Each student is assigned an Advisory Committee upon entering the Department. The committee consists of the Graduate Coordinator (Prof. Lewis), serving as Chair of the committee, and two other faculty members selected by the Department Head. The student's major professor, when determined, will be appointed as a fourth member of the student's Advisory Committee but will not serve as Chair. The purpose of this committee is to help in guiding the student to Ph.D. candidacy. The student will meet with this committee during his or her first semester of residency. In subsequent semesters, advisement will be done individually with the graduate coordinator but all information and advisement recommendations will be transmitted via email to the committee members by the graduate coordinator and approved before the student is advised; in special cases, it may be necessary to convene the committee. This committee will be disolved when the student becomes a candidate for the Ph.D. degree or when he/she declares an intent to seek a terminal M.S. degree; a new Advisory Committee with the research advisor as chair will be formed at that time.
