Department of Educational. Leadership and Policy Studies. Doctoral Handbook of Policies & Procedures

Transcription

1 Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Doctoral Handbook of Policies & Procedures DATE: August

2 Table of Contents Introduction 4 Learner Outcomes 5 Program Overview 5 Program of Study/Planned Programs 6 Program Sequence/Curriculum and Options Map 7 Electives 8 Transfer of Credits 8 Matriculation 8 The Comprehensive Examination 8-9 The Dissertation 9-10 Human Subjects 10 Copyright Permission 10 Getting Started: The Concept Paper The Dissertation Committee 11 Crafting the Dissertation Proposal The Dissertation Proposal Hearing 13 Final Dissertation Proposal Preparation 14 Doctoral Candidacy 15 Continuous Enrollment Dissertation Research 16 Dissertation Defense Final Dissertation Preparation and Formatting Preliminary Pages

3 Text Reference Material 23 Mechanics Final Dissertation Submission Graduation 27 Appendices: Appendix I: Forms 28 Appendix II: Dissertation Procedures Timeline 37 Appendix III: Example Pages 39 2

4 Introduction This Doctoral Handbook of Policies and Procedures is intended to guide both faculty and students in the implementation of the ED.D. Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU). The policies and procedures have been developed by the ED.D. Doctoral Program Committee and the EDL Department Chair in collaboration with EDL graduate faculty, the Dean of the School of Education, and the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies with approval by the SCSU Graduate Council. These policies and procedures should be adhered to by all faculty members in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, from other departments at SCSU, from other Universities, or any other faculty who is involved in the ED.D. program by teaching or engaging in the dissertation guidance process. These policies and procedures become effective once a student is admitted to the ED.D. program. These procedures supplement all procedures in the SCSU Graduate Catalogue and the Student Handbook of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. As such, they do not act as a substitute for any information contained in those two documents. Doctoral students are responsible for knowing all information contained in this document. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this handbook, the program reserves the right to make changes. At the start of each academic year, procedures may be updated. Students are required to obtain and review new procedures annually in order to remain current. The Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies is committed to delivering high-quality, service-oriented professional programs to meet the needs of aspiring school leaders in Connecticut and beyond. Our department prepares school leaders to focus on systemic thinking, taking into account the needs of diverse learners and communities as they strive to improve student experiences and achievement. Our faculty members offer ED.D. students a broad range of experience including experience with principalship, superintendency, public schools, non-charter and charter public schools, private schools, and organizations concerned with, and involved in, research and evaluation. They have experience with non-profit organizations, the business sector, the policy sector, and a wide range of local, national, and global education initiatives. 3

5 Learner Outcomes The Learner Outcomes the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies are based on the ELCC National Leadership Standards and the Connecticut Standards for School Leaders: EdD Program Learner Outcomes: 1. Demonstrate an advanced level of comprehensive knowledge and appropriate skills to stimulate, facilitate, and implement change in diverse students, educational settings, communities and education-interested agencies. 2. Access and apply information within educational leadership and policy studies to relevant situations. 3. Communicate scholarly information clearly and logically, both orally and in writing, to a variety of audiences, including conferences and publications. 4. Think critically and creatively to identify and address problems in educational leadership and educational policy areas through conducting original research and evaluating data and scholarly information to contribute to the field. 5. Collaborate effectively with peers, general public, and clientele, as appropriate, in educational leadership and policy studies. 6. Identify and explain ethical standards, and be able to address ethical dilemmas, within educational leadership and policy studies, including those connecting to research. 7. Develop a comprehensive knowledge of the standards for school leaders as determined at State and National levels, including those of accrediting agencies. Program Overview The ED.D. Program in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies prepares leaders who are capable of working in a wide range of settings. These include public and private schools, research and evaluation institutions, and educational advocacy organizations. Our diverse faculty and student body represent agencies such as P-12 public schools, private and independent schools, government, and higher education. The variety of perspectives faculty and students bring strengthens our ability to understand and address complex educational issues. The mission of the ED.D. Program is to prepare educational leaders with comprehensive knowledge, appropriate skills, and empowering attitudes to become leaders who are informed decision-makers capable of being reflective practitioners and who contribute to the research and practice literature. The ED.D. Program is designed as a part-time program to meet the needs of working professionals. The program generally takes four to five years to complete. Since the ED.D. Program is practice-oriented, coursework and dissertations are applied in nature. The curriculum includes foundational coursework and opportunities for field-based activities and immersion projects in schools or other agencies. The program aims to prepare leaders who can solve real problems facing education systems today and who, through their research or applied work, further academic knowledge toward this end. 4

6 Program of Study/Planned Program The ED.D. Program in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies consists of 63-credits. Core courses constitute 42 program credits. Seven courses are electives, which constitute 21 program credits. As students near the end of their core coursework, they sit for a comprehensive exam before fully developing their dissertation proposal. The doctoral program culminates in the defense of a dissertation. The Core Courses: In addition to the core courses, seven additional elective courses are required to complete the coursework component. Core courses comprise: EDL 663-Educational Planning (093 only) EDL 701-Leadership and Organizational Development EDL 702-Applications in Leadership and Organizational Development EDL 703-Leading Organizational Change EDL 704-Quantitative Methods in Educational Leadership EDL 705-Qualitative Methods in Educational Leadership EDL 708-Leadership for Social Equity EDL 711-Educational Policy: Context and Inquiry EDL 725-Advanced Research Methods EDL 731 Doctoral Inquiry Seminar I EDL 731 Doctoral Inquiry Seminar II EDL 722-Research Design EDL 800 Dissertation Advisement and Defense (6 credits) Presently there are three options for Planned Programs: 092 certification, 093 certification, and a general program in which students select their electives. Upon entry into the program, students seeking 092 or 093 certification should notify the Coordinator of such to ensure that the appropriate planned program of study is signed. Students seeking 092 Intermediate Administrative Certification or 093 Certification while they are undertaking the doctorate, need to complete all core courses and follow the courses as outlined in their planned program to meet certification requirements. The following outlines the program of study necessary for completion of the program in four years. In some cases, students do take more than four years to complete the program. Program sequence is subject to change as necessary for program coherence. 5

7 Program Sequence/Curriculum Map Credits Fall Inter- Session 3 3 EDL 701 EDL 703 Credits Fall Inter- Session 3 3 EDL 705 EDL 702 Credits Fall Inter- Session YEAR 1 Credits Spring Credits Summer A Summer B Summer C 3 3 EDL 708 EDL YEAR II EDL 663 EDL 663 Electives Credits Spring Credits Summer A Summer B Summer C 3 3 EDL 704 Elective 3 3 Elective EDL 725 Elective EDL 725 Comprehensive Exams YEAR III Credits Spring Credits Summer A Summer B Summer C 3 3 EDL731 EDL EDL731 Elective Elective Elective Elective Proposal Hearing: if not passed at end of EDL731, enroll in EDL799 until passed YEAR IV + Credits Fall Inter- Session Spring Summer A Summer B Summer C EDL799-Dissertation Research & Writing Student registers for EDL 799, if proposal is not defended after two semesters of EDL 731. Student receives an I+ until successful defense of proposal. EDL 800- Doctoral Dissertation Advisement and Defense. Student receives an I+ until the Dissertation is successfully defended. Over a two year period, students proceed through coursework and take the Comprehensive Examination as outline above. Upon successful completion of the examination, students enroll in EDL 731- Doctoral Inquiry Seminar and EDL 722- Research Design. EDL 731 comprises two seminars (I & II) over two semesters in which students: a) draft their dissertation b) select a dissertation sponsor, and b) must pass their proposal hearing or receive an I+ and then register into EDL799. In EDL 799 students continue to work on their dissertation proposal with their sponsor. After the successful defense of the proposal, the EDL731 I+ and the EDL799 I+ (if taken), will change to a P and students enroll in EDL 800 Dissertation Advisement & Defense as they conduct their study and proceed to the defense of their dissertation. 6

8 Electives Students not seeking administrative certification should select electives at the Masters level or above to satisfy their area of interest from the Graduate Catalog. Transfer of Credits A maximum of nine (9) credits may be transferred as electives. The courses to be transferred must be at the Masters level or above and from an accredited university. All courses to be considered for transfer must be submitted to the Standards & Appeals Committee of the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies for a ruling. The submission must also include a catalog description and/or syllabus, and a rationale for the request transfer of credit. Matriculation All students admitted to the ED.D. Program are expected to matriculate into the program before their first courses, or during their first semester, by signing a planned program that outlines the courses, requirements, and expectations of the ED.D. program. A student must be approved for continued matriculation after completion of the first 12 credits of the program. Eligibility for continued matriculation is based on the following: An overall GPA of 3.2 in the first 12 credits of coursework; Successful completion of coursework, and demonstration of appropriate dispositions as deemed by the professors of the first 12 credits and in keeping with the guiding principles of the ED.D. Program. When Department faculty approves a student for continued matriculation, no action is taken. If a student is not approved for continued matriculation, the student might be advised to take a temporary leave of absence from the program or some other course of action, depending on the individual circumstance. To remain in the program, a student must maintain a 3.2 GPA for all course work each semester. If, at any point, a student s GPA falls below 3.2, the student will be placed on academic probation by the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. The student will be required to meet the 3.2 GPA standard by the end of the following semester and maintain that GPA continuously thereafter in order to remain in the program. If a student s GPA falls below 3.2 a second time, that student will be subject to dismissal from the doctoral program. The Comprehensive Examination The comprehensive examination is designed by the doctoral faculty to rigorously assess students mastery and synthesis of knowledge garnered during coursework. Further, it is intended to gauge students potential for independent dissertation research. Students should take the exam at the conclusion of their second year, after 36 credits of coursework have been completed. 7

9 The comprehensive examination is administered once each year during the summer. Examination dates will be published in May of the year of the exam. To take the comprehensive examination, students should submit an Application for Comprehensive Doctoral Examination (See Forms in Appendix I) to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education by on or before the last day of the Spring semester of the year of the exam. Further details regarding the content and format of the comprehensive examination will be made available to doctoral students prior to the exam. The comprehensive examination is four hours long, and is taken using a computer. The computer will be equipped with word processing software (MS Word and Excel) and printer will be made available at the examination site. All comprehensive examination answers shall be submitted both on a provided on a removable digital drive and in hard copy, which the student will print out and submit to the examination administrator at the end of the comprehensive examination session. The student does not receive a copy of his/her comprehensive examination. Each exam will be read anonymously by two faculty members within the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. The final score will be determined by averaging the two readers scores. Students will receive grades of Pass or Fail. In the case of a Fail, the exam will be assessed by a third reader and the final score will be determined by averaging all three readers scores. Students will be notified of their examination results within one month after taking the exam. Students may re-take a failed comprehensive exam only once and may not enroll in courses during the semester following a failed exam. A make-up date for the Comprehensive Exam will be announced during the following fall semester, at least one month after the release of results. Failure of the comprehensive exam on the second attempt will result in the student s dismissal from the doctoral program. Once the comprehensive examination has been passed, students proceed to develop their dissertation proposal. Passage of the comprehensive exam is a pre-requisite for completing the dissertation proposal and defending it in the dissertation proposal hearing. The Dissertation The dissertation process consists of selecting a topic, crafting a dissertation proposal, identifying a committee, securing IRB approval, defending the proposal, conducting the study by gathering and analyzing data, drafting the dissertation and submitting it to multiple reviews by the committee, finalizing copyright and formatting issues, defending the dissertation, making any required revisions, copyediting the final dissertation, submitting the document for final dispensation by the EDL department, the School of Education and the Graduate School. Doctoral candidates must propose, execute, submit, orally defend and complete a dissertation of high quality and importance under the supervision of a committee of graduate faculty members. Copies of the dissertation proposals and the final dissertation are placed in the University library. They are also sent to ProQuest, where they are made available to the 8

10 international community of scholars. All dissertations must meet rigorous standards of published research. Use of Human Subjects By federal law, all research involving human or animal subjects requires prior ethical review and approval by an independent review committee. At SCSU, the relevant committee for research involving human subjects is the Institutional Review Board (IRB). No recruitment of subjects or data collection may take place without IRB approval. The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee has jurisdiction over research involving non-human subjects. If the dissertation involves human participants, students must submit to the IRB, an IRB Application, with all related paperwork, that follows the SCSU Protection of Human Subjects Protocol. This application does not need to be submitted before the proposal hearing, but a copy of the IRB approval form must be included in the defended Proposal when it is submitted to the Graduate School. It is the student s responsibility to complete and submit human subjects approval forms to the Institution Review Board (IRB). All forms and procedures related to IRB protocol are available from the SCSU IRB and Human Research Protection Program. Absolutely no recruitment or data collection should take place before human subjects approval has been granted by the IRB. In cases where research involving human or animal subjects is being performed at another institution, approval also must be obtained from that institution s appropriate review committee(s). Copies of such approval should be attached to the SCSU IRB materials to expedite the IRB review process. Copyright Permission If a student includes copyrighted material in his/her dissertation, s/he has the responsibility to obtain permission to include (or quote) such material unless the student is the owner of the copyright or unless the material meets the fair use criteria. Guidance can be found in the relevant edition of the APA Manual. Stanford University s website also has useful fair use information ( Getting Started: The Concept Paper Before students select their final topics, dissertation sponsors, or committee members, they should develop a concept paper comprising an overview of their ideas and preliminary research regarding a proposed dissertation topic and focus. The 3-6 page double-spaced concept paper should be provided to potential dissertation committee members so that they can gauge the focus and level of readiness for dissertation work a student demonstrates. The concept paper should also be a basis for further development of the dissertation proposal. The following elements 9

11 comprise the content of the concept paper: A statement of the problem to be investigated A description of the research question(s), significance and relevance of the topic and questions a brief commentary on the literature a proposed methodology to conduct the inquiry a draft time line for completion of the dissertation proposal (first three chapters of the dissertation). Discussing the research concept paper with a potential committee sponsor, other potential committee members, and peers will enable the student to obtain advice early in the dissertation process as to the suitability of the topic as a worthwhile study and the appropriateness of the research questions and methodology. The dissertation concept paper is to be developed as a course requirement of the Doctoral Inquiry Seminar (EDL 731). The Dissertation Committee A dissertation committee is comprised of three members: a sponsor and two readers. Each student is responsible for forming his or her own dissertation committee from among EDL and other faculty. The committee Sponsor must be an EDL faculty member, must have Graduate Faculty status in the SCSU Graduate School, and must be selected prior to the selection of the other two committee members. A list of faculty members eligible to serve as Sponsors can be obtained from the Coordinator of Doctoral Education in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. The Sponsor serves as the advocate for the student, helps identify and recruit other committee members, and provides primary guidance to the student throughout the dissertation process. During EDL 731, and upon completion of their concept paper and other course requirements, students will select their dissertation sponsor who will work with them to further select their dissertation committee members. The student should complete and submit the required Dissertation Committee Sponsor Agreement (See Appendix I) to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education. The second committee member typically is, but is not required to be, an SCSU graduate faculty member. The third member may be an SCSU graduate faculty member or may be external to SCSU. In the case of the latter, the committee member may be located at another accredited university or have professional relevance to the program of study and hold a Ph.D. or ED.D. Committee members must be asked to sit at least two months before the dissertation proposal hearing (see section entitled Dissertation Proposal Hearing) at which point, if they agree to participate, the student must provide them with the dissertation proposal. All who agree to serve must sign a Dissertation Committee Approval Form (Appendix I) which should be submitted to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education for approval and signature. The Coordinator then submits the form to the Chair of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, who submits it to the Dean of the School of Education, who then submits it to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies for final approval and appointment of 10

12 committee membership. Submission of the form may occur at any time prior to four weeks before the dissertation proposal hearing. Once the committee has been approved, any change in the composition of the dissertation committee must be accepted by the student, the Sponsor, the Department Chair, the Dean of the School of Education, and the Graduate Dean. To request a change in committee membership, the student must complete the form Request for Change in Dissertation Committee (Appendix I) with the required signatures and submit it to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education for approval. If the Coordinator denies the request, the student may need to postpone the dissertation proposal hearing until the dissertation committee is finalized and approved. Crafting the Dissertation Proposal A student becomes a doctoral candidate upon successful defense of the dissertation proposal. Once the proposal has been successfully defended, copies of the proposal are reviewed by the Program Coordinator, the Department Chair, the Dean of the School of Education, the Graduate Dean and are then placed in the University library where they are made available to the public. Because dissertation proposals are public documents, and because the EDL department holds its doctoral students to high professional standards, each proposal must be of very high quality and meet the professional standards of published research. The student, the student s Sponsor, and the Graduate School expect to see evidence of careful attention to style and format in the proposal document. It is not a draft document and all sections should be properly edited for content, format, grammar and spelling, and APA style. The SCSU Doctoral Procedures are derived from standard practices among universities, libraries, and publishers. The student is expected to read and follow the procedures throughout the proposal preparation. Close coordination with the student s Sponsor is essential to the development of a strong proposal. The sponsor is the main person that the student works with on all aspects of the dissertation and sponsor feedback should be received prior to sending drafts to committee readers, unless another process has been decided by the committee in full. When candidates submit drafts of their proposal to all committee members, it is advisable to await feedback from the full committee prior to making additional revisions. Due to the iterative nature of the process, candidates can expect to make several revisions prior to gaining approval for the dissertation proposal s hearing. The expectation is that a quality proposal will be approved for hearing. The proposal is a document that reflects intent to conduct a research study. The proposal includes the student s statement of a research problem and chosen method of investigation. The proposal is the first step toward completion of the dissertation, which is an original contribution to one s field of study. The study may be conducted as applied research that can be experimental, quasi-experimental, or non-experimental in its design. It may include reactive or non-reactive quantitative or qualitative methods, or both. The dissertation proposal is typically written during the third year. It is essential that the student be capable of defending the 11

13 theoretical basis of a proposed study and the statements, analytical decisions, and analytical methods relevant to successful completion of a high quality dissertation. A detailed proposal (Chapters One, Two, and Three of the dissertation) must be approved by the dissertation committee and Graduate School Dean before the student begins any data collection. A proposal, at a minimum, must contain the following elements: Chapter 1 Introduction. The Introduction essentially establishes a framework for the study. As such, it puts the study in context of other related research and includes the following: Purpose Statement Statement of the Problem Research Questions Significance of the Study Definition of Terms Limitations & Delimitations Chapter 2 - Literature Review. The proposal should include a critical review of literature supporting the study and demonstrating the need for the dissertation (i.e., expose the gap in the literature that this study will fill). Chapter 3 Methods. This chapter should clearly spell out the research design, methods, and analytic procedures that will be followed in conducting the study. Quantitative studies should include the following, at a minimum: a) site & population; b) sample; and c) statistical treatment. Qualitative studies should assume a format appropriate to the nature and design of the study and include, at a minimum: a) population; b) participant selection procedures; and c) methods. References. Every proposal draft should be presented with attached references in APA style. Human Subjects Protocol Approval. Human Subjects Protocol Approval may be included in the dissertation proposal, but is not required. Typically, the proposal is approved and then students apply for Human Subjects Protocol Approval. APA Publication Style. It is required that the proposal follows APA publication style procedures as put forth in the most recent edition of the American Psychological Association Publication Manual, Washington, DC. (Sixth Edition). The Dissertation Proposal Hearing When the Sponsor, committee, and student believe the proposal is ready, a hearing of the proposal is scheduled at which the student presents and defends the proposal. The three members of the student s dissertation committee must be present at the hearing and the 12

14 committee members must receive a final copy of the dissertation proposal at least four weeks in advance of the hearing. It is the student s responsibility to schedule the two-hour hearing with the administrative assistant to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education. If, after reading the proposal one or more committee members believe that the hearing is premature, the committee member will discuss this with the rest of the committee and the proposal hearing may be rescheduled or postponed. The student and/or the student s Sponsor must notify the Coordinator of Doctoral Education when the proposal hearing is scheduled and the Sponsor notifies faculty of the department when the proposal hearing will take place. Procedures for conducting the proposal hearing are as follows: 1) The Sponsor begins the hearing, keeps time, and is responsible for facilitating the question and answer period; 2) Questions from the Sponsor and other two committee members will be followed by questions from faculty member guests. Should a committee member be unexpectedly unable to attend, participation by teleconference may be possible. If that option either impossible or deemed unacceptable by the other two committee members, then the defense must be rescheduled. The student should bring handouts relating to his/her presentation along with at least one printed copy of the proposal and the forms Dissertation Prospectus Signature Sheet (Appendix I) and Doctoral Admission to Candidacy (Appendix I) to the hearing. Upon successful defense of the proposal, the student and each committee member signs both forms. If changes, adjustments, or edits of the proposal are necessary, the Sponsor withholds his or her signature until the student provides a corrected, acceptable version of the proposal. Once final and approved, the Sponsor submits the unbound proposal and Approval forms, for signature, to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education who then provides it to Dean of the School of Education for approval. The Dean will then submit the form and proposal to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies for final approval. Upon approval by the Graduate School, one bound copy of the finalized proposal should be submitted to the Coordinator of Doctoral Education with both forms. It is important to note that passing the proposal hearing is a course requirement for EDL 731. Should a student not pass the hearing during the semester in which he or she is enrolled in the EDL 731 or EDL 799, he or she will receive an I+ grade and will need to re-register for the course until the proposal hearing is satisfactorily passed. 13

15 Doctoral Candidacy In order to apply to be a Doctoral Candidate, the student must have passed the Comprehensive Examination and have successfully defended the Dissertation Proposal (i.e., review by the Graduate School Dean). At that point, the student should submit the form Doctoral Admission to Candidacy (Appendix I) to the Coordinator of the Doctoral Program who relays it to the Graduate School. Official admission to Doctoral Candidacy will be conveyed to the student by an official letter from the Graduate School and/or the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Doctoral Candidacy allows the student to register for dissertation credits. A student must be a candidate for at least one full semester prior to the granting of the ED.D. degree. A student may not defend the dissertation during the semester immediately following the semester during which he or she defended the proposal unless he or she has been granted a waiver. The purpose of this requirement is to assure a minimal lapse of time for effective work on the dissertation that results in a quality product. Once students are advanced to candidacy, they must be enrolled for graduate credit each semester (excluding summer sessions) until graduation. If the student is not advanced to candidacy within five years from the time of admission to the doctoral program, the student will be referred by his or her Sponsor to the Committee on Standards and Appeals. Continuous Enrollment Continuous enrollment requires that every graduate student be enrolled in a course every spring and fall semester from the time of acceptance by the School of Graduate Studies until completion of all requirements for the graduate degree. Students who are not enrolled in a course during the semester in which they are completing work for a thesis, dissertation, practicum, internship, student teaching, or laboratory research must register and pay for IDS 900 (1 credit): Course Continuation. This course must be taken each spring and fall term until the work is completed. Students who must maintain their matriculation status while completing comprehensive exams or who wish to maintain their matriculation status while taking a leave of absence must register and pay for IDS 901 (0 credit): Continuous Enrollment. Graduate students who have completed all courses must remain continuing students until all degree requirements have been met. Failure to register for an academic course, IDS 900 or IDS 901, will result in automatic withdrawal from the program. In extenuating circumstances, a student may petition for a waiver (available at to the continuous enrollment policy. The waiver form must be signed by the Graduate/Program Coordinator before sending it to the Dean of Graduate Studies. If the waiver is approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies, a letter to that effect will be sent to you with a copy to the Graduate/Program Coordinator, and the approved petition will be placed in your permanent file. Any student who is finishing his/her capstone experience or intending to take a leave of absence must fill out the Graduate Continuation Course Registration Form available 14

16 at: For students working on their thesis, special project, dissertation, practicum, internship, student teaching, or laboratory research, they must register for IDS 900. For students working on comprehensive examinations or who wish to take a leave of absence, they must register for IDS 901. The student must fill out the form and sign it. Upon review and verification of the proper course, the advisor signs the form and sends it to the School of Graduate Studies. For IDS 900, the form will serve as the student's request to be registered for the course, and the Registrar's Office will register the student. For IDS 901, the School of Graduate Studies will assign Dean's permission and the Student will be notified they may register for IDS 901. Failure to register for any course or one of these IDS continuation courses, by the end of the add/drop period for Fall 2014 will result in dismissal from your program. After which, if you wish to continue in your program, you must reapply with no guarantee of readmission. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Dr. Gregory Paveza, Dean of Graduate Studies, either by at paveza@southernct.edu or by phone at Please note that the above outlined process for continuing enrollment does not supplant EDL 799 or EDL 800 which are required courses for students in the ED.D. program. Dissertation Research In conducting the dissertation research, the candidate works closely with the dissertation committee Sponsor, consulting other committee members as necessary. The candidate takes primary responsibility for collecting data, analyzing data and preparing initial drafts in a timely manner, according to a schedule agreed upon with his or her committee Sponsor. It is important to note that no research data collection should take place until IRB approval has been received. It is also important to note that the candidate should work with the sponsor to review and refine drafts of data analyses or chapters before they are passed to readers for review so that readers are in a position to provide meaningful feedback. Dissertation Defense When the student and his or her dissertation committee determine that a final draft of the dissertation is ready for defense, the candidate files a Request for Approval to Schedule Dissertation Defense (Appendix I) to the Coordinator of the Doctoral Program. This form includes the date, time and location of the defense, as agreed upon by all dissertation committee members. At least one semester must elapse between passing the proposal hearing and holding the dissertation defense. Once approved by the Coordinator of Doctoral Education, the defense scheduling may occur with the assistance of the administrative assistant of the Coordinator. All aspects of the defense are coordinated by the candidate. The candidate is responsible for informing his or her committee of the approved date, time and location. The candidate must be aware that he or she must complete and submit the Application for Graduation and Diploma as well as the Application for a Graduate Degree to the Office of the Registrar in the Fall semester prior to his or her anticipated graduation. 15

17 In preparation for the defense, each committee member must receive a copy of the entire dissertation (including title and copyright pages, preliminary pages, references, and appendices) four weeks prior to the defense date. It is the candidate s responsibility to ensure that each committee member receives the dissertation. Defenses completed with a score of 1/Unconditional Pass or 2/Pass with Minor Dissertation Revision (see below) by May 5th of the fourth year will render the student eligible for participation in the May commencement ceremony of that year. Defenses completed with a score of 3/Pass with Major Dissertation Revision are not guaranteed to render the candidate eligible for participation in the May commencement ceremony of that year. Defenses may be scheduled during the academic calendar (Fall/Spring). When the Request for Approval to Schedule Dissertation Defense form is approved by the Coordinator of the Doctoral Program, the candidate has been admitted to conduct his/her final oral dissertation defense in front of the dissertation committee. Final oral dissertation defenses are open to the public. Notification of the defense will be disseminated by the Sponsor. Any potential guest to the dissertation defense must be approved by the candidate, the Sponsor and the Coordinator of the doctoral program. All committee members are expected to be present. Should a committee member be unexpectedly unable to attend, participation by teleconference may be possible. If that option is either impossible or deemed unacceptable by the other two committee members, then the defense must be rescheduled. The student must bring one extra clean copy of the dissertation to the defense along with the Notice of Completion of Final Examination and Dissertation Requirements. (Appendix I). It is highly recommended that the student bring several signature pages (on quality paper as defined in the SCSU Graduate School document) to the defense in the event that revisions need to be made as a result of the Graduate School review. At the defense, the candidate will be expected to make a formal minute presentation of the dissertation, using the necessary technological tools to convey the materials in a professional manner. The candidate may be asked questions relevant to the written document, the oral presentation, his or her preparation, or his or her future plans. Questions from the Sponsor will be followed by questions from the other committee members. Questions from guests may be entertained if it has been determined, in advance, that the doctoral candidate and his/her committee are comfortable with such proceedings. Discussion of the candidate s performance is initiated after the oral presentation and questioning, and after the candidate and all guests have left the room. The discussion and balloting should result in one of the following four alternatives: 1. Unconditional pass. The committee agrees that the dissertation and defense are acceptable. The committee members then sign the Notice of Completion of Final Examination and Dissertation Requirements, indicating Unconditional Pass. The sponsor signs a second time in the appropriate space, certifying the dissertation is satisfactory and has been accepted by the committee. 16

18 2. Pass with Minor Dissertation Revision. The committee agrees that the defense is acceptable but that the dissertation still requires revision. The committee members sign the Notice of Completion of Final Examination and Dissertation Requirements, indicating Pass with minor revisions, but the sponsor withholds the signature certifying approval of the dissertation pending satisfactory revisions and corrections. The committee provides the student with a deadline for making all revisions and corrections. Once approved by the sponsor, the final signature is made. 3. Pass with Major Dissertation Revision. The committee agrees that the defense is acceptable but the dissertation requires substantial revision. The committee members mark Pass on the Notice of Completion of Final Examination and Dissertation Requirements, but withhold signatures. Such signing may take place only after the committee members have examined and approved the revised dissertation. The committee provides the student with a deadline for re-submitting all revisions and corrections. 4. Failure. If the dissertation and/or its defense are not acceptable, the candidate fails. The Notice of Completion of Final Examination and Dissertation Requirements is marked Fail, and signed by the committee members and the sponsor. If the committee foresees the possibility that the candidate can revise the dissertation in a way that might eventually be acceptable, it may recommend a reexamination. The Dean of the School of Education makes the decision as to whether to allow a second examination. Once the dissertation defense is completed, candidates are required to follow the instructions for submission specified below, in Final Dissertation Submission. Final Dissertation Preparation and Formatting The reputation and quality of SCSU s graduate programs are measured in part by the quality of dissertation proposals written by graduate students. These documents provide permanent, tangible evidence of the scholarly achievements of the student and the student s graduate program. Upon approval, they are placed in the University library. For these reasons, dissertation proposals must be prepared with exceptional care for appearance, for consistency of terminology, and for correctness of citations, grammar, and spelling. It is expected that the dissertation proposal document submitted to the School of Graduate Studies will be well edited and in publishable condition in order to gain approval by the Graduate Dean. The Graduate Dean and designated faculty dissertation committee members review each dissertation proposal to ensure that the requirements of style specified in the SCSU/EDL Procedures have been met. Dissertation proposals that are judged unacceptable are returned to the student through the faculty Sponsor for correction and re-approval by the Sponsor. The dissertation proposal then is resubmitted to the School of Graduate Studies. Ideally, all changes 17

19 are accomplished in one correction. If new errors are made, however, they are noted, and the dissertation proposal subsequently is returned to the Sponsor. Once a student has entered into doctoral candidacy, procedures outlined in the timeline in Appendix II should be adhered to. NOTE: A grade of I+ will be submitted for EDL 800 by a student s dissertation Sponsor until the dissertation document receives final review by the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. While a student will be eligible to walk in the commencement ceremony in May after a successful defense, the doctoral degree will not be processed until the Dissertation document is approved by the Graduate School and the grade of I is changed to a P, thereby indicating completion of all degree requirements. This may occur within weeks or months, depending on the number of corrections needed and the timeliness of document submission to the Graduate School. Dissertations should follow the procedures described below. They address preliminary pages, text, reference materials, and mechanics. Preliminary Pages. The preliminary materials consist of the title page, copyright notice (optional), approval page, abstract, dedication (optional), acknowledgement/preface/support (optional), table of contents, list of tables, list of figures, and other lists. Preliminary pages are paginated separately from the rest of the text. The title page is counted, but it is not numbered. Beginning with the page immediately following the title page, place page numbers in lowercase Roman numerals centered at the bottom of the preliminary pages. The Roman numerals are continued up to the first page of the text. Proper order of preliminary pages: 1. Title Page The title of the dissertation should be as concise as possible. It must occur consistently in every respect, including punctuation, capitalization, and hyphenation, on the abstract and approval forms. On the title page, the identical title must appear in all capital letters with each line centered on the page. The degree date should be the month and year, e.g. May 2010, in which the degree is conferred, e.g., May, August, or January. The title page is not numbered, but it is counted. 2. Copyright Notice (optional) Copyrighting of the dissertation is optional but strongly recommended. If included, the copyright page follows the title page and is not numbered, but it is counted. The copyright symbol should appear with your full legal name and the year centered between the margins on the page, e.g., Copyright by David Akai Carter 2000 If the copyright option is chosen, the student must indicate this choice on the ProQuest contract and submit the copyright fee. 18

20 3. Approval Page The approval page contains the title of the dissertation and the signatures of the Sponsor, committee member(s), and department chairperson. The name of each signing committee member should be typed under the appropriate signature. Signatures should be in black ink. The student must ensure that the form of the student s name is consistent on the manuscript title page, abstract page, and approval page. A lower-case Roman numeral is used on the approval page. 4. Abstract The abstract should provide a succinct, descriptive account of the dissertation. The abstract should not exceed 150 words, should be double-spaced, and should adhere to the same style manual as the dissertation manuscript. The abstract should include pertinent place names, names of persons, and other proper nouns. These are useful in automated retrieval. A lower-case Roman numeral is used on the abstract page. 5. Dedication (optional) The dedication is brief, single-spaced, and centered on the page (horizontally and vertically). No heading is used. The word To customarily begins the dedication. 6. Acknowledgement/Preface/Support (optional) This section begins with the title ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS centered in all capital letters two inches from the top of the page. The text begins on the fourth line below the heading and is double-spaced. This page is used to thank those persons who have been instrumental to the student in completing the degree requirements. Acknowledgement of grants and special funding received to support the dissertation research also may be made on this page. A lower-case Roman numeral is used on this page. 7. Table of Contents The Table of Contents must include all chapter headings, the bibliography, and appendices. Preliminary pages are not included. Entries are double-spaced. Sub-headings are block-indented by half an inch. The headings of major sections (i.e., chapters, bibliography, appendices) are written in all capital letters. Table of Contents headings must be identical to those in the text. Page numbers listed must be right- justified and connected to the appropriate entry by a line of evenly spaced dot leaders (periods). The words TABLE OF CONTENTS must be centered on the page two inches from the top of the first page only. A lower-case Roman numeral is used on this page. 8. List of Tables (if tables appear in document) The heading, LIST OF TABLES, appears centered on the page two inches from the top of the first page only. All table numbers and captions are listed exactly as they appear in the text. A 19

21 lower-case Roman numeral is used on this page. 9. List of Figures (if figures appear in document) The heading, LIST OF FIGURES, appears centered on the page two inches from the top of the first page only. All figure numbers and captions are listed exactly as they appear in the text. A lower-case Roman numeral is used on this page. 10. Other Lists (e.g., nomenclature, definitions, glossary of terms, etc.) The appropriate title in all capital letters is centered two inches from the top of the first page only. Each of these pages is numbered with lower-case Roman numerals. Text. The text of the dissertation consists of the substantive chapters. The text must be double-spaced and printed on only one side of each page. The text must be divided into a logical scheme that is followed consistently throughout the document. The larger divisions and more important minor divisions are indicated by suitable, consistent headings following APA style guidelines. Chapter organization as practiced by the discipline should be followed. The student and the academic department are responsible for the quality and content of the text. Specific requirements for text presentation follow. 1. Headings and Subheadings The student may use headings and subheadings to subdivide chapters or sections, but a consistent sequence of headings as identified in the approved APA style guide must be followed. The student may not change the sequence and style of headings from chapter to chapter. Once the sequence is established, it must be followed consistently throughout the dissertation. All chapter headings should be positioned two inches from the top of the page. 2. Pagination Lower-case Roman numerals are used to number all pages preceding the text. Although the preliminary paging begins with the title page, no number appears on that page. The page immediately following the title page is numbered with a lower-case Roman numeral, not if it is the page. Beginning with the first page of the text, all pages are to be numbered with Arabic numerals consecutively throughout the dissertation document, including the appendix and the bibliography or list of references. The Arabic numerals must be positioned at the bottom of the page, centered between the margins and 1 from the bottom. Page headers or running heads may not be used in the dissertation. 3. Tables and Figures The term table refers to a columnar arrangement of information, often data sets, organized to save space and convey relationships at a glance. The term figure refers to graphs, drawings, diagrams, charts, maps, or photographs. All such details should be inserted in the text 20