Graduate Council Representative

After a degree plan is filed, the Office of Graduate Studies (OGS) will appoint a Graduate Council Representation (GCR — a graduate faculty member from another college) to the advisory committee. The committee chair will receive a memo from OGS identifying the GCR. The Graduate Council recognizes the fact that the GCR will not normally possess expertise in all of the areas embraced by the listing of his/her general functions. Thus, the GCR will need to exercise careful judgment in committee activities.

The suggested general functions for the GCR include the following:

• To review the student's approved degree program in order to gain familiarity with the nature of the student's program

• To review and approve the student's dissertation proposal

• To ensure that the oral portion of the preliminary exam and the final defense are conducted in a fair and unbiased manner

• To review the student's dissertation or record of study in order to be able to attest that it meets generally accepted standards of scholarly excellence befitting research documents

• To encourage the candidate to discuss the study and research in non-technical language that can be understood by the intelligent layman

• To stimulate the candidate's awareness of scholar's responsibility to publish the research findings

• To participate, as needed, in additional committee meetings which may be scheduled by the chair of the student's advisory committee

The GCR is a full member of the student's advisory committee, and must be kept abreast of the student's progress. When scheduling meetings, the GCR's schedule must be taken into account. The GCR is to be present and participate actively in both the preliminary exam and the final defense. The GCR will also review the dissertation or record of study. Courtesy would also dictate that the GCR inform the committee chair of any report the GCR may make to OGS as to the overall acceptability of the dissertation or record of study, as well as of his/her satisfaction with the conduct of the oral examinations. Indeed, if the GCR is dissatisfied with the conduct of an examination, or with the quality of a dissertation or record of study, he/she should immediately inform the chair of the student's advisory committee.

The GCR is to be treated as a genuine member of the advisory committee, as he/she performs the general functions of protecting the student and upholding high standards. By adding an "outside voice" to the expertise represented on the student's advisory committee, the GCR can promote breadth in the student's degree and be a valuable resource for both the student and the committee.