What is a dissertation committee?

A dissertation committee is a team that works together to help you complete a scholarly work – your dissertation. Teams are great because with a team you can assemble people with different areas of expertise that will result in the best work possible. Teams can be difficult because you (as the writer) may feel as if you have multiple people to please. Reframe this as a “meeting of the minds.” Collaboration is part of being a scientist. Think of this not only as your dissertation, but part of the process of being socialized into the field. The individual faculty member who serves as committee chairperson (Chair) of your dissertation supervisory committee is the key person in your production of an acceptable dissertation. The Chair has the primary responsibility of assuring that the committee’s work effectively fulfills the expectations of both service to you and service to the academic discipline and professional field of practice involved. The Chair’s duty is to lead, monitor, coordinate, and assess the progress of this activity from start to finish.  Committee members are expected to offer you full support from their experiences and backgrounds and from the related resources of the university at large. In other words, you work closely and frequently with your Chair. Once drafts are deemed ready to go to your other committee members, they will be sent out for comments/review. One important thing to remember is that while the Chair is “in charge,” the comments, concerns and issue raised by the other committee members are to be considered equally as valid and important as those raised by your Chair. You have 8 years since the time of your initial enrollment to complete your degree. Students on military leave are exempted from this requirement. While it is possible to file a petition to request an additional 18 month maximum extension, these are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and such an extension it not guaranteed. If you exceed these timelines, you are dismissed from the program.