After one request to spend the fourth year elsewhere was granted, several students subsequently asked to spend the fourth year off-site, usually for personal reasons. Steering committee members felt this kind of relocation could be disruptive to progress toward the degree, unfair to the student’s mentor, and usually not in the best interests of the student’s career. After some discussion, it was decided that the policy should clearly set forth the program’s expectations that students be in San Diego for the tenure of their program, except for the internship year. Requests for a fourth year off-site would be at the discretion of the co-directors and the student’s Guidance Committee, and would normally be denied, absent compelling reasons for an exception.
(Steering Committee, 11/24/05)
