Northeastern Higher Education (Summer 2005) Handbook

Advising and planning documents

Advising

Students will experience two types of faculty advising: program advising and field project advising. Program advising refers to activities that relate to completing and submitting the Ed.D. Degree Program form. The cohort program coordinator will work with cohort members to determine program coursework, transfer credits, and specific degree requirements. Most program advising will occur as part of the scheduled cohort meeting times. During preliminary program planning, the teaching faculty will review prior course work, make some initial judgment about the match with the program components, and will guide students in course selection for their electives.

Field project advising refers to faculty working with cohort members on issues related to each member's interest and research. In this process students develop an integrated review of literature, design research methods, prepare for the written and oral preliminary examinations, develop the research prospectus, collect and analyze the data, and write the final field project. Project advising occurs with the team of faculty advisers assigned specifically to the student and usually occurs at individually-arranged times.

All students have an interim faculty adviser appointed by the director of graduate studies in the Department of Educational Policy and Administration at the point of the student's acceptance into the program. Advisers must be from the major field. Advisers are identified considering several factors including the student's career goals and preliminary project interests.

Please note that these interim advisers are not necessarily intended to continue for the duration of the graduate student's program. Advising responsibilities must be distributed across the faculty in the higher education track; the interim adviser can serve as the regular adviser only for a portion of the students in the program. Each student is encouraged to become acquainted with the various program faculty over the first year of their study and select regular advisers. Once students become familiar with the faculty and have an idea about their project topic, changes can easily be made. The match of the adviser and student should be mutually acceptable. The identification of the co-advisers and committee members is facilitated during the second summer by the program coordinator.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Students receive progress reports annually during their doctoral study. An important part of doctoral progress—and an area which will be noted on the progress report—is timely completion of the milestones listed on the following pages. Students who receive deficiency reports relating to milestones (late filing of programs or thesis topics; excessive incompletes, etc.) and who do not take steps to remedy the deficiency will have holds placed on their registrations until the deficiencies are removed.

Ed. D. requirement checklist

(See following pages for description of forms.)

*Please note that most Graduate School forms are available outside of 316 Johnston Hall or are available on the Web at www.grad.umn.edu/current_students/forms/doctoral.html. All forms are to be filed in 316 Johnston unless otherwise stated.

Graduate School forms and deadlines

The Graduate School (GS) program procedures include submission of the following forms. Unless otherwise noted, the forms are available on the Web as noted, or in the hallway on third floor of Johnston Hall.

GS Form 89a and b - Degree Program and Degree Program Transmittal [.pdf]
Due: Forms usually filed after the first year of program for full-time students (must be filed before taking program preliminary written exam and at least one semester before preliminary oral exam).

• On transmittal form, identify the adviser, two additional faculty in the major, and one faculty outside the major; if program includes a minor, the minor adviser must also be listed (all must have agreed to serve on the committee). Signed by DGS.
• On degree program form, list chronologically all courses in program (including those from previous graduate work applied to this program). See other tips for completing the program form in Chapter 2. Signed by adviser, minor adviser (if applicable) and DGS.

GS Form 17 - Preliminary Written Examination Report for Doctoral Degree [.pdf]
Due: Filed at least one week before preliminary oral exam (check with graduate school to verify status).

• Signed by adviser and forwarded to DGS for signature after adviser receives notice that written prelim exam has been passed.
• Check with adviser to make sure the form has been submitted to the Graduate School.

GS Form 12 - Doctoral Preliminary Oral Examination Scheduling [.pdf]
Due: Must hold exam at least one semester before final oral defense.
Form must be filed at least one week in advance of exam (note three conditions that must be met before eligible to take exam: program and GS Form 17 on file in Graduate School, and currently active, i.e., registered within last 12 mo.).

• Verify eligibility, i.e., have an active student status and forms GS 17 and GS 89 above are on file.
• Once filed, the Graduate School will send chair the preliminary oral exam form.

GS Form 18 - Preliminary Oral Examination
Due: Must be filed within 24 hours of examination.

• Sent by the Graduate School to the adviser who serves as chair of examining committee AFTER student has scheduled exam.
• Preliminary Oral Examination form is signed by all committee members after completion of oral examination.
• Deliver form to Graduate School.

Human Subjects Committee, if needed
Due: Before initiating research, including solicitation for participation.

• MUST be submitted to and approved by the Human Subjects Review Board PRIOR to initiating research.
• Signed by student, adviser and department chair; no DGS signature is required (the line for DGS signature applies to faculty research only).

GS Form 63a, b and c - Thesis Proposal Transmittal
Due: Submit to DGS for signature the semester after passing the preliminary oral examination.

• Form 63a: Includes names of at least four faculty members for final oral examination (three in major, one outside; must include a minor adviser, if applicable); three are identified as readers (must include adviser, one additional faculty member in major, and one outside the major (a minor adviser must serve as a reader); one is identified as chairperson of exam (chair cannot be adviser).
• After receiving approval of GS Forms 63a, b, and c, obtain the Graduation Packet (Thesis Reviews Report, Application for Degree, Commencement Attendance Approval, Microfilm Agreement, Survey of Earned Doctorates, and other graduation instructions).

Graduation Packet
This packet should be ordered or picked up after receiving approval of GS Forms 63a, b and c.
Contents:
  1) Reviewers Report Form (not available on the Web).
  2) Application for Degree Form (not available on the Web).
  3) Commencement Attendance Approval Form.
  4) Other degree information.

1) GS Form 2 - Reviewers Report for Ed.D. Thesis
This form is not available on the Web and can be obtained only from the Graduate School in the Graduation Packet. Students circulate the form to readers with dissertation before scheduling final exam with Graduate School.
Due: Submit to Graduate School at least one week prior to the exam; same time as form below.

• Provided to student by GS in Graduation Packet once the thesis proposal has been approved.

• Student should submit this form to the designated three thesis readers along with the complete thesis draft (indicate to readers that form is being circulated for their signatures).

• Signed by the three readers/reviewers indicating thesis is ready for final oral defense, then sent to the Graduate School (defense cannot be held until all readers sign indicating ready for defense with or without minor changes).

• Allow at least two weeks for readers and committee members to read thesis draft.

2) OTR Form 180 - Application for Degree
This form is not available on line.
Due: After approval of thesis proposal and by first day of month of graduation.

• Provided to student by GS in Graduation Packet once Thesis Proposal has been approved.

• Signed by adviser only if thesis draft is ready for defense.

• Submitted to OTR (Office of Registrar) by first working day of intended month of graduation.

3) GS 54 - Commencement Attendance Approval
Due: Deadline is about two months before commencement ceremony.
Form: Available online at www.grad.umn.edu/current_students/forms/doctoral.html. Click “Commencement Attendance Approval Form” under “Forms for current students”.

• Provided to student by the Graduate School in Graduation Packet once thesis proposal has been approved.

• Signed by adviser and DGS indicating student has met department’s requirements for commencement attendance (i.e., thesis draft is completed and student is ready for but may or may not have taken the final oral examination).

• Submit to the Graduate School.

GS Form 12a - Examination Schedule for Doctoral Final Oral
Due: Filed at least one week before exam.

• Available to student from the Graduate School in Graduation Packet once thesis proposal has been approved.

• Completed by student after GS Form 2 has been signed by readers and sent to the Graduate School.

GS Form 19 - Final Oral Examination
Due: File by last working day of month in which student would like to graduate.

• Sent to chair of final oral (not adviser) by the Graduate School before the exam.
• Signed by all final oral examination committee members after a single vote.
• Returned to the Graduate School within 24 hours of examination.

Microfilm Agreement
Due: Submitted with fee by the last working day of the intended month of graduation.

• Provided to student by the Graduate School in Graduate Packet.
• Submitted with the Survey of Earned Doctorates (sent in Graduate Packet with return optional), and one copy of the thesis abstract (limited to 350 words) and one copy of the thesis (all signed by the adviser).

Doctoral Thesis/Project
Due: Submit to GS after revision recommendations have been made.

• Guidelines provided to student by Graduate School in Graduation Packet once has been submitted.
• Guidelines contain specifications for one abstract and one unbound copy of the thesis to be submitted to Graduate School.
• Guidelines may change from year to year; current version of Graduate School form #16 should be obtained

Special purpose forms

Petition [.pdf]: This form is to request changes on an approved program or extension of time to complete degree; see details in section on Degree Program.

Change of status/Readmission [.pdf]: This form is for readmission to the Graduate School (if you have not maintained active status) or change of major/degree objective (if you wish to change majors or are applying for a different degree, e.g., have completed a M.A. and now are applying for a Ph.D.)

The Graduate School requires students to register each fall and spring to remain active. If students become “inactive” they will automatically be withdrawn from the Graduate School and must reapply for admission to the department and the Graduate School. If applying for readmission, the Department Readmission form [.pdf] requires the adviser signature and a detailed timeline for completion of components left in program, e.g., course work, preliminary exams, prospectus, final defense, etc.

Student Name Change Request: Use this form to change your official name on your student record. The form is not available on the Web but can be requested from the Registrar’s Office.

Course Time Conflict Approval [.pdf]: If you and your adviser agree that you should take two courses that have a time conflict (or that is judged by the registration computer program to have a time conflict), an approval form can be submitted to override the computer registration problem. However, approval of both instructors is needed.

Ed.D. enrollment and fees

Updated graduate tuition rates and fees for each semester can be found on the Web.

Financial assistance for graduate students includes loans, grants, scholarships, fellowships, and graduate assistantships. To be considered for a student loan and other government-based student aid, students must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which can be completed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Detailed information about graduate assistantships, including tuition and health benefits, can be found at www.umn.edu/ohr/gao; that Web site is updated weekly.

Students should check their bill each term to assure accuracy. In addition to tuition, the following major fees are currently assessed each semester; check One Stop for current level of each fee.

1. Student service fee: All students registered for 6 or more credits must pay a per semester student services fee.
2. University fee to support infrastructure and administrative support:
   $450.00 semester , if registered for 10 credits or more
   $45.00 per credit, if registered for 1-9 credits
3. Technology fee in College of Education and Human Development. Semester technology fee is based on the number of credits as follows:
   $80.00 per semester - 6 or more credits
   $40.00 per semester - less than 6 credits
4. Other fees (per semester)
   Council of College Boards
   Graduate and Professional Student Assembly
   Hospitalization Insurance
   International Student Aid Fee (international students only)
   International Student Fee (orientation & advising-international students only)
   Minnesota Student Association
   Student Emergency Loan Fund
   Transportation fee
   Optional fees: (Collegians for a Constructive Tomorrow)
   Minnesota Public Interest Research Group

Note about insurance fee: If registering for 6 or more credits, students must demonstrate that they have hospitalization insurance or they are automatically billed for the student insurance. If you have your own insurance, you must indicate the insurance company and policy number on the paper registration form or on the computer registration screen. International students must purchase the University sponsored health plan while studying at the University.