Annual academic progress reviews are an opportunity for students to reflect on their progress and accomplishments during the previous year, check-in on degree milestones, get feedback on areas in which they excel or could improve and begin setting goals for the coming year. It’s also an opportunity for departments to check in with their students, understand their progress and concerns, and offer support and feedback.
The Graduate College requires that graduate students complete annual reviews each year, but the details are determined by the program of study. Each program determines the format and contents of the review and will communicate deadlines and the process with students and faculty. Reviews are conducted at least once a year; however, some shorter or coursework-based programs may conduct reviews more frequently.
What happens during an annual review?
While the exact format and content of annual review vary by graduate program, most reviews include:
- student reflection and self-report on academic progress,
- adviser and/or department evaluation and feedback, and
- an opportunity for discussion.
The goal of self-reflection portion of the review is to help students reflect how much they have accomplished at this point in their program and anticipate what is left to complete. This will help students see what next degree milestones they will need to complete and begin setting goals toward next semester and degree completion.
Students might be asked to reflect on the following:
- Progress toward degree milestones, like required courses or exams
- Challenges or barriers to completing milestones
- Work completed toward research (e.g. thesis, dissertation)
- Publications submitted or completed or conference presentations
- Career goals or internships
Keep in mind that the questions that students are asked vary depending on program of study and degree track. For instance, students in a research-based program may be asked to describe efforts toward publications or conferences, while students in coursework-based programs, may be asked to reflect on progress toward completing degree milestones.
When the student has completed their portion of the review, advisers will be able to see what the student has written.
Advisers might be asked to:
- Respond to the student’s submitted comments
- Describe the frequency of contact you have with your advisee
- Describe the student’s strengths
- Explain areas of growth
Shortly after the review is complete, the student will receive a copy. A copy will also be placed in the student’s academic file.
In some department processes, a third individual – such as the Director of Graduate Studies or a Graduate Program Advisor – will also look at the review and give feedback.
What is my responsibility? Why is this useful?
Graduate degrees are multi-faceted, with a number of written and unwritten expectations, and students are working independently on long-term projects. Both the adviser and the student should participate in all required steps of the annual review process.
Annual reviews help both students and faculty understand where a student is in their degree progress and how much more is needed for degree completion. Advisors can see where students are devoting their time and guide them toward their next steps – whether it be the next degree milestone or redirecting them back on track. Reviews also give the opportunity for students to share issues or challenges they’ve encountered while working toward their degree.
Annual reviews are a valuable moment to pause and reflect but is not the only moment for students to seek feedback. Consider scheduling regular conversations for feedback and planning throughout the year.
Communicating Concerns
At times, annual reviews might bring up concerns – both for students or advisers – and it is important to address concerns as they arise rather than waiting until they get bigger.
In some departments, the academic review includes boxes where students can leave comments not visible to their advisor and advisors can leave comments not visible to students. These boxes are clearly labeled within the form. If comments are left in the form, someone within the department will follow-up to address these concerns.
If your review does not have a box where you can leave comments, you can still communicate concerns. It’s best to do this early and frequently so that challenges can be addressed and you can get support. The Director of Graduate Studies for your program is a great resource for both students and faculty to help listen, problem-solve, discuss and understand policy, and brainstorm next steps. The Graduate College is also a resource to support you.
How can I (as a student) make the most of my annual review?
Annual reviews are not unique to graduate school. They are a common occurrence in the workforce and if you join academia, aspects of the tenure-review process are similar. So as a student, what can you do to be prepared? How can you make the most of your annual review?
Meet with your adviser to discuss your review. After reading through your advisor’s comments, you might have questions or want to discuss some of their comments. Having a meeting with your advisor can help you better understand their thoughts and concerns (if they have any), set goals for the coming semester, and discuss long-term plans.
Keep your resume updated. Spend an evening once or twice a year and update your resume while things are still fresh on your mind.
Make a degree roadmap. Create a document that tracks all of the courses that you’ve already taken, the courses you have in progress, and the courses you plan to take. You can do the same with degree milestones. This will help with both filling out the academic review form, but also help you with semester registration and goal setting.
Run a degree audit. The degree audit tool can help you create your degree roadmap as it will tell you which degree requirements you have completed and what you have left to do. It’s a good idea to run this report regularly to make sure that everything is accurate.
Review past annual reviews (if you have them). Looking over past annual reviews that you have completed can help you see how your goals have changed over time. Maybe your research has taken interesting turns or your career goals have shifted. Noticing these changes can help you with thinking about future plans and goals, and also communicating these ideas with your advisor.
Tools to help during the annual review
The Degree Audit Tool is a resource that students can use to check their progress toward degree completion. It shows the courses completed and can run hypothetical scenarios.
The Planning Your Semester Registration page helps students and faculty consider balancing time commitments including courses, research credits, and employment. It is especially helpful for students enrolling in 599 research credits.
Individual Development Plans (IDPs) are tools to help students assess their skills, reflect on career plans, and set goals. Several organizations have IDPs that could be useful to students. The Graduate College has also developed GradPLAN to help Illinois students with academic and career planning.