Published Deadlines
Please refer to the academic calendar published by Central Records for the following deadlines in a semester: committee request; Division II filing; and Division II passing.
Establishing a Division II Committee
Division II is a four-semester undertaking, with at least three full semesters completed after filing the Division II contract. The Division II committee consists of at least two Hampshire faculty: a chairperson and a member. A staff member or five college faculty may serve as a third member. The Division II committee consists of at least two Hampshire faculty: a chairperson and a member. A staff member or five college faculty may serve as a third member. Students complete a Division II committee request form on TheHub by the published deadline. Faculty will then review committee requests during a two-week period, and students will be assigned prospective Division II committee members, one chair and one member. The Division II committee chairperson, who also serves as the student’s academic advisor, has the primary responsibility for monitoring the progress of the concentration, overseeing the final meeting, and writing the student’s final Division II evaluation. During the third semester of enrollment, students participate in a committee request process to identify their committee. After meeting with and getting feedback from potential faculty members, they complete a form on TheHub, which includes a statement about the students’ goals and objectives for Division II, and a list of faculty they are interested in working with. The completed form is reviewed by faculty and deans to assign the appropriate committee.
Note: The deadline for most transfer students to submit the committee request is in their first semester of enrollment. Students who enter as first-year submit the request in their third semester of enrollment.
Drafting the Division II Contract
Students draft their Division II contracts on TheHub under the guidance of their newly-formed Division II committees, incorporating suggestions and responding to feedback through communications and meetings. Plans for fulfilling the Community Engagement and Learning (CEL-2), the Race and Power requirement and the projects requirement should be included in the discussions and documented in the contract.
Filing the Division II Contract
When the contract has been written to the satisfaction of the committee, the student changes the “state” of the document on TheHub to “ready for faculty signatures,” making it available for committee members to electronically sign. After the committee has signed, the student has officially “filed” Division II. The deadline for students to file is at the beginning of their fourth semester of enrollment, though students may file Division II any time after receiving notification of their assigned committee.
Note: The deadline for most transfer students to file Division II is in their second semester of enrollment. The deadline for students who enter as first years is in the beginning of their fourth semester of enrollment.
Contract Revisions
The initial contract may be revised on TheHub at any time during Division II to reflect changes in educational goals or a change in the committee. The contract must be revised before passing to include courses taken in the final semester of Division II and any other relevant changes. For completion at the end of a fall semester the final revision must be dated after October 15; for completion at the end of a spring semester the final revision must be dated after March 1. Any time a student revises, the new draft must be signed by the committee to be “filed” with Central Records. The final revision of the contract should be signed before the final meeting.
Fulfilling the Division II Contract
Prior to passing, students are responsible for fulfilling the commitments detailed in the Division II contract. Evidence of completion will typically include Hampshire course evaluations; evaluations for Hampshire independent study, Special Projects, and teaching assistantships; Five College grades; field study and exchange program transcripts and/or evaluations; fulfillment of the Race and Power and Community Engagement and Learning requirements; research papers and lab work; evaluations for Special Projects such as internships; and performances and artistic work. During Division II, faculty committees provide guidance in the form of critical comments, advice, and ongoing evaluation. Students should meet and communicate regularly with their committees to assess progress. The culmination of a student’s work is compiled in a portfolio that is presented to the committee in advance of the final meeting to review, provide feedback and give instruction for additional work or revision if needed. The portfolio must include a brief (500-1000 words) reflection on how they engaged with the questions they posted when they entered Division II. A time for the final meeting is scheduled with the student's Division II committee. Before that date arrives, students should confirm with their committees that all of the materials specified have been received including CEL-2 documentation on TheHub. The final meeting may occur at the end of the 6th semester and must occur by the published deadline in the beginning of the 7th semester of enrollment.
Note: Transfer students pass Division II when their committee determines that the student has satisfied the Division II requirements.
The Final Meeting
When determining whether a student's Division II is ready to be passed, the faculty committee takes into consideration: whether the student has met the goals set out in the contract; the number and type of courses and other educational activities in the portfolio and whether they form a comprehensive body of work; the student’s proficiency with writing and other modes of expression and presentation; and the student’s readiness, in terms of requisite knowledge and skills, to embark on their proposed Division III project. A discussion of the initial Race and Power questions posed at the beginning of their Division II and the reflective writing at the end of their concentration will be a required part of the Division II pass meeting with their faculty committees.
Although the format and style of the final meeting varies, it is normally an oral examination of the student’s Division II work, which involves a discussion of the central questions addressed in the concentration and the material presented in the portfolio. The committee will determine the student’s readiness to pass Division II.
Passing Division II on TheHub and Faculty Evaluation
Committee members sign the online pass form at or shortly after the final meeting. The pass date recorded in the student’s record will be the date the last committee member signs the pass. The committee chairperson will write a formal evaluation of Division II for the student’s transcript in accordance with evaluation deadlines.
Preparing for Division III
Students are encouraged to include a statement about prospective Division III work as a part of their Division II portfolio. Typically, Division III projects explore in depth a specific aspect of the student's Division II work. Division III work should only be undertaken in a different area of study in cases in which the student has the appropriate background that constitutes suitable preparation for advanced work. Students use the skills, methodologies and techniques necessary for independent study acquired in Division II to pursue their work in Division III.
Accelerated Division II
Division II is considered to be a four-semester undertaking. Under exceptional circumstances, students who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishment in their Division II studies may, with the support of their Division II committee, petition for an accelerated Division II. They must do this in the anticipated final semester of their Division II. Students must be able to demonstrate not only that they will have completed the equivalent of four semesters worth of work in their Division II, but also that their work rises to an exceptional level. They must also demonstrate readiness for Division III, including commitments from a Division III committee. Students must complete the application form available at the Center for Academic Support and Advising (CASA) and secure written support from both Division II committee members. The full application must be submitted to CASA no later than October 1 or March 1 of a student’s anticipated final semester of Division II.
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