just through coursework, but as a researcher and a teacher. Some students may be surprised at how time and energy consuming a doctoral program is. Others may be overwhelmed by the rigor. Also, some students, in an effort to support themselves financially, may seek other employment.
Outside employment can sometimes interfere with progress in the program.
The college will invest a lot of resources in its doctoral students and would like to ensure that those resources are not wasted. The purpose of the annual evaluation is to ensure that doctoral students continue to progress towards completion of their degrees. If dismissal is recommended, a letter will be sent to the student by the Associate Dean of Graduate Programs informing the student of the decision and the reason for the decision. If dismissal is not recommended, the DPRC may still request that a letter of warning be sent to the student, with specific recommendations about what needs to be accomplished for satisfactory progress to be made.