Contract Filing Process
Students complete a Division III 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 III committee members with whom they will work to refine their project ideas and draft their contracts. The Division III 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 III committee chairperson will serve as the student’s academic advisor.
Because Division III is a two-semester undertaking, the contract must be filed early in the first semester of Division III. Refer to the academic calendar for deadlines. Division III contracts may not be negotiated or filed while a student is on a leave of absence.
A student may file a request for an exception to the Division III filing deadline based on the demonstration of extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control as well as the academic soundness and viability of the student’s plan of study. The appeal is heard by the academic deans. Materials to request an exception are available in the Center for Academic Support and Advising. The Division III dean in CASA can provide further information about the Division III exceptions procedure.
Division III Funding
Students who receive financial aid and have already expended the funds included in their aid package may apply to the financial aid office for additional funds. Students should not expect the College to meet the expenses of costly Division III projects. Several College programs also offer partial funding for Division III. Information about applying for these funds is available on the SPARC webpage.
Division III Field Study or Exchange
Students may be granted field study or exchange status for the first semester of Division III work. Students must apply for an exchange program through the Global Education Office. Refer to the Exchange, Field Study, Leave, or Withdrawal section. In all cases, the final semester of Division III must be one of full enrollment on campus, not on field study or exchange.
Division III students who pursue field study or participate in an exchange relevant to the independent project should plan to complete all Division II work and file the Division III contract (or, at minimum, participate in the Division III committee request process) by the end of the semester prior to the term of field study or exchange. All plans for field study or exchange must be written into the Division III contract and approved by the student’s Division III committee and the Center for Academic Support and Advising (CASA). In order to plan appropriately, students need to consult with the Division III dean in CASA well in advance of the enrollment notification deadline, which is in April or November of the semester prior to the term in which the student plans to be away. Two meetings with the Division III dean are required. The first meeting is used for reviewing necessary materials and answering questions about Division III field study or exchange. After the student has secured all necessary signatures, the process is completed during a second meeting with the Division III dean in CASA.
Progress Report
Each student must submit a progress report on TheHub by the published deadline near the end of the first semester of Division III. At this time, the student’s Division III committee assesses in writing whether the student is progressing satisfactorily toward the completion of the contract. The chairperson is responsible for submitting the committee’s assessment of progress on TheHub by the published deadline.
Contract Revisions
Students must complete a contract revision online, approved by the committee, by the published deadline early in the student’s final semester of Division III. This revision is required even if nothing has changed. Central Records prepares student records for graduation from the contract revision.
Passing Division III
The committee will establish a due date for all completed work to be submitted to them so they can review it prior to the final meeting. All committee members should be present for the final meeting which should be set in advance of the Division III pass deadline. All final presentations, including film screenings, gallery shows, and theater productions, must take place before the Division III pass deadline. If a final meeting does not take place by the pass deadline, students are typically expected to take another semester of full enrollment. The final faculty evaluation is due by the published deadline, typically ten days after the Division III pass deadline. It must address each part of the contract.
In extenuating circumstances, a student may request an extension for completing the Division III project. See the section about students who do not finish Division III by the completion deadline for information on deadlines and fees for extension.
Printer-friendly version