Academic Policies and Procedures
Gemstone Citation | Honors Citation | Registration Information | Help in Registration
Schedule Conflicts |
Study Abroad & Co-op (Learning Contract) | Withdrawing from Gemstone|Temporary Withdrawal from the University
Dismissal from Gemstone | Early Graduation
To earn the Gemstone Citation, the student must maintain satisfactory academic progress, as delineated in the Undergraduate Catalog. Student records are audited by the Gemstone Academic Advisor to assure that students have successfully completed the required credits to earn the Gemstone Citation. Students and the Faculty Mentor are notified if credits are missing or any unsatisfactory grade is noted in the student record. It is the student's responsibility to immediately follow up with the Academic Advisor regarding the matter.
Satisfactory progress for the Gemstone Citation includes:
- Completing all Gemstone prerequisite and seminar credits with a grade
of at least a "C."
GEMS 100, GEMS 102, GEMS 104 and GEMS 202 must be taken DURING THE SEMESTER the courses are REQUIRED for a student's cohort and MUST be passed with a grade of at least a "C" in order to continue in the Gemstone Program. - Significantly contributing to writing the team thesis and presenting, and defending it at the Team Thesis Conference.
- Submitting the FINAL version of the team thesis by the posted deadline.
| COURSE | PREREQUISITE |
| GEMS 102 (1cr) | GEMS 100 (1cr) |
| GEMS 202 (2cr) | GEMS102 (1cr) & GEMS 104 (3cr) |
| GEMS 296 (1cr) | GEMS102 (1cr) & GEMS 104 (3cr) |
| *GEMS 297 (2cr) | GEMS 202 (2cr) and GEMS 296 (1cr) |
| *GEMS 396 (2cr) | *GEMS297 (2cr) |
| *GEMS397 (2cr) | *GEMS396 (2cr) |
| GEMS 496 (2cr) | *GEMS 397 (2cr) |
| GEMS 497 (2cr) | GEMS 496 (2cr) |
*Students who co-op or study abroad will need to complete a Learning Contract for the missed Gemstone research seminar. Please reference the section on Study Abroad and Co-op policies.
Gemstone Citation Ceremony and Transcript Notation
Gemstone Citations are awarded to teams during the formal academic Citation Ceremony each spring semester just prior to the General University Graduation Ceremony.
During the ceremony, each team is recognized and each individual on the team receives a certificate and a Gemstone medal. The Gemstone Program submits the recommendation of the notation to the Office of Records and Registration AFTER:
- the Gemstone Program office has received the final copy of the Team Thesis by the posted deadline,
- all grades for Gems courses are in,
- the citation audit is completed.
The notation on the student transcript reads GEMSTONE CITATION. The Gemstone Citation notation will appear on the student transcript following the Citation Ceremony.
Earning the Gemstone Citation does not mean that you have also earned the Honors Citation and vice versa. Please carefully read the Honors Citation requirements below carefully.
To earn the Honors Citation, the student must successfully complete a minimum of 16 Honors/Gemstone credits and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2.
Gemstone students are not required, though highly encouraged, to take additional credits within University Honors to meet the credit requirements for the Honors Citation. If a Gemstone student elects not to take Honors seminars or H-version courses offered through University Honors, the student will have earned 12 credits toward the Honors Citation by earning credits through the Gemstone curriculum by the end of the 5th semester. Thus, Gemstone students need to earn 4 additional credits to meet the credit requirements for the Honors Citation if students wish to earn the Honors Citation in 5 semesters. If students take only Gemstone courses and no other Honors-related credits, it will take longer than 5 semesters to earn the Honors Citation, which is also acceptable. Again, we highly encourage students to take advantage of their status as University Honors students and enroll in additional University Honors courses/seminars. Many University Honors courses satisfy CORE requirements as well.
The Gemstone Academic Advisor is available to answer questions regarding the Gemstone Program or more general academic matters. Students should follow up with departmental and faculty advisors for more specific academic concerns. Gemstone works with the academic departments to assure that advisors are aware of curriculum updates in order to ensure that students are meeting their academic goals. The Gemstone Academic Plan (pdf) can assist students and advisors with incorporating the Gemstone requirements along with degree requirements. Please contact the Gemstone Academic Advisor at 301-314-7451 or dawsona@umd.edu to make an appointment.
As long as a student is in good standing with the University of Maryland, the student can register for Gemstone courses. Gemstone students need to be aware that they should register for the appropriate Gemstone courses EACH semester. Each team is given a specific section number. This section number never changes for the team. Be careful-- register for your designated team section for 200-level and above Gemstone courses.
Students should make sure they add the Gemstone credits by the DROP/ADD deadline of the respective semester. Students who wait beyond this deadline have to get their department's approval for the schedule change. This takes time and involves getting multiple signatures. Furthermore, timely registration assures that you will receive proper credit for your Gemstone courses.
Undergraduate students are generally limited to registering for 16 credits prior to the first day of classes. Afterwards, students can register for a maximum of 19 credits.
STUDENTS WILL HAVE TO GET SPECIAL PERMISSION from their college if:
- They would like to register for more than 16 credits PRIOR to the first day of classes
- They plan to take more than 19 credits
- They want to make adjustments to their schedule (DROP or ADD) AFTER the official DROP/ADD deadline
The Gemstone Academic Advisor checks Gemstone seminar/course rosters at the start of each semester. If a student is not listed in a course, the Academic Advisor will contact the student directly. It is the student's responsibility to follow up on this matter. If the student does not respond, the assumption is that the student does not intend to add the credits in question. The student will be dropped from the Gemstone Program if the credits are not added by the DROP/ADD deadline.
SOPHOMORE TEAMS will not be able to add GEMSTONE credits until they KNOW WHICH TEAM they are on. As soon as the team is assigned, register for the GEMSTONE credits (each team is assigned a SPECIFIC section).
Although time conflicts are generally not permitted, there are exceptions. ALL exceptions require college approval (the student's ADVISING COLLEGE also has to sign off with approval when resolving conflicts). If conflicts arise with a Gemstone course/seminar, please let us know by contacting the Gemstone Academic Advisor (4-7451).
Study Abroad, Co-op and Other Opportunities Requiring a Semester Away from the University
Gemstone highly encourages students to enrich their academic experience while at the University by studying abroad, participating in a co-op opportunity and taking advantage of other opportunities that may require a semester away from the University. Because of the nature of team research, there are appropriate and inappropriate times for students to take advantage of such opportunities. Please reference the Four Years At-A-Glance, as it highlights the semesters that Gemstone would anticipate students studying abroad, participating in a co-op opportunity or being away from the university for other reasons. The junior year (either semester), is an ideal time for students to expand their horizons spending a semester away from campus. Gemstone students are not permitted to study abroad, co-op or otherwise be away from the university until after they have completed GEMS 202 in the fall semester of the sophomore year and in the senior year when writing the team thesis and participation in the Team Thesis Conference is mandatory. Only one semester away is permitted, but it can be combined with a summer and/or a winter term in order to extend the stay.
- The Gemstone Program should be aware of a student's intention to study abroad, to co-op or to take advantage of other opportunities that may require a semester away from the University.
- The student must complete a Learning Contract with their team and mentor ONE SEMESTER PRIOR to studying abroad or co-oping in which the student agrees to continue to significantly contribute to the team's research and the nature of that contribution is specified.
- The fully completed Learning Contract must be signed by the student AND the mentor. The student is responsible for turning the contract in to the Gemstone Academic Advisor the SEMESTER PRIOR to studying abroad or co-oping.
The Learning Contract is kept in the student's file with the Gemstone Program. The student should make sure that they register for the missed Gemstone research seminar listed under the Gemstone Academic Advisor's name when they return to campus. There are special sections of GEMS 297, 396 and 397 that students should add to their schedule by the schedule adjustment deadline. If a student does not follow the outlined steps to assure that the Gemstone Program has a record of the student's agreement with the team and mentor, it is possible that the student will not be able to continue in the Gemstone Program. Tips and Advice from Gemstone Students Who Have Studied Abroad.
A student can withdraw from the Gemstone Program if the student feels it is necessary. The Gemstone Program encourages students to make this decision PRIOR to beginning team research due to the disruption such departures can create for a team in progress.
When a student has determined that it is necessary to withdraw from the program the student should:
- Communicate this desire to the team, mentor and the Gemstone Assistant Director.
- Contact the Gemstone Academic Advisor at dawsona@umd.edu, 301-314-7451, or come to 0100G Ellicott Hall to complete an Exit Survey. The student should return the Exit Survey to the Academic Advisor through e-mail, campus or postal mail or by coming to the Gemstone office.
- Withdraw from registered GEMS courses. If this occurs after the drop/add deadline, then the student will need to get permission from the Dean of the college that governs their major. Be aware that students receive a "W" at this point for withdrawing from a course.
- Unsubscribe from the Gemstone List Serv.
Temporary Withdrawal from the University
If a student elects to temporarily withdraw from the University, they should discuss this with their mentor and notify their team and the Gemstone Academic Advisor. A student who temporarily withdraws may still earn fulfill the citation requirements under certain conditions.
If a student chooses to return to the University and continue in the Gemstone Program, he or she needs to complete a Continuation Agreement with their team and mentor to outline their responsibilities and to ensure they receive proper credits to fulfill citation requirements. This agreement should be filed with the Gemstone Academic Advisor upon return to the University. The agreement must be updated to reflect that the student will make up the missed credits and fulfill needed duties to assist the team with the research (in its present state).
Gemstone follows the University of Maryland's academic policies regarding satisfactory progress toward a degree. In addition, earning a grade lower than a "C" in any of the required Gemstone courses (see above) will result in a student being dropped from the Program. The Gemstone Program also reserves the right to remove a student found in violation of the University's Student Code of Conduct and/or the Code of Academic Integrity.
It is possible for Gemstone students to graduate early from the University of Maryland AND satisfy the Gemstone Citation requirements. Gemstone is a four-year program, yet we recognize that talented students can fulfill degree requirements in less than four years. Gemstone works with students and their major college to assure that students get the most of their educational experience as a Gemstone student. If a student plans to graduate early, the student should communicate this to their team, mentor, Gemstone Assistant Director and the Gemstone Academic Advisor. If the student continues at the University of Maryland as a graduate student, the student can add the necessary research seminars to their schedule to acquire the relevant credits. If the student is leaving the University, then the student will not be able to add the relevant credits but this will be taken into account when auditing the student's records for the Gemstone Citation. In both cases, the student HAS to assist the team with writing the thesis AND be physically present at the Team Thesis Conference in the spring of their fourth year.
To receive credit (grade and/or the Gemstone Citation notation) for recognition of contributing significantly to the team’s research, thesis writing/editing process, the student must submit an Early Graduation Agreement to the Gemstone Academic Advisor three weeks prior to early graduation. The mentor will hold the student accountable for this agreement and will confirm with the Gemstone Academic Advisor that the student has fulfilled their responsibility outlined in the Agreement.
Gemstone Citation | Honors Citation | Registration Information | Help in Registration
Schedule Conflicts | Study Abroad & Co-op (Learning Contract) | Withdrawing from Gemstone|Temporary Withdrawal from the University
Dismissal from Gemstone | Early Graduation
Academic Policy | Admission | Curriculum | Four Years At-a-Glance
