Dissertation Committee 

After passing the Qualifying Examination students must suggest members to serve on their Dissertation Committee. The ABGG follows Dissertation Plan C, which calls for a three member (minimum) dissertation committee, a final oral examination, and no exit seminar. This committee consists of at least three individuals, one of whom is the student’s major professor. Membership nominations must be submitted to Graduate Studies for formal approval. The dissertation committee's main responsibility is to guide the candidate in their dissertation research. Academic progress (including dissertation research) is monitored through the annual Student Progress Assessment and by candidates meeting with their dissertation committee regularly. The candidate should arrange meetings with the dissertation committee as needed (but at least once per year). 

Once the committee has agreed that the candidate's dissertation is ready for final examination, the candidate will schedule a final examination where the committee will conduct a final oral examination, which focuses primarily on questions arising out of the relationship of the dissertation to the general field of study of the dissertation.

Dissertation Committee Meeting Guidelines

Overview

 To align with the graduate group’s time to degree and the Graduate Studies Student Progress Assessment (SPA), post-candidacy students should meet with their dissertation committee at least once per year to discuss academic and research related progress, goals, and challenges. Dissertation committee members are experts in their field who have agreed to take a formal role in your education. Students should take full advantage of this resource. The guide below was created based on ABGG student feedback to help with scheduling and preparing for these meetings.  

Scheduling Your Meeting 
  • Reach out to your committee (once identified) to confirm a general timeframe (month/quarter)
  • Send out poll (when2meet, doodle, email) with proposed dates. Set a deadline for response.
  • Once a date/time is confirmed, send out a meeting invitation (include time, date, meeting location and/or link if on Zoom).  It is helpful to follow up with a calendar invitation.
  • Send out meeting reminder and a short agenda with key items/goals that you want to accomplish during the meeting 1-2 weeks before the meeting date.
Preparing for Your Meeting 
  • Set meeting goals. 
  • First meeting (post-QE): Discuss your research proposal and timelines, your expectations for the type of support each member will provide, progress communication expectations (e.g. research and meeting timeline updates, sharing dissertation chapters/sections, communicating projected delays/challenges), discuss committee members’ availability to give feedback on proposed, in-progress and completed work, set guidelines for feedback turn-around timelines, including summer availability as faculty may hold 9 month appointments and/or be in the field. 
  • Subsequent meetings: Review meeting notes and/or Annual SPA to recall goals from prior meeting, provide updates on your research proposal (e.g. changes to scope, added/removed experiments), research timelines and timelines to degree, and troubleshoot challenges. 
During Your Meeting 
  • Stay on track
  • Make sure you ask all of your questions
  • Leave time for candid discussion
  • Take notes and create actionable goals and timelines (short and long term)

After Your Meeting 

  • Write up key discussion points, timelines, goals, and action items in a brief meeting summary and send an email to your committee to confirm expectations. 
  • Work with your major professor to build goals, timelines, and expectations into your ANB 299 syllabus/schedule. This will ensure you stay on track and meet your goals before your next dissertation meeting. 
Email Templates

I. Scheduling Template 

SUBJECT: Dissertation Meeting Scheduling Request – YOUR NAME 

Hi all, 

I’m reaching out to find a time that best fits all of our schedules to meet and discuss my dissertation progress. It sounds like [MONTH/QUARTER] is a better time for all of us to meet. Please complete the following availability poll by [DEADLINE]. Please also let me know if you would prefer to meet in-person or via zoom. 

POLL: [LINK]

In this upcoming meeting I hope to discuss [ADJUST LIST AS APPROPRIATE]: 

  1. Action Items/Goals outlined from the last meeting
  2. Feedback on my current chapter draft [send a copy of the draft at least 2-3 weeks in advance]
  3. Challenges that I have been experiencing in my research
  4. Timelines for dissertation submission  

Best/Sincerely/Much thanks/Talk to you soon/etc. 

[YOUR NAME] 

II. Follow up email template

SUBJECT: Recap of Dissertation Meeting on DATE – YOUR NAME 

Hi all, 

Thank you for taking the time to meet with me to discuss my dissertation progress. Based on our discussion, I have noted the following items to focus on/complete before our next meeting: 

[ADJUST LIST AS APPROPRIATE, ADD DETAILS]

  • Goals that were outlined, including draft completion or revisions, data analysis, experimentation, publication, etc.
    • Possible solutions for any challenges that you discussed
    • Timelines of when action items should be completed and shared with the committee
    • An anticipated next meeting timeline 

Please let me know if there’s any items that I’m missing from this list. 

Best/Sincerely/Much thanks/Talk to you soon/etc. 

[YOUR NAME]