To the finish line

There’s an unwritten rule about small talk as March tips into April: do not ask seniors about their theses. We retreat into Firestone in sleepless hibernation or hide away in our rooms to write. But I wondered — what happens to the seniors who, due to extenuating personal or familial circumstances, do not finish on time?

As it turns out, you will not be exiled to the basement of Mudd Library or pulled off the proverbial graduation stage. I sat down with Senior Associate Dean of the College Claire Fowler to learn exactly how this process works.

Every year, up to a dozen seniors may not finish their theses. There are different types of cases that administrators address — students who miss departmental deadlines, which vary, or students who miss the University deadline, which is the unequivocal May 2.

When considering the case of a student nearing a deadline without the ability to finish, administrators will look at the big picture. Fowler insists that there is no case they haven’t seen before: students experience all sorts of physical and psychological stresses and all kinds of personal or family situations that are out of their control, and any of these issues may prohibit a student’s ability to complete the thesis.

The first pathway is through the student’s advisor, who will know his or her department most intimately. The second pathway, if advisors are unresponsive or if a student feels less comfortable with his or her advisor, is through the residential college dean who will be able to mediate the communication process with an advisor. The dean will help the student work with the academic department to negotiate a new deadline that is before the May 2 University deadline and may also change the grading procedure to account for the late thesis. According to Fowler, at this stage, there is quite a lot of flexibility because each department is different.

If a senior misses the University deadline, then it is out of the hands of the academic department. After May 2, Dean Fowler meets with the student'sresidential college dean on a weekly basis to ascertain the progress of every student who is behind and try to help them finish up if possible.

It is, of course, genuinely hard to evaluate the seriousness of a friend’s "thesis stress." As Fowler points out, "Don’t forget that every senior is stressed, and they don’t have time to take care of each other…Seek out the help you need."

Let’s be clear: neither this article, nor Fowler’s encouragement to seek help if needed, is intended to encourage any senior to miss the departmental thesis deadline. There is certainly a usefulness in deadlines (read: Dean’s Date). However, here at Princeton, where perfection is seen as the norm, it is important to clarify that if you find yourself in this situation, you are not alone. And here’s what to do.

Let’s say you don’t turn in your thesis. What happens? If you pass your classes, but have not turned in your thesis, your transcript will be labeled as "Fail to Qualify." It will, yes, be an "F" on your transcript, but then it is metered by the second grade you will get once you actually turn it in, albeit late. You get your degree officially when you finish your thesis, but even if it is not finished before Commencement, you still get to march and participate in the all of the graduation festivities. The only difference is that your name will not be in the program and you will get your diploma at a later date, when you complete all the graduation requirements — this is because the Trustees technically approve every single person who graduates, the "official conferring" of the degree, and you will get your diploma after they meet once again to approve the additional graduates.

Rest assured, Princeton wants you to graduate. If you get a D in your last semester, that’s still a graduating grade. If you fail your comprehensive exams, you can retake them. The actual requirements for the Princeton degree are 31 courses, comprehensive exams or thesis defense, and a thesis. It is absolutely not the end if you fail any of these. Dean Fowler doesn’t want to make it hard for students. "It’s in everybody’s interest for them to clear the finish line. We want as many people on that lawn as possible."

Fowler has one last reminder for seniors: "It is not easy, it is really hard. But that’s why there is such a sense of accomplishment when you’ve done it. Seniors should be proud that they are engaging in this thing that is really hard, but it certainly doesn’t have to be perfect."