The PhD committee shall be established after the student has passed the Candidacy Examination. The thesis adviser, in consultation with the student, shall propose the composition of the committee. The membership proposal shall be confirmed by the Graduate Program Coordinator. The Administrative Support Assistant for the Department's Office of Graduate Studies will then provide a type-written form to the student to be signed by the prospective committee members. After obtaining signatures, this form is then submitted to the Department's Office of Graduate Studies, approved by the Graduate Program Coordinator, copied for the student's academic file, and then the original is sent to the Graduate School. Appointment of the PhD committee is the purview of the Graduate School upon recommendation by the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management.
The committee shall consist of at least four members of the graduate faculty. At least one member outside the Department shall be chosen to represent a related field and to provide external assessment of dissertation quality to the Graduate School. The outside member cannot have any budgetary connections to the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management. Any changes or special membership in the committee must be approved by the Graduate School. Special membership nomination requires a copy of the nominee's CV.
The dissertation adviser shall serve as chair or co-chair of the student's PhD committee. A member of the graduate faculty must chair the committee.
Responsibilities of the committee
- To approve the student's research and course work plans. A copy of the student's Graduate Academic Plan (Appendix E) should be filed with the student's committee members and the Department's Office of Graduate Studies and be approved by the Department's Graduate Program Coordinator of Graduate Studies.
- To be available for consultation with the student on an individual basis.
- To read and evaluate the dissertation.
- To administer the student's Comprehensive Examination and Final Oral Examination (Sections VI. B & C).
The committee should meet at least once annually while the student is in residence.
