Ph.D. Student Advising

Ph.D. Advisory Committee

At the beginning of their second year of coursework, students will select their advisory committee. The advisory committee is typically comprised of three members and is headed by the Advisory Committee Chair. All committee members must have earned doctorates from a regionally-accredited university. The Advisory Chair and one committee member must be Sullivan University faculty members or doctorally-qualified administrators. The third committee member may be from outside the department or outside Sullivan University.

If the third committee member is outside the department or university, the Advisory Committee Chair must approve the selection of that member. An outside member of the committee should have expertise or research interests which fit the student’s general area of study. A vitae and an official university transcript showing the outside committee member's terminal degree must be submitted to the department for any committee member who is not a full-time faculty member at Sullivan University. All members of the advisory committee must have a current Sullivan University Committee Membership Form (See Appendix III) on file with the Graduate School and included in his or her academic credentials on file with the Dean of Academic Affairs.

The Dean of the Graduate School must approve all members of the advisory committee members. The role of the Advisory Committee Chair and the committee is to provide guidance Ph.D. Policies & Procedures Page 11 to the students in their coursework and research. The duties of the advisory committee end at the conclusion of a student’s formal coursework.

Ph.D. Dissertation Committee

At the end of formal coursework, students will select their dissertation committee. The dissertation committee is comprised of three members: the dissertation committee chairperson (Dissertation Chair), the methodologist, and one other person. Although students are encouraged to retain members of their Ph.D. advisory committees as dissertation committee members, they are not required to do so. All committee members must have earned doctorates from a regionally-accredited university. The Dissertation Chair and one committee member must be Sullivan University faculty members or doctorally-qualified administrators. The third committee member may be from outside the department or outside Sullivan University.

If the third committee member is outside the department or university, the Dissertation Chair must approve the selection of that member. An outside member of the committee should have expertise that fits the dissertation topic. A vitae and an official university transcript showing the outside committee member's terminal degree must be submitted to the department for any committee member who is not a full-time faculty member at Sullivan University. The student nominates members of the dissertation committee and submits the Dissertation Committee Verification Form (See Appendix II) to the Dissertation Chair and the Dean of the Graduate School. All members of the dissertation committee must have a current Sullivan University Committee Membership Form (See Appendix III) on file with the Graduate School and included in his or her academic credentials on file with the Dean of Academic Affairs.

The Dean of the Graduate School must approve all members of the dissertation committee. The role of the Dissertation Chair and the committee is to provide guidance to the students in their research and to direct them in the appropriate readings necessary for the development of their literature review. Specific duties of the Dissertation Committee include: (1) provide direction throughout the dissertation process; (2) be available for consultation and attend required meetings; (3) review materials and provide feedback; (4) collaborate with the student and other committee members to establish timelines and expectations; (5) advise the student as to readiness of the dissertation; and (6) evaluate the student’s oral defense and approve the final manuscript prior to submission to the Dean of the Graduate School.

Changing the Membership of the Dissertation Committee

If a student wishes to change her/his Dissertation Chair or committee member(s), s/he must submit a written justification for the change to the Dean of the Graduate School. When any change in committee membership occurs, the student must repeat the process of submitting a new Dissertation Committee Verification Form (See Appendix II) and submit the completed form to the Dissertation Chair and the Dean of the Graduate School. The student must also submit a Ph.D. Policies & Procedures Page 12 Request for Change of Chair or Committee Member form (See Appendix IV) to the Dean of the Graduate School. Certain circumstances may warrant a change in committee membership. Retirement or change in employment status of a member, a leave of absence of a committee member, failure of a committee member to provide adequate feedback or to meet obligations, and resignation of a committee member are all possible reasons for changes in the dissertation committee once it is established.

Changes to committee membership are highly discouraged and should be avoided. Changing committee membership may result in significant delays in the dissertation process and increase the time to fulfill the dissertation requirement. Students are highly encouraged to work closely with dissertation committee members and resolve any differences with committee members. No change in committee membership is final without the approval of the Dean of the Graduate School.

Procedures for Monitoring Dissertation Chair and Committee Members

The Dissertation Chair and committee members are expected to be current in the relevant subject area for which they are advising. The Dissertation Chair is expected to respond to students phone calls and emails within 24-hours Monday through Friday during the academic quarter. Student drafts of dissertation chapters should be reviewed and returned with feedback within two weeks of submission.