What is my Supervisory Committee and what does it do?

All graduate students should have a Supervisory Committee in place by the end of their first year. Your Supervisory Committee is a group of three faculty members who will oversee your graduate work, including what courses you are allowed to count toward your degree and your thesis, if you do Plan A or Plan B. The committee will also set and evaluate your oral or written Comprehensive Exam (dependent upon program) and conduct your Thesis Defense. The committee consists of a chair (with whom you will be working most closely) and two other members, one of whom must be from outside your program (for instance, a folklorist could serve on a Literature and Writing committee) and may be from outside the department (for instance, American Studies students often have historians serving on their committees). A fourth member is occasionally included, but only if his or her particular expertise is needed. Faculty members must be approved by the School of Graduate Studies before they are eligible to serve on Supervisory Committee (faculty eligible for SC service must be full-time faculty with a terminal degree or have special permission from the School of Graduate Studies; see DGS if you have questions about whether a faculty member is eligible).

Your Supervisory Committee Chair will help you formulate your Plan A or Plan B project and recruit committee members to work with you on that project, or s/he can discuss with you the possibility of a Plan C program. Therefore, selecting your Supervisory Committee early is crucial.

To register your Supervisory Committee with the Graduate School, you will need to complete the Supervisory Committee form found here.  Print, the completed form, and gather your committee members initials on it to confirm their willingness to serve. When you have their initials, drop the form off in Evelyn Funda’s mailbox (or send it to her via USU address). Please keep the DGS informed of any changes to your supervisory committee.  Changes to the SC cannot be made during the six weeks prior to the final defense.