Current StudentsGraduate Student Handbook
II. Academics
B. Advisory Committee
Degree programs are generally
planned by the Area of Concentration (AoC). Each advisory committee
follows the plan established by the AoC, e.g. regarding course load,
preliminary examinations and thesis work except where the GPC has set
rules regarding assistantship support.
A major advisor must be appointed at
the appropriate level by the Dean of the Graduate School by
authorization of the President of the University to advise in a
particular field of study. Once admitted to a degree program at the
Health Center, a student is assigned a major advisor for the first one
to two years of study. This advisor will assist in outlining the courses
needed to be completed in preparation of the General Exam. Most students
will change major advisors sometime during the second year of study or
just prior to beginning their thesis work. Appropriate forms must be
filed before the official change can occur. Occasionally, it may be
desirable or appropriate for a student's degree program to be directed
by co-major advisors (not more than two). Each co-major advisor must
hold an appropriate appointment to the graduate faculty in the field of
study and area of concentration, if applicable.
The major advisor is responsible for coordinating the supervisory
work of the advisory committee. Therefore, when the major advisor is to
be on leave or is not in residence at the Health Center, it is the major
advisor's responsibility to appoint an acting major advisor. The acting
major advisor must be a member of the Graduate School Faculty or fully
eligible for an appointment to this faculty. The acting major advisor
shall assume all duties and responsibilities of the major advisor for
the duration of the appointment. The major advisor shall inform the Dean
of the Graduate School and the Graduate Records Office of the
appointment and shall record with the Dean any information that may be
required concerning the credentials of the acting major advisor.
1. Change of Major Advisor or Membership in the
Advisory Committee
If a change of a major advisor becomes
necessary for any reason, including a change of the Program Director,
a form must be filed by the student with the Office of
Records/Registration bearing the signature of the new advisor. The
signature of the former advisor is requested for informational
purposes only but is not required. It does not, in any way, signify
permission or consent on the part of the former advisor. If a major
advisor decides that it is not possible to continue as a student's
major advisor and wishes to resign, the Office of Records and
Registration must be notified in writing at the earliest possible
moment. The student is provided with a reasonable opportunity to
arrange for a new advisor. If a new major advisor is not identified
within six weeks of the resignation of the former major advisor, the
student's graduate degree program status is terminated. A student
whose status has been terminated may request a hearing before the
Associate Dean by filing a written request within 30 days of receipt
of the letter of termination.
Student's advisory committees are responsible directly to the
Associate Dean of the Graduate School. Any changes in the membership
of an advisory committee that has been duly established must be made
in writing by the major advisor to the Office of Records and
Registration.
2. Master's Degree Advisory Committee
Membership
The advisory committee of a master's degree program student is
formed after consultation between the major advisor and the student
and shall include at least two associate advisors, at least one of
whom must hold a current appointment to the faculty or professional
staff of the University of Connecticut, with suitable academic or
scientific credentials. This committee should be formed before the
student has completed twelve credits of degree program course work and
shall then supervise the remainder of the student's degree program.
3. Ph.D. Degree Advisory Committee Membership
The advisory committee of a doctoral degree program student is
formed after consultation between the student and the major advisor
and shall include at least two associate advisors with suitable
academic or scientific credentials. The major advisor and at least one
associate advisor shall be members of the graduate faculty appointed
to advise doctoral students in the student's field of study and area
of concentration, if applicable. In addition to the three or more
members chosen in the usual way, another member, ordinarily a member
of the graduate faculty outside the student's field of study but in a
related field, may be appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School.
4. External Advisors
If deemed appropriate or necessary, a master's or a doctoral
student's major advisor may request that a suitably qualified external
associate advisor be appointed to the student's advisory committee as
a full and voting member by writing to the Office of Records and
Registration. The request should be accompanied by a curriculum vita for
the individual being recommended for appointment. Such appointments
are made on the basis of advanced training and significant experience
in the field of study. An appointment as external associate advisor is
limited to an individual student's advisory committee and does not
imply in any way membership on the Graduate Faculty of the University.
Ordinarily, not more than one external associate advisor is appointed
to any master's or doctoral student's advisory committee. External
associate advisors must attend the defense. (The Graduate School is
not in a position to reimburse an external associate advisor for
related expenses.) The major advisor and at least one associate
advisor on any doctoral or master's committee must be members of The
University of Connecticut Graduate Faculty.
5. Outside Readers
Outside readers are experts external to UConn who participate in
some way in the research and /or the preparation of the dissertation
but are not required to attend the defense, do not judge the
dissertation or the defense in any way, but DO sign the Approval Page
of the dissertation as an Outside Reader as evidence of their
participation in the process.
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