Page 59 - DISSERTATION AND THESIS HANDBOOK 2017 -2020

After a candidate successfully defends the dissertation and makes all proper changes
to the dissertation in accordance with the standards of the Graduate School, the Dean of
Graduate School grants final approval and authorizes upload of the document to ProQuest/
UMI at http://www.etdadmin.com

SOME FINAL WORDS OF ADVICE

There is no single set of steps that will guarantee that the dissertation process will be
smooth or trouble-free. There are, however, several guiding principles that should help.

ALWAYS MEET DEADLINES.
It is perhaps obvious to say that deadlines should be met, but evidence indicates that one
of the most common reasons candidates have problems completing dissertations is poor
time management.

Candidates should remember that certain critical parts of the dissertation process are not
under their control. For example, a draft handed in to a committee member for review
will not always be returned within a reasonable time period. If the draft was handed to the
committee member shortly before Graduate School deadlines for completion, it is quite
likely that the dissertation oral examination cannot be scheduled in time to meet this
deadline. The most reasonable way to avoid this sort of problem is to allow more than
enough time for each step in the dissertation process.

COMPLETE THE DISSERTATION PROPOSAL EARLY IN THE PROCESS.
This is a similar point to the first, but it is presented separately, because the dissertation
proposal has proven to be one of the major obstacles to completing the dissertation.
Recent SPRC experience has demonstrated that too many candidates wait far too long to
obtain a signed dissertation proposal. Student candidates should remember that no data
should be collected before the proposal is signed by the dissertation advisory committee
and approved by both the SPRC and IRB. This process often takes at least a semester. This
time for SPR and IRB approval must be considered when the schedule for completing the
dissertation is created.

WHEN IN DOUBT, ASK
There are many regulations and rules that govern the dissertation process. While this
handbook should help a candidate understand how these rules are applied, it will still
often be the case that the candidate will be confused about how a specific rule applies in
his or her specific case. The best way to avoid problems of this type is to ask those whose
job it is to monitor and implement the rules. As mentioned several times, the primary
resource person is the Dissertation Advisory Committee Chair; this person should always
be contacted if questions arise. The Advisor/Chair should be able to assist the candidate,
at least, to get information or help needed from appropriate persons.

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