Biological Sciences

Policies

 

Current Students - For students who entered the program prior to Fall 2022, the following policies apply.

  • The GS 101 contract should have been submitted by week 6 of the second semester. Students who have remained on schedule will receive priority for graduate funds and TA positions.
  • The thesis proposal should have been completed in the second semester and no later than the third semester. Students who have remained on schedule will receive priority for graduate funds and TA positions.

For students who entered the program before Fall 2021 this schedule is recommended but not required.


Teaching Associate Appointment/Reappointment

Teaching Associates will be appointed according to the programmatic needs of the department during the regular academic year (Fall and Spring). When programmatic needs do not force a distinction to be made among applicants on the basis of specific skills or experience, appointments will be made by the following criteria. Summer appointments are excluded from this policy. Because summer offering are very limited and administered through the College of the Extended University, appointments are done on a departmental need only basis.

Tier One (Highest Priority)

Classified graduate students in the Biological Sciences Department Master of Science program who have not yet completed four semesters of TA assignments, who have filed the Graduate Contract (GS-101) with the graduate coordinator by week 6 of the second semester of study (if started program prior to Fall 2022), and who have successfully completed BIO 6930 (Thesis Proposal) by the end of the third semester of study.

Tier Two (Lower Priority)

Classified Graduate Students in the Biological Sciences Department Master of Science program who have completed four semesters of TA assignments, but who have not yet completed six semesters of TA assignment, who have filed the Graduate Contract (GS-101) with the graduate coordinator by week 6 of the second semester of study (if started program prior to Fall 2022), and who have successfully completed BIO 6930 (Thesis Proposal) by the end of the third semester of study.

Tier Three (Lowest Priority)

Classified Graduate Students in the Biological Sciences Department Master of Science program who have completed four semesters of TA assignments, but have not completed six semesters of TA assignment, and who have NOT filed the Graduate Contract (GS-101) with the graduate coordinator by week 6 of the second semester of study (if started program prior to Fall 2022), and/or who have NOT successfully completed BIO 6930 (Thesis Proposal) by the end of the third semester of study.

AND 
Classified Graduate Students in the Biological Sciences Department Master of Science program who have six or more semesters of TA assignments.


Guide to Graduate Supervisory Courses

The actual supervising professor (advisor / major professor) must be listed as the instructor for all graduate supervisory courses. These courses include BIO 5000, BIO 6910, BIO 6920, BIO 6930, BIO 6940, and BIO 6960. Please use the following procedure to register for graduate supervisory courses.

  1. All graduate students desiring to take one or more supervisory courses should obtain the form titled “Application for Enrollment in Graduate Supervisory Courses” using the link provided.
  2. Each graduate student will work with his or her supervising professor to enter all information on the form except the CRN and Section Number, which will be determined by the department schedulers. Remember that BIO 5000, BIO 6910, and BIO 6920 can be taken for 1, 2, or 3 units. BIO 6940 can be taken for 1 or 2 units.  When enrolling for any of these variable-unit courses, students must indicate the number of units on the form immediately below the description of work to be performed. BIO 6930 always is a 1-unit course. BIO 6960 always is a 2-unit course.
  3. During the pre-registration period, graduate students who are not enrolling in any courses other than supervisory courses should register for one section of BIO 6910 to avoid paying late registration fees. For this purpose, enroll in the single BIO 6910 section that is listed in the class schedule. Students who are registering for other courses in addition to supervisory courses should not register for any supervisory courses during pre-registration.
  4. Students must return the completed form to the Department Office no later than 12:00PM on the third day of classes. We then will use the information on the completed forms to add appropriate sections with supervising professors listed as instructors into the online class schedule. All sections will be entered by the end of the third day of classes.
  5. Beginning on the fourth day of classes, students will be able to register for the appropriate courses and sections using the normal BroncoDirect Online Registration procedure. Students must register through BroncoDirect to be enrolled in the supervisory courses.
  6. For variable-unit courses, students must register for the section that has the appropriate supervising professor listed as the instructor and the appropriate number of units (1, 2, or 3).
  7. Students who registered for a section of BIO 6910 during pre-registration to avoid paying late registration fees should re-register for that unit of BIO 6910 using the appropriate section number for their supervising professor. The general BIO 6910 section used during pre-registration will be canceled after the sixth day of classes.

These policies/procedures were adopted by the faculty on 19 May 1998 (updated 14 September 2021) and supersede any previously published policies/procedures.