11-Week Doctoral Term Plan & Capstone Stage Goals
Student Name: Student ID:
Student Walden Email: Student Phone #:
Program and Specialization/Focus:
Mentor/Chair:
2nd Member (if applicable):
University Research Reviewer (if applicable):
Date Started Program:
Current Term Start Date: Stage of Capstone:
Do you have an Individual Academic Plan (IAP)? Note: Your Term Plan goals must align with your IAP.
Instructions
Your Term Plan: On the page labelled YOUR Term Plan, indicate your term goal(s), stretch goal(s), and the tasks you will accomplish during the weeks of the term. Your tasks should make clear what you will be working on and your plans for appropriate substantive submissions to your Mentor/Chair (refer to the syllabus for more information). Remember that you must demonstrate substantial academic PROGRESS each term to receive a satisfactory grade for the course.
☐ Click here to indicate that you have read the course syllabus and understand the capstone course grading policies.
By Day 7 of Week 1 | Submit your Term Plan Draft for Mentor/Chair review, negotiation, and commitment.
By Day 7 of Week 2 | Submit your completed, agreed-upon Term Plan. [Chair notes acceptance on form.]
SMART GOALS can help you create a Term Goal that clearly articulates outcomes.
- Specific: Set specific goals, which have a much greater chance of being accomplished than general goals.
- Measurable: Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set.
- Attainable: Ensure that you can map out a clear path to achieving your goal.
- Realistic: Write a goal that represents an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work.
- Timely: Ground your goal within a time frame (i.e., by the end of this term).
Midterm Progress Check and Adequate Progress Final Review: Throughout the term, track your progress on YOUR Term Plan by entering dates for task completion and by making journal notes on activities completed or modifications needed, noting any barriers and strategies to overcome them. Your Mentor/Chair must approve any modifications and can add journal notes on the plan document for archival purposes. Submit your Updated Term Plan midterm, following your Midterm Progress Check. [Chair assesses progress to date.] Submit your Final Term Plan by Day 7 of Week 11. [Chair assesses final grade.]
Capstone Stage Goals: Think about your long-term goal (anticipated date of program completion) as you work on your Term Goal(s) and weekly tasks each term. Complete the Capstone Stage Goals. It is helpful to think about overall progress as you think about term-by-term progress. Begin with the end in mind!
YOUR Term Plan
TERM GOAL(S) | By the end of this term, I will have completed:
STRETCH GOAL(S) | Additionally, by the end of this term, I will try to complete:
Mentor/Chair Feedback:
| Week | Tasks Toward Term Goal(s) | Date Completed | Journal Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Submit Initial Term Plan by Day 7 of Week 1,set up Mentor/Chair communication plan, and | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: | |
| 2 | Term Plan Negotiation & CommitmentSubmit Term Plan by Day 7 of Week 2, and | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Accepts Plan: [] Notes: | |
| 3 | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: | ||
| 4 | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: | ||
| 5 | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: | ||
| Midterm Progress Check | Submit Updated Term Plan | Mentor/Chair: [] Mentor/Chair Feedback: | |||
| 6 | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: | ||
| 7 | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: | ||
| 8 | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: | ||
| 9 | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: | ||
| 10 | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: | ||
| 11 | Submit Final Term Plan by Day 7 of Week 11, and Adequate Progress Final Review | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: | |
Looking Ahead | Capstone Stage Goals
To ensure that you meet your long-term goal for program completion, it is important to keep track of both your term plan progress (each term) and your term-to-term/capstone stage progress toward completion.
| Capstone Stage | Goal Date | Completion Date | Journal Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prospectus Stage Completion (if applicable) | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: | ||
| 2 | Proposal/Plan Stage Completion | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: | ||
| 3 | IRB Application and Approval | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: | ||
| 4 | Final Study Stage Completion | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: | ||
| 5 | CAO Approval and Publication | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: |
LONG-TERM GOAL | Anticipated Date of Program Completion:
Note: Time to completion will vary based on individual factors applicable to the student. Factors may be programmatic or academic, such as tuition and fee increases; transfer credits accepted by Walden; program or specialization changes; unsuccessful course completion; credit load per term; part-time vs. full-time enrollment; writing, research, and editing skills; use of external data for the doctoral study/dissertation; and individual progress in the program. Other factors may include personal issues such as the student’s employment obligations, caregiving responsibilities, or health issues; leaves of absence; or other personal circumstances.
Sample Completed Term Plan | Week 1 Submission
TERM GOAL(S) | By the end of this term, I will have completed: My prospectus with committee consensus as “Met”
STRETCH GOAL(S) | Additionally, by the end of this term, I will try to complete: A draft of my literature review
Mentor/Chair Feedback:
| Week | Tasks Toward Term Goal(s) | Date Completed | Journal Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Submit Initial Term Plan by Day 7 of Week 1Set up Mentor/Chair communication plan.Meet with chair to review prospectus/goals. | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: | |
| 2 | Term Plan Negotiation & CommitmentSubmit Term Plan by Day 7 of Week 2Complete prospectus document with revisions from last term and submit to chair. | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Accepts Plan: [Select] Notes: | |
| 3 | Review Writing Center literature review resources and begin work. | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: | |
| 4 | Meet with chair for any final notes on prospectus. | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: | |
| 5 | Second member prospectus review. | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: | |
| Midterm Progress Check | Submit Updated Term Plan | Mentor/Chair: [Select] Mentor/Chair Feedback: | |||
| 6 | Submit my renegotiated term plan.Schedule one-on-one meeting w/ librarian to find more sources for literature review. | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: | |
| 7 | Complete additional prospectus revisions and finalize document based on all feedback.Work on literature review. | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: | |
| 8 | Continue work on literature review. | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: | |
| 9 | Attend residency. Finalize Prospectus | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: | |
| 10 | Post the agreed-upon prospectus in MyDR. Submit literature review draft to chair. | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: | |
| 11 | Submit Final Term Plan by Day 7 of Week 11 Keep working on literature review.Adequate Progress Final Review | Your Notes: Mentor/Chair Notes: | |
Sample Completed Final Term Plan | Week 11 Submission
TERM GOAL(S) | By the end of this term, I will have completed: My prospectus with committee consensus as “Met”
STRETCH GOAL(S) | Additionally, by the end of this term, I will try to complete: A draft of my literature review
Mentor/Chair Feedback: Your goal is appropriate/realistic for the term. Make sure that you work on your lit review while waiting for committee member feedback.
| Week | Tasks Toward Term Goal(s) | Date Completed | Journal Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Submit Initial Term Plan by Day 7 of Week 1Set up Mentor/Chair communication plan.Meet with chair to review prospectus/goals. | 3/4/20XX | Your Notes: Submitted Plan-3/4. Will talk with chair on the phone every other week. Email, as needed.Mentor/Chair Notes: OK |
| 2 | Term Plan Negotiation & CommitmentSubmit Term Plan by Day 7 of Week 2Complete prospectus document with revisions from last term and submit to chair. | 3/11/20XX | Your Notes: Finished revisions this week!Mentor/Chair Accepts Plan: [Yes] Notes: Submission-3/11/20XX |
| 3 | Review Writing Center literature review resources and begin work. | 3/18/20XX | Your Notes: Reviewed 2 archived webinars on writing the literature review. Began writing literature review.Mentor/Chair Notes: Phone call-3/18/18 |
| 4 | Meet with chair for any final notes on prospectus. | 3/20/20XX | Your Notes: Met with chair early b/c out of town this week. Made final few revisions to prospectus.Mentor/Chair Notes: I’m OK w/ prospectus-3/25 |
| 5 | Second member prospectus review. | 3/25/20XX | Your Notes: To 2nd member for review 1 week early!Mentor/Chair Notes: To 2nd member-3/25 |
| Midterm Progress Check | Submit Updated Term Plan | Mentor/Chair: [On Track]Mentor/Chair Feedback: You are right on track to meet your goals! | |||
| 6 | Submit my renegotiated term plan.Schedule one-on-one meeting w/ librarian to find more sources for literature review. | 4/8/20XX | Your Notes: Renegotiated term plan with chair-4/8. Met with librarian – 4/15.Mentor/Chair Notes: Plan OK; 2nd returned revisions on April 9. |
| 7 | Complete additional prospectus revisions and finalize document based on all feedback.Work on literature review. | Your Notes: Still working on revisions – not done yet.Mentor/Chair Notes: OK for next week. | |
| 8 | Continue work on literature review. | 4/29/20XX | Your Notes: Mostly done with revisions this week; finished after residency.Mentor/Chair Notes: OK-residency |
| 9 | Attend residency. Finalize prospectus | 5/6/20XX | Your Notes: Went to the Atlanta residency this week.Met with chair – 5/9/20XX.Mentor/Chair Notes: Prospectus finalized 5/12/20XX |
| 10 | Post the agreed-upon prospectus in MyDR. Submit literature review draft to chair. | 5/13/20XX | Your Notes: Submitted and met with chair on next steps. Used the notes from the librarian to work on literature review this week. Have 8 pages so far.Mentor/Chair Notes: Keep working on lit review |
| 11 | Submit Final Term Plan by Day 7 of Week 11 Keep working on literature review.Adequate Progress Final Review | 5/20/20XX | Your Notes: Submitted End-of-Term Plan by Day 7. Also have 15 pages of lit review done!Mentor/Chair Notes: Prospectus goal “Met” in MyDR |
