Guidelines for Dr. Terrell’s Dissertation Students

These Guidelines are in Addition to Those in the SCIS Dissertation Manual

1. Any paper submitted with spelling, grammar or punctuation errors will be immediately returned. It is not Dr. Terrell’s job to help you in these areas; if you are having problems it is suggested that you find a local resource to help you.

2. All submissions must adhere to the form and style guidelines shown in the SCIS Dissertation Guide.

3. In listing references, students should refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th Edition).

4. Each hard copy submission should include a Certificate of Authorship, a Dissertation Tracking form and all of the appropriate cover material per the Dissertation Guide. It is permissible to send electronic versions without these forms but note that a hardcopy version must be filed when each section is ultimately approved.

5. Please allow two weeks for processing prior to asking for feedback.

6. It is up to the student to acquire committee members other than Dr. Terrell. This should be done after the idea paper has been approved.

7. If you desire to include an outside committee member, you must follow the guidelines at the end of this document. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the required paperwork is ultimately filed in and approved by the program office.

8. Dr. Terrell expects you to work diligently on your paper in an effort to finish the process. Long, unexplained periods of time where work is either not in progress or not submitted may result in the termination of his services as a dissertation advisor.

9. If a study involves human subjects, it is up to the student to acquire the necessary approval from Dr. Cannady. His web-site is http://www.scis.nova.edu/~cannady/IRB_Info.htm

10. If, at any time, the student feels that his or her best interests are not being served by Dr. Terrell or the committee, please discuss this issue with him. Discussion of these issues with any other person, without first consulting Dr. Terrell, will lead to his immediate withdrawal from the committee.

Process For Approval of an External Dissertation Committee Member

1. The student informally explores the feasibility with the proposed external member and obtains a copy of the proposed member's curriculum vita.

2. The student informally explores the feasibility with the advisor and presents the proposed member's credentials to the advisor for consideration.

3. If the advisor supports the student's request, the advisor notifies the program director that an external member has been proposed and submits the CV along with the most recently approved dissertation document (idea paper or preliminary proposal).

4. The program director discusses the proposal with the dean. If the dean approves, the program office prepares an External Committee Member Contract and sends it to the external member to sign along with the Dissertation Approval Form for committee formation. (The advisor and internal committee member will have already signed the Dissertation Approval form for committee formation.)

5. The external member signs the contract and Dissertation Approval Form for committee formation and returns them to the program office dissertation coordinator. If the external member is not actively employed with a university or college, s/he must also submit an official transcript of their doctoral work with the signed contract and approval form.

6. The program office dissertation coordinator routes the External Committee Member Contract and approval form for committee formation to the program director and the dean.

7. A copy of the signed contract is given to Finance and one copy is retained in the program office.