 Function and Constitution of the Thesis/Dissertation Committee
For EEB Ph.D. and Master’s students, the Dissertation or Thesis Committee is charged with the supervision of a student’s dissertation or thesis activities. The entire Committee is intended to be a resource upon which the student may draw throughout the period of the dissertation-oriented research. It should guide and encourage the student in the design and execution of the research program and in the writing of the dissertation. Committee members must file evaluations of the dissertation or thesis and certify if the student has passed the oral examination, and has produced a dissertation or thesis that is satisfactory in every way. The student chooses a chair or co-chairs who will act as the primary director of the student's research. Together they choose other faculty who may be expected to supply a high degree of expertise in the special area of the dissertation, and whose appointment will satisfy the following requirements.
First dissertation meeting
Just getting started? You’ll need to take this EEBform to your first meeting with your dissertation committee. Have each committee member sign it, and return it to the Graduate Office with a copy of your original thesis proposal.
Dissertation Committee form
Establishing or changing your committee? Complete this Rackham form and bring it to the Graduate Office for processing. If you’re unsure who serve as your chair or cognate, read the guidelines.
Rackham Thesis and Dissertation Resources
Ph.D. Committees
Rackham requires that a Ph.D. dissertation committee have four members, three of whom must be currently active U of M members (i.e. not emeritus) and which must include an active cognate member from a Rackham Doctoral Program. The cognate member may be emeritus if Rackham approves after supporting documents are submitted to them. In addition, at least two of the Committee members must be regular members from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. (For more information, see below on Regular Members.) In addition, each Committee must:
1) have a chair or two co-chairs;
2) have a cognate member who is a regular member of the Graduate Faculty in a Rackham doctoral program, with an appointment of at least 0.5 FTE in a unit other than EEB, who is familiar with the standards for doctoral research, and
3) include a minimum of three regular members of the Rackham Graduate Faculty.
Chair: The Chair (or each co-chair) is responsible for guiding and encouraging the candidate's design and execution of an original, high quality, doctoral level research project. The chair (or each co-chair) is also expected to play a leading role in the direction of the research and of the writing of the dissertation. The chair (or each co-chair) is responsible for assuring that all investigations using human beings as subjects of research are reviewed and approved by an appropriately constituted faculty committee charged with this responsibility. If the dissertation or thesis committee needs revision, the student is responsible for submitting a revised Rackham Dissertation Committee Form to EEB Graduate Office which must be approved by the EEB Graduate Chair before it is forwarded to Rackham for final approval. At the time of the dissertation or thesis defense, the composition of the thesis committee should still include three currently active U of M members (i.e. not emeritus), although Rackham may accept having only two active members if they have previously approved the committee composition.
 Cognate member: The cognate member of a Dissertation Committee represents all other Rackham programs and as such must be a regular member of the Graduate Faculty. If possible, the cognate member should hold an appointment in a cognate or collateral discipline related to that of the student's program or dissertation topic. In this capacity the outside member provides the intellectual stimulus of a faculty member in a related field. A cognate member cannot have a budgeted appointment of 0.5 FTE or more within the EEB Department. If a faculty member does not meet the requirements of a cognate member as outlined, s/he is to be nominated on a Special Assignment form detailing the qualifications for such an appointment.
Master’s Committees
Masters students must have at least three committee members, at least two of whom are regular members of the graduate faculty in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. A cognate member is recommended, but not required.
Categories of Committee Membership
Regular member of the graduate faculty: A regular member of the Rackham Graduate Faculty is any person holding an unmodified appointment at The University of Michigan such as Professor, Associate Professor, or Assistant Professor with an earned doctorate from an accredited institution (i.e., Visiting Professors, Adjunct Professors, etc., cannot serve as regular members of a Dissertation Committee). Regular members of the Graduate Faculty who are not affiliated with a Rackham doctoral program may serve on the Dissertation Committee but may not serve as sole chair or as cognate member. They may serve as co-chair with a regular member of the Graduate Faculty who is affiliated with a Rackham doctoral program.
Faculty with Dry Appointments: Faculty with 0 fraction appointments (dry appointments) in EEB can be co-chairs on Ph.D. and Master’s committees, but cannot be sole chairs.
Adjunct Faculty: Adjunct faculty can be co-chairs on Ph.D. and Master’s committees, but cannot be sole chairs.
Instructors, lecturers, and primary research scientists who do not hold an appointment as a member of the regular faculty may serve on the Dissertation or Thesis Committee provided that they possess an earned doctorate from an accredited institution. They may serve as co-chair if the other co-chair is a regular member of the graduate faculty who is affiliated with a Rackham doctoral program. However, they may not serve as a sole chair or as the cognate member of the Committee, with the exception of some primary research staff. For more information, see "Guidelines for Dissertation Committee Formation."
Emeritus Professors: At the formation of a dissertation or thesis committee, EEB requires that emeritus professors cannot be sole chairs. On an established dissertation or thesis committee, if the sole chair retires, EEB requires that they must change to co-chair status during their first year of retirement. Note that this EEB rule is more stringent than that of Rackham, which accepts an emeritus professor as sole chair of the committee if supplementary documentation is supplied. The student is responsible for submitting a revised Rackham Dissertation Committee Form to the EEB Graduate Office which must be approved by the Graduate Chair before it is forwarded to Rackham for final approval.
 Special Membership: University faculty and staff who do not fall into any of the classes cited above and qualified people from outside the UM whose service on the Dissertation or Thesis Committee would contribute significantly may be nominated for special membership. They may also serve as co-chair with a regular member of the Graduate Faculty affiliated with a Rackham doctoral program, but not as sole chair or cognate member. No person working toward a doctoral degree may serve on a dissertation committee until all requirements for the degree have been met. A special member need not be employed by The University of Michigan and need not hold an academic appointment. The special member’s expertise in the dissertation topic must be detailed and a curriculum vita supplied. A Special Membership Form, must accompany the Dissertation Committee Form when it is submitted to Rackham.
Things to Consider When Selecting Dissertation Committee Members:
A good temperamental and intellectual fit between the candidate, dissertation advisor and committee can be critically important to a productive relationship. Before selecting a dissertation advisor and committee, candidates should speak with other experienced students in the program. One graduate school advises candidates to consider the following questions before deciding upon an advisor:
-
What is the reputation of the advisor within the field of study?
-
How compatible are the advisor's work habits with the student's?
-
How long will it take to return written materials with comments? Is the faculty member willing to serve as an editor?
-
How accessible is the advisor for discussion? How much time does the advisor spend away from campus?
-
How much freedom will be granted in the choice of a dissertation topic?
-
How much help will the advisor give in obtaining funding for the students?
-
Does the advisor have a reputation for ethical behavior and for being intellectually and psychologically supportive to students?
-
How long do students take to complete their degrees with this advisor, and, at least in the case of domestic students, what is the placement record of the advisor's students?
(From Enhancing the Academic Environment for Doctoral Students, University of Michigan Rackham School of Graduate Studies, 1992).
Additional information
Abstract and dissertation format guidelines
Most common formatting errors
|
