Graduate Office FAQ

The College Graduate Office is part of the College of Arts + Sciences and is not part of the IU Bloomington Graduate School. The CGO works with the IU Bloomington Graduate School on various issues.

Yes, the CGO maintains a handbook that explains many policies and procedures for programs that have graduate students. The handbook can be found here.

Please feel free to contact us at collgrad@indiana.edu or 812-856-3687.

Members of our office and their primary duties are described on our "Who's Who" page. This information is also located in the College Intranet.

Graduate admissions within the College of Arts + Sciences are electronic documents that are processed first by the department, who set their own application deadlines. Following department processing, the application routes to the CGO for verification of admissibility. Upon approval, the application then goes on to the University Graduate School for final approval. If the student is international, the application will continue to the Office of International Services to be finalized.

Information regarding SAA's, awards, emergency funding, and G-901 requirements can be found in our handbook here.

Chairs and Directors are an important part of the appeals and complaints process, as students will often need to meet with the chair as part of the informal resolution process, prior to working with our office. Our office may also consult with the Chair or Director to determine possible solutions to issues that have been brought to our attention. Information about process for graduate students within the College can be found in the Student Portal, and information for DGS and graduate staff can be found in our handbook. Chairs may also want to familiarize themselves with additional details found in the Student Code of Conduct.

Leave of absences are coordinated with department support and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and a final decision is made by the Associate Dean for Graduate Education. In some cases, a DGS may consult with a Chair or Director to determine funding options for the student upon return.

Parental Accommodations are coordinated with department support and approval from the Chair or Director and ultimately a decision is made by the Associate Dean for Graduate Education. It is the department's responsibility to identify and appoint a replacement instructor, subject to the College and OVPFAA policies regarding academic appointments.

Discussions about academic probation usually involve the Director of Graduate Studies for the student. When a student is placed on probation, the Chair or Director will be CC'd on the probation email to the student. No action is necessary by the Chair or Director, however our office feels it is important for a Chair or Director to know when one of their graduate students is dealing with academic difficulty, as it may lead to dismissal.

Information regarding SAA's, awards, emergency funding, and G-901 requirements can be found in our handbook here.

All proposal to create or change a graduate course must go through CARMin, including remonstrance. Information about this process can be found in our handbook, as well as on the USSS webpage.

For information on the curriculum approval process, please begin by reviewing the information provided by the Office of the Executive Vice President for University Academic Affairs. The time line varies by proposal type, with a new degree proposal generally taking a year to 18 months for all approvals to be finalized. Our office can be a valuable resource in guiding you through this process, please reach out as soon as possible when considering a curricular proposal.