Procedures for Division II Work
Overview
Students begin to formulate preliminary ideas for a course of study in Division II towards the end of the second semester. By the beginning of the third semester (and no later than the beginning of the fourth semester) a Division II committee is formed, consisting of two Hampshire College faculty who, together with a student, discuss how the student's interests and goals might be best addressed.
Div II Contract
The student drafts a Division II contract, a description of various learning activities to be completed over the span of Division II.
Portfolio
The Div II process culminates in the presentation of a portfolio consisting of papers written for courses or independent projects; course and fieldwork or internship evaluations; artistic products; and other evidence that the terms of the Division II form have been fulfilled.
Passing Div II
The student and the committee members discuss the material, and if the student is judged to have passed the Division II, the Division II committee prepares a Division II evaluation that will be recorded in the student's online academic file.
When determining whether a student's Division II is ready to be passed, the faculty committee takes into consideration the number and type of courses and other learning 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 the proposed Division III project.
Procedures
Division II Proposal and Committee Selection
Students who have completed all the requirements for Division I in their first year submit a statement of intent about their goals for Division II on TheHub, which forms the basis for further discussion with their advisor and potential Division II committee members.
Students who are still working on completing Division I requirements in their third semester or are still developing their ideas for a Division II concentration are encouraged to fill out a Division II statement of intent on TheHub as well, briefly indicating their area(s) of interest for the Division II concentration.
Choosing a Committee
Students name three potential faculty members who could serve as the chair of the committee and three who could serve as the member (these may be the same three for each).
Courses
Courses taken during the first two semesters of enrollment not used to fulfill Division I requirements may be applied to the Division II if relevant. Courses taken during the third semester of enrollment, if not needed to fulfill Division I requirements, will also become part of the Division II concentration if relevant, even though the Division II has not yet been filed on TheHub. In all instances, the third semester is considered a Division II semester.
Division II Contract
In consultation with the advisor and the potential members of the concentration committee, the student drafts a Division II contract online. As the contract indicates, the student should state the general goals of the concentration, naming the fields of inquiry, techniques, and skills that the student seeks to understand and develop through the plan of study, and indicate prior experiences, including those in Division I, that contributed to the choice of the concentration; outline the learning activities that will constitute the plan of study, showing how they relate to its general goals; indicate expectations for assistance and supervision that the student will receive from faculty; and state the ways in which the student intends to demonstrate fulfillment of the Division II.
The contract also includes a statement of how the student's work relates to the Multiple Cultural Perspectives requirement and, if possible, how the student plans to fulfill the Community Engagement and Learning requirement.
Role of the Committee Chair
A member of the Division II committee is designated as the chairperson. The chairperson has the primary responsibility for monitoring the progress of the concentration, overseeing the final meeting, and writing the student's Division II evaluation. The Division II chair serves as the academic advisor, unless a student, by filing a form with the center for academic support and advising, requests that a different faculty member serve as the academic advisor.
Process and Progress
Students should work on developing their Division II contracts, in consultation with their advisors and relevant faculty members, during their third semester. Depending on their Division I pass date, students may post the contract as ready for faculty signatures anytime between the beginning of the third semester and the beginning of the fourth semester of enrollment (the final deadline).
Committee members electronically sign the contract, which files it with central records. Division II is a four-semester undertaking, with at least three semesters completed after filing the Division II contract. The portfolio of work submitted to the Division II committee represents the equivalent of four semesters' worth of work in Division II.
Revising Your Contract
The initial Division II contract may be and usually is amended or rewritten during the period of work on the concentration. The revised concentration form must be signed by all members of the committee.
The student is responsible for fulfilling all the commitments detailed in the Division II contract.
Evidence of completion will typically include course evaluations, Five College grades, research papers, and lab work; fulfillment of the Multiple Cultural Perspective; and evaluations for internships, independent studies, performance, artistic work, and Community Service or Community Engagement and Learning. All work completed on field study or exchange must be evaluated, documented, and recorded by the central records office.
Final Meeting
Before a final meeting is scheduled, the student should contact the chairperson to verify that all of the materials to be submitted for evaluation as specified by the contract have been made available to each committee member.
At that point, the student should arrange the time of the final meeting with each of the members of the committee. 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. Students are encouraged to include a statement about prospective Division III work as a part of the Division II portfolio submitted for evaluation.
Revised Contract
Prior to the final meeting, students must submit a final revision of the Division II contract on TheHub, updating the list of courses and other learning activities included in the concentration. The revision should also contain any necessary changes in committee members, community service requirements, and other aspects of the concentration form. The Division II committee should sign the revised contract on TheHub prior to the final meeting.
CEL Evaluation
Students must submit their Community Engagement and Learning evaluations to central records for recording prior to the final meeting. The evaluation should be on letterhead of the institution where the student provided service, and include a description of the work done and evaluative comments of the student's performance. It should be signed by the evaluator and contain the evaluator's name, title, and institutional affiliation.
Online Pass Form
All Hampshire faculty committee members must sign the online pass form. The pass date recorded will be the date the last committee member signs the pass online. The committee chairperson will then write a formal evaluation online in accordance with evaluation deadlines.
NOTE: Division II is considered to be a four semester long 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 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.