Appeals of Qualifying Exam Results

Appeals of Qualifying Exam Results

Applicants are ordinarily allowed only two attempts to pass the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination. However, after a second unsuccessful attempt, candidates may petition the Electrical Engineering Department for reconsideration. Petitions will not be accepted from first time examinees, but in rare special cases faculty members may petition on their behalf. All petitions will be considered by the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination Appeals Committee, and a decision will be reached before the end of Winter Quarter. The Committee may decide to:

1. let the result stand, or
2. reverse the result, or
3. recommend that the student be allowed to take the examination another time; specific performance standards may be stated.

The petition must be presented to the Department by Friday, February 8, 2008. It must be in writing on the Departmental Quals Appeals petition form, available from the Department Office or from the quals Web page. The petition must specifically request the desired action and provide reasons that the petition should be granted. Any supporting documentation should be attached to the petition.

In addition, a required letter from a potential faculty research supervisor must be separately transmitted to the Appeals Committee. This letter should include a concise statement of:

1. willingness to supervise the petitioner's Ph.D. program,
2. willingness to financially support the petitioner's Ph.D. program,
3. evidence of the petitioner's research potential as demonstrated by accomplishments at Stanford, including performance in project courses or reading courses or research courses,
4. any other arguments in favor of the petition.

Additional supporting evidence should be presented if available. See the discussion below on the EE Qualifying Exam Review Committee Policy.

Both the petition and letter should be submitted to Diane Shankle in the Electrical Engineering Department Office, Packard 177, by Friday, February 8, 2008. The petition and letter will be presented to the Qualifying Examination Appeals Committee, together with any supporting material.

After the Review Committee completes its deliberations, the examinee will be informed of the decision by letter.

Department Policy on Appeals of Quals Decisions

The Ph.D. Qualifying Examination Appeals Committee considers appeals by students who take the Qualifying Examination a second time without passing. In rare circumstances appeals will be considered following a first failure if the appeal is submitted by a faculty member and the committee agrees that the case merits special consideration.

Petitions should carefully address the reasons for the appeal, stressing the following issues and any others deemed important for the case:

• The primary criterion is evidence of quality of research accomplished at Stanford and potential for future research. This evidence should include statements by at least one and preferably two EE professors commenting on past and expected research, as well as a list of papers published or accepted for publication in refereed journals or conferences.
• The primary evidence can be strengthened by a statement of willingness of a faculty member to provide supervision and financial support for the candidate's research.
• Grade point average.
• Qualifying Examination scores. Proximity to the pass threshold is not by itself sufficient grounds for reversing a decision.
• Improvement in performance from previous Qualifying Examinations.

The Committee will meet once annually following the Qualifying Examination, and its decisions will be final except for cases of factual error or of genuinely new and important information. An incomplete original appeal or additional faculty support will not be grounds for reconsideration. All important information should be contained in the original appeal. Requests for reconsideration of a decision by the Committee will be honored only when made by a member of the Committee and when a majority of the Committee agrees to meet for formal reconsideration.

Appeals of Qualifying Exam Results