Graduate Student Policies

We are happy to have you as a graduate student in the Iowa State University Department of Agronomy in one of five graduate majors or as a member of an interdepartmental major. The mission of the Department of Agronomy is to provide continued excellence in agronomic teaching, research, and outreach. The department achieves this by serving Iowa, the nation, and the world in ways that:

expand knowledge in crop, soil, and atmospheric sciences
identify, develop, and deliver appropriate information and technologies for agronomic practice
prepare students for successful careers and continued education in agronomic and related sciences
improve crop production and soil management practices, while enhancing environmental quality and sustainability, through interdisciplinary cooperation
anticipate and respond to societal needs relative to food, fiber, and fuel production
promote, through education, harmony among the diverse clientele served by agronomy.

The general expectations of the Department of Agronomy are below and expectations for individual majors are found at: Agricultural Meteorology, Agronomy (distance learning), Crop Production and Physiology, Plant Breeding, and Soil Science. Programs administrated by the Department of Agronomy adhere to the policies and procedures outlined in the ISU Graduate College Handbook, whose policies will not be repeated here. This handbook should be consulted in hardcopy or electronic format (see Iowa State University Graduate College on the ISU homepage). Departmental student learning objectives and assessment may be found here.

Departmental Admission and Major Professor

Acceptance into a major in the department is contingent on meeting departmental requirements and a major professor accepting the student. To be admitted, a major professor (or group of professors) must agree to work with the student. For the Research Training Fellowship Program, the student may decide on the major professor after admission. The Department has no Entrance or Acceptance Committee.
GREs are required in Plant Breeding and encouraged but not required in other departmental majors. The student may be more competitive for an opening and may be eligible for scholarships that require GREs if GRE scores are provided.
Although rare, students may wish to consider changing a major professor once accepted into a degree program and working toward a degree. This may be complicated if the student is working on an assistantship that the major professor is providing through grant funds intended to do specific work. The Department will not guarantee that another major professor or assistantship funds will be available, and the student should first try to discuss difficulties and possible solutions with the current major professor. The Department Chair and Director of Graduate Education are available for counsel. If difficulties cannot be resolved, change to a new major professor must be thoroughly explored with the potential new major professor. If the new major professor concurs, then the student should give the reasons for change in a memorandum to the Department Chair with copy to the DOGE. The new major professor should sign it to indicate concurrence; the current major professor should sign it to indicate release of the student. The change also requires the approval of the Department. If the POS Committee has already been constituted, the Graduate College must also be informed.

Departmental Expectations:

The student should select his/her Program of Study Committee members and file a Committee Appointment Form by the end of the second semester in residence. The student can get help from his/her major professor on selection of members. This identifies the faculty members who will serve on the Program of Study Committee.
The student should file his/her Program of Study Form by the end of the second semester in residence, with input from his/her major professor and Program of Study Committee. This outlines the courses the student will be expected to complete during his/her studies.
The department will evaluate graduate student progress annually. Graduate students will be asked to submit an Annual Report Form by February 1. Reports are to be signed by the major professor and submitted to the Graduate Student Coordinator (1126 Agron Hall) by the date indicated. More details of the review process are indicated on the form.
The departmental expectation is that students maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 3.2. The Graduate College has a requirement that students who do not maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (excluding research) may be placed on academic probation until they bring their GPA up to 3.0. If on academic probation, the major professor needs to draft a memo to the Graduate College stating why the student should be allowed to register for the next semester and list the academic improvements of the student. The departmental Director of Graduate Education will need to concur before processing the memo to the Graduate College. If the student does not improve academically, the student will be informed that he/she is recommended not to continue graduate study in the Agronomy Department at Iowa State University.
To remain in good standing, students must make progress (grades, research, and timeliness) toward their advanced degrees. A student may be recommended for dismissal from a program by the major professor, Program of Study Committee, Department, or Graduate College. A student may challenge dismissal based on procedures outlined in the ISU Graduate College Handbook.
The time required to earn the degree depends on the student and program. The Department of Agronomy normally expects a student working full time on a degree to graduate within three years while working on an M.S. degree and four years for someone working on a Ph.D. degree who already has completed a master’s degree. The actual time to graduate is best determined by the major professor and Program of Study Committee.
Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty in a scientific community are serious offenses. Plagiarism is the use of information, ideas, or phrasing of other writers without acknowledgement. Be sure to read carefully in the ISU General Catalog and the ISU Graduate Student Handbook what constitutes plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty. If in doubt, ask your major professor for clarification.
Grievance: A student may have difficulty or a grievance with another student, major professor, committee member, instructor, faculty or staff member, or administrator. It usually is best to talk directly with the individual to resolve the difficulty. Based on the nature of the grievance, this may not be possible. The student’s major professor, Department Chair, or Director of Graduate Education may offer counsel. Procedures to file a formal grievance or appeal are outlined in the ISU Graduate College Handbook.
Graduate students have certain rights in the university system such as free expression in the classroom and freedom from prejudiced evaluations. The Board of Regents Uniform Rules of Personal Conduct, and the University General Rules govern the rights and responsibilities of all graduate students. These are printed in the ISU General Catalog, as well as the ISU Graduate Student Handbook.
The departmental Clerical Support Staff is available for assistance through the student’s major professor. Most secretarial assistance involves ordering of supplies, typing of official forms (such as Out-of-State Travel Authorization and Travel Expense Voucher), preparation of key cards, and handling of large photocopying orders on the professor's account.
Providing a safe working environment is the responsibility of all members of the department. If students see unsafe conditions or acts in the building, on campus, in greenhouse or in the field, they should report them. If the student is unsure of equipment use, chemical use, or general working procedures, ask for help or assistance. The major professor usually serves as first contact.
The department provides a working environment free from discrimination. The department requires graduate students to go through the web-based training available in AccessPlus on discrimination and harassment. Students will be familiar with and follow university policies on racial, ethnic, and sexual harassment, which may be found here. Students who think they have been harassed or discriminated against should see the Departmental Chair, and all complaints, informal and formal, will be resolved according to university policy.
During the last semester in residence, the student is expected to make an appointment with the Departmental Chair for an exit interview. This is the student’s opportunity to inform the Departmental Chair about experiences during his/her time in the department and about future plans. Please schedule this exit interview through the departmental administrative assistant. These interviews are very useful to the department to improve graduate programs.
The department expects graduates of its graduate programs to develop the professional skills required for success in the academic/business world. The department feels it is the responsibility of each student, the major professor, and the Program of Study Committee to ensure that these professional skills are obtained.
Courses beyond the curriculum requirements of each major are agreed to by the student, major professor, and Program of Study Committee, with the exception of the following departmental expectations.
International students are expected to take Agronomy 500, orientation seminar, the first fall semester they enroll for classes.
Each student taking major graduate work in Agronomy is expected to register for seminar credits. Seminar topics are presented by graduate students, staff, and occasional outside speakers. Each student taking major graduate work in Agronomy is expected to register for credit in one seminar during the time he/she works toward an M.S. degree and in two additional semesters during the time he/she works toward a Ph.D. degree after the M.S. degree. Students may give their seminars in another department, depending on their area of specialization. To qualify for the Agronomy seminar requirement, the seminar must be advertised and must be a public seminar open to graduate students and staff. All graduate students and faculty are expected to attend one or more seminars each week in the area of their interest. For more information, click on Seminar Policy
The Department of Agronomy at Iowa State University recognizes the importance of teaching/extension experiences in the professional development of M.S. and Ph.D. candidates. Therefore, an opportunity is provided for all Agronomy students to participate in a teaching and/or extension activity in their degree program. For more details, click Teaching Practicum Policy.

Expectations for Those on Assistantships:

Some graduate students are offered teaching, administrative, or research assistantships and departmental expectations vary with type of appointment. Assistantship responsibilities are assigned by the supervisor (often the major professor). The hours per week of expected service to the department, length of appointment, the general responsibilities of the assistantship, and the monthly stipend are indicated in the Letter of Intent. Students who have questions on what is expected with the assistantship should visit with the supervisor before signing the Letter of Intent. If conflicts arise later, first visit with the immediate supervisor. If conflicts remain unresolved, visit with the Departmental Chair or Director of Graduate Education. Although students have specific obligations when committed to an assistantship, the departmental intent is to maintain a collegial but professional working environment.
International students and students on assistantships are expected by the university to be registered as full-time students.
The satisfactory completion of one appointment, plus satisfactory academic performance, will ordinarily make a student eligible for reappointment depending upon availability of funding. After a maximum period of three years of full-time study for the master’s degree or five years for the doctorate degree, the student may be continued on an assistantship only with prior approval of the Graduate Dean.
Arrangements for a leave of absence are made between the graduate assistant and his/her supervisor. When a graduate student on assistantship needs to be absent either for personal reasons or illness, the student should visit with the supervisor, who should accommodate reasonable needs. At the same time, the graduate student on assistantship should attempt to plan personal leave so that it does not interfere with or cause neglect of the duties associated with his/her employment. The department normally grants two weeks annual leave plus University Holidays for those on assistantships. The annual leave cannot be carried over to the following year. Accrued vacation not taken before graduation will be forfeited.
Maternal leave in general will follow university policies for faculty. “The time during which an employee is unable to work because of a disability caused or contributed to by pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion, childbirth, and recovery there from will be treated as sick leave. If an employee's accumulated sick leave is insufficient to cover the period of disability, she will, at her request, be granted a leave of absence without pay for the duration of that period. Any request for absence that is beyond the period of disability will be considered as leave of absence without pay or as vacation.” Because graduate students do not accrue sick leave, departmental policy will normally allow 6 weeks of paid leave. The department and major professor will work together to determine funding source.