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Research Advisory Committee
The student, in consultation with the major professor, should select members of the Research Advisory Committee. This committee is chaired by the major professor (dissertation advisor), and at least one member of committee must be outside METC affiliation. The committee will advise the student regarding professional development, and at a minimum, all METC graduate students must meet with their committee members on an annual basis and have the Progress to Degree form (below) completed and signed by all members. For these annual meetings, three members shall constitute a quorum. Students return the completed form to the METC Graduate Coordinator. Students who do not meet with their committees in a timely fashion may be prevented from registering for the next semester.
The PhD Research Advisory Committee must have at least five (5) members, including the major professor. When creating the original committee, at least one member must be from “outside” the affiliation of the Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Center. There should be at least two members of your committee that are “outside” the school/college of advisor. If student chooses a Minor, one committee member must be the minor advisor.
What do you look for when selecting Committee members? You want to include members who can provide advice throughout your graduate training on a wide range of issues. Most importantly, you must feel comfortable interacting with these individuals. Are they approachable? It is essential that you get to know at least three members of your Research Advisory Committee as scientific colleagues. Only then will they be able to judge you knowledgably as a scientist and be able to write informed letters of recommendation on your behalf when you take the next step in your career. Applications for postdoctoral positions and grant support, for example, usually require three letters of recommendation in addition to your mentor. You want them to know your abilities well.
In first meeting, students will want to present a brief description of their research project. In future years, the emphasis of the committee meetings will be on the student’s research project and progress. If a student plans to provide committee members with background materials, it is helpful to distribute the materials prior to the meeting so that committee members have ample time to review and think about the material.
Each student is required to meet with his/her Research Advisory Committee on an annual basis. At the start of each meeting, the Committee will choose a member of the Committee, other than the major professor, to act as chair for that meeting. At the end of each meeting the Committee will hold an executive session (without the student present) to prepare a written evaluation of the student (see attached Progress To Degree form). The designated chair will be responsible for completing the written evaluation form. The form should be returned to the METC graduate program coordinator, who will give copies of the completed evaluation to the student, to all members of the student's committee, and to the Graduate Achievement and Curriculum Committee for review of a student's progress toward the degree.
Six months prior to the final defense date, students are required to meet with their Committee to give a semifinal report. A detailed outline of the thesis must be distributed to Committee members prior to the meeting. The outline should be detailed enough so that Committee members know what is to be included in your dissertation.
 Progress to Degree.doc
Research Advisory Committee.doc
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