Thesis Committee

One meeting per year is required

Students must conduct yearly meetings with their thesis committee to chart the progress of their thesis research towards the completed dissertation. An annual thesis committee meeting is required for registration in the following year. The deadline for the meeting is May 31. This date is chosen because the June faculty meeting is devoted to a review of the progress of all students in the program.

An exception to the May 31 deadline is made for 2nd year students. They may hold their first thesis committee meeting either in the spring or in the summer following completion of the qualifying exam in the fall, depending on the recommendation of their thesis committee. For those students taking the qualifying exam later in the spring of the 2nd year, the first thesis committee meeting should be held by the fall of the 3rd year, and then another meeting should be held toward the end of the 3rd year.

One requirement for admission to candidacy (see above) is a positive evaluation of laboratory work from the thesis committee. The student will receive a positive evaluation for demonstrating that s/he works effectively in the laboratory as reflected in the ability to conduct experiments that push a thesis project forward. The positive evaluation necessary for admission to candidacy may be received as early as the first thesis committee meeting in the 2nd year following the qualifying exam and at the latest by the end of the 3rd year.

After the first thesis committee meeting following the qualifying exam, most students will have subsequent meetings every year in the spring. In later years, often beginning in year 4, students may hold more frequent meetings, for example, one in the fall and another in the spring. However, the progress of the laboratory work will largely determine when and how frequently the thesis committee meeting is held.

Before each meeting, students should prepare a two-page summary of work since the last committee meeting and plans for future experiments (with a timetable). This summary along with the summaries of any previous meetings should be sent to the committee as well as the DGS at least several days before the upcoming meeting. The reason for assembling and providing such a “diary” of your work is that it makes it possible for the committee to evaluate the overall progress of your thesis research. It will be necessary to postpone the meeting if the summary prepared for that meeting is found to be inadequate. Every year the DGS will remind students to schedule a meeting, and students should notify the DGS of the meeting date.

Committee Composition

Students and their advisors choose the faculty members of the thesis committee, which are approved by the DGS. The thesis committee must have at least one member who holds a primary or secondary appointment in the Cell Biology Department. One of these Cell Biology faculty members should be chosen to be the chair of the committee. After each thesis committee meeting, it is the responsibility of the chair to email a brief report of the meeting to the DGS, the other members of the committee, and the student.

Students and thesis advisors may choose to alter the composition of the thesis committee in order to reflect changes in direction of the thesis project. Any changes must be approved by the DGS. Thesis committee meetings may be held as frequently as necessary at the request of the student, thesis advisor, or other committee members.

The thesis committee has the major responsibility of deciding when a student has done sufficient work for the Ph.D. and is ready to begin writing the dissertation.