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Stage 5: Establishing a Dissertation Committee

Why is this stage important?

Creating a formal dissertation team moves the dissertation project ahead, and will help you develop areas of interest and expertise. To begin the formation of a dissertation committee:

Overall, dissertation committee members will:

Keep in mind this caveat from a number of resources: shaping your committee need not be driven only by the idea of amassing content experts; rather, consider shaping a committee that includes faculty who will support you in a variety of different ways

Step 1: Negotiate what you want/need/expect from your advisor, and what the advisor will want/need/expect from you.

  1. "Questions to Ask to Help Select an Advisor" will help you consider when to ask for help, what sort of help/response is likely to be most helpful for you, and how to shape roles of committee members

Step 2: Work with your dissertation committee chair to set up your committee

  1. take time to come to a clear understanding of why you are selecting each person; how, why & when to interact with the committee throughout the process; and special roles you might need members to take on – for example, maybe one committee member will be "a support editor" who monitors style, formatting and professional standards
  2. For a discussion of these points see guidelines at Gallaudet University.

Step 3: Plan an on-going feedback gathering process

  1. For guidance on asking for and obtaining feedback, see two Claremont Graduate University resources
    1. "Working with Your Committee"
    2. "Obtaining Feedback"

Step 4: Take seriously your role as a proactive dissertation advisee.

  1. "Assuming some independence" as a researcher, writer, and graduate student is part of preparation for professional work in academe. For a host of great ideas, see two resources:
    1. "Your Topic, Your Advisor & Your Committee: Making them Work for You"
    2. "How to Be a Good Graduate Student"

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