The annual review serves as a time for students to check in with advisors regarding progress in the program and to address any concerns the students or advisors may have about course work, progress to the degree, development of teaching, research, and writing skills, intellectual interests, and/or other aspects of the program. It is also an opportunity to discuss with the advisor short- and long-term plans for completing the program. Students should plan to meet with advisors in February.
Prior to the meeting, the student will be asked to create an e-portfolio that includes the following:
- Annual review form – A completed copy of the annual review form, downloadable from the website at http://www.northeastern.edu/english/forms/graduate/. On this form the student will be asked to provide a draft narrative of work over the past year as well as an account of plans for the coming year. Sample narratives are available online.
- Degree timeline – A completed copy of the student’s degree timeline form, downloadable from the forms website.
- Written work – Copies of seminar papers or other written work the student has completed in the past year (including field statements and dissertation chapters). These may be submitted electronically.
- Unofficial transcripts – Available via myNEU. Print as PDF.
- Summary of teaching activities, if applicable – list of courses taught, syllabi, assignment sheets, TRACE and departmental score summary
The advisor will review these materials prior to the meeting. At the meeting, the student is asked to do the following:
- Review the materials given the advisor and discuss progress over the past year. In particular, the student may want to address any concerns he or she or the advisor has about the substance of the work (writing skills, research areas, field focus, professionalization, teaching) as well as the completion of expected milestones
- Discuss plans for the coming year (may include courses to be taken, exams to be completed, post-commencement plans to develop and pursue, dissertation chapters to be completed, etc.)
- Work with the advisor to craft a specific plan for work moving forward; the plan should address both the substance of the student’s intellectual interests and required milestones (exams, etc.).
After the meeting, the student should complete any revisions to the annual review form that were discussed with the advisor in the February meeting. Once the advisor has received and reviewed these changes, and completed his/her section, all e-portfolios will be reviewed by the GSC.