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Leadership Studies DepartmentMarian UniversityOverview of the Dissertation Process Last update 9/30/16Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u A. Doctoral Degree Progress Sequence PAGEREF _Toc437613770 \h 2B. Steps to Dissertation Proposal Approval and Advancement to Candidacy PAGEREF _Toc437613771 \h 2 Dissertation Idea Paper PAGEREF _Toc437613772 \h 2 Dissertation Committees PAGEREF _Toc437613773 \h 3 Dissertation Proposal PAGEREF _Toc437613774 \h 4 Proposal Hearing PAGEREF _Toc437613775 \h 4C. Steps to Successful Dissertation Approval/Graduation PAGEREF _Toc437613776 \h 5 Admission to Candidacy PAGEREF _Toc437613777 \h 4 IRB approval PAGEREF _Toc437613778 \h 5 EDL 920 Dissertation PAGEREF _Toc437613779 \h 6 Continuous Enrollment – 8 year limit PAGEREF _Toc437613780 \h 6 Data Collection, Analysis and Writing Process Timeline PAGEREF _Toc437613781 \h 6 Format of Dissertation PAGEREF _Toc437613782 \h 7 Pre-checks PAGEREF _Toc437613783 \h 7 Dissertation & Degree Deadlines PAGEREF _Toc437613784 \h 8 Dissertation Defense Date PAGEREF _Toc437613785 \h 8 Dissertation Defense PAGEREF _Toc437613786 \h 10 Approval Criteria PAGEREF _Toc437613787 \h 11 Submission of the Final Dissertation PAGEREF _Toc437613788 \h 12 Exit Survey PAGEREF _Toc437613789 \h 13 Graduation PAGEREF _Toc437613790 \h 13D. Roles and Responsibilities PAGEREF _Toc437613791 \h 14 Doctoral Candidate PAGEREF _Toc437613794 \h 14 Dissertation Committee Chair PAGEREF _Toc437613795 \h 16 Dissertation Committee Members PAGEREF _Toc437613796 \h 17A. Doctoral Degree Progress SequenceThe chronological order in the doctoral degree process includes the following:AdmissionCourse work (36 – 45 credits) Dissertation proposal (in EDL 903 Dissertation Research Seminar, 3 cr. or more)Development of a Dissertation Idea Paper Formation of a dissertation committee Acceptance of a successful Dissertation Proposal Admission to candidacyDissertation research (EDL 920 - 12 credits or more)IRB approval (if applicable)Research conductedDefense of dissertationSubmission of final dissertationGraduation (60 credits or more)B. Dissertation Proposal Approval and Advancement to CandidacyIn EDL 903 Doctoral Dissertation Research Seminar, students are expected to make significant progress toward the development of a successful dissertation research proposal. To receive approval of the proposal and advance into candidacy, the student will need to follow these steps: 1. Develop and refine ideas for the dissertation.2. Develop a Dissertation Idea PaperThe idea paper is 2-5 pages, and includes a brief description of proposed dissertation topic, proposed research question(s), limited literature review, and proposed methodology.For EDL 903 the student will present a Dissertation Idea Paper (20 min.) to the group & incorporate constructive feedback from professors and peers.3. Form a Dissertation Committee First, discuss potential committee members with the advisor & program director/department chairperson. (See policies on committee composition and committee changes below)Dissertation Committee CompositionThe dissertation committee is made up of 3 – 4 members with the terminal degree and must include two members from the School of Education;Chair, full-time graduate faculty teaching in the Leadership Studies DepartmentCo-chair, Marian faculty outside School of Education or another Leadership Studies Department facultyMember, Marian facultyAdjunct faculty (Part-time Pro-rata) to the Leadership Studies Department may not serve as chair, but may serve as member.Member, person with another organization who holds special and necessary expertise that can’t be found at Marian UniversityComposition of Dissertation Committee requires approval by the dissertation chair and department chair. (Send signed Doctoral Dissertation Committee Approval Form to Leadership Studies Department chair/program director for final approval.) Changes of Formed Dissertation CommitteesFaculty leaving the university may not continue as chair, but may continue to serve as a member normally for one year after leaving.Faculty retiring from the university may not continue as chair, but may continue to serve as co-chair or member for one year after retiring.Changes in the membership of formed dissertation committees require approval by the dissertation chair and final approval by Leadership Studies Department chair/program director. (Send revised Doctoral Dissertation Committee Approval Form to department)4. Present a Dissertation Idea Paper to potential committee members/chair; solicit feedback & agreement to serve on the dissertation committee (most current form on the Ph.D. website) 5. Send the signed Doctoral Dissertation Committee Approval Form to department chairperson/program director for final approval. Write a draft Dissertation ProposalBegin writing the draft of first 3 chapters & present progress to the EDL 903 group each class meeting.Solicit constructive feedback from dissertation committee chair & incorporate chair feedback into subsequent draft.Present a draft Dissertation Proposal in class(30 min. PowerPoint or equivalent, receives group feedback)Arrange for a Proposal HearingFollowing this, the student arranges for a Proposal Hearing with Dissertation Committee. The student presents the Dissertation Proposal to the committee. Committee members discuss the proposal, complete an assessment, and provide feedback. If committee agrees to the proposal, committee members sign the form approving proposal. Once this proposal is accepted by the committee, minor revisions are still allowed. Gain Acceptance of Proposal: Once the committee has approved the proposal, the dissertation chair completes and submits the appropriate forms, including the dissertation proposal rubric and appropriate section of the Advancement into Candidacy form.Receive a grade for EDL 903: Students receive a grade of CR/NC (or IP) in EDL 903. A grade of CR is given when the student successfully defends the dissertation proposal. If EDL 903 concludes before the student’s proposal is approved, a grade of IP is given. The IP grade will be changed to CR once the student has successfully defended the proposal. If the proposal has not been approved before the Add/drop period of the next semester, the student must register for EDL 903 again. The IP grade will change to CR once the student has successfully defended the proposal during the next semester; otherwise, the grade changes to a NC.EDL 903 requirement for the degree: Doctoral candidates may repeat EDL 903 if they need more time to refine their ideas for the dissertation proposal; however, students who enroll in a second EDL 903 semester or more can only count the first 3 credits of EDL 903 toward meeting the requirements for the degree. Advance into Candidacy: Once the student’s Dissertation Proposal has been approved by the committee and the department chair/program director has verified that the student meets the criteria for Advancement into Candidacy below; the student would be able to register for EDL 920 for the next semester. Admission into Candidacy Criteria: All required coursework completed successfully, except EDL 920; cumulative GPA of 3.0; and dissertation proposal accepted by dissertation committee.C. Successful Dissertation Approval/Graduation Once the Dissertation Proposal has been approved by the dissertation committee and student has been accepted into Candidacy by the department, the student should follow the next steps: 1. IRB approval Before beginning research, the doctoral candidate should determine with the dissertation chair whether or not IRB approval is needed. Candidates may not conduct research with human subjects without IRB approval.CITI training – The candidate may need to recertify. Candidates should have already gone through the CITI training as a requirement in their doctoral coursework (normally in EDL 900 Foundations of Research). However, they may need to recertify if it has been 3 years or more. Check with the Marian IRB to see if CITI training has expired at IRB@marianuniversity.edu.Submission of forms: If the candidate’s research is involving human subjects, the appropriate documentation and forms must be submitted to Marian’s IRB for review and approval. All documents related to the IRB can be found on the My Marian website, under the tab, “Academics”; click on “Research/IRB.”The doctoral candidate should go directly to the IRB website at and find the paragraph that begins with “IRB Forms and Templates.” Click on the link to go to the guidelines, forms and documents: “please click here to go to the appropriate folder.” Note: Follow the Guidelines exactly. Be sure to read the document, “Guidelines for Completing the Marian IRB Protocol Submission Form,” carefully to avoid mistakes or omit information. Principal Investigator: Keep in mind that doctoral candidates are considered the Principal Investigator since they have the primary responsibility for the design and conduct of the research study. However, since they are students under the direction of a dissertation chair, the dissertation chair must be listed as the Co-investigator in the next section. They should complete the Protocol Submission Form as well as any other supporting documents and send them to their dissertation chair electronically for review and any changes. Their dissertation chair submits the IRB Protocol Submission Form and other supporting documents from the dissertation chair’s email account to IRB@marianuniversity.edu (Student submissions won’t be accepted.) Research Begin Date: Since researchers may begin a research project only when IRB approves it, the start date will be the date they are notified by IRB of approval.2. Enroll in EDL 920 Dissertation for 3 – 9 credits for the next semester.Talk with the chair/advisor regarding the appropriate number of credits each semester; however, doctoral candidates are required to complete a minimum of 12 credits of EDL 920 to meet graduation requirements. (Please note: the default setting for online registration is 9 credits; be sure to register for the correct number of credits to avoid being billed for 9 credits.) Registration in EDL 920 requires permission from the department so look for EDL 920 under the department chair’s name (Dr. Nancy Riley). Sections of EDL 920 will be created under the dissertation chair’s name later in the semester.EDL 920 receives a CR or NC grade. A NC grade is given for students who fail to contact their chair/advisor or make adequate progress. 3. Periodic Meetings with Dissertation Chair: Check with the dissertation/chair each semester to determine meetings with the chair and/or committee. 4. Continuous Enrollment – 8 year limitDoctoral candidates must enroll in EDL 920 each semester (fall, spring) for a minimum of 3 credits. The maximum number of credits is 9 credits per semester. For some doctoral candidates, this process may take only two semesters; for others, it may take many more but enrollment in EDL 920 for at least 3 credits each semester needs to be continuous in fall and spring semesters. Since EDL 920 isn’t offered in the summers (faculty are not on contract in the summers), be sure to talk with the dissertation chair/advisor ahead and plan work appropriately for the summer months. Since doctoral candidates have an 8 year limit from the time they began classes (matriculated) to their graduation semester, they should discuss this with their dissertation chair as well. If doctoral candidates experience personal circumstances beyond their control and must suspend work on their dissertation for reasons acceptable to the committee chair, and can’t enroll in EDL 920, they may request a Leave of Absence for a semester. However, they should read the policy very carefully. A leave of absence does not automatically extend the eight (8) year time frame for program completion.5. Data Collection, Analysis and Writing Process TimelineAs part of EDL 920 Dissertation, doctoral candidates will be working on data collection, data analysis, and writing the final chapters of the dissertation. They will also be reviewing and rewriting portions of chapters 1, 2 & 3 or engaging in additional literature review work for the purpose of creating the final dissertation document. It is recommended that the doctoral candidate work with the dissertation chair to draft a manageable timeline in order to make adequate progress each semester toward completion. Use the table and information under Step 7 as a guideline for developing the timeline. 6. Format of Dissertation All doctoral candidates are responsible to follow 6th edition APA guidelines for the dissertation. Candidates must also follow the format required by the University, which is outlined in the Dissertation Format Guidelines document from the Leadership Studies Ph.D. webpage to find the document or a link to the document. Doctoral candidates are responsible to use the most current format guidelines. Candidates should recheck the website for any updates or changes before they begin writing the final draft of their dissertation. The candidate should refer to the most recent format guidelines for a checklist and other information related to format approval (located on the Ph.D. website or the VPAA Office at Marian University (920)923-7604 ) 7. Pre-checksAs the candidate writes the final draft of the dissertation, it is recommended that to answer specific style questions (for example, APA use of tables, graphs, and charts, quotations, etc.), the candidate should contact the Marian University Learning and Writing Center for an early pre-check on style . It is preferable to have an appointment. The candidate is advised also to contact the Library Director for formatting questions before the oral defense. before the oral defense, dissertations must be submitted to the Learning and Writing Center for a final style check, according to the APA style manual. . (Students are encouraged to work earlier with the Writing Center on a chapter-by-chapter basis.)8. Dissertation & Degree Deadlines (Check Ph.D. website to confirm most current dates)Application for Graduation No later thanApplication for Ph.D. Defense No later than Submission to Learning & Writing Center for style check- 2 wks. before defense but no later thanFinal Date for Ph.D. Defense Final Electronic Submission to Dissertation ChairDept/SoE ElectronicSubmission (for final format/APA approval) *Last date for degree completion requirements Feb. 15 – Spring semester graduation March 30 April 1April 15May 1May 15 June 15 June 1 *– Summer semester graduation June 30 July 1July 15 August 1August 15 August 31 October 1 – Fall Semester graduation October 30 November 1November 15 December 1December 15 January 15 * Final submission to the dissertation chair: A doctoral candidate should plan to submit the final electronic version to the dissertation chair no later than May 1 for spring graduation, August 1 for a summer graduation date, or Dec. 1 for fall graduation. If the candidate has no changes to the final electronic version sent to their dissertation committee shortly before the defense, the dissertation chair will forward this final electronic version with the committee’s approval form to the next approval level. However, after the defense, if the committee requires further changes, the candidate will need to resubmit the final electronic version to the dissertation chair in time to meet the deadlines in gray above in order to graduate in that semester. No paper copies are required. Since the deadlines may be adjusted each year, candidates should check the Ph.D. website at the beginning of the semester they plan to graduate for the most current deadlines. Each of the deadlines above requires completion and submission of various forms. Candidates are required to use the most current forms, which are updated each year and located on the Ph.D. webpage at Outdated forms will not be accepted. 9. Set the Dissertation Defense DateOnce the dissertation committee chair and committee members agree that the doctoral candidate is in the final draft stage of the dissertation, the candidate will need to apply formally for a date to defend the dissertation by the published deadlines (see step 7) This is done by submitting the Application for the Dissertation Defense Date form to the Leadership Studies Department. Contact the dissertation chair and all committee members to set a date and time for the defense at Marian, asking for a 2 week window or several dates and times. Plan on approximately 2 hours needed for the dissertation defense. Arrange for the defense to be held at the Marian University Fond du Lac campus. (usually T305 or T208) Any other location requires prior approval from the program director/department chair and will only be considered under exceptional circumstances. Arrange an online connection through technology, such as Adobe Connect, for others who can’t attend in person. The dissertation chair and department secretary can assist with this. Arrange for a final APA style check with the Writing and Learning Center & a pre-check for format with the library.Once a date and time is confirmed, and candidates have gained their dissertation chair’s approval, an electronic copy of the dissertation that has had the final style check by the Writing and Learning Center should be sent to all committee members.Once the proposed date is approved by the program director/department chair, the department will communicate the defense date to the graduate faculty, and the Marian community will be invited to attend as well. Suggestions The doctoral candidate may want to consider the following suggestions on developing the timeline and working with the dissertation committee: The chair and committee members are knowledgeable support for a doctoral candidate in the dissertation process. The candidate’s use of their time in gaining advice and feedback is important to successful progress. Being respectful of the use of their time is also important as many of the faculty are serving other doctoral candidates through this process. Adherence to deadlines provides them the opportunity to give each candidate the individual attention needed. Missing deadlines means that the candidate will need to re-negotiate for their time for review and advice.The chair must have one to two full weeks to review the drafts of the dissertation. The candidate may also ask the committee members to read as well. Expect to be asked for multiple drafts (typical is 5-7 drafts) and revisions to the entire dissertation or parts of the dissertation. Work with the Writing and Learning Center to ensure APA style is correct and request a pre-check regarding format requirements with the library at least 5 weeks before the defense. When the chair agrees that the candidate is at “final draft” stage, the chair will need at least two weeks to review the draft prior to forwarding an approved draft to committee members.The members of the committee must have two full weeks to review the chair approved draft of the dissertation and confer with the dissertation chair at least one week prior to the scheduled dissertation defense date.In essence, doctoral candidates must plan to complete their final dissertation draft at least five weeks prior to the scheduled presentation and defense. 10. Dissertation Public Lecture-Presentation Defense In the dissertation defense, the candidate presents to the public the candidate’s research. After the public lecture, a brief period is allowed for public questioning by Marian faculty and other students; following this, the dissertation committee and the candidate meets in closed session for the final stage of the dissertation defense.Two Weeks to the Dissertation DefensePrepare the presentation of the dissertation and practice the defense. Often, students use technology to summarize their major points and/or prepare handouts for attendees. Discuss this ahead with the dissertation chair. Arrange to set up a time to practice the defense; make sure the technology, etc. in the room is in working order. Prepare for technical difficulties. Ensure the dissertation draft meets the format requirements in the most current copy of the Marian University Thesis/Dissertation Format Guidelines. Review the guidelines for submission of the dissertation to ProQuest.b. Day of DefenseCommittee members: On the day of the defense, at least three (3) members of the dissertation committee are expected to be present in person at the defense. A member may be connected electronically if traveling to the site isn’t feasible. At most, one member of the committee may be absent from a defense, and this should occur only in unusual circumstances that are unpredictable and cannot be avoided (e.g., sudden illness). Procedures: Although the procedures of the defense are determined by the committee chair, the typical defense normally follows these procedures: The doctoral program director or dissertation chair welcomes the public and describes what will happen.The candidate presents the research and at the end of the public lecture, faculty and students will be given a brief time at the conclusion to ask any questions or comment. This may be followed by a closed session with only the dissertation committee and the candidate. After this, the committee will meet in executive session to deliberate the adequacy of the dissertation and complete the Dissertation Approval Rubric. The candidate will be brought back into the room and the outcome will be communicated to the candidate at that time. 11. Approval CriteriaThe dissertation is original scholarly research and publication that is part of a peer reviewed process. In alignment with the review of peer reviewed journals, conference and paper presentations proposals and other written work, the criteria for approval of the dissertation proposal and final dissertation/oral defense are as follows: ? Proposal/dissertation writingWell-written, flowing easily from one section to the otherLogical organizationDemonstrates compliance with APA format & style? Conceptual rigorClarity of objectivesArguments are logically presentedIdea or approach is original? Literature review is comprehensiveTreatment of literature goes beyond presentation? Methodological rigorResearch design and analysis are appropriateData are sufficient? Conclusion and Connection to Research Community Is cogent; includes implications for future research & practiceSignificance of contribution identified? Oral Defense Results of data collection are presented in an objective manner. Adequately responds to questions posed. Adequately discusses implications of the research12. Approval Process - The dissertation chair and at least one other member must approve the dissertation. Approval of the dissertation requires a majority vote of committee members. A committee member who disapproves is required to attach written comments regarding concerns to the Doctoral Dissertation Approval Form. Approved: If approved as presented, committee members will sign the Doctoral Dissertation Approval Form, signifying acceptance of the dissertation as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Need Changes: If modifications are required, a statement in writing regarding the revisions must be created and attached. The candidate should work directly with the dissertation chair to ensure the changes are satisfactory. The dissertation chair will be responsible for submitting the form with all signatures, the Dissertation Approval/Oral Defense Rubric, and the final electronic version of the candidate’s approved dissertation to the Leadership Studies Department for department and School of Education approvals. Disapproved: If disapproved, the candidate will have one semester to resubmit and to defend the dissertation successfully. Otherwise, the candidate will be dropped from the program. Based on department and dissertation chair approval, candidates may enroll in EDL 998 Dissertation Continuation, 1 credit, to maintain continuous enrollment in the following semester to resubmit and defend the dissertation. 13. Submission of the Final Approved Dissertation The candidate should submit the final approved dissertation electronically to the dissertation chair. The candidate should plan to submit this no later than May 1 for a spring graduation, August 1 for a summer graduation date, or Dec. 1 for fall graduation. (Confirm with dissertation chair & check the Ph.D. website to confirm most up-to-date information)b. The dissertation chair will forward the final approved electronic version with the signed Doctoral Dissertation Approval Form, and rubric to the department. c. Once the department reviews for department requirements and confirms the committee, the department forwards it to the dean of the school for approval. The dean forwards the electronic dissertation and the signed approval form for a final format check to Marian University Cardinal Meyer Librarian. The candidate will receive an email notice when this occurs. The document will be given a final format review, which may include a request to change some formatting items. Once the dissertation receives final approval by Marian University, no changes can be made.After the library’s final formatting check has occurred, the candidate must submit the electronic dissertation to ProQuest, which serves as the digital archive for Marian University. (Detailed explanation is located in the Dissertation Format Guidelines)The university librarian completing the final format check will notify the VPAA that the dissertation has met Marian University format requirements and has been deposited to ProQuest. The VPAA will sign the Dissertation Approval Form verifying this and forward this form to the Registrar’s Office with a copy to the School of Education and the Leadership Studies Department. 14. Complete the Doctoral Program Exit SurveyWhen the department receives the dissertation in electronic form from the dissertation chair, the department will also email the candidate directions to complete the department’s doctoral program exit survey. This survey obtains information on the candidate’s academic experience (e.g., program quality, support, advising) in the doctoral program as well as information about the candidate’s postdoctoral plans.15. GraduationApplication: Candidates should apply to graduate early in the semester by completing the Application for Graduation (located on the Registrar’s website) by the published deadlines (see Step 7) A graduation fee is required. (Expect additional costs for academic regalia, etc.)Dissertation Not Approved: If the candidate has not submitted the final electronic copy of the dissertation and has not received final approval from the VPAA Office by the Last Date for Degree Completion deadlines (Step 8), the candidate’s graduation application will be cancelled. Degree Requirements: If a doctoral candidate fails to complete all degree requirements during the semester of application for graduation by the Last Date for Degree Completion deadline, it is the doctoral candidate's responsibility to contact the Registrar for a new application form at the beginning of the semester in which they anticipate completing all degree requirements. A reapplication fee is required.Participation in Graduation CeremonyAll doctoral candidates who have completed their programs are required to attend graduation ceremonies at Marian University (May commencement). In order to participate in commencement ceremonies, doctoral candidates will have defended their dissertation publicly to their committee and have the approval of the committee.Medallion and HoodingAs the Doctor of Philosophy degree is the highest degree awarded by Marian University, the University honors the prestige of this award. During commencement, the Ph.D. candidate will be at the head of the processional of candidates for degrees, wearing the doctoral regalia and carrying the academic hood. At the appointed time in the ceremony, the candidate and dissertation chair will take the stage where the candidate will be hooded officially by the dissertation chair. At that time, the candidate will also receive a Marian University medallion as a symbol of accomplishment from the dean. D. Roles and Responsibilities 1. Purpose of the Dissertation Committee The dissertation is a professional product that not only represents the doctoral candidate’s level of achievement, but also the scholarship generated by the program, department, the School of Education, and Marian University. The committee works to ensure the project demonstrates research that contributes new knowledge and/or a reinterpretation of existing knowledge to the area of investigation. 2. Responsibilities A. Doctoral candidate Doctoral candidates work closely with their committees all throughout the proposal, research, and writing process and are responsible for managing their timeline for completion of the proposal and dissertation process.The doctoral candidate is responsible for the following:Scheduling doctoral candidate-committee contacts. Doctoral candidates are to work closely with their committees all throughout the proposal, research and writing process and be cognizant of managing not only their own time to complete the process, but in negotiating the use of committee members time during this process. Managing the number of credits taken each semester in EDL 903 and EDL 920. When the student is ready to register for EDL 903 Doctoral Dissertation Seminar to complete and defend the dissertation proposal, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the program director to gain permission to enroll in EDL 903 each semester. Maintaining continuous enrollment in credit hours until the completion of the dissertation (fall and spring). Continuous enrollment may go beyond the 12 credits needed to qualify for the doctoral degree if the candidate is unable to defend the dissertation within the 12 credit minimum for the degree. Failure to maintain continuous enrollment may result in dismissal from the doctoral program.Requesting permission from the department to enroll in EDL 920 each semester. Once the dissertation proposal has been accepted by the committee and the student has advanced into candidacy, the doctoral candidate is responsible to contact the program director for permission to enroll in a minimum of 3 credits each semester (fall/spring) until the dissertation is completed. As the SabreNet system defaults to 9 credits, it is the responsibility of the doctoral candidate to request the Registrar’s Office to set the correct number of credits for the term. In some terms, more than 3 credits are taken based on the doctoral candidate’s anticipation of progress. Doctoral candidates should be allocating the same amount of time for work on a 3 credit dissertation as they would have when taking a 3 credit course (12-15 hours a week for 3 credits). Completing and renewing CITI training if the research involves human subjects. After reviewing the IRB guidelines, policies and procedures on the ORSP website, the candidate is responsible for completing the IRB protocol and other documents for the dissertation chair approval. The student does not submit these directly to IRB but to the dissertation chair. Submitting verification of IRB approval with protocol # to the Leadership Studies department and following IRB procedures for closing the protocol when the research has been completed (before graduation)Producing a well-written dissertation that follows 6th edition APA guidelines as well as the department and university guidelines. The student should contact the appropriate university office for an APA style check & pre- check for correct format before the dissertation defense. Seeking and obtaining assistance in writing, if needed. 9. Downloading and submitting the most current dissertation forms and providing the electronic final dissertation to the committee chair by university deadlines. Making appointments with the appropriate university offices for pre-checks on APA compliance and dissertation format approval, and revising as required. B. Dissertation Committee Chair The dissertation committee chair serves as the major adviser and mentor to doctoral candidates as they research and write their dissertation. Committee chairs are members of the graduate faculty of the Leadership Studies Department at Marian University. They are responsible for following all program, department, school, and university procedures. Some expectations of the chair include: For the Committee Formation: Discuss possible membership with the candidate and consult with the program director. If a proposed member is not on the most current pre-approved committee list, the chair would encourage the student to contact the program director/department chair to receive approval for addition to the list.Review the credentials of all proposed outside members and approve. Approval by the chair is required before a doctoral candidate is authorized to make official invitation for committee membership. (Dissertation Committee Approval Form)Contact each committee member and discuss the role of each on the candidate’s committee. Ensure any member outside SOE understands committee responsibilities, has agreed to service without compensation, and has signed the agreement on page 2 of the Dissertation Committee Approval Form. (The program director/department chair must review and approve the appointment of outside dissertation committee members BEFORE a first committee meeting can be scheduled.)For the Proposal Advise on the Dissertation Major Idea Paper/topic selection (e.g., appropriateness, academic value) Facilitate committee discussions about improving the proposal. Consult and meet with the doctoral candidate on a regular basis. Guide the doctoral candidate in the proposal writing process (e.g., understanding the need for a clearly defined problem statement, precise research questions, viable methodology, focused literature review, and thorough bibliography) Counsel the doctoral candidate on reliability and validity of data-gathering methods. Ensure that the doctoral candidate has completed the CITI online research and ethics training modules. Serve as the secondary investigator for the research and assume responsibility for the legal and ethical conduct of the work. Work with the candidate so that the completed IRB application meets IRB approval. Submit the completed application to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for review and final IRB approval. Ensure that IRB approval has been obtained prior to implementation of the research activities. For the Dissertation Meet with the doctoral candidate on a regular basis to provide guidance and evaluation during the research and writing stages. Review dissertation drafts in a timely manner. Offer recommendations for revisions. Advise the candidate regarding support services available to dissertators, such as the Writing and Learning Center, pre-checks for formatting by the university librarian, and municate with committee members. Discuss any problematic issues in the dissertation with the committee, doctoral candidate, and, as necessary, the program director/department chairperson. With the concurrence of the committee members, approve the final draft that will be used for the dissertation defense. Advise the candidate regarding the Application for Defense Form.Attend and supervise the dissertation defense. Ensure any additional changes to the dissertation recommended by the committee are met; approve and submit the final electronic version to the department. Submit the Dissertation Approval Form and dissertation/oral defense rubric to the department.If applicable, ensure IRB documentation is on file with the department and the IRB protocol is closed before graduation. Attend graduation to hood the new Ph.D. candidate. C. Dissertation Committee Members The dissertation committee members work with the chair to provide advice and consultation to the doctoral candidate throughout the process of research and writing.General Expectations:A committee member can expect a minimum of three meetings of the committee, including One for the research problem and question, One for the committee to discuss the proposal, (potential meeting prior to the defense) and One for the dissertation oral defense, which includes a committee meeting for official voting. These are generally in-person meetings; however, there is provision for the committee to meet via conference call or in another virtual manner. Other expectations of the committee members are: For the Proposal Meet with the doctoral candidate. Offer expertise in the committee member’s area of study / expertise. Read and review the proposal in a timely manner (generally members will have two weeks to read the proposal but not less than one week.). Discuss recommendations for revisions with committee chair and doctoral candidate. For the Dissertation Meet with the doctoral candidate to provide guidance and evaluation during the research and writing stages. Review dissertation drafts in a timely manner – timeline is normally two weeks. (At times committee members will consult the literature the dissertation is based upon to check their understanding or to gain further understanding; therefore, time is needed to complete this kind of scholarly review.)Offer recommendations for revisions. Discuss any problematic issues in the dissertation with the committee chair. Inform the candidate about any serious criticisms of the written text before the defense is scheduled.In consultation with the other committee members, approve the final draft for the defense. Participate in the dissertation defense and the final review following the doctoral candidate’s oral presentation. Participate in an official vote to approve, approve with revision, or to not approve the dissertation. Provide recommendations for revisions, if needed. At least three (3) members of the dissertation committee are expected to be present in person at the defense. At most, one member of the committee may be absent from a defense, and this should occur only in unusual circumstances that are unpredictable and cannot be avoided (e.g., sudden illness). ................
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