Annual Review
The annual review is a comprehensive assessment of your progress in the graduate program, completed once per academic year. It combines your self-assessment with input from your mentoring committee, a committee discussion, and a written summary that is released back to you.
How the Process Works
The review moves through four stages:
| Stage | Who acts | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Student Self-Assessment | You | Complete the annual review form and upload your CV |
| Faculty Input | Your mentoring committee | Advisor, secondary advisor, and peer mentor each provide feedback |
| Committee Review | Committee | The committee meets and drafts a summary of your progress |
| Release to Student | Department | The finalized summary and faculty feedback are released to you |
Statuses
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Not Started | Review created; you haven't begun the form |
| Student Form Pending | You're working on the form (editable) |
| Faculty Review | Submitted; waiting for faculty input from your mentoring committee |
| Committee Draft | Faculty input collected; committee is preparing the summary |
| Finalized | The review is complete and will be released to you soon |
| Released to Student | You can read the committee summary and faculty feedback |
You can edit the form while the status is Not Started or Student Form Pending. After you submit, the page shows a progress indicator (Student Form → Faculty Review → Committee Meeting → Released) so you always know where things stand.
Finding Your Review
- From your dashboard, open the Annual Review widget, or go to
/graduate/annual-review - The review for the current academic year opens automatically
- Past reviews are listed on the same page so you can revisit previous years
Annual reviews are initiated by the department each academic year. If review season has started and you don't see one, contact the graduate program administrator.
Completing the Form
The student form is a six-step wizard. Your work is autosaved every 30 seconds.
Step 1: Research Progress
- Research Summary (required, at least 100 characters)
- Publications, presentations, and research challenges this year
Step 2: Academic Progress
- Courses Completed (required) - courses and grades this academic year
- Courses planned, teaching activities, academic challenges
Step 3: Professional Development
- Conferences attended, workshops and training, professional memberships, networking, and skills developed
Step 4: Goals & Challenges
- Goals Achieved (required) - which of last year's goals you met
- Goals for Next Year (required)
- Support needed, mentoring feedback (kept confidential), and program feedback
Step 5: CV Upload
- Current CV (required) - PDF format, up to 10MB
Step 6: Review & Submit
Review all answers and click Submit for Review.
Deadlines
Student forms are typically due May 15. The form page shows your deadline and a countdown of days remaining; the display turns urgent in the final week and flags overdue forms.
What You'll See When It's Released
When the status reaches Released to Student, the page shows:
- Committee Summary - the committee's written summary of your year, with the finalization date
- Faculty Feedback - a card from each committee member with:
- An overall progress rating: Exceptional Progress, Satisfactory Progress, Needs Improvement, or Unsatisfactory
- Strengths, areas for improvement, and specific recommendations
- Your Submission - an expandable copy of the form you submitted
Troubleshooting
I can't edit my form anymore
Editing closes once you submit (status moves to Faculty Review). If you need to correct something after submitting, contact the graduate administrator.
My deadline has passed
Submit as soon as you can — the form stays open — and let your advisor know.
"Graduate Students Only"
The annual review form is only available to graduate student accounts. Contact an administrator if your account type is wrong.