Your IDP:
Individual Development Plan
Important
information and critical dates
Date sent: April 7,
2026
Sent to: All Current Doctoral Students and Supervisory Committee
Chairs, Graduate Associate Deans, Coordinators, and Staff
Dear Doctoral
Students and Advisors,
Now that the 2025-26
academic year is well underway, we’re writing to remind you to set
aside some time this year to complete your Individual Development Plans
(IDPs). Your IDP meeting provides an opportunity to take a step back
and assess your short-term and long-term personal and professional
goals and how your program is preparing you for your career.
How It Works
At least once a
year, all UF doctoral students should meet with their advisor to
discuss a completed Individual Development Plan (IDP). Advisors are
then expected to notify the appropriate contact person in their program
of the date that the IDP was completed.
Although the IDP
policy has been in place since 2016, the Graduate School has been
working with Graduate Associate Deans of the Colleges to monitor IDP
completion more closely.
These links include
more information and resources related to IDPs:
I am a
student. What do I need to do?
Your main
responsibility is to complete the IDP with your advisor at least once a
year (and then, of course, carry out the plan!). You or your advisor
will then notify the appropriate staff member in your program of your
IDP completion date (by December in your first year for your initial
IDP, and before the last Friday in August in subsequent years). Check
with your unit coordinator or administrative staff on specific
timelines and procedures for your program.
I am a
doctoral candidate in my final term. Do I still need to complete an
IDP?
In many ways, your
IDP in your final year may be the most important one as you embark on
the next step in your career. That said, once you graduate, your name
will no longer be included in our list of active students when we
calculate each program’s annual percentage of students with completed
IDPs each fall. Check with your advisor on what’s expected in your
program for your final term.
What is the
annual timeline for programs to enter IDPs? When are program annual
reports generated? And when are IPD program report data reset?
Between September of
each year and August of the following fall, Ph.D. programs must report
the date of each student’s yearly IDP meeting. Each September, SIS will
create new IDP milestones for new Ph.D. students and update/reset
milestones for continuing students. Ph.D. programs must report an IDP
meeting date in SIS during each year of a doctoral student’s program.
For the timeline, click here: IDP Policy for Faculty & Staff .
Our unit is on
a different timeline. Can we enter IDP dates at different times of the
year than the due dates?
Yes. The annual IDP
can be completed any time during the year prior to the August deadline.
For example, a program that requires IDPs for continuing students to be
completed in spring could enter completion dates in April or May that
will still be valid for the August deadline.
How can
program staff and leadership monitor IDP completion rates during the
year?
For help, please
email graddata@ufl.edu.
Thanks, as always,
for all you do to advance graduate education at UF!
Tom Kelleher, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
The Graduate School
University of Florida
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