Page 20 - DISSERTATION AND THESIS HANDBOOK 2017 -2020

The committee, including the chair, may be expanded to include other Bowie State
University faculty (from within or without the candidate‘s department) and/or experts
with terminal degrees in their field from outside the university, who may serve as
committee members provided that a majority of the members of the committee are
Bowie State University senior faculty members.

The following nine steps must be taken to form and approve a dissertation advisory
committee:
1. The candidate discusses the choices for membership and chair of the
committee with the advisor;

2. The candidate completes a Committee Selection Form for each proposed
member indicating their designation as either member or chair.

3. The candidate accompanies each form with a Terms of Membership Form
for each of the proposed members or chair (doctoral dissertation only);

4. The candidate discusses with each member or chair and presents each a
copy of the terms of membership and committee selection form, signed by
the candidate;

5. The proposed committee member and chair will sign the two forms;
6. The candidate will obtain the signature of the Director of the Doctoral
Program who will forward the forms to the chair of the Department;
7. The chair of the Department will sign each form,
8. The department chair will then forward the signed forms to the dean of
Graduate School for his signature; and

9. They shall sign and return the signed forms to the department chair.

The candidate then collects the forms from the director of the doctoral program
and makes copies for each of the members and chair, and all the other signatories.
The candidate keeps a copy for his or her records.

B. Senior Faculty
To achieve the status of “senior faculty,” a member must either be a full-time faculty
member who has achieved the rank of associate or full professor with continuous
tenure or an adjunct faculty. With approval of the Dean of the Graduate School, an
adjunct and other faculty may be approved as senior faculty and become eligible to
serve on Dissertation committees and even direct the Dissertation. Similarly, faculty
from other institutions, as noted above, may also be approved for senior faculty
status.

C. Dissertation Examining Committee
The Dissertation Examining Committee evaluates the dissertation and the
candidate‘s oral defense or presentation. It ensures impartiality and dissertation
excellence.

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