Coursework & Registration for Continuing Scholars

section III, article 1

Coursework is an opportunity to delve deeper into the science of your chosen research area as well as the discipline of chemistry more broadly. Required skills-based coursework in proposal preparation, pedagogy, and ethics, among others, will help prepare you for your thesis work and for the job market.

Reminder of requirements

“Continuing” coursework refers to course effort after the first year of graduate school.

Review the First Year Coursework article for a list of courses required for all scholars and an overview of grading policy and expectations.

The Course Plan Guidance provides an at-a-glance view of requirements by semester:

Chemistry-Course-Plan-_-Rev-Apr-2024 Download

Petitioning for Course Credit or a Course Waiver

Scholars may petition to receive course credit for graduate courses taken at another institution and/or a course waiver for a maximum of 9 credit hours. The scholar should submit the Petition for Course Credit and/or Waiver form as supporting documentation with a petition to the graduate program. Petitions will be forwarded to the Graduate Committee for review. Transfer credit requests must also be approved by the Laney Graduate School Dean (see box below.)

Coursework petitions must be submitted by the end of the first semester of coursework.

What is the difference between transfer credit and a waiver?

Course transfer credit may be given only for courses that were not used to satisfy the requirements of any previous degree. When you request course credit, you are requesting for a specific course taken elsewhere to be included on your official Emory transcript. Transfer credit may also reduce the number of courses required at Emory by an equivalent amount. A course waiver may be requested to reduce the usual six-credit course load required for candidacy based on prior coursework at the graduate level. Waivers may be requested for courses that were also used to satisfy requirements for a previous degree. In the case of a waiver, the courses themselves will not be reflected on the Emory transcript. It is more common for students to be eligible for a waiver than for transfer credit.

Scholars wishing to use non-chemistry coursework as part of a transfer or waiver request should include a rationale indicating the relevance of the course to the chemistry degree. Support from the primary research mentor significantly strengthens requests (therefore, scholars are encouraged to submit these requests after group selection has concluded.)

All requested waivers and petitions will be reviewed. However, scholars should be advised that in most cases, it benefits the scholar to take a full slate of courses at Emory.

Course Registration for Continuing Scholars

All scholars should meet with their primary research mentor to decide on necessary coursework. First year scholars are encouraged to consult their rotation advisors and/or the DGS. Scholars must register themselves online via OPUS. The Graduate Program Coordinator can provide assistance but is not responsible for enrollment. Scholars are responsible for ensuring that they are enrolled prior to the enrollment deadline each semester.

Milestone Course Guidance

Scholars must enroll in a specific course to properly record and receive credit for chemistry milestones. Scholars should enroll in these courses in the semester in which they plan to complete a milestone. Scholars are also required to re-enroll if they are approved to re-test a milestone in a given semester.

CHEM 798B: Second Year Qualifying Exam (3 credits)
CHEM 798C: Third Year Milestone (1 credit)
CHEM 798D: Fourth Year Milestone (1 credit)

Registering for External Courses

Scholars who wish to register for courses offered outside of the Department of Chemistry must complete the External Coursework Petition. This form requires signatures from the primary research mentor, the Instructor of Record for the requested course, and the graduate committee. If a scholar wishes to apply a non-chemistry course towards the six chemistry courses required for candidacy, they should indicate this on the petition.

Coursework Residency Requirement and Research Credit

All scholars in the graduate program are required to maintain a full course load consisting of at least 9 units during the fall, spring and summer semesters. In most semesters, scholars will need to enroll in CHEM 599R (Pre-Candidacy) or CHEM 799R (Post-Candidacy) to properly reflect their research effort. Scholars should refer to the table below to determine the appropriate research credit to reflect their effort in a given semester.

Research Credit Guidance

First Year, First Semester	0
First Year, Second Semester	6
First Year, Summer	12
Second Year, First Semester	9
Second Year, Second Semester	9
Second Year Summer and Above	12

Note: In any given semester, if a scholar calculates that their full credit load will fall below 9 credits or rise above 18 credits, the scholar must contact the Director of Graduate studies to discuss prior to the beginning of add/drop.

Grading for Research Credit

The Instructor of Record for CHEM 599R/ 799R is the Director of Graduate Studies. The DGS will seek input from the primary research mentor as to the scholar’s research progress at the midpoint of each semester. Scholars will be graded as:

Progressing well, no concerns
Some concerns will need improvement
Major concerns, needs significant improvement

Scholars will be informed of their mid-semester evaluation and will be provided with notes from the primary research mentor regarding the assessment. At the end of the semester, faculty will be asked to advise the DGS of any changes to the mid-semester evaluation. Scholars must receive an assessment of “progressing well, no concerns” to earn an “S” grade in research in a given semester.

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Next: Teaching

First Year Teaching Assignments

Section II, Article 5

Laney Graduate School seeks to ensure that a scholar’s education includes thoughtful and thorough preparation in the art of teaching. All chemistry scholars will serve as Teaching Assistants as part of their education.

For information on Advanced TA (all TA after First Year) go here.

Teaching requirements for candidacy

Laney Graduate School TATTO (Teaching Assistant Training and Teaching Opportunity) Program—including the two-day TATT 600 workshop and microteaching during graduate orientation.
Completion of a Teaching Assistant assignment for two semesters—once in the Fall and once in the Spring of the first year.

First Year TA assignments

TA assignments are made by the DGS in consultation with the Graduate Committee. Class size and type are the primary driver of TA assignments.
Faculty are allowed to request specific students and/or skill sets for their assigned TA(s) via the DGS. These requests are given priority over scholar requests but are not guaranteed.
First year scholars may make requests for specific TA placements to the DGS and the DUS, but these selections are not guaranteed and, in many cases, cannot be honored. Most first year scholars will TA in laboratory courses.

First Year TA responsibilities

Provide classroom instruction as needed
Develop laboratory course materials as needed
Lead a lab section (if applicable)
Grade homework and quizzes
Proctor exams
Work closely with your faculty supervisor to ensure duties are completed to a high standard of excellence
Other duties supportive of University instruction as assigned

TA assignments are 10 hrs/week for a TA enrolled in TATT 605. Laboratory TAs may be required to occasionally work more than 10 hrs/week to assist with exam grading. The expectation is that lead instructors will balance this requirement with a lower work load in other weeks.

TA grading procedures

The Instructor of Record for TATT 605 is the Director of Graduate Studies. The DGS will seek input from each TA lead as to the scholar’s research progress at the midpoint of each semester. Scholars will be graded as:

Progressing well, no concerns
Some concerns will need improvement
Major concerns, needs significant improvement

Scholars will be informed of their mid-semester evaluation and will be provided with notes from the TA lead regarding the assessment if any improvement is needed. At the end of the semester, TA leads will again be asked to advise the DGS of any changes to the mid-semester evaluation. Scholars must receive an assessment of “progressing well, no concerns” to earn an “S” grade in research in a given semester.

TA probation procedures

Graduate TA assignments are graded on an S/U basis. Scholars are expected to achieve an “S” grade. If a scholar receives—or is advised that they are on track to receive—a “U” grade, the following probationary procedure will be followed.

The graduate scholar must re-take any failed assessments.
The graduate scholar must arrange a meeting with their lab/course director, the primary research mentor, the DGS, and the Graduate Program Coordinator to collaboratively develop a plan to achieve an “S” grade either by improving performance in the current semester or via an additional TA assignment.

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Next: Annual Reports

First Year Course Selection

section II, article 4

Required courses for all scholars

six 3-credit chemistry graduate courses (or approved external courses)
TATT 600 + 605 (TATTO)
JPE 600 + 606 + 610 (JPE)
ELSP courses, if required (ELSP)
CHEM 504 (Rotations)
CHEM 597 (Proposal/Library Course)
CHEM 798B, CHEM 798C, CHEM 798D (Milestones)
Research credit (every semester except the first)

Chemistry-Course-Plan-_-Rev-Apr-2024 Download

Grading

Courses are graded as Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) or on a letter grade basis (A, A-, B+, B, B-, C, or F). Courses that offer a letter grade must be taken for a grade if they will be applied towards the requirements for candidacy.

Understanding course levels

Graduate courses at Emory are offered at the 500-level or above. The following guidance may be helpful in distinguishing between levels:

500-level: core/foundational graduate course; appropriate for any graduate scholar
600-level: required training courses, including TATTO and JPE
700-level: advanced graduate course; first year scholars may enroll, but are encouraged to seek advising support to ensure they can be successful in the course

New scholar enrollment

New scholars will meet with faculty during orientation to select coursework for the first semester. A signed Course Selection Form is required for the first semester only.

Enrollment in two chemistry graduate courses is considered a full load during the first year.

First year scholars wishing to take a third course in either the Fall or Spring should request DGS permission prior to enrollment via a petition to the graduate program. Scholars are advised that two courses is considered a full load and is the most common successful path through the program. Scholars who elect to take three courses have the option of dropping one course at any point during the semester; this action will result in a “W” notation on the transcript.

ELSP courses

The LGS English Language Support Program (ELSP) provides high quality language support to graduate and professional students, postdoctoral fellows, and scholars with diverse linguistic backgrounds at all stages of the academic journey.  Scholars for whom English is a second language may be required to take an ELSP assessment during orientation. The chemistry graduate program strongly encourages scholars to take all required and recommended ELSP courses. ELSP courses are also recommended as an excellent resource for fluent English speakers seeking support in graduate writing and presentation skills.

Registering for external (non-Chemistsry) courses

In most cases, first year, first semester scholars will be best served by taking all of their courses in chemistry. However, after this point, scholars are encouraged to broadly explore course offerings across Emory.

Scholars who wish to register for courses offered outside of the Department of Chemistry must complete the External Coursework Petition. This form requires signatures from the primary research mentor (or DGS prior to joining a group) and the Instructor of Record for the requested course. If a scholar wishes to apply a non-chemistry course towards the six chemistry courses required for candidacy, they should indicate this request on the petition.

First year research credit

All scholars in the graduate program are required to maintain a full course load consisting of at least 9 units during the fall, spring and summer semesters.

First Year, First Semester (Fall)

First year scholars should NOT enroll in any research credit during their first semester at Emory. Research effort during the first semester is tracked via enrollment in CHEM 504: Rotations. Scholars may be automatically enrolled in research credit as a temporary placeholder prior to course selection – it is the responsibility of the scholar to drop these credits when they enroll in their selected courses.

First Year, Second Semester (Spring)

Scholars should enroll in 6 credits of CHEM599R to reflect research effort.

First Year, Third Semester (Summer)

Scholars should enroll in 12 credits of CHEM599R to reflect research effort.

Next: Teaching

Safety

Section I, Article 5

Safety is the foundation of research. Without a safety focus, confidence in the lab can go hand-in-hand with carelessness, a sense that nothing can go wrong because nothing has gone wrong. Build real confidence by committing to being part of a safety first culture every day.

Basic safety guidelines

All occupants of chemistry buildings must:

Have completed online safety training in BioRaft within the past year (minimum: EHSO Research Laboratory Safety Training course).
Always be able to locate emergency equipment including the emergency shower, eyewash, spill kit, first aid, and fire extinguisher.

In addition, all occupants of laboratory spaces must:

Be familiar with the Chemical Hygiene Plan and follow safe laboratory practices (http://www.ehso.emory.edu/content-manuals/SAF-351-Chemical-Hygiene-Plan.pdf).
Wear appropriate PPE for the laboratory work being done (minimum: long pants, closed toed shoes, fire retardant laboratory coat, and eye protection).
Not work alone in any laboratory space. It is your responsibility to coordinate with other researchers to ensure that you have a colleague with you in the lab at all times.
Properly dispose of all chemical waste, including broken glassware, as directed.
Read the labels of chemicals carefully and follow all handling procedures.

Safety Data Sheets (“SDS’s”) contain detailed safety information for specific types of lab work and are available on the Emory Environmental Health and Safety Office (EHSO) website. You should familiarize yourself with SDS’s that apply to your lab . Call the EHSO Spill Team at 404-727-2888 for assistance with chemical, biological, and radiation spills.

What to do when there is a fire alarm

Evacuate the building immediately using the closest exit
Once outside the building, go to the 1^st floor of the Peavine parking deck.
Do not re-enter the building until Facilities announces “ALL CLEAR”.

For more information about emergency responses, please visit Emory’s Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response website.

Responsibility for reporting safety incidents

If there is a fire that requires mitigation of any kind, please report the incident to the Emory Police Department at 404-727-6115 after the fire has been mitigated. Further, if a fire extinguisher was used, please call Work Management at 404-727-7463 to have the fire extinguisher replaced.

If there is an injury during an emergency, please remember to complete the PeopleSoft accident injury report after the health and safety of the affected person(s) has been stabilized. If you are unsure who is responsible for completing this report, please contact your primary research mentor.

Support for community well-being

Student Case Management And Intervention Services is the appropriate office to contact for assistance with acute concerns regarding your own well-being or to seek help for a student or colleague for whom you are urgently concerned.

Emergency Contact List

For:	Call:
Emergency (police, fire or EMS)	911 or 404-727-6111
Non-emergency Emory police	404-727-6115
EHSO spill response team	404-727-2888
Flood or other urgent facilities issue	404-727-7463
Student Intervention Services	404-727-4193

Next: Section II: First Year

Communication Guidance

section I, article 4

Email policy

Email is the primary medium for official communication between scholars, faculty, and staff in the Department of Chemistry at Emory University. Official Department of Chemistry communications will be sent to scholars’ emory.edu address. Email communication must be reviewed within one business day. Individual research groups may use other methods of communication. Scholars are expected to understand and adhere to the communication norms in their research group.

Department calendar

Events of interest in the department, including weekly seminars, are posted on the Trumba calendar that appears on the front page of chemistry.emory.edu. Scholars are encouraged to subscribe to this calendar. Events are also posted throughout the department and announced via email.

Scholars may submit events to the department calendar using this online form.

Communicating open door events

For any event that is open to the public, it is the scholar’s responsibility to advertise the time and place of the event by submitting the event to the calendar via this form on the department website. Events must be advertised at least one week in advance. An unadvertised defense or milestone will be considered incomplete.

The following events are required to be public:

Third Year Milestone (proposal presentation portion)
Fourth Year Milestone
Dissertation Defense

Next: Safety

Resource Guidance

Appendix A

Emory University offers a number of resources to scholars enrolled in academic programs. You are encouraged to familiarize yourself with these resources by reading your email, exploring university websites, visiting university offices in person, and beyond.

The following list should not be considered exhaustive. It is provided as a resource to help you begin the process of learning what resources the university has to offer.

Please review the department website at http://chemistry.emory.edu to ensure you are familiar with chemistry-specific resources. Each member of staff has a short description next to their name describing key responsibilities in the People directory. In addition, the faculty Director of DEI and the directors of academic programming are identified in this directory.

Within the graduate program structure, you are encouraged to consider the DGS, Graduate Program Coordinator, and Communications and Outreach Manager as a resource team. Most academic process questions and signature requests will be addressed by the Graduate Program Coordinator.

Student Well-Being

Attention to well-being is foundational to students ability to flourish at Emory and beyond. Within the Emory community, students have access to coordinated and comprehensive medical and psychiatric care, counseling, recreation facilities and programs, and health education targeted at building and maintaining overall well-being. Explore Emory’s comprehensive collection of resources and services at the link.

Confidential, 24/7 support to students with concerns related to sexual and relationship-based harm (including sexual misconduct, relationship violence, and stalking.)
Note: Scholars in need of support are encouraged to contact the Office of Respect for victim advocate assistance as their first point of contact if they can safely do so. If scholars are engaged in an active Title IX investigation, the Office of Respect may only be able to play a limited role.
Sexual violence awareness and prevention

Visit Office of Respect Website

Office of Equity and Inclusion

University Title IX
Discrimination and harassment management
Affirmative action plans and implementation
Educational programming
Best practices for searches and hires
Access and disability services

Visit OEI Website

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

Confidential short-term individual therapy, couples therapy, group therapy, community referrals, and workshops to help you better manage anxiety and support your mental health.
Students needing urgent support can find it 24/7 by calling the SIS crisis line at 404-430-1120. Staff will receive your call, assess the type of needs, and include additional resources as indicated.

Visit CAPS Website

TalkNow and TimelyCare

Students also have access to the 24/7 TalkNow service and can access TimelyCare’s scheduled counseling and medical care visits.

Access TimelyCare

University Ombuds Office

Problems, conflicts, or concerns from students affiliated with any academic division of Emory University. Problems, conflicts, and concerns can be academic or non-academic in nature.
Confidential discussion except where reporting is required by law, such as in cases of sexual assault of misconduct or when, in the judgement of the Ombudsperson, there appears to be imminent risk of serious harm.

Visit University Ombuds Website

Environmental Health and Safety Office

Safety concerns, questions, and complaints
Anonymous reports: Emory Trust Line

Visit EHSO Website

Laney Graduate School (LGS)

Scholars may consult the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs or the Assistant Dean for Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement for academic and non-academic concerns, and/or if it is not clear which resource would be appropriate.

Visit LGS Student Resources Guide

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Next: M.D./Ph.D.

Teaching for Advanced Scholars

Section III, Article 2

Advanced teaching opportunities are available in chemistry and across the university.

For information about TA in the First Year (or any TA for credit in TATT/CHEM 605), go here.

Advanced graduate scholar TA commitment request form

Advanced scholars must complete and submit the Advanced Graduate Scholar TA Commitment Request Form no later than August 1st each year in consultation with the primary research mentor. This form is required even if scholars do not wish to TA in a given year.

TA requests for students supported by bridge funding

Scholars who are required to TA under the department’s bridge funding policy should submit their Advanced Graduate TA Commitment Form no later than June 1st in any given year, or as soon as the faculty member accepts bridge funding, whichever comes sooner.

Availability of advanced TA assignments

Available advanced TA support depends on the total number of courses requesting TA assistance (based on enrollment.) TA support will only be offered to advanced scholars when all first-year scholars have received TA assignments and additional TA slots remain unfilled.

In the event that there are more requests for Advanced TA support than there are available positions, the Director of Graduate Studies will assign available lines in consultation with the Department Chair and the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Changes to TA commitment request

If a scholar wishes to change their TA commitment request, they must submit a new form by the last day of classes in the semester prior to the commitment you want to change (example: end of fall semester to change a spring request.) Changes requested after this date, either to reduce or add TA hours, will only be honored if TA needs allow.

Additional opportunities within chemistry

Reduced TA assignments (less than 10 hours), if TA need allows
Opportunities to serve as Instructor of Record, if course coverage needs allow

Opportunities will be announced via the chemistry graduate email digest, when available.

Additional opportunities outside chemistry

Dean’s Teaching Fellowship
SIRE for Natural Sciences
ORDER
Emory Pipeline
Teaching at other local universities

For the most up-to-date opportunities, visit the Laney Graduate School Advanced Student Fellowships page.

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Next: Annual Reports

Coursework for Continuing Scholars

section III, article 1

Reminder of requirements

“Continuing” coursework refers to course effort after the first year of graduate school.

Review the First Year Coursework article for a list of courses required for all scholars and an overview of grading policy and expectations.

The Course Plan Guidance provides an at-a-glance view of requirements by semester:

Chemistry-Course-Plan Download

Course registration for continuing scholars

Milestone course guidance

CHEM 798B: Second Year Qualifying Exam (3 credits)
CHEM 798C: Third Year Milestone (1 credit)
CHEM 798D: Fourth Year Milestone (1 credit)

Registering for external courses

Coursework residency requirement and research credit

Research credit guidance

First Year, First Semester	0
First Year, Second Semester	6
First Year, Summer	12
Second Year, First Semester	9
Second Year, Second Semester	9
Second Year Summer and Above	12

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Next: Teaching

Research Group Selection & Assignment

section II, article 3

Your research group will comprise a large part of your network at Emory. Other important professional relationships – whether with student organizations, rotation advisors, committee members, and beyond – will also have an impact. Thinking of the entire “network” you are seeking to build can help with your group decision.

Advising before you join a group

Prior to research advisor selection, the Director of Graduate Studies is your primary academic advisor for questions and concerns, including about the rotation experience.

Finalizing group selection

You should indicate the group that they wish to join by emailing the Graduate Program Coordinator (Fall 2023: Sarah Stein is the acting coordinator in Laura Hilado’s absence) and copying the requested primary research mentor no earlier than the first day of the discernment period and no later than noon on December 1.

Group assignments are not finalized until the Director of Graduate Studies has reviewed all placements with the faculty. The DGS will work with scholars who do not “match” to facilitate additional discussions with faculty so that the scholar may seek an alternate group placement or an additional rotation assignment.

Options for scholars who do not match with a group

Faculty may accept a scholar seeking a fourth rotation either as a rotator or as a lab member, even if the scholar has not yet rotated with their group. Scholars who do not secure an additional rotation or lab placement OR who are not offered a lab placement following the completion of an additional rotation will be asked to leave the program by the end of the Spring semester.

Chemistry mentoring agreement

Following DGS approval of group selection, the scholar and the primary research mentor must complete chemistry’s mentor/mentee agreement. The completed agreement should be filed as soon as possible after confirmation, but no later than the end of the Fall semester. Scholars must ensure that the completed agreement is submitted to secure an “S” in CHEM 597.

Role of the primary research mentor

When a scholar joins a group, the PI of that group is agreeing to serve as the primary research mentor and the chair (or co-chair) of the chemistry committee and the dissertation committee.

Post-rotation request to change groups

If a scholar is considering a change of group at any point in their career, they are encouraged to begin by discussing options with any member of the graduate admin team. To formally initiate a request to change groups, scholars must submit a petition. The petition should include written support from the new proposed primary research mentor. The petition, once approved, is finalized with the submission of a new mentor/mentee agreement.

The graduate scholar is not required to inform the current mentor of their plans until the mentor/mentee agreement is finalized. However, they must continue to complete research effort in the current group until a change is approved and are not prohibited from discussing an intended change with the current advisor.

Group placement requirement

A primary group placement is an ongoing requirement for all scholars in the chemistry graduate program. Any scholar who does not have a primary research group assignment at the conclusion of a given semester will be considered out of compliance with program requirements, resulting in probation and possible termination from the program. The chemistry PhD program cannot accommodate students working independently or working with an advisor who is not a member of the chemistry graduate faculty or associated faculty.

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Next: Committee Selection

Research Rotation Program

Section II, Article 2

Rotations are short experiences in Emory research groups for the benefit of first year scholars. The rotation program is intended to acquaint scholars with the research and resources of the Department before they choose a research home for pursuing their PhD. All scholars are required to complete three rotations before joining a research group.

Updated August 2023

This page has been updated for Fall 2023 rotations.

Rotation structure

Group Exploration Period

Early August

The graduate program will provide instructions to faculty who intend to host rotators. Faculty accepting rotators must:

Provide a 1 page information sheet about the research group that includes the number of students they intend to accept into their group from the rotations cohort
Advertise at least one event to all eligible scholars via the graduate program Exploration Period schedule
Accept students in all three rotation periods*

*The graduate program has limited ability to accommodate specific requests from faculty for how and when rotators will be scheduled. Exceptions should be rare and requests should be made as soon as a conflict is known.

August 23 – September 13

All recruiting faculty will offer open events—group meetings, open houses, etc.—to help scholars get to know their lab. Scholars are required to attend events in at least seven labs and obtain signatures on the Group Exploration Period form.

Submission of Rotation Preferences

September 14 at 8 am

Scholars submit three unranked rotation choices to the Graduate Program Coordinator on the Group Exploration Period form. Faculty will have an opportunity to review the names of all scholars who have requested a rotation in their lab and indicate their response to the request to the Director of Graduate Studies.

Rotation Assignments and Notification

September 15

Scholars will be advised of the faculty response to rotation requests and receive a rotation schedule. Scholars who fall short of the required three rotations will be required to meet with the DGS to discuss their options and work to secure three rotation placements.

Rotations

Rotation 1: September 18 – October 6
Rotation 2: October 9 – October 27
Rotation 3: October 30 – November 17

Discernment and Discussions

November 21 – November 30

Scholars meet with their rotation advisors during this time with the goal of finalizing their group selection. Faculty and scholars are encouraged to be candid about their goals during this period. However, group assignment is only finalized after the DGS has reviewed all the faculty commitments and the mentor/mentee agreement is filed.

Rotation logistics & etiquette

Rotations – inclusive of the Exploration Period and group selection – are an opportunity to fully explore scientific opportunities at Emory and to join a group with confidence. However, the inherent uncertainty in this process can be stressful for scholars and faculty. Based on feedback from scholars, clear and consistent “rules of engagement” for both students and faculty help to ensure a positive rotation experience.

The following rules for rotation logistics and etiquette should guide faculty, current scholars, and rotating students:

All Activities

Scholars cannot be required or encouraged to miss TA commitments or classroom time; rotators should plan to engage in rotations in a manner that allows them to meet their TA commitments and attend classes. Faculty should ensure that rotation requirements account for these responsibilities.
Faculty and students are asked to confine their discussions of other groups to issues related to scientific work rather than group placement. This means that students and faculty should not discuss rotation outcomes, real or projected, of individuals who are not active participants in a given conversation.
In all communication about rotations, faculty, current students, and rotators are encouraged to remember that we are a part of a learning community. Feedback should be specific, growth-oriented, and constructive.

Exploration Activities

Events must be open to all eligible scholars
Events must take place on campus between the hours of 7am-7pm
Refreshments at events should be limited to light snacks and non-alcoholic beverages
Scholars should make a request, either in person or via email, to any faculty member with whom they intend to request a rotation. In turn, faculty should make themselves available for these discussions and respond promptly to email correspondence. Faculty are asked not to accept rotators that they are not willing to consider for placement in their group.

Rotation Activities

Faculty have considerable flexibility in assigning rotation activities. At a minimum, satisfactory completion of the rotation will require attendance at all group meetings, seminars, scholar seminars, and/or journal club activities scheduled during the rotation period. Faculty may set a minimum hour-per-week requirement for graduate scholar engagement.
During the time a scholar is engaged in a rotation, the scholar’s total research effort should be focused on that rotation. Faculty cannot require that scholars participate in research activities in a group outside their current rotation assignment. With these requirements in mind, scholars should feel free to participate broadly in the intellectual life of the department.
Existing lab members working with rotators may be asked to provide feedback to the primary research mentor regarding rotation performance. These discussions should, within reason, be considered confidential.
Faculty are encouraged to provide clear feedback related to performance during the rotation but to remind rotators that group selections cannot be made until the rotation period has concluded. At the risk of being prescriptive, we suggest that the following language would be appropriate: “I would be happy to discuss group placement with you at the end of the full rotation period.” Rotators, in turn, should not press faculty for a commitment prior to the conclusion of the rotation experience.

Discernment

To accommodate the need for in-depth discussion about group placement, faculty should plan time to meet with rotators after rotations conclude and before the group selection deadline. Students should be proactive in scheduling these discussions.

Changes to rotation placements

A scholar may change their choice of the second and/or third rotation group during an earlier rotation. The steps to follow are:

Discuss the intended change with the new rotation advisor and obtain their approval for the change in writing;
Submit a petition to the graduate program stating the reasons for the requested change and including the correspondence with the new rotation advisor.
The DGS will discuss the petition with the new intended rotation advisor and advise the scholar of the outcome. Requests to switch to any advisor participating in rotations and supported by the intended advisor will generally be approved.
Upon approval, the scholar is expected to confirm with the new rotation advisor. The scholar is also expected to inform the previous rotation advisor of their decision to change their rotation schedule and to thank them for their engagement. This may be completed via email or in person.

Summer rotations

Scholars who have completed a summer rotation have two options for the fall semester:

Request to repeat a rotation in the same group pending available space;
Select three new rotation advisors, completing a total of four rotations.

Scholars enrolled during summer may not skip a fall rotation.

Note: Summer rotations are not an official activity of the graduate program. Scholars must be supported by an individual lab and enroll as non-degree seeking students.

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