News and Events

•  CLAS Graduate School Calendar Fall 2008 - Summer 2009
•  Graduate Students News and Announcements
  • Fall 2007 Teaching Assignments
•  Department News and Events
•  Department Seminar Series
•  KU News

Advising and Enrollment

All M.A. students are required to consult each semester with the M.A. Advisor and all Ph.D. students are required to consult each semester with the Graduate Director about course enrollment. Advising takes place during March for Fall enrollment and October for Spring enrollment. The M.A. Advisor or the Graduate Director must approve the student’s course schedule for the coming semester and the student must enroll in the approved courses after the advising session and during the main enrollment period Any later change in course plans must also be approved by the M.A. Advisor or the Graduate Director. In order to gain the greatest benefit from the advising meeting, students are suggested to give serious prior consideration to their future course and career plans.

It is extremely important, both for program of the individual student and for the coherence of the Department’s graduate curriculum that students enroll in the courses approved by the M.A. Advisor or the Graduate Director during the main enrollment period. Courses which do not have sufficient enrollment at the end of the main enrollment period will be cancelled by the Department Chair. A student who fails to enroll, during the main enrollment period, in the approved courses will be failing to make satisfactory progress toward his or her degree.

Governance

The graduate students elect two students to represent them at departmental faculty meetings and on various graduate program committees. Each student representative has one-half vote in these meetings and committees. The elections take place near the end of the Spring semester, and the term of duty begins August 1 and runs for one year. The representatives are expected to solicit the opinion of the other graduate students on questions and issues that arise in graduate program committee meetings and faculty meetings, including such topics as graduate course offerings, changes in the graduate programs, questions of departmental policy, faculty recruiting, and so forth. The representatives are expected to report back to the graduate students on the discussions in these various meetings. The graduate student representatives are also responsible for advising the Graduate Director on TA office assignments and communicating to the Graduate Director matters and issues of general concern to both M.A. and Ph.D. students.

Grievances

The Department of Economics has a formal Grievance Procedure.

However, it is usually advisable to first pursue informal conflict resolution avenues.
It is recommended that aggrieved studennts:

1. First try to settle the dispute at the source, by discussing it with the fellow graduate student, staff or faculty member in question.

2. If the above step does not remedy the problem, the aggrieved student together with a student representative should meet with the Graduate Director to discuss a possible course of action for resolving the problem. At the discretion of the Graduate Director, the Department Chairperson may be asked to participate in this discussion. The facts of the case should be presented and a discussion should follow. If a settlement can be amicably reached, the case will be closed; but if not, the student representative, the Graduate Director, and the Department Chairperson should adjudicate the matter.

3. If neither steps 1 nor 2 remedy the problem, it is suggested that the student consult’s the University of Kansas Ombuds Office.

4. If none of the above arrive at a satisfactory solution, then the student should initiate a formal Grievance as explain the Department of Economics Grievance Procedure. If the student has questions about this procedure he or she should consult the Department Chair.

Student Files

The department maintains a personal file on every graduate student. The contents of the file consist mostly of application materials, employment records, and correspondence about academic matters. Although some of the contents are necessarily confidential, a Ph.D. student who requests a general discussion of the materials in his/her file should consult with the Graduate Director. Under NO circumstances should a graduate student attempt to access his/her personal file without the prior permission of the Graduate Director.

Student Representatives

The graduate students elect two students to represent them at departmental faculty meetings and on various graduate program committees. Each student representative has one-half vote in these meetings and committees. The elections take place near the end of the Spring semester, and the term of duty begins August 1 and runs for one year. The representatives are expected to solicit the opinion of the other graduate students on questions and issues that arise in graduate program committee meetings and faculty meetings, including such topics as graduate course offerings, changes in the graduate programs, questions of departmental policy, faculty recruiting, and so forth. The representatives are expected to report back to the graduate students on the discussions in these various meetings. The graduate student representatives are also responsible for advising the Graduate Director on TA office assignments and communicating to the Graduate Director matters and issues of general concern to both M.A. and Ph.D. students.

Student Petitions

Any graduate student may prepare a written petition that seeks to waive a rule, requirement or regulation of the University, Graduate School, or Department of Economics. Moreover, any rule, requirement or regulation, expressed explicitly or implicitly in this document, “Ph.D. Program Guidelines”, may in principle be waived if sufficient grounds for doing so have been established via the student’s written petition.