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Bylaws of the Department of Biological Sciences August 7, 2006 and revised November 22, 2010

1. Introduction These bylaws represent a set of guidelines for governance and operation of the Department of Biological Sciences and are to be employed in accord with the bylaws of the School of Arts and Sciences (A&S) as published in the A&S Gazette each Fall term. 2. Departmental Goals and Objectives The three main missions of the Department of Biological Sciences are:

1) To promote excellence in research and scholarship, as broadly encompassed by the biological sciences

2) To provide high-quality educational and training programs at both the undergraduate and graduate level

3) To provide service and support to the University and the broader community in the Pittsburgh area

The Department recognizes the benefits of integrating these missions, including active participation of undergraduates in scientific research and utilizing the scientific expertise of Department faculty to reach out to the local community through our educational programs. 3. Departmental Membership The membership of the Department of Biological Sciences includes faculty that are tenured and in the tenure stream (T/TS), faculty outside of the tenure stream (NTS), staff, and students. The expectations and responsibilities of faculty are as described in the University of Pittsburgh faculty handbook. Appointment and re-appointment of all faculty within the Department requires a supportive written or electronic ballot by the faculty at or above that rank. Specific policies relating to faculty appointment within certain categories are as follows: 3.1 Appointment of T/TS faculty Requests to hire T/TS faculty members are made by the Chair to the Dean of A&S with faculty consultation to identify specific areas of programmatic and instructional needs. If approved, the Chair appoints a search committee that oversees the search process and presents a short list of candidates to the Chair, whom they recommend for interviews on campus. Following approval of the interview list by the Dean of Arts and Sciences and subsequent completion of the campus interviews, a faculty meeting is held to discuss the relative merits of the candidates, and a written ballot is conducted to determine the acceptability and relative ranking of each candidate. In consultation with the Dean of Arts and Sciences, the Chair negotiates with the acceptable candidates in an order determined by faculty preference, space, and teaching considerations. This process will be conducted in accordance with the appropriate procedures developed by the School of Arts and Sciences and in regard to the proposed rank of the prospective faculty member. Within one year after a new faculty member joins the Department at the Assistant Professor level, the Chair will appoint a promotion steering committee that will consist of a Chair, an Advocate, and one additional faculty member. This committee will meet at least once each year with the junior faculty member, provide guidance on the establishment and growth of their research and teaching, and offer input on the preparation of materials to support tenure and promotion.

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3.2 Appointment of faculty with Adjunct/Secondary status The Department of Biological Sciences has established a detailed procedure for the appointment of faculty with adjunct or secondary appointments, and this is described in Appendix A. 3.3 Appointment of Research Professors Appointments may be made outside of the tenure stream for research professors at the assistant, associate and full professor rank. Guidelines for these appointments are described in Appendix B. 3.4 Other faculty appointments Other faculty level appointments and re-appointments, including but not limited to Lecturers, Visiting Lecturers, Lab Instructors, and Visiting Lab Instructors, will be made in accordance with University and A&S procedures. The Chair will make recommendations to the Dean of Arts and Sciences following a faculty ballot requiring a majority vote in favor. Full-time NTS faculty members at the Lecturer or Lab Instructor level who are supported by A&S funds will have major reviews performed in years three and six by the Advisory Committee. Within one year of the Lecturer or Lab Instructor joining the department, the Chair will appoint a steering committee that will consist of a Director of Undergraduate Programs, an NTS faculty member, and a T/TS faculty member. The steering committee will exist for six years from the time that the faculty member joins the Department. This committee will meet at least once a year with the new faculty member, provide peer evaluation of teaching, provide guidance on professional development, offer input into the preparation of material for annual evaluations, and provide a written report to the Advisory Committee to be considered during the third and sixth year reviews. 3.5 Staff appointments Identification and appointment of staff members is managed according to the guidelines established by the University and the School of Arts and Sciences. 4. Departmental Governance The Department of Biological Sciences is governed by its constituent members with the Chair being responsible for daily operations and organization of an administrative structure that involves faculty, students, and staff, as described below. 4.1 The Chair- Responsibilities The Chair is responsible for day-to-day Department functions and represents the key point of contact between the Department and the Arts and Sciences administration. A key role of the Chair is to represent the needs and desires of the Department to the Arts and Sciences administration, and to communicate to the Department the positions and policies of the Arts and Sciences administration. The responsibilities of the Chair include:

1) Allocation of laboratory research space 2) Assignment of teaching responsibilities 3) Conducting annual evaluations of faculty performances and recommendation of annual

salary adjustments to the Dean of Arts and Sciences 4) Oversight and approval of the Departmental budget and its administration 5) Preparation of an annual report for the Dean of Arts and Sciences 6) Oversight of all faculty hiring, promotions, and other faculty appointments 7) Implementation of undergraduate and graduate educational programs 8) Approval of sabbatical and other leaves

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9) Representing the needs of the Department and individual faculty to the School of Arts and Sciences

10) Guiding cooperative interactions with other units within the institution 11) Oversight of the Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology (PLE) 12) Supervision of Departmental administrative staff

The Chair will execute these responsibilities with the support and advice of faculty and staff throughout the Department, utilizing committees and subcommittees as appropriate. 4.2 The Chair - Appointment Specific policies have been approved by the faculty for recommendation of Chair appointments to the Dean of Arts and Sciences and are described in Appendix C. In the event of unexpected loss of the Chair (owing for example to illness, a leave, or resignation), an Acting Chair will be appointed by the Dean of Arts and Sciences following consultation with the Chair (if possible) and the Full Professors of the Department. 4.3 Assistant or Associate Chair The Dean may appoint either an Assistant or an Associate Chair to facilitate the work of the Chair in Departmental administration. The duties of the Assistant or the Associate Chair include, but are not restricted to, the operational oversight of departmental facilities, use of departmental research space, and teaching assignments. 4.4 The Advisory Committee The Advisory Committee is composed of four T/TS faculty members who are elected by the faculty; the Director(s) of Undergraduate Programs and the Associate Chair are appointed as additional ad hoc members. Elections are held each summer for appointment of two of the Advisory Committee members, each of whom serve two-year terms. The Advisory Committee is responsible for assisting the Chair in making key proposals to the faculty for Departmental consideration and provides advice to the Chair in the evaluation of annual faculty performances, based on the activity report submitted by each faculty member. 4.4 Annual Evaluations At the end of each academic year (April), each faculty member will submit an annual activity report using the designated form (Appendix D). The Advisory Committee will review these reports, and individual committee members will provide an evaluation of performance in the categories of research, teaching and service, as appropriate, to the Chair. T/TS faculty will be evaluated with the relative weightings of 50% research, 30% teaching and 20% service with an option for choosing 80% teaching and 20% service. NTS faculty with primary responsibility in instruction will be evaluated with a weighting of 80% teaching and 20% service; other NTS faculty will be evaluated with a weighting appropriate to their specific positions and responsibilities. 4.5 The planning and budget committee (PBC) The Departmental PBC will consist of the Chair, the Advisory Committee, an elected staff member, a graduate student (Departmental Graduate Student Organization representative), and the departmental Administrative Officer responsible for financial affairs. The Chair may appoint additional ad hoc members to ensure full representation of the Department. The PBC assists in oversight of departmental planning and budgeting. 4.6 Faculty meetings Faculty meetings will be held at least once a term during the Spring and Fall terms but will typically be held either once a month or every two months. Faculty meetings are open to all Department T/TS and NTS faculty and represent a forum for consideration of Department

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policies and their implementation. Full participation of faculty in these meetings is an important component to Department governance. Minutes will be recorded and distributed by email to the faculty. Faculty may recommend to the Chair items to be included in the next scheduled faculty meeting at any time. Any vote taken at a faculty meeting requires a quorum of two thirds of all of the faculty members to be in attendance. 4.7 Administration of Undergraduate and Graduate Programs The Chair will propose a committee structure for administration of both the undergraduate and graduate programs. A description of the current committee structure is included in Appendix E, and can be revised at the discretion of the Chair, although major restructuring requires discussion at a full faculty meeting and a majority vote of the faculty as a whole in support of any substantial restructuring. 4.7.1 Graduate Program Administration

The graduate programs will be the general responsibility of the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) who is appointed by the Chair. The DGS will also serve as the chair of the Graduate Program Oversight Committee that operates with the assistance of subcommittees that oversee the operations of separate components of the program. The co-chair of GPOC will represent departmental graduate programs other than that represented by the DGS. Rules and regulations governing the Departmental graduate programs are described in the Graduate Guide (see Appendix F). The DGS is responsible for maintaining a current version of the Graduate Guide. The DGS is also responsible for coordinating the Departmental contributions to graduate programs that are operating jointly with other Departments, Schools or Institutions. 4.7.2 Undergraduate Program Administration The Undergraduate Program Oversight Committee (UPOC) and the Director(s) of Undergraduate Programs (DUP) will administer the undergraduate programs. The primary responsibility of UPOC and its subcommittees is the oversight of the undergraduate curriculum. The primary responsibilities of the DUP is to assist UPOC and the Department Chair in the administrative aspects of the undergraduate program, including the hiring of Lecturers and Lab Instructors, running the TA Program and Teaching Minor, coordination of the freshman biology foundations course, development of budgets for part-time and replacement instructors, supervision of the Departmental advising office, and liaison with the Arts and Sciences administration in regard to undergraduate education, admissions, the Honors College, Study Abroad and other relevant programs. The DUP also assists with issues of academic integrity and other judicial issues regarding undergraduate programs. The DUP will be appointed by the Chair following discussions with the Advisory Committee. 4.7.3 Undergraduate Course Proposals

Proposals for new undergraduate courses that would not fulfill an Arts and Sciences General Education Requirement may be solicited by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee or proposed by a faculty member to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. Faculty proposing new courses should submit a rationale for the new course, a course description, a syllabus, and an abstract. Details of the information that should be present in the course description and syllabus are available at http://www.as.pitt.edu/faculty/teaching/course-proposal.html. The Undergraduate Curriculum Committee will review these proposals and request additions or clarification as necessary. The proposals will then be submitted to UPOC. UPOC will evaluate the rationale for the new course within the curriculum, the academic rigor, and the grading policies. Courses must provide evaluation of the students prior to the Monitored Withdrawal deadline, and the syllabus must contain appropriate sections on academic integrity and accommodations of disabilities. UPOC will discuss and vote on each proposal; a two-thirds majority vote is required for approval. If the course is not approved by UPOC, the proposal will be returned to the faculty member with a written explanation of the decision along with suggestions, if appropriate, for revision. Targeted due dates are November

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1 for the subsequent fall term and March 1 for the subsequent spring term or following summer term. Courses that would fulfill an Arts and Sciences General Education Requirement must proceed through Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Council rather than UPOC. 4.8 Voting procedures The Department will use three types of ballots for deciding issues of Departmental policy:

1) For many issues (other than those described below), a simple majority vote of faculty at a full faculty meeting is required. A quorum of two-thirds of the faculty must be present; for issues regarding graduate programs, two-thirds of the members of the Graduate Faculty must be present. If a quorum is not present, a vote will be conducted by email.

2) For the hiring of NTS faculty or reappointment of NTS faculty, a vote will be conducted by e-mail, with responses being sent to the Chair. E-mail ballots may be used for a variety of other issues such as appointment to the Advisory Committee, nomination for University committees, and Tenure Council. Individual votes are confidential, but the outcome is reported to the faculty and/or the Dean of Arts and Sciences as appropriate.

3) Written ballots will be conducted for hiring and promotion of T/TS faculty and hiring of faculty with tenure. Individual votes are confidential, but the outcome is reported to the faculty and/or the Dean of Arts and Sciences as appropriate. Votes regarding the hiring of faculty at the rank of Assistant Professor will be restricted

to T/TS faculty, and votes regarding graduate programs will be restricted to members of the Graduate Faculty. For issues where it is unclear whether a written ballot or a show of hands is appropriate, the Chair will make this decision following advice from the faculty. 4.9 Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology The Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology will be operated under the Director of the Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology, who reports to the Chair. The primary responsibilities of the Director of the Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology are to maintain and operate research facilities at the Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology field station, to oversee the Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology course offerings, and to supervise Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology staff. The Director of the Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology is also responsible for budgetary oversight of all Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology operations. 5. Changes to the Departmental Bylaws These bylaws may be amended at any time, although changes must be approved by a majority vote of the faculty conducted by e-mail. The faculty may submit proposed changes to the Chair at any time, followed by a timely discussion and vote.

APPENDIX A

POLICY FOR ADJUNCT/SECONDARY APPOINTMENTS

IN THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

I. APPOINTMENT AND REAPPOINTMENT

1. The criteria for Adjunct/Secondary Appointments will be the same as for tenure/tenure-stream faculty as detailed

in the faculty handbook.

2. Adjunct/Secondary Appointments will be for three years, awarded and renewable by a tenure/tenure-stream

faculty vote. At least six months before the end of the appointment, the department chair will initiate a

reappointment action whereby supporting materials are collected for a reappointment decision. The

advisory committee will make a recommendation to the full faculty and chair concerning reappointment.

Appointments and reappointments will be based upon a current activity report, a curriculum vitae, other

relevant supporting documents provided by the appointee, and a letter from the appointee describing his or

her interest and reasons for desiring appointment/reappointment. Appointments and reappointments will be

conferred by a majority vote of the tenure/tenure stream faculty.

3. A departmental seminar is required for appointment. For reappointment, a seminar is encouraged but only

required if requested by the chair.

4. New adjunct and secondary appointments will not be made if the appointment increases the number of adjunct

and secondary faculty above 50% of the number of current tenured/tenure stream faculty. This cap,

however, will not apply to reappointments.

II. DUTIES AND PRIVILEGES

1. No specific duties are necessarily required for the Adjunct/Secondary Appointee. Accordingly, no Departmental

(or University) resources are necessarily associated with Adjunct/Secondary Appointees. This includes

office supplies, secretarial or computer services, space or salary.

2. Adjunct and secondary appointees will be listed on the departmental web site and on appropriate departmental

publications. The location of this listing will be on a page that is directly accessible via a link from the

current web page that lists faculty within the department.

3. Adjunct appointees can be nominated and appointed to the graduate faculty through the normal appointment

procedure outlined in the faculty handbook. As per university policy, such appointments will designate the

recipient as an adjunct member of the graduate faculty. Adjunct and secondary appointees are welcome to

serve as members of graduate student thesis committees, but not as primary thesis advisors for students

enrolled in departmental graduate programs.

4. The following privileges are associated with the Adjunct/Secondary Appointment:

• Attendance at Departmental faculty meetings as non-voting members.

• Library privileges equivalent to those of faculty.

• Attendance at the annual Departmental retreat including the invitation to speak whenever the appointee

desires but only if there is an open slot. Faculty within the department will have priority over

adjunct/secondary appointees for speaking at the retreat.

• Listing on Departmental publications and web site as stated in 2 above.

• Ability to list the Department on research publications and professional correspondence.

III. ANNUAL REPORTS AND EVALUATION

1. Adjunct faculty and secondary appointees who teach within the department must have their teaching evaluated

through the office of measurement and evaluation of teaching. The appointee is strongly encouraged to

submit the results to the department chair with their annual activity report (see 2 below).

2. Adjunct and secondary appointees must complete an Annual Activity Report and submit this report to the

advisory committee. The criteria used to evaluate the adjunct/secondary appointees will be the same as for

tenure/tenure-stream faculty.

APPENDIX B

RESEARCH ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

Working Process (information in bold to be handled by candidate and/or sponsor)

I. Provide a current vitae electronically (that will be sent to faculty).

II. Letters of recommendation: either the Chair or the Candidate/Sponsor can

contact the recommender(s). This process can take 4-6 weeks depending on

responsiveness of the recommenders.

A. P.I. – with incorporated written support from at least two others P.I.s in

the Department (total of 3 letters) and

B. 2 outside letters (chair can request these)

III. Formal memo to the Department Announcing request for promotion – including

information for a formal seminar to the Department.

A. Date, time and location of seminar will be coordinated by the

Candidate/Sponsor.

IV. T/TS vote on Research Assistant Professor after formal seminar.

V. Formal memo to the Dean requesting the Promotion.

VI. Dean’s response back to the Department.

VII. Formal memo to the Department Announcing the promotion.

Opportunities as Research Assistant Professor:

1. Funding

2. Graduate Faculty Status (as a result of research and teaching efforts)

3. Member of University Committees

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APPENDIX C

Guidelines for Selecting a Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences

The goal of the procedures outlined in this document is for the Full Faculty (defined as the T/TS and Full-Time NTS faculty) in the Department of Biological Sciences to identify a single candidate for Chair. The name of this candidate will be forwarded to the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as our recommendation. The procedures outlined in this document may be changed at any time by a majority vote of the Full Faculty. One year prior to the end of the existing Chair's appointment (or immediately in the event of a Chair's sudden departure), the Advisory Committee in the Department of Biological Sciences will appoint a committee (herein known as the Select Committee On The CHair: SCOTCH) to organize the Department's efforts to either: (1) re-appoint this individual for another term; (2) search for an external Chair; or (3) identify an internal Chair. If the appointment of an internal Chair is desired, then the Department will also recommend a term length for this appointment to the Dean, typically either 3 or 5 years. SCOTCH will determine the mechanism by which one of these three paths is followed, and any decisions made by this committee must be presented to the full faculty for a vote. If at any time during this process a member of the committee becomes a candidate for Chair, then he/she must resign from SCOTCH; a replacement will be selected by the Advisory Committee. Selection of an Internal Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences The approach for selecting an internal candidate for the position of Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences will be divided into the following stages: (1) Open Nomination; (2) Selection of Candidates; (3) Open Discussion; (4) Voting; and (5) Recommendation to the Dean. • Open Nomination The Full Faculty (T/TS and full-time NTS faculty) will be asked to submit names of faculty candidates for Department Chair to one member of SCOTCH listed above. Nominees should be from the pool of Associate and Full Professors and candidates should not be ranked. It is strongly recommended that the nominator discuss the nomination with the individual prior to submission to determine their level of interest. Solicitations for nominations will be E-mailed and a hard copy will be placed in the department mailboxes of all T/TS and full-time NTS faculty. Every effort will be made to mail solicitations to faculty who are unable to access department mailboxes or E-mail accounts. Faculty will be given 2 weeks to respond to this request. • Selection of Candidates The list of nominees for the position of Chair will be compiled from the above open nomination process and will be distributed to the faculty. After approximately one week, each candidate will be contacted by SCOTCH and asked the following:

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"You have been nominated by the faculty for the position of Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences. Are you willing to be a candidate for this position?" After all of the nominees have been contacted, a final list of faculty willing to be candidates for Chair will be compiled. The final list of candidates will be shared among all Full Faculty. Any candidate may remove him/herself from the list of candidates at this time. • Open Discussion Each candidate for Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences will be asked to write a 1-2 page statement on their vision of the future for the Department of Biological Sciences. This statement will be forwarded to the Full Faculty. A faculty meeting will be held after the faculty have had time to review these statements. At this meeting, each candidate will be asked to present a synopsis of their vision statement; this will be followed by a question and answer period. Questions may also be submitted by members of the faculty in writing if anonymity is desired. Minutes of this meeting will be made available to the Full Faculty. • Voting Procedures In the event that there is a single candidate for Chair, this individual will become the "leading candidate" and the procedure outlined below will be followed (see "Recommendation to the Dean"). The following protocol will be followed if there are two or more candidates. After the faculty meeting, a written, secret ballot containing the names of faculty candidates for Chair will be distributed. All T/TS and full time NTS stream faculty ("Full Faculty") may vote for one Candidate. Faculty comments should not appear on the ballots but rather should be communicated directly to the Dean. Ballots will be collected by the Departmental Administrative Assistant and forwarded to SCOTCH to be opened and counted. If there are two candidates, then the candidate who receives the most votes from the Full Faculty will be defined as the leading candidate. If there are more than two candidates, then the individual who receives the most votes, assuming that their vote total is greater than 50% of those cast, will be the leading candidate. If no candidate receives greater than 50% of the vote, then the top two candidates will be selected for a run-off election. As above, the individual with greater than 50% of the full faculty vote in the run-off election will be the leading candidate. If no candidate receives greater than 50% of the vote and if there is a tie vote for second place, or if there is a three-way tie for first place, then new ballots will be distributed and a new vote will be taken. In the event of a tie vote in an election held between two candidates, then two leading candidates will be identified. Whether either or both names are acceptable to the faculty will then be considered by vote (see below). Assuming that both candidates are acceptable (see below), then the Dean and the Full Faculty in the Department of Biological Sciences will develop a mechanism through which one of the two candidates will be selected as Chair. • Recommendation to the Dean The Full Faculty will be presented with a written, numbered ballot with the name of the leading candidate and will be asked to vote whether the candidate is "acceptable" or "unacceptable". Ballots will be collected, opened, and counted by SCOTCH. If greater than 50% of the voting faculty

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determine that the candidate(s) is acceptable, then the individual(s) will be recommended to the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences to become the Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences. All voting records will also be forwarded to the Dean with the recommendation. If after negotiations with the Dean, the Dean either chooses not to appoint that candidate, or if the leading candidate chooses not to accept the Chair, then SCOTCH will re-initiate the process to either: (1) re-appoint the current Chair for another term; (2) search for an external Chair; or (3) identify a new internal Chair. If a Chair is not appointed by the time the current chair leaves the position, the Dean may appoint an Interim Chair for a period until a new Chair is identified.

ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT

Name Last First Position Evaluation Check one line below to denote the method appropriate for your evaluation: Research (50%), Teaching (30%), Service (20%)

Teaching (80%), Service (20%)

Teaching ( __%), Research ( __%), Service ( __%) Please submit the following materials to Crystal Petrone no later than Friday 15 May 2010: � Submit a single-sided, printed copy of your updated CV � Submit a single-sided, printed copy of the following form after you have completed it � Submit your CV (saved as Your Last Name CV AY10- i.e., Hatfull CV AY10), as a Microsoft Word file or an Adobe PDF file, via email to biochr@pitt.edu � Submit this completed form, (saved as Your Last Name AAR AY10 - i.e., Hatfull AAR AY10) as a Microsoft Word file or an Adobe PDF file, via email to biochr@pitt.edu � Submit your OMET evaluation PDF file(s) (saved as Your Last Name BIOSCxxxx AY10- i.e., Hatfull BIOSC1290 AY10) via email to biochr@pitt.edu

This report should encompass activities performed during the period of:

1 May 2009 to 30 April 2010

Throughout the report, 1 May will refer to 1 May 2009, and 30 April will refer to 30 April 2010 Sections to be completed: 1. Personnel 2. Publications 3. Funding 4. Seminars and Meetings 5. Activities of Students 6. Research Description 7. Honors and Awards 8. Teaching Activities 9. Teaching Innovation 10. Department and University Service 11. Professional Service 12. Community Service 13. Goals for Coming Year 14. Other

Use the View Gridlines command in Word to visualize the Tables more clearly, and the Insert Row command to add rows as necessary.

Sabbatical? 2101 2104

1 – PERSONNEL Please provide a list, in alphabetical order, of all individuals working under your supervision. Name (Last, First) Position* Start Date** Stop Date**

* Please note position, as of 30 April, as follows (provide a meaningful description if none apply) : Undergraduates working in lab: If the status of an undergraduate changes over the year (i.e. fall term

VNRES, spring term PAIDRES) please list him/her multiple times to reflect each status change. HIGH High school student VRES Volunteer for independent VNRES Volunteer performing non-research activities (lab aide or bottle washer) WSRES Work-study student performing research activities WSNRES Work-study student performing non-research activities PAIDRES Undergraduate researcher paid from start-up money or your grant PAIDNRES Undergraduate performing non-research work & paid from startup money or grant Fellowship Please specify: A&S, Beckman, Brackenridge, Chancellor’s Undergraduate Research

(CUR), Colella, HHMI, Horowitz 1st EXP Undergraduate researcher participating in A&S 1st Experiences in Research Program CREDIT Undergraduate researcher taking BIOSC 1903 or BIOSC 1904 (please specify course) 1901 Sponsored undergraduate performing an internship (non-research project) M_GRAD Graduate student, in a Masters program P_GRAD Graduate student, in a Ph.D. program POST Postdoctoral Associate RAP Research Assistant Professor FACULTY Visiting Faculty AIDE Laboratory aide SPEC N Research Specialist, where N is I, II, III, IV, or V according to position

** Please note Date as ‘Continuing’ for individuals already present at 1 May, or working beyond 30 April;

otherwise, note appropriate date as MM/DD/YYYY.

2 – PUBLICATIONS Please provide a list all scholarly publications in the field of Biological Sciences. PRIMARY REPORTS; BOOKS

Status* 1 May 30 April Publication**

Peer Reviewed ?

BOOK CHAPTERS AND REVIEWS

Status* 1 May 30 April Publication**

Peer Reviewed ?

* Please note a publication status for BOTH 1 May AND 30 April as follows :

• N/A Not Applicable; use this notation for publication lacking a status on 1 May • REVIEW Submitted for publication but not accepted for publication • PRESS Accepted for publication, but not in print • REJECT Rejected for publication • PRINT Published, either in electronic or print form

** Please list publication in a consistent format as:

• Journals : Authors (Year) Title. Journal Name Volume:Pages • Book sections : Authors (Year) Title. Pp Pages in Book Title (Editors, eds), Publisher: City. • Book : Authors (Year) Title. Publisher: City. • AUTHORS : IMPORTANT : Please UNDERLINE all Undergraduate authors

DO NOT list publications that are In Preparation, or otherwise not submitted to a publisher DO NOT list publications that were In Print at the beginning of the report period

3 – FUNDING Please provide a list all grants applied for, funded, or continuing during the report period.

Status* 1 May 30 April Grant Title, Agency, Total Budget, and Total Award Period

* Please note a grant status for BOTH 1 May AND 30 April as follows: • N/A Not Applicable; use this notation for grants not submitted by 1 May • REVIEW Submitted for funding but still in review • REJECT Rejected for funding • FUND Funded; use this notation on 1 May for grants awarded prior to the reporting period and on 30 April for grants awarded during the reporting period • EXPIRE Grant expired; applicable only for 30 April entries • EXTEND Grant expired, but a no-cost extension was granted.

DO NOT list grants that are In Preparation, or otherwise not submitted to a funding agency DO list grants that were FUNDED at the beginning of the report period (Status = FUND for both dates)

4 – SEMINARS AND MEETINGS Please provide a list, in chronological order, all seminars given and meetings attended during the report period.

Date* Role** Meeting Title or Location of Invited Seminar

* Please provide the date as MM/DD/YYYY for the date of the seminar, or the start date of the meeting ** Please note your role in seminar or meeting as follows (if more than one role was performed, list each

on a separate line) :

• SPEAKER Gave a seminar • POSTER Attended a meeting and presented a poster • ATTEND Attended a meeting, but did not make a public presentation • LEADER Was a session leader at a meeting. • ORGANIZE R Was the meeting organizer

DO NOT list meetings attended by lab personnel, but not yourself. DO NOT list yourself as SPEAKER at a meeting where a lab member gave a talk; use SECTION 5 to report

these activities.

5 – ACTIVITIES OF STUDENTS AND OTHER TRAINEES

Date* Trainee Role** Meeting Title

* Please provide the date as MM/DD/YYYY for the date of the seminar, or the start date of the meeting ** Please note the role of your student, post-doc or other trainee in seminar or meeting as follows (if more

than one role was performed, list each on a separate line) :

• SPEAKER Gave a seminar • POSTER Attended a meeting and presented a poster • LEADER Was a session leader at a meeting. • ORGANIZE R Was the meeting organizer

DO NOT list yourself as SPEAKER at a meeting where a lab member gave a talk; use SECTION 4 to report

these activities. DO NOT list meetings attended by lab personnel where scientific presentations were not given.

6 – RESEARCH DESCRIPTION Please provide a short description of your research activities; limit the description to this single page.

7 – HONORS AND AWARDS Please provide a list, in chronological order, of all honors and awards received during the report period.

Date* Description of Honor or Award**

* Please provide the date as MM/DD/YYYY for the date of the award. ** Please provide a description of the honor or award, including any monetary prize associated with it if

you deem that relevant. DO NOT list GRANTS or any other activity described elsewhere in this report as an HONOR or AWARD.

8 – TEACHING ACTIVITIES Please provide a list courses taught during the report period. Course* Enroll** Term*** Credit♦ Role OMET * Please provide the course number and title; e.g., BIOSC 1500, Cell Biology ** Please indicate the enrollment (number of students) in the class or section *** Please note the term taught as SUM (Summer), FAL (Fall), or SPR (Spring) ♦ Please indicate the credit hours for this course assignment as listed on your teaching assignment

letter, not in the course listing. Leave this item blank for guest lectures. Please indicate (Y/N) whether an OMET evaluation was solicited for this course. Please indicate your role in the course as follows:

• FULL Sole instructor for the course • HALF One of two instructors in a team-taught course • THIRD One of three instructors in a team-taught course

*** OR list the role as ***

• GU# The number of lectures given as a guest lecturer, e.g., GU2 for 2 guest lectures • GR# The number of lectures given in a graduate core course, or other multiple-instructor

course; e.g., GR6 for six lectures in the MCDB core course. Please submit the PDF file of your OMET evaluations (saved as Your Last Name BIOSCxxxx AY10-

i.e., Hatfull BIOSC1290 AY10) via email to biochr@pitt.edu, along with your Activity Report.

9 – TEACHING INNOVATION Course* Innovation** * Please provide the course number and title; e.g., BIOSC 1500, Cell Biology ** Please describe any alterations you made to the course relative to the last time you taught it, or

provide the approach you took for a course you have taught for the first time. In addition, attach the following materials to the printed version of this report: • A copy of peer evaluations, if available • Copies of unsolicited letters of commendation from students, if available • A copy of the course Syllabus • Any teaching materials that are necessary to detail the Innovations you describe above. Faculty should submit separately any materials they also wish to include in their teaching dossier. If you were assigned teaching credits specifically allocated to Course Development, please provide a

statement of the activities you have engaged in and any documentation pertaining to it (Course syllabus, proposed revisions, plans to introduce active learning strategies etc.)

10 – DEPARTMENT AND UNIVERSITY SERVICE Please provide a list of committees on which you served during the report period. Scope* Committee** Role*** * Please indicate the scope of the committee as:

• COMP Comprehensive examination committee • THESIS Thesis committee • DEPT Departmental committee • FAS College-level committee • UNIV University-wide committee • ADHOC An ad hoc committee charged with a specific task

** Please indicate the committee as:

• The name of the Committee, OR • The name of the individual for COMP and THESIS committees

*** Please describe what role you played on the committee; include an estimate of the number of time

the committee met and the total number of hours spent on this assignment. DO NOT list service activities that appear as PROFESSIONAL SERVICE or COMMUNITY SERVICE

11 – PROFESSIONAL SERVICE Please provide an account of your professional service during the report period. Role* Description * Please indicate your service role as:

• MREV Manuscript reviewer; include in Description the number of manuscripts reviewed and the Journals to which the manuscripts were submitted. • GREV Grant reviewer; include in Description the number of grants reviewed and the agencies to which the grants were submitted. • EDITOR Editor for a scholarly journal; include in the Description the name of the Journal and the number of papers refereed. • PANEL Panel service (e.g., for grant reviews at NIH or NSF); include in Description the name of the panel and the name of the sponsoring agency. • OTHER In Description, indicate the nature of the professional service

DO NOT list service activities that appear as UNIVERSITY SERVICE or COMMUNITY SERVICE

12 – COMMUNITY SERVICE Please provide an account of your community services during the report period. Date* Description** * Please provide the date as MM/DD/YYYY for the date of service. ** Please describe the nature of your service role; include dates and places if appropriate. DO NOT list service activities that appear as UNIVERSITY SERVICE or PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

13 – GOALS FOR COMING YEAR Please provide a brief description of your main objectives for the coming academic year in research, teaching or other professional activities (as appropriate). For example, comment on new or continuing research directions, papers and grants planned, teaching innovations, administrative initiatives etc.

14 – OTHER Please provide a description of any other relevant activities performed during the reporting period that do not easily fit into the categories provided above. Be brief but clear.

Appendix E

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEES STRUCTURE

2010-2011

GRADUATE COMMITTEES

DIRECTOR OF GRADUATE STUDIES

GRADUATE PROGRAM OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE (GPOC) Graduate Recruiting Graduate Fellowships Graduate Curriculum

TA Oversight

UNDERGRADUATE COMMITTEES

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE (UPOC) Undergraduate Research

Undergraduate Curriculum HHMI Executive

OTHER COMMITTEES

ADVISORY ANIMALS

FACULTY SEARCH PLE

RETREAT SAFETY

SEMINARS WEB SITE & COMPUTERS

University of Pittsburgh

Department of Biological Sciences

Guide to Grad uat e Studies 200 9- 10

Ecology & Evolution • Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology

Welcome

Grad Guide 09-10 2

To Our New Graduate Students, Welcome to the Department of Biological Sciences community! You are now embarking on an exciting and challenging adventure of graduate studies with many new things to learn. We hope that you will approach all of the challenges of graduate work with enthusiasm, integrity, and perseverance. This handbook is meant to serve as a working guide to our Graduate Programs for the first year and beyond. If you don’t find the information you need in this guide or on our website, don’t hesitate to ask! You have our best wishes for success as you pursue excellence in your academic and scientific endeavors! The Graduate Program Oversight Committee (GPOC)

Table of Contents

Grad Guide 09-10 3

Table of Contents

Roster of Graduate Program Faculty 5 Overview and Program Administration 6

Graduate study in the Department of Biological Sciences 6 Goals 6 Admission to the Program 6 Programs of Study 7

Department Website 7

Graduate Committees and Duties 8

Committee Duties 8 The Direction of Graduate Studies (DGS) 8 The Graduate Program Oversight Committee (GPOC) 8 Graduate Recruiting and Admissions (GRAC) 9 Graduate Funding and Fellowships (GFF) 9 Graduate Curriculum Committee (GCC) 9 TA Oversight Committee (TOAC) 10

Important Information for All Biological Sciences Grad Students 11

The Advisory System 11 Orientation Meeting 11 Interim Advisor 11 Dissertation Advisor 12

Committees and Exams 13 Preliminary Evaluation: First Year Review 13 Dissertation Committee 14 Annual Committee Meetings 15 Comprehensive Exam 15 Overview Meeting 18 Dissertation Research 18 Dissertation Defense 19

Other PhD Requirements 19 Course Requirements and Options 19 Research Rotations 20 Annual Seminar Presentations 20 Departmental Seminars 21 Research Ethics 21 Prevention of Sexual Harassment 21 Department Retreat 22 Teaching 22

Responsibilities of the Student 22 Requirements to maintain good standing in Program 22

Graduate program in Ecology & Evolution 24

Requirements for the Ph.D. 24 Details on Degree Requirements 24

Academic Advising 24 Course Requirements 25 Research Rotations 25

Table of Contents

Grad Guide 09-10 4

Dissertation Proposal, Comprehensive Exam and Overview Meeting 25 EE Seminar and Annual Research Presentation 26

Graduate Program in Molecular, Cellular and Devtl Biology 27 Requirements for the Ph.D. 27 Details on Degree Requirements 27

Course Requirements 28 Research Rotations 29 Probation after Preliminary Evaluation/First Year Review 29 The Dissertation Research Proposal 29 MCDB Graduate Research Presentations (Friday Noon Seminar) 32 Comprehensive Exam 32

Teaching: TAs and Teaching Minor Program 34

Teaching Assistants 34 Training 34 Workload 34 Monitoring 34 Courses 35

Teaching Minor Program 35 Enrollment 35 Requirements 35 Continuation in the Teaching Minor Program 36 Completion of the Teaching Minor Requirements 36 Suggested Timeline for the Teaching Minor 37

Financial Support and Benefits 38

Sources of Support 38 Fellowships 38 Grants awarded to Dissertation Advisors 38 Teaching Assistantships and Fellowships 38

Healthcare and Tuition 39 A&S Fellows, TA/TFs, GSRs and Mellon fellows 39 Other fellowships 39 University Health Plans 39

Travel Grants 39

Conflict Resolution and Leaves of Absence 40

University Regulations for the Ph.D. Degree 40 Masters Degree 41

Appendix A: Overview of Requirements for EE Program 42 Appendix B: Overview of Requirements for MCDB Program 43 Appendix C: Graduate Courses offered by the Dept of Biol Sciences 44 Appendix D: Preapproved courses outside Biological Sciences 45 Appendix E: Instructions for Application via the Direct Entry method 46 Appendix F: Undergraduate that require TAs 47 Appendix G: Current Stipend Rates 48

Faculty and Staff

Grad Guide 09-10 5

Graduate Program Faculty and Staff

Cathy Barr, Graduate Program Administrator Karen Arndt, Professor Tia-Lynn Ashman, Professor Jon Boyle, Assistant Professor Jeffrey Brodsky, Professor Gerard Campbell, Associate Professor Walter Carson, Associate Professor Deborah Chapman, Associate Professor William Coffman, Associate Professor Michael Grabe, Assistant Professor Paula Grabowski, Professor Graham Hatfull, Professor and Chair John Hempel, Research Associate Professor Roger Hendrix, Professor Jeffrey Hildebrand, Associate Professor Lewis Jacobson, Professor Linda Jen-Jacobson, Professor Susan Kalisz, Professor Kirill Kiselyov, Assistant Professor Jeffrey Lawrence, Professor Joseph Martens, Assistant Professor Valerie Oke, Codirector of Undergraduate Programs Craig Peebles, Professor James Pipas, Professor Rick Relyea, Associate Professor Beth Roman, Assistant Professor John Rosenberg, Professor William Saunders, Associate Professor Anthony Schwacha, Assistant Professor Beth Stronach, Assistant Professor Stephen Tonsor, Associate Professor Brian Traw, Assistant Professor Andrew VanDemark, Assistant Professor

See Department website for complete list of Faculty and descriptions of Faculty research interests: http://www.pitt.edu/~biology/

Overview/Administration

Grad Guide 09-10 6

Ov er vi ew a nd P rog r am Admi ni st r ati o n

Gradu at e S t udy i n t he D epart m ent of Bi ol ogi cal S ci e nc es at t he U ni v ers i t y of P i t t s bu rgh

Goals The goals of Graduate Study in the Department of Biological Sciences are to provide students with the training, guidance, experience, and opportunities to participate in research that will allow them to make the transition from being interested consumers of biological knowledge to being full, participating members of the biological profession. As such, they will be able to recognize the limits of our current biological knowledge and to use that insight to design and conduct research that addresses those limits. They will carry out research with the skill and integrity necessary to advance our level of knowledge. They will be able to integrate new insights from their research with existing knowledge and with advances from other biologists to generate new levels of understanding. They will also have the ability to effectively share their new insights with their colleagues, students, and others by lectures, in writing, and other forms of teaching.

Admission to the Program (1) Standard Entry. Most students are recruited by a standard admissions procedure,

see website for details. Traditionally these students are supported in their first two semesters by a School of Arts and Sciences fellowship.

(2) Direct Entry. In this mechanism, students can apply directly to work with a faculty member in the EE or MCDB program. Direct Entry (DE) students are not eligible for support by School of A&S first year fellowships. DE students are required to have a Masters degree or equivalent in a suitable area that has provided training approximately equivalent to that obtained by students in their first year of the MCDB or EE programs so that when they enter the program they will be equivalent to 2nd year students who use the standard entry. The key differences between traditional students and DE students are:

• DE students are required to have a Masters degree or equivalent in a suitable area that has provided training approximately equivalent to that obtained by students in their first year of the MCDB or EE programs.

• DE students will be exempt from first year requirements including rotations and core course, unless it has been decided that they should complete any course work to fill deficiencies in their previous training (all rules governing grade requirements for standard entry students taking these courses will also apply).

• DE students are required to fulfill all other requirements of the MCDB or EE programs, including upper level graduate classes, attendance of seminars, passing their comprehensive exam, and dissertation proposal.

• For MCDB students, passing the Dissertation Thesis Proposal requirement will substitute for the Preliminary Evaluation. For EE students a satisfactory Annual Committee meeting within the first year will substitute for the Preliminary Evaluation.

• Financial support for DE students should come either from GSR monies from the Dissertation Advisor or from a fellowship awarded to the student.

• DE students must complete one term of teaching as a Teaching Assistant, unless they have taught at an equivalent level for one term prior to joining the Department. In general, DE students are permitted to teach only one term as a

Overview/Administration - Website

Grad Guide 09-10 7

TA. Additional terms as a TA are only available when given special permission from GPOC, such as when participating in the Teaching Minor Program.

• The total number of DE students should not exceed 20% of the total graduate student body and there should not be more than 2 DE students per lab.

Instructions on the Direct Entry application procedure are provided in Appendix E.

P rog ra ms of G raduat e S t udy There are two Programs of Graduate Study in Biological Sciences:

• Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (MCDB)

• Ecology and Evolution (E&E)

These Programs operate with similar mechanisms for admission, advice and guidance, first year courses, research rotations, teaching requirements and dissertation research. These common aspects are described below, and unique aspects are described on pp. 19-26 (MCDB) and pp. 27-31 (E&E). • A Teaching Minor is also available to all students in our Department (p. 32-35).

Dep ar tm en t al Web si te http://www.pitt.edu/~biology/

We maintain an up to date, and easy to use website with information about our Graduate Programs, Faculty research interests, and policies for admission to potential applicants. The website is also useful for Department members, providing news and highlighting upcoming events. The website is maintained by “The Webmaster” (Dr. Jeffrey Lawrence) in conjunction with the Graduate Recruiting and Admissions Committee. Comments and corrections to the site can be directed to bioweb@pitt.edu. Additional information on graduate study is available at the University of Pittsburgh School of Arts and Sciences Regulations Governing Graduate Study Website: http://www.pitt.edu/~graduate/regtoc.html

Committees

Grad Guide 09-10 8

Dep ar tm en t al Co mmi t t ee s

Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) G. Campbell

Graduate Program Oversight Committee G. Campbell (Chair)

T.L. Ashman (Co-chair) B. Stronach V. Oke B. Roman B. Saunders

Fellowship and Funding B. Saunders (Co-chair)

P. Grabowski J. Brodsky (Spring)

Graduate Recruiting and Admissions B. Stronach (Chair)

M. Grabe J. Martens B. Traw A. VanDemark

Graduate Curriculum B. Roman (Chair)

W. Carson (Fall) J. Pipas R. Hendrix (Spring)

TA Oversight V. Oke (Chair)

L. Daniels C. Lafave T. Schwacha

Co m mi t t e e Dut i es

The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) The DGS is responsible for all administrative aspects of the graduate program and reports to the Chair of the Department. The DGS is also the Chair of GPOC and thus ensures that each duty assigned to GPOC — as described below — is completed.

The Graduate Program Oversight Committee (GPOC) GPOC is the highest-level graduate committee, to which each graduate subcommittee reports. Substantive changes to the graduate program are discussed first by GPOC and then by the faculty as a whole. The specific functions of GPOC include but are not restricted to: • Coordinate an orientation program at the beginning of the academic year for incoming

graduate students • Track graduate student academic performance and ensure that students adhere to all

requirements outlined in the Graduate Guide • Monitor annual progress of each graduate student • Assign comprehensive examination committee chairs

Committees

Grad Guide 09-10 9

• Compile information for faculty at the end of each graduate students’ first academic year in order to facilitate promotion to the second year

• Review graduate student policy and make recommendations to the DGS on revisions to the Graduate Guide

• Advise the DGS and Department Chair on new graduate student policies • Address graduate student academic irregularities • Approve major changes in a graduate student’s direction of study and coursework • Approve requests for enrollment in the Teaching Minor program, provide annual

feedback on the Teaching Dossier, and validate final receipt of the Minor • Provide a liaison between the Graduate Student Organization and faculty

Graduate Recruiting and Admissions (GRAC) The primary goal of the GRC subcommittee is to solicit applicants for graduate study and to recruit prospective students. The Chair of GRC reports to the DGS. The specific duties include: • Assisting in updating graduate materials on the Department website. • Organize large-scale mailings and emails to contacts at other universities and to

prospective graduate students. • Maintaining and updating a recruiting database. • Reviewing applications from individuals who are interested in graduate study. • Scheduling and coordinating visits to campus of prospective graduate students. • Maintaining contact with accepted students to actively recruit them to the Department. • Responding to questions from the incoming student class prior to arrival. • Coordinating with the graduate secretary to ensure that the application information

and pertinent data on incoming students is communicated to the School Arts and Sciences.

Graduate Funding and Fellowships (GFF) The goals of the GFC subcommittee are to identify and procure external support for graduate students in the Department, and to help identify students to compete for internal fellowship opportunities. The Chair of GFC reports to the DGS. Duties of the GFC subcommittee include: • Write and submit applications for graduate student training grants. • Solicit nominations and forward top-ranked applications for Andrew Mellon

Fellowships to the School of Arts of Sciences. • Maintain a database of external sources for graduate student funding. • Distribute information to students and faculty on identified, external funding sources.

Graduate Curriculum Committee (GCC) The Graduate Curriculum Committee subcommittee coordinates the curriculum requirements for both the MCDB and EE programs. The Chair of GGC reports to the DGS. Duties of GCC include: • Prepare syllabi for the MCDB and EE Core Courses. • Coordinate with the Chair and Associate Chair in staffing these courses. • Monitor progress and proposed changes to the Core, Seminars, and Advanced

Topics courses in MCDB and EE. • Evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum through student and faculty feedback. • Recommend removal of courses that no longer meet Departmental needs.

Committees

Grad Guide 09-10 10

TA Oversight Committee (TAOC) The TA Oversight committee subcommittee is responsible for managing the Department Teaching Assistant (TA) program. The Chair of TAOC reports jointly to the DGS and the Chair of UPOC. TAOC duties include: • Coordinate assignment of Teaching Assistantships. • Develop Department policies for appropriate TA distribution guidelines. • Develop and implement a program for formal preparation in teaching. • Coordinate an orientation program for all teaching assistants. • Evaluate graduate student teaching assistants to ensure “satisfactory” performance. • Provide students with feedback on their teaching abilities. • Address graduate student teaching irregularities.

Important information: Advisory System

Grad Guide 09-10 11

Impo rt a nt I nfo rm ati on for al l Bi ol ogi c al Sci enc es G r ad ua t e St ude nt s

The Ad vi s o ry S ys t e m Orientation Meeting

During the week prior to the start of the Fall term, an Orientation Meeting is conducted by the DGS or a GPOC representative to welcome students to the Department and provide information about the administrative organization of the Department, the advisory system, course registration, benefits, the Department Retreat, and student expectations and requirements.

Interim Advisor First year graduate students in the MCDB and E&E Program are assigned an Interim Advisor for the first two semesters of graduate study. The Interim Advisor is assigned as the Faculty member with whom the student performs his/her first 10-week research rotation. Early in the first semester, the Interim Advisor evaluates the student’s academic strengths and weaknesses and suggests remedial course work or reading as needed. Practical advice is given to the student about accurate documentation of the laboratory notebook, about the design and interpretation of experiments, and about performing literature searches relevant to the research project. In addition, the Interim Advisor provides guidance in the preparation of the research rotation presentations, which are meant to describe why the research project was undertaken, what approaches were used, what results were obtained and what the results mean. The Interim Advisor completes a written evaluation of the student’s progress in the first research rotation and discusses the evaluation in detail with the student. In January of the first year, the Interim Advisor meets with the student to discuss his/her progress in course work and research rotations. This meeting ensures that the student understands in what areas he/she is doing well and what improvements need to be made. Subsequent to the interview the Interim Advisor completes a written evaluation of the students progress. The evaluation is reviewed early in the Spring term by the DGS, and later by the full Faculty at the end of the first year. Written evaluations of the student’s performance in the second and third research rotations are also reviewed by the full Faculty. If at any time in the first year the student feels that the advising system is failing their needs, they should contact the DGS for advice or reassignment to a new Interim Advisor. In May of the first year, the performance of each student in coursework, specific Program activities, and laboratory rotations is evaluated at a Faculty meeting, and the decision is made whether or not to promote the student to the second year of study. This is known as the Preliminary Evaluation. Graduate students are normally required to select a Dissertation Advisor prior to this meeting (see below), at which time the newly selected Advisor serves as the advocate for the student.

Important information: Advisory System

Grad Guide 09-10 12

Dissertation Advisor At the end of the Spring semester of the first year, each student selects a Dissertation Advisor, who will be the student’s primary mentor. The Dissertation Advisor works closely with the student throughout his/her graduate studies to foster excellence and integrity in the student’s performance, and to help the student develop laboratory skills, critical thinking, and independence. The selection of the advisor is one of the most important decisions a graduate student makes. Although there is no formula for choosing an Advisor, the student’s interest in the proposed research topic, the laboratory environment, and the ease with which the student interacts with the Dissertation Advisor are critical elements to consider in the selection process. The Dissertation Advisor provides specific guidance on the direction of the research project, what methods are appropriate to accomplish research goals and a timetable for completion of each phase of the research project. The Advisor also helps the student with problem solving to overcome roadblocks in the project. Advice is also given on the completion of specific Program requirements, such as in the selection of advanced topics courses.

Important information: Committees and Exams

Grad Guide 09-10 13

Co m mi t t e es a nd E xa ms During the course of their PhD programs in Department of Biological Sciences, all students participate in a common series of committee meetings and examination described in the following paragraphs. The purpose, the structure of the related committees and timetables for these common requirements, meetings and exams are summarized in the table below. Specific requirements of the E&E or MCDB Programs are detailed in subsequent sections.

Preliminary Evaluation: First Year Review A student’s progress is evaluated each year he or she is enrolled in graduate school in the Department of Biological Sciences. At the end of the Spring semester of the first year, each graduate student’s performance in coursework and rotations is discussed at a special faculty meeting; at the end of the meeting the faculty vote to recommend promotion or dismissal of each student. At least one week before the meeting (students will be informed of the date) EE students only must submit to Cathy Barr a 1-2 page summary of their progress over the previous two semesters. Students should discuss with their Advisor what to include in this report.

Promotion to the 2nd year requires the following • A positive vote from the faculty in the meeting. • A GPA above 3.0. This is a University requirement: all students must maintain a GPA

above 3.0 to remain a graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh. • Agreement from a faculty member to act as dissertation advisor. • Approval from the Dean, this is routine if the above requirements are met.

Probation during the summer of the first year • Any student who has a GPA below 3.0 at the end of the Spring semester may be

placed on probation during the summer but only if they: (i) receive a positive vote from the faculty; (ii) have identified a faculty member to act as their dissertation advisor; (iii) have a GPA high enough that it could potentially be improved to 3.0 or above by grades awarded for available credits (3) in the summer.

• During the summer, students placed on probation will be given the opportunity to improve their GPA to 3.0 or above; if this is achieved, they will be promoted.

• In the rare situations where a student with a GPA above 3.0 and with a positive vote from faculty has not identified a faculty advisor, they will be given the opportunity to find a lab to do a fourth rotation.

A student will be dismissed from the program if: • At the end of the Spring semester, their GPA is so low that it could not be increased

to at least 3.0 by the end of the summer even if they achieved an A grade in the available 3 credits.

• They have a GPA below 3.0 at the end of the summer, for those students on probation.

• They receive a negative vote from the faculty. Achieving a GPA of 3.0 does not guarantee promotion: the faculty judge other factors including research performance.

• They have failed to identify a faculty member who will act as their Dissertation Advisor.

Important information: Committees and Exams

Grad Guide 09-10 14

Dissertation Committee Purpose To provide feedback and expertise in topics related to the development of the dissertation project. The committee participates in Annual Meetings, the Comprehensive Exam, Overview Meeting and Dissertation Defense Meeting.

Membership • Faculty Advisor • Three faculty from Biological Sciences (adjunct faculty can only be used if they are

also members of Pitt Graduate Faculty, see below). If any leaves the department, then s/he becomes an outside member after 12 months, and so another member of the department must be asked to join the committee. One of these faculty will be chosen to act as Chair of the committee (who will, thus, be someone other than the Faculty Advisor); this choice will be made by GPOC in consultation with the student and advisor.

• One outside faculty member. The outside faculty member should be selected on the basis of contributions he or she can make by virtue of the particular areas of scholarly interest or expertise relevant to the dissertation topic. Note: if the outside faculty member is not a member of the University of Pittsburgh Graduate Faculty (including School of Medicine faculty - a list of the University's Graduate Faculty is available online at www.ir.pitt.edu/gradfac/homepg.htm), then s/he must be approved in advance by the Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies. Approval cannot be taken for granted: to be approved they must have the equivalence of graduate faculty status at another institution, and must have some experience of teaching and mentoring at the graduate level, including previous experience on Ph.D. Dissertation Committees. Consequently, it is important to be sure that a potential outside member meets these requirements before requesting permission. The best course of action, is for the Advisor and student to ask a potential outside member if they would be willing to act in this capacity, but also inform them that if they do agree then for official approval they must meet the university requirements outlined above and need to provide a C.V. that includes details of this, including lists of any recent courses taught at the graduate level, graduate students mentored, and graduate student committees on which they have served. It is the responsibility of the Dissertation Advisor to obtain final approval: e-mail a letter of request to Stephen Carr, Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies and Research (slcarr+@pitt.edu), include a C.V. and in your letter justify your choice. Also note: the Dean’s office will not provide funds to bring in outside faculty members for any meeting or defense. The possibility of acquiring Departmental funds for the visit of an outside member for a defense should be discussed with the Chair of the Department well in advance, this may be possible if coupled to a Departmental seminar. The outside committee member must attend the Overview Meeting and the Defense and is encouraged to attend all other meetings. If the outside member cannot attend the Overview Meeting, a petition should be made to the Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies for a waiver; there is no guarantee this will be granted but accommodation has been made in the past if assurance is given that the outside member will definitely be present at the Defense.

• Can include more members if desired. Non-faculty scholars with special competence in the area of research of the dissertation may also be appointed as an official member of the doctoral committee.

Choose • Near the beginning of the second year in the Program, student and Faculty Advisor

invite faculty members from the department to serve on the Dissertation Committee.

Important information: Committees and Exams

Grad Guide 09-10 15

The outside member can be invited at this stage, but can be asked later; an outside member must have agreed to act on the committee before the Overview meeting.

• Committee composition should be reported to Cathy Barr by email as soon as the committee composition is finalized, and if required, provide evidence of pre-approval from the Graduate Dean for outside members (see above).

Annual Committee Meetings Beginning in the second year and every year until graduation, students are required to hold a meeting with their dissertation committee at least once a year; it is convenient to do this soon after the student’s Annual Seminar Presentation. The meeting must be attended by the Faculty Advisor and the three Biological Sciences faculty; the outside member is encouraged to attend, but this is not mandatory. These meetings serve as an opportunity for the student to gain feedback and insight from committee members as the student develops his or her dissertation research and for the committee to evaluate the student’s progress towards our Program requirements. Students must inform Cathy Barr at least one week before the meeting is to be held. Prior to each annual committee meeting, the student distributes a comprehensive written summary of research over the past year (including figures/graphs) and/or coursework to each member of the committee. For MCDB students in their second year, if the meeting is held soon after the Dissertation Research Proposal has been completed, this requirement may be waived at the discretion of the Committee Chairperson. If the meeting is not held soon after the Annual Seminar Presentation, the student gives an oral presentation at the beginning of the meeting describing the research accomplished, experimental results obtained, conclusions drawn, and future directions of the research project. This is an important opportunity for feedback on the dissertation project. At the end of the meeting the committee members will provide the student with an assessment of their:

• General knowledge in MCDB or EE • Expertise in their chosen area of specialization • Ability to design, execute and interpret experiments • Ability to communicate scientific findings in writing and orally (including a report

on their research seminar and their written summary of research) The Dissertation Advisor will complete a form detailing this assessment; the completed form will be signed by all committee members and returned to Cathy Barr (including an electronic copy). Copies will be given to the student, all committee members and the DGS. It is also the duty of the committee to review student compliance with course requirements and inform GPOC if the student has failed to complete a requirement in the stated timeframe.

GPOC reviews committee reports annually, and based on yearly progress in coursework and whether annual committee meetings have taken place, determines whether a graduate student is making sufficient progress. If not, GPOC can recommend that a student be terminated from the Graduate Program (see below).

Comprehensive Exam

The Comprehensive Examination is designed to assess the student's mastery of the general field of doctoral study, the acquisition of both depth and breadth in the area of specialization within the general field, and the ability to use the research methods of the discipline to design and interpret experiments. It occurs at the end of the 2nd year or beginning of the 3rd year, around the time of the completion of the formal course

Important information: Committees and Exams

Grad Guide 09-10 16

requirements. The exam must be attended by the three Biological Sciences faculty and for EE comprehensive exams, by the Dissertation Advisor also. The MCDB advisor does not attend the exam. The Chair of the Dissertation Committee will also chair the exam. The EE exam is usually followed immediately by an Overview Meeting and, if so, the outside member must attend. The exact nature of the exam differs between programs, see below for details. General procedure The student will prepare the written proposal prior to the exam and schedule an oral examination after consultation with members of the committee; the student must inform the DGS and Cathy Barr of the time, date and location of the examination. The student must also bring to the examination a university report card (see Cathy Barr) that must be completed by the committee (if a reexamination is necessary this University report card should be completed then, not at the initial exam). The examination will begin with a short presentation from the student covering all the major points of the written proposal. The committee members will then orally examine a student testing their expertise in the chosen field and also their general knowledge in EE or MCDB.

General Advice on the proposal • Begin with a clear introduction, providing the relevant facts to someone not an expert

in this field and pose specific question(s) that remain to be answered. • Justify why you have chosen a particular experimental system to address these

questions. What alternatives could have been chosen? • Present hypotheses that will be tested to address those questions; provide possible

alternative hypotheses. • List two or three specific aims. • Within each specific aim, describe experimental approaches to address that aim and

which will test one or more of the hypotheses you have proposed. • Explain what the results will be if your hypotheses are correct. What alternative

results could be obtained and will these refute your hypotheses; would they support your alternative hypotheses?

• For each experimental approach you have chosen: justify why you have chosen that approach, describe what potential problems you might encounter and suggest alternative approaches that could be taken if these difficulties do occur. Has anyone ever used the approach you propose in the experimental system you have chosen? If not, justify why you expect this approach to work. Make sure you know the theory behind all of the experimental techniques you propose to use. Be aware of the advantages of each approach and the disadvantages. Some details are important, in particular those that relate to feasibility, e.g how much tissue you do need for an experiment? Are the reagents you need to use readily available; if not how will you generate them?

• Make sure you provide references for all the statements you make and to support all the experimental approaches you propose to use.

• Make sure you have conformed to any requirements specific to EE or MCDB (see below).

The role of the Dissertation Advisor Although the Dissertation Advisor is the primary mentor for the student, they should not have any direct input into the preparation and writing of the proposal that forms part of the examination: this written document should be the work of the student alone. The Advisor will already have had significant influence on the ability of the student to provide an acceptable document for the comprehensive exam, via their mentoring of the student through the Dissertation Research Proposal for MCDB students and through grant applications for EE students. The student is expected to discuss the report they receive

Important information: Committees and Exams

Grad Guide 09-10 17

after their examination with their Advisor, but if reexamination is required, the Advisor cannot read and directly comment on the written proposal or on a revised proposal. Peer review The formulation of hypotheses and experimental design should originate with the student, so substantial discussion with any other individual during the writing process must be avoided. However, it is strongly advised that students review each others proposals after they have been written. This review should be restricted to students within our program and not extend to post-docs or other professionals.

Decision At the end of the oral exam the student will be asked to leave the room. The Committee will discuss the performance of the student in the oral exam and the quality of the written document; each member will then vote: pass unconditional, pass conditional or fail. For an unconditional pass, support must be unanimous. To vote for a conditional pass, a member must be satisfied that the student has almost met the conditions necessary for a pass but has identified specific deficiencies that should be improved before a full pass is granted. If a conditional pass is the decision, the committee will then discuss what measures need to be taken by the student in order to pass; these could include rewriting part of the written document, with or without a second oral exam. If the decision is fail, the committee will discuss exactly what the reasons are for the failure. When the committee has completed the voting and discussion, the student will be asked to reenter the room and the Chair of the committee will inform the student of the decision. The Chair will then provide the student with details on the reason for the decision. If the decision was unconditional pass then the committee should sign the University examination card and this should be completed by the Chair and handed to Cathy Barr. Immediately after the meeting the Chair must inform the Dissertation Advisor (MCDB), the DGS and Cathy Barr of the decision by e-mail. The decision of the committee must be unanimous; if a unanimous decision cannot be reached, the DGS will mediate and reach a final decision. Report Within one week of the oral examination the Chair of the committee will complete a detailed Departmental report. This must be completed in consultation with the other members of the committee and will provide an evaluation of the written proposal and oral exam. If the student was not awarded an unconditional pass, the report will outline the areas that the student must improve or correct in order to pass the comprehensive exam. If the decision was a conditional pass, the specific requirements that need to be reexamined must be clearly documented in the report. If the decision was fail, then the specific reasons for this must be provided. The report must be e-mailed to the student, the other members of the committee, the DGS, the Dissertation Advisor and to Cathy Barr. The student is expected to discuss the report with members of the committee; this is essential if the student did not receive an unconditional pass. Reexamination If a student receives a conditional pass or a fail then they can request a reexamination. The distinction between the conditional pass and a fail is that for the former, the reexamination will only involve specific requirements (as decided by the committee after the first examination), whereas for the latter the student must go through the whole procedure again, i.e. produce a full revised written document and have a full oral examination. A conditional pass granted after the first examination does not guarantee that the student will pass the reexamination. Any reexamination must occur within three months of the original examination (unless there are unusual circumstances and, if so,

Important information: Committees and Exams

Grad Guide 09-10 18

this must be discussed with the DGS), the student must schedule the reexamination and inform Cathy Barr and the DGS of the date, time and location. The procedure for the reexamination will follow that for the initial one, with the exception that the Committee will vote pass or fail. If the decision is fail, then the Committee will reassess the performance of the student and render another decision on whether they agree that the student's performance in the exam reaches that expected for an MS student. If the performance was at the MS level then the student will be given the opportunity to petition GPOC for transfer to the MS track according to the rules found later in this guide. There is no guarantee that GPOC would agree to the request. As for the first exam, all decisions must be unanimous, and if this cannot be reached the DGS with mediate and reach a final decision.

At the end of the examination, the committee members must sign the University examination card and this must be completed by the Chair and handed to Cathy Barr. Immediately after the meeting the Chair must inform the Dissertation Advisor (MCDB), the DGS and Cathy Barr of the decision by e-mail. Within one week after a reexamination, the Chair of the committee will complete a revised report that includes an evaluation of the reexamination.

Overview or Prospectus Meeting

This meeting is designed to determine if a student has progressed sufficiently to be entered into candidacy for the doctoral degree. The meeting can be held any time after the comprehensive exam, but must be completed at least eight months before a defense. The outside committee member must attend the overview meeting. Each student must prepare a written dissertation proposal and give an oral presentation to the doctoral committee at a formal Dissertation Overview or Prospectus Meeting. The document and presentation provide details on motivation, background, rationale and plans for the proposed research. This permits the committee members to provide guidance in shaping the conceptualization and methodology of the proposed project. If the Dissertation Committee unanimously approves the dissertation proposal, the student can file an application for admission to candidacy for the Doctor of Philosophy degree, if they have also successfully completed their comprehensive exam and required course work.

For MCDB students it is appropriate to use one of the Annual Committee meetings as an Overview meeting. The student and Dissertation Advisor will discuss whether an upcoming Annual Committee meeting will be used as an Overview meeting (typically this would be in late third year or early fourth). In addition to the usual requirements for an Annual Meeting, the student will provide the committee (including the outside member who must also attend the meeting) with a Dissertation Proposal; this is distinct from the earlier Dissertation Research Proposal completed in the second year and is a one to two page justification and summary of research that has and will be carried out for the Dissertation. For EE the Overview meeting is usually held immediately after a successful Comprehensive Exam defense.

Dissertation Research Dissertation research commences when the Dissertation Advisor is chosen and continues at least until the Dissertation Committee agrees that an acceptable body of work has been completed to prepare the dissertation. As indicated above, meetings between the student and the Dissertation Committee are required yearly in order to assess the

Important information: Committees and Exams

Grad Guide 09-10 19

student’s research progress and to rectify any oversights in the design or execution of specific experiments.

Dissertation Defense The Ph.D. is awarded following successful defense of the dissertation with a public seminar and satisfaction of all other University, Department and Program requirements. Students are required to provide their committee with a complete copy of their dissertation at least 2 weeks in advance of the defense.

At the University of Pittsburgh, all dissertations are submitted as PDFs and published electronically. The Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) web site provides step-by-step instructions, workshops, tutorials, training and support to aid graduate students in this endeavor (http://www.pitt.edu/~graduate/etd/). Walk-in support is also available at Hillman Library. The dissertation defense begins with a formal seminar presented by the doctoral candidate to the Department. The final oral examination in defense of the doctoral dissertation is conducted by the dissertation committee and occurs directly after the seminar. The outside committee member must attend the defense.

O t her P hd R equi re m ent s Both EE and MCDB programs have some similar requirements and these are described here. More details on requirements unique to each program can be found later.

Course Requirements and Options

• Modular Core Courses: taken by all students in each Program • Seminar Courses: see specific Program description for details • Advanced Topics: consult with Dissertation Advisor to choose appropriate

courses

Advanced Topics classes in and outside the Department The Department runs several Advanced Topics courses that are taken by our graduate students. A list of all the classes regularly run by the department can be found in Appendix C; because changes may be made, it is recommended that students check that a course is being offered in any particular semester by consulting actual course listings on the Pitt website: http://www.registrar.pitt.edu/schedule_of_classes.html It is also possible for students to take courses outside of the Department if these fulfill program requirements. The Graduate Program Oversight Committee, in collaboration with the Curriculum committee, evaluates and decides on requests from graduate students to take courses outside the Department. GPOC has generated a list of pre-approved courses outside the Department that fulfill requirements toward students’ degrees (Appendix D). If you are interested in taking a course outside the Department to fulfill a graduate course requirement toward your PhD that is not pre-approved, you must do the following:

1. Consult with your dissertation advisor about appropriate courses. 2. Check if the course is on the past-courses-approved-by-GPOC list (Appendix C).

Important information: Other requirements

Grad Guide 09-10 20

3. Obtain an electronic copy of the current course syllabus (and lecture topic schedule if possible) and send it to the Director of Graduate Studies/GPOC Chair along with your request to take this course. Obtaining the current syllabus must be done even if a course was previously approved.

4. Ask your dissertation advisor to document his/her approval of the course by sending an email to the Director of Graduate Studies/GPOC Chair stating his/her support of your enrollment in the course.

Upon receipt of the three documents (student request, current syllabus, faculty advisor approval), the Director of Graduate Studies/GPOC Chair will circulate the documents to all members of GPOC for approval. The Director of Graduate Studies/GPOC Chair will inform the student of the committee’s decision in a timely fashion.

Research Rotations Students in both the MCDB and EE programs perform research rotations in the first year. These rotations supplement classroom-based educational opportunities and provide settings for students to interact with faculty, who may serve on their dissertation committees or be their advisor, and to meet the members of different labs. Students present their results at the end of each research rotation as a brief talk. Each rotation will be graded (letter grade) and is worth 1 credit.

Dates for the research rotations in the 2009-10 academic year are as follows (the third rotation is optional for EE students):

Rotation 1: 09/2/09 thru 11/04/09 November 4, First Rotation Talks Rotation 2: 11/5/08 thru 02/03/09 February 3, Second Rotation Talks Rotation 3: 02/04/09 thru 04/14/09 April 14, Third Rotation Talks

Rotation Presentation Guidelines Short (15 minute), oral presentations are required at the end of each rotation (dates indicated above). The purpose of the rotation presentation is to concisely describe what research question/hypothesis was addressed and why, what experimental approaches were used, what results were obtained, and what the results mean. How well the results answer the question, what new questions arise from the project, and how the experiments could continue if there was more time should be discussed at the end of the presentation. Information in the published literature should be integrated into the talk, if relevant. It is the responsibility of the student to seek advice from the Rotation Advisor about how to prepare for the presentation. A practice run-through of the talk with the Rotation Advisor and members of the host laboratory is recommended. As in other facets of graduate work, it is expected that students will strive for excellence in their presentation. Rotation advisors will provide a written report of the student’s rotation performance to GPOC. Student performance will be discussed at the Faculty meeting at the end of the Spring semester as part of the Preliminary Evaluation.

Annual Seminar Presentation At least once per year, each student must present a seminar of their research in progress (proposed projects, recent data, and experimental problems) to faculty, students, post-docs and other interested members of the department. MCDB students present at the Friday Noon Seminar; EE students present at the EE seminar series (Wednesdays at noon) or in the weekly seminar at the Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology in the summer.

Important information: Other requirements

Grad Guide 09-10 21

All members of the Dissertation Committee should be present and the committee must provide GPOC and the student with a written report on their performance. It is convenient to hold the Annual Committee meeting shortly after the seminar.

Departmental Seminars All graduate students are expected to attend Department seminars and participate in Program activities throughout the course of their graduate study. Often, informal lunches or receptions are held for invited seminar speakers with the graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. This is a valuable opportunity to interact with prominent scientists, to ask questions about the seminar, the research field, or job opportunities.

Research Ethics Research Integrity All graduate students currently enrolled in the Department must complete the Responsible Conduct of Research module offered on the Internet-based Studies in Education and Research before they can receive either the M.S. or Ph.D. degree. This module has six chapters and can be found at the following link: https://cme.hs.pitt.edu/servlet/IteachControllerServlet?actiontotake=loadmodule&moduleid=1502 This course covers topics in Responsible Authorship and Publication Practices, Data, Mentoring, Conflict of Interest, Other Investigator Responsibilities, and Research Misconduct. In total, the course provides insight into situations germane to students now and into the future. NOTE: Upon successful completion of the entire web-based module, each student that completes the module must print the certificate of completion for his/her official records. One copy of this certificate must be given to the Cathy Barr. This must be done by the end of the first year.

The University policy on Research Integrity is published in Policies, Procedures and Handbooks: http://www.bc.pitt.edu/policies/ The relevant section (11-01-01) can be found at: http://www.bc.pitt.edu/policies/policy/11/11-01-01.html The University of Pittsburgh also publishes ‘Guidelines for Responsible Conduct of Research’ on line: http://www.pitt.edu/~provost/ethresearch.html Students should read this document and discuss it with their Dissertation Advisor or current Rotation Advisor To supplement the generalized instruction received via the web module, students are also required to attend at least two seminars in research ethics and/or bioethics that are offered annually by the Department prior to Admission to Candidacy. Students are expected to attend them each subsequent year prior to receiving their degree. Attendance is also required at a question and answer session with the ethics seminar speaker immediately following the seminar. The seminar will augment graduate student training in research ethics by providing more current and specific information, and the discussion session will allow an expert in the field to answer questions that arise from the student’s ongoing research experiences and from the web module.

Prevention of Sexual Harassment All new graduate students are required to complete the University’s online course on the prevention of sexual harassment. The course is available at http://www.newmedialearning.com/psh/pitt/. The certificate awarded upon successful completion of the course must be printed out and a copy given to Cathy Barr, who will notify the Office of the Provost. This must be done before the end of the first semester.

Important information: Other requirements

Grad Guide 09-10 22

Also, it is the responsibility of each student to take timely action when allegations of harassment or sexual harassment come to their attention. Copies of all University policies related to sexual harassment (Policy 07-06-04), faculty-student relationships (Policy 02-04-03), and nondiscrimination (Policy 07-01-03) as well as the nondiscrimination and anti-harassment procedure (Procedure 07-01-03) may be found online at http://www.bc.pitt.edu/policies/.

Department Retreat The annual Departmental Retreat, usually held at the Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology in late September, offers an opportunity for first-year students to meet Faculty, postdocs, fellow graduate students, and other members of the Department. Faculty, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows present research talks and posters in an informal atmosphere. But don’t let the informal atmosphere fool you! The talks and posters display the exciting research being accomplished by our next-door lab neighbors, and the labs on other floors. To add to the excitement, there is also a prize awarded for the best poster presentation by a graduate student. Ample opportunities for sports and recreation are provided: canoeing, hiking, camp fires every night, and best of all - Dr. Tony Bledsoe’s bird walks! All students are expected to attend and must register on-line, the deadline to do this for 2009 is Wednesday, August 26: http://www.pitt.edu/~biohome/Dept/Frame/retreatregistration.htm

Teaching All students are required to teach for one term as a Teaching Assistant. More information on this and the Teaching Minor Program are presented in a later section.

Res p ons i bi l i t i es of t h e S t ud ent

• Students are expected to strive for excellence and operate with integrity in all aspects of their course work and research responsibilities throughout their graduate studies.

• It is the responsibility of the student to be aware of the requirements of their

specific Graduate Program and to fulfill these requirements in a timely manner. Students should also be familiar with University of Pittsburgh policies related to Graduate Studies found in the School of Arts and Sciences Graduate Student Handbook of Policies & Requirements (http://www.as.pitt.edu/graduate/policies/handbook.php).

• It is the responsibility of the student to communicate regularly with their Faculty

Advisor and to seek specific advice about academic problems or concerns in a timely manner. Written and oral course work, performance of laboratory experiments, time management, balancing course work with laboratory duties, and career paths and opportunities are appropriate points of discussion.

Requirements for students to maintain good standing in the Program • Keep GPA above 3.0

A GPA below 3.0 will preclude promotion to the 2nd year. If a student’s GPA falls below 3.0 after the first year they will automatically be placed on probation and will become ineligible to take the comprehensive exam, to be admitted to

Important information: Student Responsibilities

Grad Guide 09-10 23

candidacy for the PhD degree, to receive teaching assistantships and will be subject to dismissal at the end of the following term.

• Have a Dissertation Advisor A student must have the support of a Dissertation Advisor to continue in the Graduate Program. If a student fails to get agreement from a faculty member to act as his or her Dissertation Advisor at the end of the Spring semester of their first year they must discuss their options with the DGS: in rare situations, a Dissertation Advisor in another department at Pitt may be chosen. If a student loses the support of their current Dissertation Advisor after the first year, they have the option to find an alternative advisor among the faculty. If one cannot be found they will be unable to continue in the program.

• Demonstrate satisfactory progress toward the completion of their degree. Each student must complete all requirements for their Program in the timeframe specified in this Guide and show good progress in their research efforts towards completion of their degree. If a Dissertation Advisor and/or a Dissertation Committee judge the progress of a student to be unsatisfactory they will discuss the problem with the student and with the DGS. If no immediate solution is evident the student will be informed in writing that their performance is below that deemed satisfactory, state what measures must be taken to rectify the situation and provide a timeline to achieve this. If appropriate measures are not taken by the student within this time period, GPOC will recommend the student be dismissed. This recommendation is forwarded to the Department Chair, who will render a final decision.

• Demonstrate appropriate personal and ethical behavior Students are professional scientists and must behave as such in their interactions with all members of the university. They must display exemplary ethical behavior in all aspects of their studies.

EE: Degree Requirements

Grad Guide 09-10 24

Gra du a te Pr ogr am i n E col og y & E v ol u ti on

Req ui re m e nt s f o r t h e P hD

• Core courses: Current Topics in Ecology and Current Topics in Evolution. First and second years.

• Seminar courses: four are required.

• Advanced topic courses: at least one is required at the 2000 level

• Research Rotations: in first year, two different laboratories (a third is optional)

• Successful Preliminary Evaluation: at end of Spring semester of first year

• Maintaining GPA above 3.0.

• Compliance with Research Ethics requirements

• EE Seminar attendance each week

• Annual Seminar presentation: from second year onward

• Department Seminar attendance each week

• Attendance at Annual Department Retreat

• Annual Committee meeting

• Comprehensive Exam and Overview Meeting: second or third year

• Teaching: One term of satisfactory performance as a Teaching Assistant is required

some time after the first year. • Dissertation Research • Dissertation Defense

Det ai l s on De gr ee R equi r e m ent s Details on the requirements common between MCDB and EE can be found above; described below are details on the unique requirements for the EE Program.

Academic Advising Entry Consultation and Evaluation Each first year student will meet with the EE representative on GPOC and the Advisor, if already chosen, in the first 2 weeks and advise him or her on initial course work and deficiencies. The student must provide a list of all relevant experiences and courses, including grades. If the student has not yet chosen an Advisor, then the Interim Advisor (first rotation sponsor) and the GPOC representative meet with the student.

EE: Degree Requirements

Grad Guide 09-10 25

Dissertation Advisor Chosen by the end of the Spring semester, but often upon entry into the Program.

Course Requirements Core Course: BIOSC 2500 Current Topics in Ecology (3 credits) and BIOSC 2510 Current Topics in Evolution (3 credits)

These two modular courses cover topics in ecology and evolution using a lecture and discussion format; these courses form the core of the graduate curriculum. The courses are offered in alternate years. Both courses are organized into three segments (5 weeks each), and each segment is offered for one credit. The course meets for 1.5 hours twice weekly and is team taught. Students are strongly encouraged to take the Core Courses prior to their comprehensive exam and within their first two years in the program.

Graduate Seminars in Ecology and Evolution (BIOSC 2520, 2530, 2540, and/or 2560, each 2 credits)

The graduate seminar courses comprise weekly presentation and evaluation of current research literature on selected and varying topics in ecology and evolution. The course meets once each week for 2 hours allowing for in–depth discussion of recent publications, review articles and classic papers. These discussions are led both by faculty and graduate students. Students are required to enroll in a minimum of 4 seminar courses during their graduate program. Students can enroll for Seminar courses multiple times as the topic is different each term.

Advanced Topics courses The department offers a different class at the 2000 level each semester, including Population Biology and Evolution.

Research Rotations

Two 10-week rotations are required in different labs in the first year. Interested students can choose to do a third rotation.

Dissertation Proposal, Comprehensive Exam and Overview Meeting

Timetable Dissertation Proposal Students are required to write and submit an NSF-style grant proposal to their dissertation Committee at least two weeks prior to the date of their comprehensive/overview exam. Proposal guidelines can be found at the NSF website: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/papp/index.jsp See Part I. Grant Proposal Guide. When to take exam EE students should take their comprehensive exam at approximately the time of completion of formal course requirements (about the end of the 2nd year or the beginning of the 3rd). Students are strongly encouraged to take the exam as early as possible. The exam must be completed no later than the end of the 3r year. Topic areas At least three months advance of the Exam, the student must contact their Advisor and Committee members to receive a list of topic areas and suggested readings.

Committee The entire Dissertation committee must be present during the Comprehensive Exam and Overview Meeting and, as already stated, the Chair of the Dissertation Committee will also act as chair for the exam. The Advisor can ask questions only after the other Committee members have finished their examination of the student.

EE: Degree Requirements

Grad Guide 09-10 26

Format Part 1: Oral Presentation The student presents a brief oral presentation (~30 minutes) of their thesis proposal. Part 2: General Comprehensive Exam The student is then examined orally by the Committee in the topic areas provided earlier and also in general knowledge of ecology and evolution. Part 3: Overview Meeting The student defends their dissertation proposal. See above for more details on requirements for this meeting.

Decision All members of the committee vote in determining the outcome of the examination; to pass support must be unanimous. If a student fails the exam, a new exam must be scheduled within the next four months. The exam may only be taken twice.

EE Seminar and Annual Research Presentation

Held on Wednesdays at noon: students are expected to attend each week and to present their Annual Research Presentation either here or at the weekly seminar at the Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology in the summer. In their presentation students are required to give a formal presentation of their research/research ideas and must do this every year starting in the second year.

MCDB: Degree Requirements

Grad Guide 09-10 27

Gra du a te Pr ogr am i n M ol ecul ar, Cel l ul ar an d De vel opm en t al B i ol og y

Req ui re m e nt s f o r t h e P hD

• Core course: Current Topics in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology in first year

• Graduate Seminar Course: Fall and Spring semester of first year

• Research Rotations: three different laboratories in first year

• Successful Preliminary Evaluation: end of Spring semester first year

• Maintaining of a GPA above 3.0

• Compliance with Research Ethics requirements

• Advanced Topics Courses: four credits of graduate-level coursework in second and

third years

• Friday Noon Seminar attendance each week

• Presentation at the Friday Noon Seminar series: each year starting in the second year

• Department Seminar attendance each week

• Attendance at Annual Department Retreat

• MCDB Dissertation Research Proposal: in second year

• Comprehensive Exam in second year • Annual Committee meeting: one of which must act as the Overview Meeting • Teaching: one term of satisfactory performance as a Teaching Assistant, some time

after the first year.

• Dissertation Research

• Dissertation Defense

Det ai l s on De gr ee R equi r e m ent s Details on the requirements common between MCDB and EE can be found above; described below are details on the unique requirements for the MCDB Program.

MCDB: Course Requirements

Grad Guide 09-10 28

Course Requirements Core Course: Current Topics in MCDB 1-6 (BIOSC 2011-13; 2021-23; 2 credits each) The course is valued at 6 credits per term (12 credits total) and is presented as 4 lectures (1.5 hours) each week for two terms. The subject matter in this course is organized into several well-defined modules. Each module is presented assuming undergraduate knowledge of the area, and aims at taking the students beyond the standard undergraduate texts and into the current literature of molecular, cell and developmental biology. This course is intense and focused.

The course is taught by a relatively large number of research–active faculty, each teaching in their area of expertise. Where possible or necessary, research experts from the Pittsburgh Campus and beyond are invited to participate by giving special lectures. To avoid overlap, lack of continuity, omission of important areas of study, and variable evaluation, two or three faculty members serve as coordinators to oversee all aspects of the course. At least one of the coordinators should also be a member (or recent member) of the MCDB Curriculum Committee. Module content and the modules themselves are expected to evolve as the disciplines of molecular, cell and developmental biology progress. The current syllabus can be downloaded from the department website.

A written exam is set at the end of each module. We expect students to have good general knowledge of MCDB and the performance of a student in the core course is a measure of that knowledge. Consequently, students who receive a C+ or below in any module must retake the module the next year. Failure to achieve at least a B- in the repeated module will be grounds for dismissal from the program. Any student who receives a C+ or below in three modules will be dismissed from the program.

Graduate Seminar Course (BIOSC 2450). All MCDB students must take this course in the Fall and the Spring semester (2 credits each). Students read and present current research articles guided by two faculty members. The goal is to teach the student critically to evaluate the research of other scientists and to communicate both the research and this evaluation in an oral presentation. A writing component is incorporated to aid students in developing skills in scientific writing. Whenever possible, the topics discussed in the Graduate Seminar Course are coordinated with those discussed in the Core course.

Advanced Topics courses Students must take four credits of advanced graduate courses, usually in the second and third years; at least one of these credits must correspond to a course run by our department. Each year the MCDB Program offers several 1 - 2 credit advanced topics courses, each meeting 1.75 hours per week for seven weeks (1 credit courses) or 15 weeks (2 credit courses). Special topics courses focus on particular areas of interest. The classes are not taught in a lecture format, but in a more interactive style with students participating throughout. Students are required to take a minimum of four credits of advanced topics courses in at least two different areas between their second year and the time of graduation. Each advanced topics course is directed by one or two research–active faculty, in their area of expertise; this may include faculty from other departments. Grades are assigned based on the level and quality of participation by the student. Special topics course assignments are made either in response to requests from faculty or by special request from the Curriculum Committee. Students may also take courses outside of the department, typically at the Medical School or Carnegie Mellon. As described above, for a course to count towards a student’s degree requirements, it must be approved by GPOC. A list of pre-approved

MCDB: Rotations/Dissertation Research Proposal

Grad Guide 09-10 29

courses can be found in Appendix D. Instructions on getting approval for other courses are given above.

Research rotations Three rotations are required in different labs. The research rotation system is guided by several goals of the training program: to develop breadth of laboratory experience, to supplement classroom-based educational opportunities, to provide opportunities for several Faculty members to assess the research potential of individual first-year students operating in different settings, and to enable first-year students to identify an appropriate laboratory and Dissertation Advisor for their dissertation research. First-year students should consider the scientific approaches of a potential Dissertation Advisor and their intrinsic interest in the research problem.

Probation after Preliminary Evaluation/First Year Review As described above, students placed on probation after the First Year Review will have received a positive vote from the Faculty, will have identified a Dissertation Advisor, but will have a GPA between 2.83 and 2.99 and must increase this to above 3.0 for promotion to the second year. They will be given the opportunity to increase their GPA during the summer by the following procedure: • Students will be registered for research for credit (3 credits) • GPOC will assign another faculty member as a Co-advisor • The student will have a preliminary meeting with Dissertation Advisor and Co-Advisor

to plan a program of research for the summer. The advisors will also set a Writing Assignment to be produced by the end of the summer that will include a documentation of the research conducted but may include additional tasks.

• The student will then write a brief one page summary of these goals and present it to both advisors.

• The student will meet at least once a month with both advisors to discuss research progress.

• Before the end of June, the student will arrange for a Probation Seminar to be held In the first week of August (or last week of July if that is not possible) to be attended by both advisors and at least one other member of GPOC (if possible other faculty should be invited and any other member of the department can also attend).

• At least three days before the Probation Seminar, the student will provide faculty that are attending the meeting with a copy of the Writing Assignment.

• Guidelines for the Probation Seminar are similar to those described above for Rotation Talks (although the advisors may make specific recommendations to the student as to what they should cover).

• The student will receive a grade based on the performance in the Probation Seminar and the quality of the Written Assignment. Any faculty present at the Probation Seminar will meet immediately after this has finished and decide on the grade to be awarded to the student.

• The student will be informed of the grade by the GPOC member and whether this is sufficient to increase their GPA to 3.0 and consequently whether they will be promoted to second year or not.

The Dissertation Research Proposal

This is a writing requirement for graduate students in the MCDB graduate program and must be completed and passed by the Dissertation Committee (excluding the Dissertation Advisor) before a student can proceed with their Comprehensive Examination.

MCDB: Dissertation Resarch Proposal/ Research Presentations

Grad Guide 09-10 30

Purpose To assess the ability of a student to write a well-reasoned proposal on their dissertation research that includes a review of the general subject area, a list of specific aims and hypotheses they will be testing, and a reasonable set of experiments they will pursue. It is intended that the dissertation advisor will mentor the student through the writing of this proposal, but it is important that the document reflect the original ideas and goals of the student. The document cannot be a simple restatement of the advisor’s grant proposal, but can be guided and influenced by existing research objectives in the lab. This requirement is intended to improve scientific writing skills, instruct students in the art of grantsmanship, and help focus a student’s research project early on in their careers. While the proposal will serve as a research guide, the student will not be required to accomplish the specific aims outlined in the proposal in order to graduate.

Format The subject of the proposal will be the dissertation research the student intends to pursue. The proposal itself will follow the NIH guidelines for a Research Plan except that it will be limited to 7 pages (including figures but not references, 0.5 inch margins, 11 point text, Arial font, single spaced). Details are as follows (modified from the NIH guide to preparing research grants): Organize the proposal to answer these questions:

1. What do you intend to do? 2. Why is the work important? 3. What has already been done? 4. How are you going to do the work?

Divide the proposal into the following sections: a. Hypotheses and Specific Aims. List the broad, long-term objectives and what the specific research proposed in this application is intended to accomplish, e.g., to test a stated hypothesis, create a novel design, solve a specific problem, or develop new technology. One half page recommended. b. Background and Preliminary Studies. Briefly sketch the background leading to the present proposal, critically evaluate existing knowledge, and specifically identify the gaps that the project is intended to fill. This section will include preliminary results obtained by the student, either during a rotation or shortly after joining the lab. This section can also include relevant, unpublished studies from the lab. 2-2.5 pages recommended. c. Research Design and Methods. Describe the research design and the procedures to be used to accomplish the specific aims of the project. Include how the data will be collected, analyzed, and interpreted. Describe any new methodology and its advantage over existing methodologies. Discuss the potential difficulties and limitations of the proposed procedures and alternative approaches to achieve the aims. This section should include the series of experiments that will be pursued over a period of about twelve months or longer if deemed appropriate by the dissertation advisor. 3-4 pages recommended. Exceptions to these formatting rules will be made for students submitting fellowship applications to outside agencies such as the NSF: students will be allowed to submit the fellowship application in place of a standard Dissertation Research Proposal if they so wish.

MCDB: Dissertation Resarch Proposal/ Research Presentations

Grad Guide 09-10 31

Timetable and Evaluation During the summer of the first year, the student and dissertation advisor should collaborate to establish the research theme and begin to generate the written document. The advisor will guide the student through all aspects of writing the proposal, but the proposal itself must be the written work of the student alone. The first draft of the proposal must be submitted to the advisor by September 1 at the beginning of the second year. The advisor will provide feedback and the student will do as many rewrites as the advisor deems necessary to generate a cohesive research plan. To help in this initial review process, fellow second year students will critique each other’s proposals. This peer review component will give the students an outsider’s view of their research in a more relaxed atmosphere. At the beginning of September the Chair of GPOC will divide the students into groups of three or four. Within a group, each student will read the proposals of the other members of the group (after the advisor has provided preliminary feedback). The students will then meet and discuss each other’s proposal (in the absence of any faculty member). This meeting should take place by the end of September. By the end of September the student must have established a Dissertation Committee composed of three faculty members from the department and have informed Cathy Barr of this. The DGS will then assign a Committee Chair. A completed proposal will be presented to the Dissertation Committee by November 1; at this time the student will also schedule a meeting to be held in the last week of November or the first week of December. Members of the Committee (excluding the advisor) will review the proposal and decide if it meets the required standards and whether the student has passed. Historically, the dissertation committee functions to ensure that the breadth and quality of the research meet an expected threshold and its power is limited to oversight of a student’s progress. This role will not change as it relates to this document, and it is the responsibility of the student and research advisor to work together to establish the direction of the proposed research project. The role of the Dissertation Committee is to evaluate the finished document for its overall quality. The Chair of the committee will produce a written report that will include an assessment the student’s:

• General knowledge in MCDB • Expertise in their chosen area of specialization • Ability to design experiments

If the committee decides that the document does not meet the required standards and needs improvement, the report will include details on why the committee has come to this decision and will make specific recommendations on improving the document. This may include, for example, aspects such as writing style, alternative approaches and outcomes, methods of quantification and statistical analysis, or relevance to other model systems. The student and Committee, including Advisor, will meet to discuss the proposal and the decision of the Committee. If a rewrite is required, it must be submitted by the first day of classes in January. The committee will review the revised proposal and by February 1 the committee chairperson will inform the student if it meets the standards required and whether the student has passed. If necessary a meeting may be held to discuss the Committees report. Only one rewrite is allowed. This process must be completed before the student submits proposed Comprehensive Examination topics to their committee.

MCDB: Comprehensive Exam

Grad Guide 09-10 32

MCDB Graduate Research Presentations (Friday Noon Seminar) Presentations should be about 45 minutes long. Questions, comments, criticisms and suggestions from the audience are encouraged during and after the seminar. After the seminar all graduate students participate in an informal feedback session.

One week prior to the seminar, the student must prepare an abstract of his/her dissertation work and send this to Dr. Jeffrey Lawrence (jlawerenc@pitt.edu) who will distribute it to other members of the Department. A list of speakers, which may include postdoctoral fellows and graduate students from other departments who work in our Department, is circulated in advance.

All graduate students in the first year and beyond are expected to attend each and every Friday noon seminar, and to participate in the informal feedback session. Attendance will be monitored.

Comprehensive Exam Timetable MCDB students take their exam at the end of the second year, or one year after passing the Preliminary Evaluation/First Year Review. The examination will progress according to the following deadlines (in 2010):

Submission of proposal topics to committee: February 12th Choice of proposal topic: March 12th Submission of written proposal: April 16th Oral Examination: May 7th

Students will be permitted to take the exam earlier than this in the Spring semester and this may be advisable if Core modules are being retaken in the second half of the Spring semester. This should be discussed with the Dissertation Advisor and Dissertation Committee. If an earlier time is agreed on, the relative spacing of steps above should be adhered to.

Format The Written Proposal The examination process is initiated by the student submitting to the Committee a Dissertation Abstract (see below) AND three possible topics for the research proposal. These topics are not in the area of the student’s dissertation research nor can they be directly related to any of the ongoing projects in the student’s laboratory. The Committee chooses among these topics and notifies the student of their choice. If none of the three topics are deemed suitable, the Committee will meet to develop a topic in consultation with the student. The nature of the topic should be a well–defined biological problem that is not resolved in the current literature. Students have approximately six weeks to write the proposal. The format of the written proposal is that of an NIH grant application. It follows the NIH guidelines except that the length is limited to fifteen pages, not including references. This written proposal is evaluated with respect to experimental feasibility, conceptual foundation, originality and imagination, writing style and knowledge of the relevant literature. Students are encouraged to discuss how to prepare this document with the Chair of their Examination Committee (who is appointed by the DGS) and to read grant applications submitted by their Faculty mentors and other Faculty in the Department. As the proposal is developed, both general and specific information about useful experimental methods and approaches may be gathered from any reputable scientific source, with appropriate citations of course, including the published literature, online resources, and informal discussions with other scientists, including other students and Faculty. Ultimately, the

Teaching: TA/Teaching Minor

Grad Guide 09-10 33

completed written document shall be the student's own written work, and as such, it must not be a product involving detailed editing or other substantial collaboration with anyone else. Students are permitted to present a practice talk prior to the Oral Examination (see below) to their peers, as long as Faculty are not in attendance. When the proposal is deemed finished by the student, copies shall be submitted to each member of the Committee. These copies may be delivered as printed or electronic documents, at the discretion of the Committee members and the DGS reviewing them. Dissertation abstract The Dissertation Abstract (due February 8) is not more than two pages in length, and includes an exposition of the problem, question, or hypothesis the student is addressing, an outline of the experimental plan, and the experimental approaches to be used. Inclusion of preliminary data is not necessary. The abstract is intended to ensure that the grant proposal is distinct from their dissertation research and that satisfactory research progress toward the dissertation is being made. Oral examination Approximately 2-3 weeks after submission of the written proposal the student meets with his/her Committee for the oral examination. The exam should not exceed two hours. The Committee evaluates the student’s grasp of the basic concepts of the research proposal, familiarity with experimental approaches, and rationale. The Committee may address any reasonable area of knowledge deemed to be necessary for successful execution of the research project.

Decision At the end of the oral exam the Committee, in the absence of the student, votes (pass unconditional/pass conditional/fail) on the performance of the student. Individual members may vote: pass, fail or pass conditionally. To pass, support must be unanimous. Both the written and the oral parts are considered. The Chair of the Committee communicates the decision to the DGS and a copy of the proposal is added to the student’s dossier. The Conditional Pass: Under some circumstances the Committee may give the student ONE opportunity to correct specific deficiencies in the proposal and/or oral defense within a strict time limit (4-6 weeks). The Chair of the Committee will provide, in writing, an evaluation of the written proposal and oral exam that outlines the areas that the student must improve or correct in order to pass the comprehensive exam. The evaluation should reflect the opinion of the entire Committee. Copies of the written evaluation should be provided to the student and to the Graduate Secretary to be included in the student’s dossier. It is recommended that the student receive mentoring from their dissertation advisor or any committee member during the resubmission process, but the proposal must still represent the student’s own work. After resubmission of the written proposal, or reexamination, the Committee will render a final decision.

Teaching: TA/Teaching Minor

Grad Guide 09-10 34

Teac hi ng : TAs a nd T e a chi ng Mi no r P rog r am

Teaching is an essential element of graduate student training our department. Developing good teaching skills is important not only for those students hoping to continue in Academia but for all students because these skills are used in many situations outside of a formal classroom. By the time of graduation each student should have experienced numerous opportunities to improve their teaching performance. The most obvious teaching experience is that of a Teaching Assistant (TA) in an undergraduate class and every student must participate in this for one semester. Students will also gain experience presenting science through their Noon Seminars, and they should also have the opportunity to supervise undergraduate students conducting research in their lab

Tea chi ng As s i s t ant s

One term of satisfactory performance as a TA is required some time after the first year. MCDB students typically begin teaching in the Fall Term of their second year or the Spring Term of their third year. E&E students usually begin teaching either at the Pymatuning Field Station or the Oakland Campus during their first Summer Term in the graduate program.

Training University At the beginning of the Fall Term, The Center for Instructional Development and Distance Education (CIDDE) sponsors a New TA Orientation. All graduate students in the Department of Biological Sciences who are teaching at the university for the first time are required to attend. CIDDE has produced a handbook for TAs; it is recommended that new TAs read relevant sections from this before they start teaching. It can be downloaded at: http://www.cidde.pitt.edu/ta/ta_handbook/ Departmental TA training within the department occurs at the end of the Spring Term for students TAing for the first time during the Summer Term and at the beginning of the Fall Term for students TAing for the first time during the Fall or Spring Terms. All new TAs in the Department of Biological Sciences are required to attend. The agenda includes an overview of the TA program, teaching strategies, safety issues, an overview of departmental majors, a discussion of ethical issues, and balancing teaching with research. Each graduate student then presents a brief “lecture” to an audience comprised of the TA Coordinator and fellow graduate student trainees. During the semester, the new TAs observe a senior TA’s laboratory or recitation session.

Workload Even when students are teaching they still need to continue their studies towards a Ph.D. and are expected to spend no more than 20 hrs a week on average on their TA duties. Students who are having to spend more than this time on a regular basis should talk to their supervising faculty member and, if the issue cannot be resolved at this level, to the TA Coordinator or the TA Oversight Committee.

Monitoring

Each supervising faculty member will observe the TA(s) conducting a recitation or lab before the middle of the term and will fill out an evaluation form that will be forwarded to

Teaching: TA/Teaching Minor

Grad Guide 09-10 35

the TA Coordinator. If the faculty supervisor rates the TA’s overall performance satisfactorily, the student will be informed. In cases where the performance is unsatisfactory, the supervising faculty member and the TA Coordinator will inform the TA of the results and offer suggestions and resources to assist them in improving their teaching. At a later date in the term, to allow sufficient time for the TA to improve, a member of the TA Oversight Committee and the supervising faculty member will observe the TA and evaluate the instruction.

Courses A list of courses can be found in appendix F. Most TAs either teach recitations that are associated with lecture classes in which the TA may cover problem sets or specific topics suggested by the Instructor or they teach laboratory classes in which the TA will help with preparing and running the lab. The exact nature of the TA experience will obviously vary from class to class. Students are asked for preferences on teaching assignments, although it is not always possible to match everyone to their top choices.

Tea chi ng Mi n or P r ogr a m

The Department of Biological Sciences offers graduate students an optional Minor in Teaching that provides a more complete teaching experience beyond the one semester TA requirement. The Teaching Minor Program includes exposure to various methodologies and teaching philosophies, more independent experience in the classroom, and development of material suitable for a teaching portfolio. Students planning for a career with an education component are especially encouraged to join this Program.

Enrollment

Students who would like to enroll in the Teaching Minor Program should submit a petition to the Director of Graduate Studies via the Graduate Secretary. Petition for entry into the Teaching Minor Program can be made at any time. However, students are strongly encouraged to have successfully completed their Comprehensive Exam and must have two years left until completion of their M.S. or Ph.D. degree. The following items should be included in the petition: (1) A letter from the student requesting entry into the Teaching Minor Program, and (2) A letter from the student’s faculty advisor giving permission to participate in the

Teaching Minor Program.

Requirements The requirements for the Minor are as follows:

A. Two or more semesters of teaching as a Teaching Assistant or Teaching

Fellow with satisfactory performance. B. Enrollment for four semesters and receipt of satisfactory grades in BIOSC

2972 (“Teaching Minor in Biological Sciences”). This course is based around the completion of one independent teaching project each year (two total projects), as well as the production of the Teaching Dossier. Each project is expected to take approximately 10-15 hours. Of the two projects, at least one must be a guest lecture in a class, along with any material used in class, and exam questions. The projects cannot be ones used to complete FACDEV 2200 but can be projects in a class for

Financial Support and Benefits

Grad Guide 09-10 36

which the student is serving as a TA if the project is in addition to the normal TA requirements. BIOSC 2972 meets formally approximately two times a semester at times arranged at the beginning of the semester.

C. Enrollment and receipt of a ‘B’ or better in FACDEV 2200 (“University Teaching

Practicum”). Students should take FACDEV 2200 during a fall or spring semester (preferably not summer) while serving as a teaching assistant, ideally when teaching a course where there is some opportunity to participate in curriculum development. If this is not possible for whatever reason, then the student will need to identify a suitable course and to arrange to do guest lectures with the faculty member who teaches that course to complete assignments in FACDEV 2200 (two guest lectures are the minimum).

D. Yearly meetings with two Teaching Mentors. The student must ask two faculty to

serve as Teaching Mentors. The two Teaching Mentors must be chosen during the first year in the program and declared when the Teaching Dossier is submitted for the first time. The student’s research advisor may serve as a Teaching Mentor. At a minimum the Mentors should observe at least one class led by the student, observe independent projects as appropriate, meet with the student once a year to provide feedback on the Teaching Dossier and discuss other issues, and provide a teaching evaluation letter for the Dossier. The yearly meetings must be documented by filling out a report that includes a section for self-evaluation by the student and sections documenting the meetings with both Teaching Mentors. The meetings must occur each year until the final Teaching Dossier has been submitted to GPOC.

E. Maintenance of a Teaching Dossier, which is submitted to GPOC via the

Graduate Secretary by the first Monday in May each year. The Teaching Dossier must be organized using a set template provided in BIOSC 2972 and will serve both to document the completion of the Teaching Minor requirements and to be an organized collection of all teaching and Teaching Minor material from which students can draw material for a teaching portfolio when on the job market. The Dossier should include a Teaching Philosophy statement, letters pertaining to enrollment in the Teaching Minor Program, a transcript, documentation of yearly meetings with Teaching Mentors, teaching evaluations, FACDEV 2200 material, BIOSC 2972 material, and samples of teaching materials. Maintenance of the Teaching Dossier is the responsibility of the student, although feedback on presentation will be given by the Teaching Mentors and in BIOSC 2972. The role of GPOC is to assess the Dossier to determine which Teaching Minor requirements remain to be fulfilled.

F. Completion of 10 course credits. These credits are derived from BIOSC 2972 (4

credits for the four semesters of participation and 3 credits for completion of the Dossier = 7 total) and FACDEV 2200 (3 credits).

Continuation in the Teaching Minor Program

Students enrolled in the Program must remain in good academic standing, and continuation in the Minor Program requires annual approval from GPOC. This approval is given in a letter to the student after the Teaching Dossier has been assessed each year.

Completion of the Teaching Minor Requirements Upon completion of the requirements listed above, the student must submit the final Teaching Dossier to GPOC at or before the time that the dissertation or dissertation is submitted to the student's Dissertation Committee. In addition, students are strongly encouraged to submit the final Dossier within one semester of completing the Teaching

Financial Support and Benefits

Grad Guide 09-10 37

Minor requirements if that is earlier than the submission of the dissertation. GPOC will review the Dossier and, if all requirements have been met, will nominate the student to the Chair of the Department for award of the Teaching Minor.

Receipt of the Minor can occur only upon completion of a M.S. or Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, and implementation of this Program does not change any existing Departmental requirements for the granting of graduate degrees.

Suggested Timeline for the Teaching Minor

A. At least two terms as a Teaching Assistant: typically one semester in the second year of graduate school and one semester in the third or fourth year of graduate school.

B. Petitioning for enrollment: typically at the end of spring term of the second year or the end of the fall term of the third year, after completion of the Comprehensive Exam.

C. Selection of two Teaching Mentors: during the first year in the Teaching Minor Program prior to submitting the Teaching Dossier for the first time.

D. Enrollment in BIOSC 2972: typically the first fall or spring semester after acceptance into the Teaching Minor Program and the three following academic year (fall and spring) semesters.

E. Enrollment in FACDEV 2200: ideally during a fall or spring semester when serving as a TA. Although FACDEV 2200 is offered during the summer, enrollment for this semester is not recommended because of insufficient time to complete the necessary requirements. Typically students enroll while doing the second TA assignment.

F. Yearly submission of a Teaching Dossier to GPOC: first Monday of May of each year after acceptance into the Teaching Minor Program.

G. Final submission of the Teaching Dossier to GPOC: ideally the first semester after completing the Teaching Minor requirements, but at the latest by the time that the dissertation is submitted to the student's Dissertation Committee.

H. Receipt of the Teaching Minor: upon graduation.

Financial Support and Benefits

Grad Guide 09-10 38

Fi na nci al S upp or t a nd Ben efi t s

It is the goal of the Program to have every student supported by a stipend. This is true for the majority of our students, but the department cannot absolutely guarantee this.

S our c es of Fi na nci al S upp ort Financial support to cover student stipends comes from three sources (note the stipend rate for A&S fellowships, GSRs and TA/TFs is not identical: see Appendix G):

Fellowships Fellowship from Arts and Sciences Support for the Fall and Spring semesters of the first year is provided by a fellowship from the University of Pittsburgh, School of Arts and Sciences. There are only a limited number of fellowships but in recent years all students have been supported by one; it is expected that this will continue in the future.

Other Fellowships Students are encouraged to apply for competitive fellowships awarded locally or nationally. Examples include the Mellon and NSF. Students on outside fellowships need to apply to Arts and Sciences for a tuition waiver; see Cathy Barr. If healthcare is not covered by the outside fellowship, students should discuss their options with Cathy Barr and their Advisor.

Grants awarded to Dissertation Advisors A Dissertation Advisor may use some of his/her grant support to cover a student’s stipend. A student whose stipend is covered by one of their Advisor’s grants is termed a Graduate Student Researcher (GSR).

Teaching Assistantships and Teaching Fellowships Students may be supported by Teaching Assistantships (TA) or Teaching Fellowships (TF) awarded by Arts and Sciences. The TF award is slightly higher than that of a TA. To be appointed a TF rather than a TA, must have successfully completed at least one semester of teaching. Requests to be awarded a TA/TF must be made by the student’s Advisor to the TA Coordinator. The Department has a limited number of TA/TF slots provided by Arts and Sciences; there are more slots available in the Fall and Spring compared to the Summer. If more requests are made than TA/TFs are available (which is generally only a problem in the summer), the following criteria will be used to determine which students will be awarded a TA/TF: (i) whether the student has gone without full funding in a previous term, (ii) the number of semesters of teaching already completed by the student, and (iii) the number of students from an individual lab making requests at the same time. It is important to note that recently we have had more requests for summer TA/TF positions than slots available. Therefore, if you do not have other funding available it is important to plan ahead in case you do not have a full TA/TF position in the summer. During the summer most of the slots are 0.5 positions, which helps us distribute the money among all students if we are unable to provide a full TA/TF slot to everyone.

Mellon ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowships Students may be supported by Teaching Assistantships (TA) or Teaching Fellowships (TF) awarded

Financial Support and Benefits

Grad Guide 09-10 39

Heal t hca re and Tui t i on A&S Fellows, TA/TFs, GSRs and Mellon fellows Arts and Sciences Fellows, TA/TFs and GSRs have their tuition and healthcare covered by the University or from overheads charged to the Advisor’s grant. Any student with an appointment as an A&S Fellow, a TA/TF or a GSR for the Fall and Spring semesters will continue to have their healthcare covered for the Summer even if they lose that appointment (but remain a student in good standing). Mellon Fellows must remain as such to have their healthcare covered in the Summer.

Other Fellowships Students who are awarded an outside fellowship can apply to the Dean of Graduate Studies for funds to cover their tuition for the duration of the fellowship. Most outside fellowships will include funds for healthcare, but if this is not the case, the student should discuss their options with Cathy Barr and their Advisor.

University health plans All information on University health, dental and vision plans can be found at: http://gradcare.hr.pitt.edu/depcoverGrad.htm

Although premiums for individual students in the UPMC Health Plan are covered for University fellows. TA/TFs and GSRs, students must make additional contributions to cover other family members. Additional monthly contributions are also required to join the vision and dental care plans. Details on the coverage provided by the UPMC plan can be found at: http://gradcare.hr.pitt.edu/pdf/C20090521-13%20Pitt%20GradStud%20Plan.pdf http://gradcare.hr.pitt.edu/pdf/Univ%20of%20Pitt%20Grad%20School%20PPO%20EE5%20July%202008%203%20%202%20.pdf http://gradcare.hr.pitt.edu/pdf/EE5.pdf Students covered under the University Health Plan will be issued a UPMC medical card at the beginning of each year. New students should download the UPMC health plan booklet: go to www.upmchealthplan.com for further information and to choose a PCP. A schedule of monthly rates can be found at: http://gradcare.hr.pitt.edu/pdf/InsuranceMthlyRatesOther2009.pdf (GSR, TA/TF) http://gradcare.hr.pitt.edu/pdf/InsuranceMthlyRatesFellows2009.pdf (Fellows) Details on the Davis Vison Plan can be found at: http://gradcare.hr.pitt.edu/pdf/DavisPlanDescription.pdf http://gradcare.hr.pitt.edu/pdf/DavisBenefitSummary.pdf Details on the Concordia Dental Plans can be found at: http://gradcare.hr.pitt.edu/pdf/Graduate%20Student%20Dental%20Benefits%20September%202008.pdf http://gradcare.hr.pitt.edu/pdf/Graduate%20Student%20Dental%20Benefits%20September%202008.pdf (Basic) http://gradcare.hr.pitt.edu/pdf/Base%2005_10-04_PA-NJ-OH%20740.pdf (Premier) http://gradcare.hr.pitt.edu/pdf/DHMO%20ELs%20Form9810_0603.pdf

Tra vel Gra nt s Students attending scientific conferences are encouraged to apply for travel grants available from different sources at the University of Pittsburgh. For information go to: http://www.as.pitt.edu/graduate/assistance/travelgrants.php

Conflict Resolution/Leave of Absences

Grad Guide 09-10 40

Con fl i ct Re sol uti o n an d Le a ve o f Ab se nce s

Significant conflicts between student and Faculty Advisor are not common, but should they arise, the following steps should be taken.

• The student should write to the Dissertation Committee and the DGS, outlining the issue at hand and request a meeting with the committee. The Dissertation Committee will then meet with the student and Advisor separately to discuss the problem and identify possible solutions and, if appropriate, recommend a meeting with both.

• If this is not successful, the student will request a meeting with the DGS. The

DGS will meet separately with the student, the Dissertation Committee and the Advisor. The DGS will then make specific recommendations to the student and/or the Advisor.

• In the unusual situation where it is agreed that the relationship between a

Dissertation Advisor and a student has broken down irretrievably, and the student is still in good standing in the department, the DGS will recommend that the student identify a new Advisor from faculty in the department.

Disagreements that cannot be resolved at the department level should be taken to Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, Nicole Constable in the office of School of Arts and Sciences Graduate Studies (412 624-6094).

Leave of Absence In special circumstances a leave of absence from the graduate program may be granted. If a student and Advisor agree that this would be an appropriate step to make they should discuss this with the DGS and a formal request should then be made to GPOC. If GPOC agrees to support the leave of absence, the DGS will then make a formal request to the Assistant Dean of Graduate studies, stating the reason for the request and the length of time being requested.

Uni ve r si t y Reg ul a ti o n s for t he P hD

The requirements specified in this guide regarding the requirements for being awarded a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh in the EE or MCDB Program include requirements specific to each program and all requirements that have been specified for all PhD programs in the University. The latter can be viewed on line in the document Regulations pertaining to the Doctor of Philosophy: http://www.pitt.edu/~graduate/regphd.html.

Masters Degree

Grad Guide 09-10 41

Ma s te rs D eg re e

The Department of Biological Sciences does not offer a master's degree program in either MCDB or EE. However, if a student does not complete all the requirements for a PhD, they may petition the Graduate Program Oversight Committee (GPOC) to be allowed to apply for a Non-continuing Master of Sciences (MS) Degree. If granted by GPOC, the student will be granted an MS Degree upon completing specific requirements (see below), including the defense of a research thesis.

Requirements for an M.S. degree • Students must successfully complete the first two years of requirements for either the

MCDB and EE programs. This includes core course, at least two seminar courses; two credits of advanced topics courses, the Thesis Research Proposal (MCDB only) and the comprehensive exam. The grade in all courses (including each module of the core course) must be above B-, and at least 12 credits must be with a grade of B or higher. If a student fails the comprehensive exam, the exam committee must have decided that although the level of performance was not sufficient to pass at the PhD level, it was sufficient to pass at the MS level.

• Students must have a Dissertation Committee consisting of three members of Biological Sciences Faculty. An outside member is not required.

• GPA must be above 3.0. • Before considering transfer to the Masters program, the student must discuss this

possibility with their Thesis Advisor and with the other members of their Dissertation Committee. The Dissertation Advisor and the Chair of the Dissertation Committee should indicate their approval or disapproval of the request for transfer and indicate as such in an e-mail to the DGS. If either disapproves of the transfer the student must meet with the DGS to discuss their options.

• The student must petition GPOC in writing (e-mail is sufficient) for permission to transfer from the Ph.D. track. The petition must include the specific reason for the request. GPOC must approve the transfer.

• If the petition to transfer to the M.S. track is supported by GPOC, the student will meet with their advisor and then with their committee to discuss a plan of research.

• Within two months after transfer to the M.S. track the student will hold the equivalent of an overview meeting presenting a short 2-3 page thesis proposal to their committee.

• The student will conduct research and prepare a Dissertation according to University requirements, as described for a Ph.D. Dissertation.

• The Dissertation will be defended publicly before the department and the student will be examined orally by the Dissertation Committee.

Grad Guide 09-10 42

Appendix A: Overview of Requirements for EE Program

Coursework

• Core: Current Topics in Ecology or Evolution (2500/2510 F,S: run in alternate years)

• Seminars in Ecology and Evolution (2520, 2530, 2540 and/or 2560): at least 4 courses before graduation

• Departmental Seminar (2960; F,S): attendance only • EE Student Research Seminar (2050; F,S): attendance each week • Ethics: on-line course • Prevention of Sexual Harassment: on-line course • Departmental Retreat: attendance

Research

• Two 10-week rotations (a third is optional; 15-minute presentation after each)

• Mentor may have been chosen on entry, if not choose by end of Spring semester

Year 1

Teaching • Teaching Assistant, one term, typically in the 1st or 2nd Year.

Coursework

• Core: Current Topics in Ecology or Evolution (2500/2510 F,S: run in alternate years)

• Departmental Seminar (2960; F,S): attendance only • Ethics Seminar: attendance (at least two must be attended before

graduation) • EE Student Research Seminar (2050; F,S): attendance each week • 2000-level course in EE (at least one before graduation) • Departmental Retreat: attendance and participation

Research • Dissertation research • Annual committee meeting (Comp/Overview meeting may substitute) • EE Student Research Seminar (2050; F,S): presentation

Teaching • Teaching Assistant, one term, typically in the 1st or 2nd Year

Year 2

Comprehensive exam/Overview meeting

• Held in 2nd or 3rd Year. See Grad guide for more detailed guidelines.

Coursework

• Departmental Seminar (2960; F,S): attendance only • Ethics Seminar: attendance (at least two must be attended before

graduation) • EE Student Research Seminar (2050; F,S): attendance each week • 2000-level course in EE (at least one before graduation) • Departmental Retreat: attendance and participation

Research • Dissertation research • Annual committee meeting (Comp/Overview meeting may substitute) • EE Student Research Seminar (2050; F,S): presentation

Teaching • Teaching Assistant, one term, typically in the 1st or 2nd Year

Comprehensive exam/Overview meeting

• Held in 2nd or 3rd Year. See Grad guide for more detailed guidelines.

Year 3 and beyond

Dissertation • PhD awarded upon submission, defense, and approval of dissertation

Grad Guide 09-10 43

Appendix B: Overview of Requirements for MCDB Program

Coursework

• Core: Current Topics in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology [2011-2013 (F); 2021-2023 (S)]

• Biological Sciences Seminar (2450; F, S) • Departmental Seminar (2960; F,S): attendance only • MCDB Student Research Seminar (2050; F,S): attendance only (no

presentation required) • Ethics: on-line course • Prevention of Sexual Harassment: on-line course • Departmental Retreat: attendance

Research • Three 10-week rotations (15-minute presentation after each) • Choose mentor by end of Spring semester; Dissertation research

begins in summer

Year 1

Dissertation research proposal

• Planning should begin in the summer

Coursework

• Departmental Seminar (2960; F,S): attendance only • Ethics Seminar: attendance (at least two must be attended before

graduation) • MCDB Student Research Seminar (2050; F,S): attendance • Approved 2000-level course (4 credits required before graduating; see

Grad Guide for approved courses) • Departmental Retreat: attendance and participation

Research • Dissertation research • Annual committee meeting • MCDB Student Research Seminar (2050; F,S): presentation

Teaching • Teaching Assistant, one term, typically in the 2nd or 3rd Year.

Dissertation research proposal

• Submission deadline: November 1. See Grad guide for more detailed guidelines

Year 2

Comprehensive exam

• Completion deadline: mid-April (written); early May (oral). See Grad guide for more detailed guidelines.

Coursework

• Departmental Seminar (2960; F,S): attendance • Ethics Seminar: attendance (at least two must be attended before

graduation) • MCDB Student Research Seminar (2050; F,S): attendance • Approved 2000-level course (4 credits required before graduating; see

Grad Guide for approved courses) • Departmental Retreat: attendance and participation

Research

• Dissertation research • MCDB Student Research Seminar (2050; F,S): presentation • Annual committee meeting. Note: One must be Overview Meeting. See

Grad Guide for details

Teaching • Teaching Assistant, one term, typically in the 2nd or 3rd Year.

Year 3 and beyond

Dissertation • PhD awarded upon submission, defense, and approval of dissertation

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Appendix C: Graduate Courses offered by the Department of Biological Sciences Course Description Term(s) Credits 2000 Research and Thesis for the Master's Degree F,S,Sm Var 2011 Current Topics in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology 1 F 2 2012 Current Topics in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology 2 F 2 2013 Current Topics in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology 3 F 2 2021 Current Topics in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology 4 F 2 2022 Current Topics in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology 5 S 2 2023 Current Topics in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology 6 S 2 2030 Advanced Topics in Virology S (even years) 1 2050 Student Research Seminar F,S 1 2072 Organization and Function of the Eukaryotic Nucleus F (even years) 1 2090 Advanced Developmental Biology F (even years) 2 2100 Mechanisms of Cellular Communication, Structure and

Morphology S (even years) 2

2110 Diversity in the Microbial World F (odd years) 2 2120 Mechanistic Analysis of Enzymes and Protein-Protein Interactions F (odd years) 1 2130 Genetic Analysis in Model Organisms S (odd years) 2 2240 Structural and Chemical Basis of Enzyme Function S (odd years) 1 2320 Population Biology F 3 2350 Evolution Sp 3 2450 Biological Sciences Seminar F,Sp 2 2500 Current Topics in Ecology F 3 2510 Current Topics in Evolution F 3 2540 Seminar in Ecology F,S 2 2550 Experimental Designs in Ecology Sm-pym 3 2560 Seminar in Systematics and Evolution Var 2 2570 Environmental Science Teacher's Workshop Sm-pym 3 2810 Macromolecular structure and function F 4 2840 Regulation of Membrane Trafficking Sm 2 2960 Departmental Seminar F,S 1 2970 Teaching of Biological Sciences F,S,Sm Var 2972 Teaching Minor in the Biological Sciences F,S Var 2990 Independent Study F,S,Sm 1 3000 Research and Dissertation for the Ph.D. Degree F,S,Sm Var 3902 Directed Study F,S,Sm Var Red = MCDB core course Blue = EE Core course Green = MCDB Seminar course Orange = EE Seminar courses Brown = MCDB Advanced Topics courses Pink = EE Advanced Topics courses Abbreviations : Sm-pym, offered at the Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology; Var, Variable; these courses are typically offered once every other year Consult actual course listings on the Pitt website to confirm that a course is being offered in any semester: http://www.registrar.pitt.edu/schedule_of_classes.html

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Appendix D: Pre-approved Courses Outside Biological Sciences Department that Count Towards Degree Requirements Approved by GPOC; Fall 2009 University of Pittsburgh Course Description Credits

BIOINF 2051 Intro to Bioinformatics 3

BIOST 2041 Intro to Statistical Methods 1 3

BIOST 2042 Intro to Statistical Methods 2 2

IDM 2001 Molecr Biology Microbl Pathgns 3

INTBP 2040 Using Perl for Bioinformatics 3

MOLBPH 2001 Molecular Biophysics 1: Structure 3

MSBMG 2510 Biochemistry of Macromolecules 2

MSBMG 3510 Advanced Topics in Gene Expression 3

MSMVM 3410 Microbial Pathogenesis 2

MSMVM 3420 Viral Pathogenesis 2

MSCBMP 2840 Regulation of Membrane Traffic 2

MSCMP 2730 Molec Mehs Tis Growth & Diffrn 3

MSMPHL 2310 Principles of Pharmacology 3

MSMPHL 3330 DNA Repair: Biochemistry to Human Disease 2

PHYS 3101 Special Topics 1

Carnegie-Mellon University Course Description Credits

BIOSC 0438 Physical Biochemistry 3

BIOSCI 0738 Physical Biochemistry 3

CMBIOSC 0711 Cmptl Molec Biol & Genomc 4

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Appendix E: Instructions for Application for Entry into the MCDB or EE programs via the Direct Entry method.

1. Faculty will advertise for a DE student position, review potential candidates, and nominate qualified applications to the Graduate Recruiting & Admissions Committee (GRAC).

2. As for entry via the standard procedure, the student must provide three letters of reference, a recent transcript, TOEFL scores (or equivalent) if required and a personal statement, in addition to a completed standard application form.

3. The Faculty Advisor will submit a letter of support to GRAC in which they will confirm that they:

a. Are willing to act as the Dissertation Advisor of the student

b. Confirm they have no more than one DE student currently in their lab.

c. Have grant monies available to cover 2 years of stipend support or that the student has been awarded a fellowship to cover living expenses (see below).

d. Have reviewed the application materials and to the best of their knowledge agree that the studies already completed by the student are approximately equivalent or exceed that expected of first year students in our own program.

e. Specify any deficiencies in the studies previously completed by the student and state which courses must be taken to rectify this.

4. If the student has been awarded a fellowship to cover living expenses they must provide evidence for this. The fellowship must be for at least three years and provide funds of at least $14,000 per year.

5. GRAC will review the application and will pass approved applications on to GPOC.

6. GPOC will provide final approval for the entry of the student into the program.

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Appendix F: Undergraduate Courses taught by Biological Sciences that utilize TAs.

Fall 0050 Foundations of Biology Lab (only an option if other TA positions filled) 0100 Preparation for Biology 0190 Introduction to the Biological World (HHMI) 0350 Genetics 0390 Ecology Lab 1000 Biochemistry 1210 Vertebrate Morphology Lab 1440 Animal Behavior 1510 Cell Biology Lab 1810 Macromolecular Structure and Function 1855 Microbiology Lab 1860 Microbiology Lab (for Microbiology majors) 1950 Molecular Genetics Lab

Spring

0060 Foundations of Biology Lab (only an option if other TA positions filled) 0191 Introduction to the Biological World (HHMI) 0350 Genetics 1000 Biochemistry 1130 Evolution 1530 Developmental Biology Lab 1820 Metabolic Pathways 1830 Biochemistry Lab 1850 Microbiology 1855 Microbiology Lab 1880 Animal Physiology Lab

Summer 0050 Foundations of Biology Lab (three 0.5 TA positions) 0060 Foundations of Biology Lab (three 0.5 TA positions) 0350 Genetics (1 TA position) 1000 Biochemistry (one 0.5 TA position) PLE lab courses (approximately seven 0.5 TA positions)

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Appendix G: Current stipend rates.

Graduate student status Monthly stipend Healthcare contribution Net stipend

First year A&S Fellowship 2246.50 242.371 2004.13

Graduate student researcher (GSR) 2050 02 2050

Teaching Assistant (TA) 1883.12 02 1883.12

Teaching Fellow (TF) 1959.38 02 1959.38

First Year A&S Fellowship: awarded to first year students to cover Fall and Spring semesters GSR: stipend covered by Thesis Advisor’s grant. TF: students may be assigned as a TF rather than a TA if they have taught at least one semester in our department 1 This amount is deducted from the stipend 2 The contribution for healthcare is provided by the University or from overheads taken from the Advisor’s grant.