Updates

Updates to the GAP within the last few years are listed below. For questions about the derivation of any GAP documents or changes made more than a year ago, review the archive page or contact the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education (VPGE) at vpge@stanford.edu.

In September 2022, GAP 4.2 Coterminal Degrees was updated to reflect changes in academic progress monitoring.  

On June 23, 2022, GAP 7.1 General Funding Guidelines and Definitions was updated to reflect the change in the Cardinal Care Subsidy.

In March and April 2022, the following changes to the GAP were made:

• GAP 3.2 Registration, Enrollment, and Academic Progress (to clarify policy language and processes concerning Graduate Residency Transfer Credit)
• GAP 4.7 Doctoral Degrees, University Oral Examinations & Committees (to clarify non-Academic Council committee membership)
• GAP 4.8 Doctoral Degrees, Dissertations & Dissertation Reading Committees (to clarify non-Academic Council committee membership and remove the paper submission process of dissertations)
• GAP 5.7 Conferral of Degrees (to clarify the process for students to submit late applications to graduate)
• GAP 5.4.1 Program Discontinuation and Reinstatement (to clarify policy language and processes concerning Program Discontinuation and Reinstatement)
• GAP 5.8 Exchange Programs (to remove the UCSC Exchange option for students in selected fields related to the study of the ocean per termination confirmation from faculty leaders from the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) and Stanford’s Center for Ocean Solutions)

In July 2021, the following GAP documents were updated:

• GAP 3.1 Registration, Enrollment, and Academic Progress (to provide guidance, transparency, and clarity for students, faculty, and staff regarding physical presence on campus. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on graduate education had illuminated areas of ambiguity in this university policy. This was approved by the Faculty Senate on June 24, 2021; see SenD#7982.)
• GAP 3.2 Residency Policy for Graduate Students (to delegate decision making to faculty and staff in degree programs who have the expertise to determine whether prior academic work should be accepted for transfer. The update also allows online courses to be transferred, which is critical after the pandemic forced courses online. This was approved by the Faculty Senate on June 24, 2021; see SenD#7982.)
• GAP 4.6 Doctoral Degrees, Candidacy (to reaffirm that doctoral students are expected to complete degree program qualifying procedures and apply for candidacy by the end of their second year in the program. This update also affirms local decision-making authority for extensions of the pre-candidacy period and provides more transparency for students by incorporating guidance that was provided by the Committee on Graduate Studies in 2012. This was approved by the Faculty Senate on June 24, 2021; see SenD#7982.)
• GAP 4.7 Doctoral Degrees, University Oral Examinations & Committees (to reaffirm that in-person oral examinations and dissertation defenses are the norm per university policy. The update also allows more flexibility and delegates decision-making authority to the degree programs. This was approved by the Faculty Senate on June 24, 2021; see SenD#7982.)
• GAP 4.8 Doctoral Degrees, Dissertations & Dissertation Reading Committees (to confirm the streamlined electronic dissertation approval process that was implemented due to COVID-19. This was approved by the Faculty Senate on June 24, 2021; see SenD#7982.)

Temporary 2020-21 Policy Changes in Response to COVID-19:

• GAP 3.1 Registration, Enrollment, and Academic Progress: COVID-19 POLICY UPDATE: The enrollment policies for graduate students have not been changed in 2020-21 in response to COVID-19 (see Stanford Bulletin). Graduate students are required to enroll full-time in Autumn, Winter and Spring, unless they are on an approved leave of absence or have an accommodation through the Office of Accessible Education or a childbirth accommodation. Graduate students are generally not required to be enrolled in Summer quarter, though some programs and funding sources may require enrollment. Read more under General Enrollment Requirements below. 
• GAP 3.2 Residency Policy for Graduate Students: COVID-19 POLICY UPDATE: The university policy restricting graduate residency credit for online or correspondence courses has been temporarily lifted by the Faculty Senate, acting in administrative session, for courses taken during 2020-21 (see Faculty Senate Steering Committee approves policy changes for 2020-21). The process for applying for graduate residency credit remains unchanged (see 5. Transfer Credit for Graduate Work Done Elsewhere).
• GAP 4.6 Doctoral Degrees, Candidacy: COVID-19 POLICY UPDATE: On March 26, 2020, the Faculty Senate approved the Committee on Graduate Studies' recommendation allowing degree programs to delay until Autumn 2020 the university candidacy deadline for current 2nd-year doctoral students. Following completion of the degree program’s qualifying procedure, admissions to candidacy are normally required by the end of the 2nd year. No further extensions to the candidacy deadline have been approved.
• GAP 4.7 Doctoral Degrees, University Oral Examinations & Committees: COVID-19 POLICY UPDATE: Approval for a partially or fully remote oral dissertation has been delegated by Vice Provost Stacey F. Bent to DGSs or department chairs through Summer 2021 (see GAP 4.7 Doctoral Degrees, University Oral Examinations & Committees).